
Class f ^ <^ 6 
Booic > IB G I 



y 



>> 



M 



■^ 



* * M/i ^ 



* * 



* 



m^^^ 1 11 J_i Xl Xi X iLyLliL^irl- lO i^^^"^^ 



* 






AND 






^ w ^ 



* 



* 



* 



* 



* 



*1^P"Tf^lnf! 



mm:: 11 



mm 



amti^- 



* 



■» 



* 






^ 



* 



METOQlJlS* 



¥ 



X X OF X X 



ADAMS. CL.AV. HAL.L.s^ HAMILTON 
COUNTRIES. NHBRASKA. 



COMPRISING 



A Condensed History of the State, a number of Biographies of Distinguished Citizens of 

the same, a Brief Descriptive History of eaclq of the Counties mentioned, and 

numerous Biographical Sketches of the Citizens of such Counties. 



ILLUSTRATED.ss-.:^ 



The Goodspeed Publishing Co. 

1890. 




>rv 



@ k^ 






Preraoe 






^^ 




HE method by which this book was prepared is the only successful plau 
yet devised for the preservation of local history and biography throughout 
the United States, and the number of volumes distributed seems fabulous. 
Over one million copies have been sold in the United States in the last 
5^^ fifteen years at jjrices ranging from $10 to $25 per copy, aggregating a 
total valuation of fully $15,000,000. Many of these works are purely bi- 
ographical, containing no history whatever; others are genealogical, extending 
back to the origin of the family on this continent. Whatever may be the objection 
to the method of preparation, whatever fault may exist in the celerity of compil- 
ation and publication, the enormous circulation and the wonderful popularity 
of the works, as shown in their sale at high prices, prove that the end justifies 
the means. No one but an enemy of society and progress will undertake to dis- 
pute a proposition so manifestly true. 

The Publishers have few if any excuses to offer in handing this fine volume 
to their patrons, for whom alone it was prepared. It is a work of permanent worth, carefully 
compiled from the most vahiable material to be found, critically read and revised, and in mechan- 
ical make-up will challenge comparison with the most improved products of the art of book- 
making. Every biography was submitted by mail, and nearly all were promptly corrected and 
returned by the subjects. Much of the histoi-y was prepared by home talent and is substantially 
accurate. The promises contained in the prospectus used by our agents on the canvass, have been 
exceeded in almost every detail; a candid comimrison is solicited. 

The condensed State history was prepared mainly by Mr. C. F. Royce, editor of the Gazette- 
Journal, Hastings; several_important chapters were written by Mr. Isaiah Piatt, of the his- 
torical staff. The history of Hamilton County was written by Samuel Spanogle, Esq., of Aurora, 
and will be found to be a creditable production. The remainder of the history, save many 
small contributions from numerous residents, was compiled by Prof. M. A. Leeson, who has 
had over fifteen consecutive years' experience in local historical work. The diminutive size of 
the biographical department of Hamilton County is due principally to the surprising unconcern 
of a majority of the citizens of that county in the success of this most laudable enterprise. 
Thanking our ]>atrons and friends for their liberal assistance,' we respectfully tender them this 
beautiful volume. 

Chicago, May, 1890. THE PUBLISHERS. 






4 k. 





HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 

CHAPTER I. 

The Territory of Louisiana — Nebraska Originally a Part 
of Louisiana — Ferdinand De Soto and His Expedition 
— The Exploration of the Mississijipi Valley — Discov- 
ery of tlic Mississippi River — Death of De Soto — Ex- 
plorations of the Jesuits — Joliet and Marciuette — La 
Salle's Exploration— France Claims the Territory — 
Governors of Louisiana — France Compelled to Relin- 
<iuish Louisiana — President Jefferson buys Louisiana .9-14 

CHAPTER II, 

Indian History of Nebraska — The Principal Trilies — The 
Poneas and Their Melancholy History — Their Treaties 
"With the United States— Outrages by United States 
Soldiers — Their Forcible Removal to the Indian Ter- 
ritory — Standing Bear's Escape — Arrest and Subse- 
quent Release by Judye Dundy — The Pawnees, Otoes 
and Omahas — Great Battle Between the Sioux and 
Pawnees — The Great Ujirisiug of August, 1!SC4 — The 
Massacre at Plum Creek— Stampede of the Settlers 
—Peace Restored 15-1'J 

CHAPTER III 

The Settlement of the Te-ritory — Population of Nebraska 
at the Formation of the Territory — The Earliest Visits 
of the White Men — The Tradint; Post and Settlement 
at Bellevue — Col. Peter A. Sarpy — The Mormon Set- 
tlement at Florence — First Attcm])ts to Found the 
City of Omaha — The Settlement of Dou!;las County 
— Col. John Boulware — The Settlement at St. Deroin 
— The Foundinn; of Brownville — Early History of 
Douglas County — Stephen Story and His Settlement 
in Richardson County 30-33 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Formation of the Territory — Other Territories Ad- 
mitted — Calls for the Fornuitiunof the " Platte Coun- 
try" — First Attempt to Erect the Territory of Nc- 
braska — A Resume of Political Events Leading to the 
Opi)osition to the Erection of Nebraska — The Mis- 
souri Compromise — Second Attempt to Form the Ter- 
ritory of Nebraska— Opposition of Southern Sena- 
tors — The Slavery Issue — Senator Douglas Introduces 
the Kansas-Nebraska Bill — Its Opposition and Final 
Passage 3-t-37 



CHAPTER V. 

Geological Formation — Primitive Ages — .Mineral Dc|iosit> 
— Topography and Physical features — Extent and .\rea 
— Rivers, Lakes, etc. — Navigalile Streams — Timber — 
Before the Time of AVhite Men — Natural Produc- 
tions 3.N-ol 

CHAPTER VI 

The Exploration of Nebraska — Early Visitors — Govern- 
ment Ex]ieditions — Valuable Extract by .Judge Sav- 
age — Nebraska as a Territory — First Otticials — Death 
of Gov. Burt — Formation Into Counties — Early Legis- 
lative Sessions — Population in lS.o.5 — The "Florence 
Secession " — The Slavery Question Considered — The 
Territory in IStil — Numerous Acts and Measures of 
Interest — Anxiety to Become a State 3.5-45 

CHAPTER VII. 

Admitted Into the Union — Fcirnuition of State Govern 
ment — Historical Record by Hon. C. H. Gere — Condi- 
tion as a State Proper — First Otlicials — Lincoln, the 
Scat of Government — Early Elections — First Legisla- 
tive Sessions — Gov. Butler's Regime — The (Jovcrnor 
Impeached — -V Famous Trial — The James Administra- 
tion — Stirring Events — Blizzard and (irasshopjicr 
Scourge — State OIHcers Since Organization 4lj-.5li 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Nebraska's Part iu the Kel)ellion — Number of Soldiers 
Furnished — Sentiment of the People — Companies Or- 
ganized — Sketclics of Infantry Regiments- Engage- 
ments Participated In — Home Protection Considered — 
Indian Encounters — Sketches of Nebra.ska's Senators 
and Congressmen — Senatorial Succession — Phineas 
W. Hitchcock — Thomas W. Tiplon — John M. Thayer 
— .\lgernou S. Paddock — .\lvin Saunders — Charles F. 
Manderson — Charles II. Van Wyck and ( )thcrs 57-64 

CHAPTER IX 

Counties in the State — Brief Historical .'Skctche>< — De- 
scriptive Account of their Origin — Location, County 
Seats, etc. — First Settlements- General Development — 
Advent of Railways — A Commercial Necessity — Sur- 
veys of lS.>i-.54 — Building of the Pacific Railroad — 
History of the Enterprise — Central Paeilic Railroad — 
The Consolidation ti.5-77 



^fv" 



CHAPTER X. 

Nebraska's Important Cities— Sketch of Tlii-ir Progress 
and Dcvelopincnt — Material Advaiuenient Noted — 
Character of Iiiii)roveiiients — Present Interests — At- 
traetions Offered — Liueolu, the Judieial Center — 
Omaha, the ( 'ommereial Metropolis — Pnblic Prosperity 
— Educational Facilities — The Public School System — 
Karly Enumeration— School Fuuds — Statistics — De- 
uoniiuatioual Institutions of Learuins; — Local Col- 
leges 78-89 

CHAPTER XI. 

State Institutions — Architectural Beauty of Buildings — 
Convcijicnce of Construction — The Cai)itol Ediflee — 
History of Erection — Appropriations — Universily — 
Blind Institute — Normal School — Insane Asylums — 
Deaf and Dumb Institutions — State Penitentiary — 
Nebraska an Agricultural State — Productions — Valua- 
tion — Climatic Features — Manufacturing Interests — 
OlKeial Directory — .\bstract of Votes — Ecclesiastical 
History 00-104 



ADAMS COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XII. 

.\n Historical Sketch — Localion and .\rca — Population — 
■ Adaptability to Agriculture — Physical P'eatures — Nat- 
ural Gas — Climatic Features — Gauie — Fremont's Trav- 
els — Kit Carson — The Government Well — Indian 
Treaties — "Bill" Kress — Some First Things — Pio- 
neers — Original Tax Roll- Settlers' Associations. .107-117 

CHAPTER XIII 

Establishment of County — Boundaries — Transactions of 
Commissioners and Sujiervisors — County Seat War — 
Court .Affairs — Terms from May, 1873, to January, 
1800 — Important Criminal Cases — Numerous Murders, 
Hangings, etc. — Defalcation 118-135 

CHAPTER XIV. 

liecord of Elections — Various Ollicials Chosen — Consider- 
ation of Questions of Local Importance — Under Town- 
ship Organization Laws— Proposition for Fundiug 
Bonds — Journalists and Journalism-Tlie Newspaper 
as a Powerful Moral Agent — Sketches of Press Enter- 
prises — First Issues of Sundry Publications — Their 
Development and InHuencc I3()-I-ts 

CHAPTER XV. 

.Military History — Survivors of the Civil War— Roster of 
Soldiers — Strickland Post — Juniata Post — Hansen Post 
— Kenesaw Post — Company F — Associations and So- 
cieties — Reunions, etc 149-153 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Societies, Associations, etc., of Local Importance — Agri- 
cultural Society — Hastings Fairtiround Association — 
District and Central Agricultural Societies — Patrons 
of Husbandry, Grange, etc. — Aid Society — Farmers' 
Alliance — Medical -Associations — -Associations of 
Teachers — Temperance Societies and Movements — 
Sunday-School Convcution.s — Woman's Suffrage Asso- 
ciation — Railroad History — Education — School Sys- 
tem, etc '. 154-103 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Hastings City— Location and .Additions — Town Company 
— Judicial History — Kinnan Claim — First Settlement 
— Beginnings of Religious and Business Enterprises — 
Building tlie City — Fires — Storms — Improvements — 
Transactions of City Council — Financial — Officials, 
etc. — Board of Trade — Business Men's Association — 
Post-offlce — Banks and Loan Associations — Wholesale 
Houses— Commercial Institutions — Manufactories — 
Churches — Schools and Colleges — Secret and Benevo- 
lent Societies— Y. M. C. A. — Home for the Friendless 
—Insane .\sylum— Sundry Societies 163-193 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Towns Outside of Hastings — Juniata's History — .\s the 
Old County Seat — Development — Present Interests — 
Representative Citizens — Sketch of Kenesaw and Vi- 
cinity — Its Founding and Subsequent Growth — Some 
First Things — Ayr Village — Hansen — Millingtou — 
Roseland — Mayflower — llolstein — Other Centers of 
Commercial Note — Inland — Ludlow 194-20(j 



CLAY COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Introduction — Population — Elevations — Area — Rivers and 
Streams — Physical Formation — Grasshopper Plagues 
— Effects of Same — Storms and Blizzard.s — Destroying 
Elements — Exploration — Pioneers — -Vn Old Settler's 
Reminiscences — Indian Warfare — Evacuation of 
Spring Rauchc — Female Captives — Organization of 
Old Settlers' .Association 341-303 

CHAPTER XX. 

The Newspajjer Pres^- The Pioneer Champion — Har- 
vard Journals — Sutton Journalists — Fairlield Jour- 
nals and Periodicals— Clay Center Journals — The 
DeWeese Recorder — Edu<'atioual Interests — Public 
Schools, Teachers, etc.- Statistics — County Societies 
and Associations — Professional Roll, etc. — Memoirs 
of War — Militia Compianies — Roster of Volunteers. 304-371 



\ 



^1 



lIa 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Clay Center and Sutton— Location of the Seat of .Justice 
—Pioneer Days of the Villasces— Early Business 
Houses and Dwellings — Incorporation — Schools- 
Churches — Secret and Benevolent Associations— 
Openiuiir of Railroad Connections — Telephone— 
Banks— Post-offices— French and Gray Settlements- 
General Develo])ment and Progress— Present Inter- 
ests—Modern Condition 373-386 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Harvard and Fairfield- Beffinning— Pre-Emption of Town 
Sites— Original Surveys— Incorporations— Early Mer- 
chants—Pioneer Business Men— First Buildings- 
Mayors, Trustees, Aldermen, etc.— Official Directory 
—Voters of 18313-iOI— ConniK^rcial Interests— Finan- 
cial-Fires— Water System— Educational and Relig- 
ious Matters— Secret and Benevolent Organizations- 
General History 3ST-411 



HALL COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Topography and Natural History— Beginning-Limits 
Defined — Population — Above Sea Level — Water 
Courses— The Platte River-Climatic Features-Dis- 
turbing Elements— Indians and Pioneers— First Ex- 
plorers—Indian Massacres— Forts for Protection- 
Early White Settlements and Settlers— Reminiscences 
-Primitive Experiences— Establishment of Grand 
Island— Some First Things, etc .531-540 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Establishment of County— Transactions of Board— Sup- 
plementary Acts-Appointment of Officials- Elec- 
tions— An Interesting Record Book-Commissioners 
and Supervisors— Tax Levies— Finance— Resume of 
Political Events-Returns of Voters-Politicians of 
Note— Official Record— Judicial History— A Summary 
of Court Affairs -Attorneys Admitted to Practice- 
Trials of Importance .541-560 

CHAPTER XXV. 

First Newspaper in Hall County-Mormon .lournals-lni- 
migration Induced by Journalism— Pioneer Papers- 
Expressed Opinions of Sundry Editors— Agricultural 
Societies-Grange, Alliance, etc.-Immigration So- 
ciety—Sugar Beet Industry— An Important Source 
of Income— Mortgage Record— Educatioual Interests 
and Teachers' Associations— Statistics— Physicians' 
Circle-Medical and Dental Associations— Trausporta- 
tion Facilities— Railroads— Railroad History .561-572 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Foundation of Grand Island City-First Events-Original 
Plat— Meeting to Organize a Village Government- 
Organization— Town and City Elections 1873-1883- 
Pioneers of the City— Building and General Advance- 
ment-Soldiers' Home— Public Library— Merchants' 
Club-Board of Trade— Post-offlce-Banks and Loan 
Associations— Fire Department and Fires— Manu- 
facturing Industries— Beet Sugar Factory and Im- 
provement Association— Trade Statistics— Hotels- 
United States Land Office— Church Organizations- 
City Schools— Secret Societies— Military Societies- 
Temperance Societies— Musical Associations and Old 
Base Ball Teams 573-.5<)7 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Wood River — Commcucemcnt — Some First Things- 
Growth and Upbuilding— Early Commercial Inter"ests 
—Pioneer Merchants— The Gazette— Incorporation— 
Population— Present Business— Bank— Religious So- 
cieties—Secret and Benevolent Organizations— Doni- 
phan— Location, Elevation, etc.— Events of Import- 
ance-Early Happenings— Fire of 1887— Churches 
and School — Other Villages — Alda — Underwood— 
Spencer— Cairo— Runelsburg and Shelton 598-604 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

General Description— Boundary and Area— Physical Feat- 
ures. Streams, etc.- Geologic Formation— Soil— Pro- 
ductiveness— Statistical Valuation— Poiiulatiou—Cli- 
mate— Storms— Days of Old— Zoology— Earliest In- 
habitants in County — Aborigines — Explorations- 
Mormon Trail— Ranches— Firsf Settlements— A Num. " 
ber of Pioneers— Reminiscences— Indian Depreda- 
tions—A Few First Things-Early Agriculturists Now 
Otherwise Occupied- Deceased Pioneers 713-71!) 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Legislative Aots-Boundarics Defined-Representation- 
Scnatorial and Representative Districts — Section 
Lines— Organization and Formation— County Seat 
War— Commissioners' Proceedings- Estimate of Ex- 
penses for 1890-Judicial History— District Court— 
Beginning-Early Terms-Officials-Roll of Attor. 
neys— Present Court Officers— Cases of Civil Import- 
ance—Crimes and Criminal Cases 730-730 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Political History— First Voters-Earliest Election— Form- 
ation of Parties— Conventions — Establishment of 
Party Interests— The Lines Drawn— Candidates— In- 
teresting Contests— History of Political Movements- 
Election of 1889-Statistics— Election Returns— Ros- 
ter of Public Servants 731-740 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

.loiirnnlisiii and .loiiiiialists— Kirst Kfforts hi Haiiiilton 
County— Ni'wspapcrs — Style of Publication — Periodi- 
cals — Present Ncws|ia|icr Men— Oflicc Equipments — 
Affairs of Military Importance— Historical Sketch — 
Ci. A. R. Posts— Veterans— Societies — Agricultural 
Associations — Granifc— First Fair — Farmers' Alliance 
— Hamilton County Medical Society — Scholastic Af- 
fairs — Organization of School Districts — First School 
—tirades, etc.— Superintendent's Report of 1889. . .741-74!) 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

City of Aurora— Location and Appearance— History of 
Proposed Origin — Orif^iual Site — Beginning — Building 
up the Village— Additions— First Structures — Early 
Business Men — Incorporation — Character of Build- 
ings — Puhlic Buildings and Improvements — Roster of 
Officers — Post-office — Railroads— Educational Inter- 
ests — Industries — Financial Institutions — Churches, 
witli Sketilic.; of llicir History— Secret Societies — 



Other Organizations — General Features of Aurora's 
.Attractiveness T.^O-Tiil 

CHAPTER XXXIII 

Other Villages and Towns in Ilauiillou County — Brief 
Historical Sketch— Their Imiiortaucc— Centers of 
ComnHT<ial Intlucncc — Pojuilation — Business Affairs 
— Indication of .\dvanccment — Relisious and School 
Interests,etc. — OrvilU — Hampton — Slockliam — Brom- 
lield — Maniuctte — I'liillips — Country Churches. . .703-770 



BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Adams Couuty 20(>-340 

Clay Couuty 411-.530 

Hall County «>t-711 

Hamilton County 770-783 



F»ORXRAIX3. 



«et-*9=3c 



M. I.. Elsemore Between 112 and 113 

K. C. Wehster Between 16S and 169 

Him. .lames I.aird (deceased) Between 233 and 333 

W. W. I'hilico Between '390 and 397 

1). M. N. It I, ton Between 360 aud 301 



George P. Schwab Between 408 and 409 

Thomas H. Matters Between 484 aud 4.S.5 

Edward Hoojier Between .568 and .509 

Sumner Davis, M. D Between 630 aud li3I 



^-^^^i- 



^1 HISTORY OF NEBRASKAII^ 



i^ 



->++<- 



CHAPTER I. 



The Territory of LonsiANA — Nebraska Originally a Part op Louisiana — Ferdinand de Soto and His 

Expedition — The Exploration op the Mississippi Valley — Discovery of the Mississippi Rhter — 

Death of De Soto — Explorations of the Jesuits — Joliet and Marquette — La Salle's 

Exploration — France Claims the Territory- — Go^t;rnors of Louisiana — France 

Compelled to Relinquish Louisiana — President Jefferson buys Louisiana. 



Justly Cassar scorns the poet's lays; 

It is to history he trusts for praise. — Pope. 




EBRASKA was originally a 
part of the great Territoiy 
of Louisiana, which com- 
prised very nearly one-third 
of the present area of the 
<,-^ United States. A history 
?^ of the State would be in- 
complete without at least a brief 
reference to the earliest explorations 
of the region which to-day forms 
«^j7||^5x^-^ so important a part of our gi-eat 
•s if vvai Nation. The story of the earliest ex- 
plorations of Louisiana by the 
Spaniards in 1539-44 reads more 
like some mediteval romance than 
an authentic historical record. 
Singularlj- enough, the first explo- 
ration of the great vallej' watered 
b}- the "Father of Waters" was more the 
result of a love of adventure on the part of a few 
Spanish cavaliers, lured by visions of suddenly- 
acquired riches, than of a desire to enlarge the boun- 
daries of science or to increase the wealth of a 
nation. 



The discover}' of the Mississippi River, and the 
first exploration of the great valley bearing its name, 
are commonly attributed to Ferdinand de Soto, a 
Spanish captain and explorer, and one of the most 
famous of the Eldorado adventurers of the sixteenth 
century. He was the contemporary of Cortez and 
Pizarro, the cruel conquerors of Mexico and Peru, 
and was a companion of the latter in the famous 
campaign which resulted in the overthrow and spoli- 
ation of the Incas. 

The adventurous spirit of the times had impelled 
Columbus to brave the dangers and imaginary terrors 
of unknown seas, and the discoverj- of a new world, 
peopled with a new and unknown race of beings, was 
the result of his daring. De Soto, with others of a 
like ventursome disposition, was attracted to the 
uewh'-discovered continent, and in 1518 he is found 
a member of an expedition to Darien. In 1828 he 
made an exploration of the coasts of Guatemala and 
Yucatan, and again, in 1532, he led 300 volunteers 
to the assistance of Pizarro, who was at that time 
engaged in the conquest of Peru. De Soto signal- 
ized his campaign in Peru by many brilliant achiev- 
ments; and he returned to Spain with an added 



V 



IusUt to liis fame, ;uk1 his pockets lined witli riches 
ignobly wrested from a weak and confiding people. 
In the year 1 53S De Soto organized the memor- 
able expedition that was forever to make his name 
famous in the annals of history. His was no com- 
mon band. It was composed of the flower of Span- 
ish chivalry, and in its ranks manj- a scion of noble 
blood acknowledged the leadership of the renowned 
explorer. All were actuated by the same motives — 
the love of adventure and the hope of gain. The 
conquests of Mexican and Peru led them to believe 
that still other semi-barbarous nations were hidden 
in the unexplored recesses of the strange, new con- 
tinent. In equipment and accoutrements the expe- 
dition rivaled the most gorgeous descriptions of 
oriental splendor. The glittering armor and mag- 
nificent paraphernalia of the soldiers, the silken ban- 
ners and the resplendent trappings of the fiery war 
horses, together with the mysterious and picturesque 
rites of the priests of the Spanish church who ac- 
companied the expedition, were well calculated to 
inspire a barbai'ous foe with respect and awe. 

The expedition landed in safet3' at Espirato 
Santo Bay, on the coast of Florida, in May, 1539. 
Following the example of the intrepid Cortez, De- 
Soto burned his ships and fearlessly turned into the 
trackless wilds of the unexplored peninsula. For 
four years the little band wandered through the al- 
most impenetrable forests of the lower Mississippi 
Valley. Historj- gives us but the meager details of 
those four years of weary wandering; but the un- 
told privations and sufferings of the hapless explo- 
ers can in a measure be conceived. 

At first the Indians looked upon De Soto and his 
followers as gods descended from the heavens , and 
feared them accordingly, but when thej- saw that 
the white men were, like themselves, subject to 
disease and death, and possessed no supernatural 
power, their enforced friendship turned into deadly 
hate and open hostility. Their ill-will increased with 
the brutality with which they were treated whenever 
they incurred the displeasure of the cruel and 
haughty Spaniards. De Soto and his men were 
compelled to fight man}- pitched .battles with the 
Indians, who were invariably defeated. 

The captive Indians, who were compelled to 



ser\e as guides, led the greedy Spaniards farther and 
father into the interior by repeating tales of falju- 
lous wealth of the temples and palaces of great 
cities. Lured by the ever fleeting ignis fatuus of 
wealth, De Soto's band, now rapidly decreasing in 
numbers, plunged still deeper into the wilderness, 
their march being constantly retarded b}' conflicts 
with the Indians, and their pathway marked by the 
graves of those who had died by the poisoned arrow 
of the Indian warrior, or from effects of the fetid 
breath of the fever-breeding swamps. They strug- 
gled on and onward, until in the spring of 1541, 
the glorious sight of the broad Mississippi — the 
mightj- Father of Waters, burst upon their wondering 
vision. There it rolled in all its majesty, a river 
broad enough to float on its bosom the combineil 
navies of the then civilized world. De Soto crossed 
the mighty river in hastilj- constructed boats, and 
pursued his wanderings on the western side. It is 
more than probable that his eyes rested on the broad 
prairies of the now fertile State of Nebraska. Cer- 
tain it is that Nebraska was visited by Spanish ex- 
plorers long before the advent of the French or Eng- 
lish, for portions of their armor and equipment have 
been discovered in this State within the past decade; 
but whether or not these relics lielonged to De Soto's 
band is a secret forever locked in the breast of un- 
written historj-. 

But all wanderings must have an end; and, weary 
of their long journej-iug, and discouraged b^- their 
failure to find the coveted riches, De Soto's dis- 
heartened band turned to retrace their steps to the 
sea. On the homeward march De Soto was stricken 
with a malignant fever, fi-om the effects of which he 
died. Mournfully the little band consigned the re- 
mains of their daring leader to the depths of the 
mighty river which he had discovered. Electing 
another leader, they pushed on in an attempt t ) 
reach the east coast of Florida. Failing in this, 
they constructed boats and launched out into the 
Mississippi, reaching the mouth of the river after a 
precarious voyage of nineteen da\-s. They followed 
the coast until they came to a Spanish settlement, 
where the}- foiuid means to return to Spain. 

Thus ended one of the most remarkalile explor- 
ing expeditions ever known to history. Three pub- 



rrf- 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



11 



lished nai'rati\'es of the expedition were given to tlie 
world; liut tlie Spaniards formed no conception of 
the magnitude of De Soto's discover}^, nor of the 
vast possibilities of empire that laj- within the track- 
less forests of the dark continent. It is useless to 
indulge in idle speculation as to what the histor}- of 
the great territory of which Nebraska is a part, 
might have been had the indolent Spaniards com- 
prehended the extent and fertilit}' of the vast regions 
drained by the great river and its tributaries. Had 
they so comprehended it, they might have founded 
an empire, beside which the might}' empire of Rome 
would have dwindled into insignificance ; but, bej'ond 
planting a few weak and struggling colonies in 
Florida, Spain did nothing to establish her claims 
to the Mississippi Valley, and a hundred years 
elapsed before civilized man again visited that re- 
gion. 

For uearl}' a century and a half after the ill- 
fated De Soto slept beneath the waters of the gi-eat 
ri^er which he had discovered, the Mississsippi Val- 
ley remained undisturljed in the possession of the 
Indians. Spain had made no effort to civilize the 
vast region she had claimed b}' right of discovery, 
and in the meantime the course of events had 
brought about manj- changes in the Old "World. 
France and England had become the two great rival 
powers of Europe, and both had turned eagerly to 
the new continent for new fields of conquest. Eng- 
land had established herself along the coasts of the 
Atlantic and was gradualh- extending her domains 
to the westward. France had obtained a foothold 
at Quebec and was slowly pushing her colonies up 
the St. Lawrence River. Both nations saw the al- 
most limitless possibilities of empire in the great 
vallej- of the JMississippi, and both took steps to- 
ward its occupation. France assumed the initiati\e 
and eventually acquired the coveted territory. 

It is a matter of history that the complete ex- 
ploration and final settlement of the territory which 
afterwards became known as Louisiana, was due 
more to the eflforts of Christian missionaries than to 
commercial enterprise or national spirit. The first 
men to enter upon a systematic exploration of the 
vast region of which Nebraska is a part, were the 
Jesuits, or members of the Society of Jesus, a 



famous religious societj" founded b}- Ignatius Lo}-- 
ola, a Spanish Knight of the sixteenth century. 
The Jesuits, unlike the other religious orders of the 
Catholic Church, mingled in the affairs of men, and 
did not indulge in those habits of seclusion and self- 
mortification which characterized the life of the 
monks. Actuated by a fervor and zeal before un- 
known in the history of the church, the Jesuits 
turned their attention to the new world and were 
among the first to explore its trackless wilds, and 
certainly the first to teach the savage the ways of 
Christian and civilized life. The Banner of the 
Cross was planted far in advance of the steadily 
encroaching colonies of the Europeans, and thou- 
sands of savages listened to the story of the new 
religion long before they heard the A'oice of the 
trader and the settler. 

The St. Lawrence River, with the great chain of 
lakes, entering the continent from the east, and the 
Mississippi River, entering from the south, were the 
two gi'eat avenues through which the Europeans en- 
tered the heart of the American continent. The 
work of the Jesuit missionaries had led to the dis- 
covery of the Ohio Rher and the partial exploration 
of two routes to the Mississippi ; but as yet the eyes 
of the Europeans had not rested upon the northern 
portion of that great river. It remained for two 
young men, Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, 
the former a fur trader and the latter a Jesuit mis- 
siouarj-, to make the final discovery. Joliet was 
born in Quebec, of humble parentage. Educated 
bj- the Jesuits for the priesthood, he earlj- aban- 
doned his religious offices for the more sordid pur- 
suits of fur trading. The hardihood and experi- 
ence of this life gave him the enterprise, boldness 
and determination to push the expedition to a suc- 
cessful issue. His companion, Jacques Marquette, 
presented a striking contrast. He was born in 
France, and, inheriting from his parents a strong 
religious susceptibilitj-, he was early in life imbued 
with the prevailing religious enthusiasm. He be- 
came a Jesuit, and in 1666 crossed the Atlantic to 
labor among the savages of the American forests. 
He was eminently qualified for this noble work. 
Possessing an indomitable will and courage, great 
purit}- and humility of character, and an affection- 



•^J 



12 



HISTORY OF NK15UASKA. 



ate inaniKM- in dealiiiir with the Tiidians, lie met with 
far greater success tliaii any of his fellow mis- 
sionaries. 

Ilaxing completed the necessary arrangements, 
these two daring explorers, with five hardy com- 
panions, set out on their perilous undertaking on 
Maj' 17, lf)73. For a month thej- pushed steadily 
forward, now paddling in canoes along the swift 
current of unknown streams, again threading their 
way through dense forests. On June 17, just one 
month from the day they started, they reached the 
mouth of the Wisconsin, pushed their frail canoes 
out into the broad, rolling Mississippi, and drifted 
rapidly down the current. Down the river they 
glided, the scenery on either side presenting an 
ever-changing panoramic view of wild and rugged 
beauty. They passed the mouth of the Missouri, 
its muddj' waters retaining their identitj- for miles be- 
fore mingling with the clearer waters of the Jlissis- 
sippi. Further on they reached the mouth of the 
Ohio, and still further down they came to the mouth 
of the Arkansas. 

It was now the middle of July, and, warned by 
their rapidly diminishing stores of supplies, the 
explorers decided to follow the course of the river 
no farther. Slowlj' retracing their waj- up the 
strong cuiTent the party reached the mission at the 
head of Green Bay in the latter part of September, 
having traveled a distance of nearly three thousand 
miles in less than six months. 

Marquette remained at the mission to recuperate 
his health, which had become impaired liy the ardu- 
ous journey, while Joliet pushed on to Montreal to re- 
port the results of the expedition. He was I'eceived 
with open anus by the projectors of the enterprise, 
and when ho related the success of the undertaking, 
their joj- was unljounded. The shrewd Frenchmen 
were quick to see the possibilities of large acces- 
sions to their territory, and immediately took steps 
to complete the explorations so auspiciously begun 
by Marquette and Joliet. 

It remained for another intrepid Frenchman to 
complete the work left unfinished liy 3Iarquette and 
Joliet, and to take formal possession of Louisiana in 
the name of t!ie King of France. Sieur de La Salle 
was a firm believer in the theory that the Mississippi 



River afforded a short and direct route to the Indies, 
a dream eagerly cherished 133- a long line of explor- 
ers, beginning with the renowned Christopher Colum- 
bus himself. Compelled by the result of Marquette 
and Joliet's expedition to abandon the theorj'. La 
Salle conceived the idea of finishing the exploration 
of the Mississippi to its mouth and claiming the 
entire region for the King of France. He accord- 
ingly ol)tained a royal commission, with all the 
necessary autlioi-ity to take possession of the region 
he expected to explore, and money to erect forts to 
hold it with. With ample authority and plenty of 
means, he sailed from France in 1G78 with thirty 
men. After an-iving at Quebec he reinforced his 
party by the addition of several experienced explor- 
ers, whose names aftenvards became famous. 

From the time he left France, La Salle labored 
incessantly in the prosecution of his cherished enter- 
prise. Two j-ears were spent in exploring the upper 
vallej', and it was not until December 21, 1681, that 
he set out from the mouth of the St. Joseph Ri\er 
on the final expedition to the Mississippi. The 
streams were covered with ice and his men were 
compelled to build sledges upon which to haul their 
canoes and supplies to the Illinois River. Arri\ing 
at the Illinois, they travelled down that river on the 
ice until they reached Peoria Lake, where the open 
water permitted the use of their canoes. Again 
embarking, thej- reached the mouth of the Illinois 
where it empties into the Mississippi, on Feljruary 
G, 1682. Then for a second time a French expedi- 
tion was swept southward by the hurrying current 
of the mighty river. The swift-flowing current soon 
can-ied them from the rigor of a Northern winter 
into the balmy spring time of the sunny South. La 
Salle made many landings in order to greet the 
natives with friendly assurances and to set up the 
arms of France. The resistless current of the majes- 
tic ri\er carried the party nearer and nearer the sea 
until, on the 6th of April, 16S2, the broad bosom 
of the gulf opened on their sight, tossing its restless 
billows, as limitless, as voiceless, as loneh', as 
when born of chaos, without a sign of life. 

At the mouth of the Mississippi, La Salle 
erected a column, In'aring the inscription: '-Louis 
le Grand, Roi de France et de Navarre; Regne; La 



^ 



^. 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



13 



Neuvieme, Avril, 1G82. " In honor of his beloved 
king, La Salle named the country through which he 
had passed Louisiana, and took formal possession 
l)y a brilliant display, and the imposing rites of the 
Catholic Church. Thus, after some four years of un- 
told privation, and after overcoming oljstaeles which 
would have daunted a less intrepid spirit. La Salle 
had accomplished his mission and acquired a fame 
which will last as long as the mightj- Father of 
Waters pursues his restless course from the lake 
regions of the north to the sea. 

The government of France at once took the nec- 
essary steps to hold the vast territory claimed by 
La Salle. That distinguished soldier and explorer 
remained by virtue of his royal commission, mili- 
tary governor of the Territory until 1689, when a 
civil government was set up with the Marquis de 
Sanville as royal viceroj-. De Sanville governed 
a country immenselj- superior to France in extent of 
territory, but his subjects numbered onl^- 300, not 
including the Indians. By regular appointment of 
viceroys the succession was maintained until, l)j' the 
treat}' of Fontainbleau, concluded on November 3, 
1862, France relinquished her claims to the Ten-i- 
tory. The following is a list of the viceroys, to- 
gether with the j-ears of their service: 

Robort, Cavalier de La Salle 1682-1688 

Marquis de Sanville 1689-1700 

Bienville lTOl-1713 

Lamothe Cadillar 171.S-1T1.5 

De L'Epinay ; 1716-1717 

Bienville 1718-1723 

Boisbrlant 1724 

Bienville 1732-1741 

Baron de Kelerec 17.53-1763 

D'Abbadie 1763-1766 

In 1762, France was compelled by force of mili- 
tar}- necessity, to relinquish her title to Louisiana to 
Spain. That government combined the semi-mili- 
tary government until 1803, when the Ten'itory 
passed under the flag of the United States. The 
following is a list of the Spanish governors: 

Antonio de Ulloa 1767-1768 

Ale.xander O'Reilly 1768-1769 

Louis de Unzago 1770-1776 

Bernardo de Galvez 1777-1784 

Estovar Miro 1785-1787 

Francisco Luis Hortu, Baron of Caron- 

delet 1789-1793 

Gaynso de Lemos 1793-1798 

Sebastian de Casa. Calvo y O'Farrel. .1798-1799 
Jean Manual de Salcedo 1800-1803 



Although France regained possession of Louisi- 
ana on October 1, 1800, Jean Manual de Salcedo 
remained as governor until the United States took 
formal possession. 

The immense territory attaching to the crown of 
France by reason of La Salle's enterprise, comprised 
aljout one-third of the present area of the United 
States, and was by far the most extensive colonial 
possession of that nation. But in time the glory of 
France began to lose some of the luster imparted to 
it by the brilliant genius of Louis XIV. In the 
treaty which, in 1763, concluded the "Seven Years 
War," which had shaken the monarchies of Europe 
to their very foundations, France, torn, bleeding 
and humiliated liy the dread disasters of war, was 
compelled to acknowledge the sovereignty of Eng- 
land in America as extending westwaj-d to the Mis- 
sissippi River, and to cede to that nation all her rich 
possessions in Canada. As if this great loss of 
territory was not sufficiently humiliating, France 
was compelled by another treaty, to relinquish to 
Spain all claims to the immense Territory of Louisi- 
ana. Thus, as a result of a single war, France was 
dispossessed of eveiy foot of her territorj' in Amer- 
ica. 

With the acquisition of Louisiana in 1762, Spain 
controlled over one-half of the North American con- 
tinent; but her sovereignty over Louisiana was but 
of brief duration. Mightj' events were following 
each other in rapid succession. The thirteen Eng- 
lish colonies in America had rebelled against the 
mother country and had become free and independ- 
ent States. Napoleon Bonaparte had raised himself 
from Corsican obscuritj- to the throne of France, 
with all Europe trembling at his feet. In 1800 his 
mighty genius wrested Louisiana from the hands 
of Spain; but the dreams of a French empire in 
America were soon shattered by the dire necessities 
of Napoleon, who by force of circumstances was 
compelled to relinquish Louisiana to the United 
States for a monetary consideration. 

The account of the negotiations which led to the 
peaceful acquisition of Louisiana b}- the Govern- 
ment of the United States forms one of the most 
interesting chapters of otir National history; but as 
it is more pertinent to National than to State his- 



(2 4^ 




torv, a. brief reference must suffice in these pages. 
During the years in which Spain had controlled 
Louisiana the question of the free navigation of the 
.Mississippi Iliver stirred up no little contention be- 
tween the United States and the Spanish govern- 
ment. The Mississippi River at that time formed 
the only outlet for the products of the settlers west 
of the Alleghany Mountains; and the obstructive 
regulations of the Spanish authorities at New Or- 
leans had caused no little ill-feeling between the two 
nations. In all probabilit}' the distrust and ill-feel- 
ing wcjuld have led to an open rupture, had not the 
retrocession of Louisiana to France, in 1800, put an 
entirel}' new aspect upon affairs. If the regulations 
of the Spanish authorities at New Orleans had 
proven distasteful to the people of America, the 
change to French authority was likely to prove even 
more so. Napoleon fully appreciated the immense 
value of Louisiana and at once began the work of 
fortifying the entrance to the Mississippi. Thomas 
Jefferson, then president of the United States, was 
quick to perceive the danger of allowing so formid- 
able a rival to establish herself in such close prox- 
imitj". The "Monroe Doctrine" had not yet been 
promulgated, and Jefferson, with the wisdom which 
had conceived the Declaration of Independence, 
formed the plan of purchasing the Territory of Lou- 
siana from France. 

The condition of affairs in France was exceed- 
ingl}^ favorable to the plans of President Jefferson 
on behalf of the United States. Napoleon was on 
the eve of a mighty struggle with England, which 
would call for all his energies, all his resources. While 
keenly feeling the disgrace of surrendering Louisiana 
to England, he foresaw that England's superior 
naval force would quickly wrest that important 
colonial possession from him. Moreover, he was 
greatly in need of funds with which to prosecute 
the war. In addition to all this, he perceived 
the splendid opportunity for foiling England's in- 
tention of securing Louisiana by ceding that Ter- 
ritory to the United States. So when Messrs. Mon- 
roe and Livingston, the commissioners appointed 
to conduct the negotiatiations on the part of the 
United States, arrived in Paris they found all pre- 
liminary negotiations unnecessary, the only thing 



to be agreed upon being the price and the terms 
of sale. 

In meeting some of the olijections made Ijy some 
of his ministers to the sale of Louisiana, Napoleon 
used the singularly prophetic words: "Perhaps it 
will be objected that the Americans will be found 
too powerful for Europe in two or three centuries ; 
but my foresight does not embrace such remote 
fears. Besides, we maj- hereafter expect rivalries 
among the members of the Union. The confedera- 
cies which are called perpetual onlj- last till one of 
the contracting parties finds it to his interest to 
break them," The secession of the Southern States 
was thus clearlj- predicted by Napoleon sixty years 
before it was attempted ; but even Napoleon's mar- 
velous foresight did not permit him to look for- 
ward still another decade and see a united country, 
stronger and more powerful than before the rup- 
ture. 

After carrying on the negotiations for some 
days, the treaty ceding Louisiana to the United 
States was concluded on April 30, 1803. The price 
agreed upon was eightj- million francs, or about 
fifteen million dollars of good American monej-. 
The instructions given the American commissioners 
by the government of the United States did not 
authorize them to make an outright piu-chase of 
Louisiana; but Monroe and Livingston were so 
surely possessed of the views of President Jefferson 
in regard to the matter that they felt that they 
could safely transcend their authority, and rely 
upon the patriotism and good sense of the Ameri- 
can people for approbation. They were not de- 
ceived, and Congress ratified the treaty of purchase, 
and on March 9, 1804, the stars and stripes were 
unfurled at St. Louis in token of formal possession. 
Louisiana thus became a Territory of the United 
States. 

The history of the exploration and formation 
of the Territory of Louisiana has thus been 
briefly traced up to the time it passed under the 
authority of the United States. With a more in- 
timate knowledge of the subject, the reader may 
now turn to the succeeding chapters, which will 
contain a brief sketch of the history of Nebraska 
proper. 






<2 k^ 



HISTORY or NEBRASKA. 



15 



CHAPTER II. 



-^HSh 



Indian History of Nebraska — The Principal Tribes — The Poncas and Their Melancholy History — Their 
Treaties With the United States — Outrages by' United States Soldiers — Theik Forcible Re- 
moval TO the Indian Territory — Standing Bear's Escape — Arrest and Subsequent Re- 
lease BY' Judge Dundy — The Pawnees, Otoes and Omahas — Great Battle Bet\\'een 
the Sioux and Pa-r'nees — The Great Uprising of August, 1864 — The Mas- 
sacre at Plum Creek — Stampede of the Settlers — PEAge Restored. 




If justice will take all and nothing give, 
Justice, methinks, is not distributive. — Dryden. 



I^REVIOUS to the advent 
.f of the white man, the In- 
dians dominated the entire 
region west of the Missouri 
River. The countiy lying 
between that river and the 
Rocky Mountains was di- 
^^s^i^'^V vided among some fortj' or fifty tribes, 
some friendly to each other, others ex- 
ti-emely hostile. The plains abounded in 
game, the climate was not severe, and 
altogether, the life of the western In- 
dians was more than ordinarily a happy 
and contented one. The principal 
tribes which made their homes within 
the present limits of Nebraska were 
the Poncas, the Omahas, the Otoes 
and Pawnees. Of these the Pawnees were the 
most warlike, and the history of the Poncas is 
probably the most interesting. In their report of 
their famous exploration of the Missouri River, 
Lewis and Clarke refer to Poncas or Poncars as ' •' the 
remnant of a nation once respectalile in point of 
numbers. They formerlj- resided on a branch of 
the Red River of Lake Winnipeg. Being oppressed 
Ijy the Sioux, they removed to the west side of the 
Missouri, on Poncar River, where the}' built and 




fortified a village, and remained for some years; but 
being pursued by their ancient enemy, the Sioux, 
they have joined and now live with the Mahas 
(Omahas), whose language they speak." Their 
numbers were estimated by Lewis and Clarke as being' 
onlj' about 200, all told; but this small estimate is 
probably to be explained by the fact that at the time 
of the visit of the famous explorers, the tribe was 
awaj' on its annual buffalo hunt, and their village 
had been so long empty and quiet that a buffalo 
was found grazing there. A few years after the 
visit of Lewis and Clarke, the population of the 
tribe was estimated at 400, and in a census of the 
Indian tribes, taken by Gen. Partei-s in 1829, their 
numlier was set down at 600. The great artist Cat- 
lin, who visited them a few years later, rated them 
a little less. He gives an interesting account of the 
chief of the tribe, named Shoo-de-ga-cha (smoke), 
and his young and pretty wife, Hee-la'h-dee (the 
pure fountain), whose portraits he painted. He 
saj's: "The chief, who was wrapped in a buffalo- 
robe, is a noble specimen of native dignity and 
philosoph}'. I conversed much with him, and from 
his dignified manners, as well as from the sound- 
ness of his reasoning, I became f uUj' convinced that 
he deserves to be the sachem of a more numerous 
and prosperous tribe. He related to me with great 



s ^ ' 



^. 



IC 



IITSTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



coolness ami frankness the poverty and distress of 
his nation — and with the metliod of a philosopher 
predicted the certain and rapid extinction of his 
tribe which he had not the power to avert. " The 
day liefore Catlin arri\-ed at the village this old 
chief's son. the .young Hongs-kaj--de, had created a 
great sensation among the members of the tribe b}* 
accomplishing a most startling amount of bigamj- in 
a single daj-. Being the chief's son, and having 
been presented by his father with a handsome wig- 
wam anil nine horses, he had no ditticulty whatever 
in ingratiating himself into the good graces of the 
fathers of the most eligible marriageable daughters, 
and he had, therefore, offered himself to and been 
accepted bj' four successive f:tthers-in-law, promis- 
ing to each of them two horses, and enjoining u]3on 
them profound secrecy until a certain hour, when he 
would announcee to the whole tribe that he was to 
be married. At the time appointed he appeared, 
followed by some of his joung friends leading eight 
horses. Addressing the prospective father-in-law 
who stood nearest him, with his daughter by his side, 
he said: '-You promised me your daughter; here 
are the two horses. " A great hubbub immediately 
arose, the three others all springing forward, angry 
and perplexed, claiming his promises made to them. 
The triumphant young savage exclaimed: "You 
have all now acknowledged your engagements to me, 
and must fulfill them. Here are your horses." 
There was nothing more to be said. The horses 
were delivered, and Hougs-kay-de, leading two 
brides in each hand, walked off with great dignity- 
to his wigwam. This was an affair totallj' unprece- 
dented in the annals of the tribe, and it produced 
an impi'ession as profound as it could have done in 
a eivifized communitj', though of a different char- 
acter — redounding to the young man's credit rather 
than to his shame — marking him out as one daring 
and original enough to be a " Big Medicine." Mr. 
Catlin says that he visited the bridal wigwam soon 
afterward, and saw the ''four modest little wives 
seated around the fire, seeming to harmonize very 
weU." 

The treaty relations between the government and 
the Ponca Indians during the past seventy-five years 
have been anvthing but creditalile to the former. 



The first treaty made by the United States with this 
small tribe of gentle and peaceajjle Indians was in 
1817, and was simply an expression of peace and 
friendship. In 1825 another treaty was made in 
which the Poncas admit that ' ' they reside within 
the territorial limits of the United States, acknowl- 
edge their supremacy, and claim their protection." 
They also admit "the right of the United States to 
regulate all trade and intercourse with them. ". The 
United States, on their part, "agree to receive the 
Poncas tribe of Indians into their friendship and 
under their protection, and to extend, from time to 
time, such benefits and acts of kindness as ma}- be 
convenient, and seem just and proper to the Presi- 
dent of the United States. " After this there is lit- 
tle mention, in the official records of the goverment, 
of the Poncas for thirty years. Other tribes in the 
upper Missouri region were so troublesome and 
aggressive that the peaceable Poncas were left to 
shift for themselves as best they might. In 1856, 
the agent of the Upper Platte mentions incidentally 
that the lands of the Poncas were fast being intruded 
upon by squatters; and in 1857 another agent 
reports having met a band of Poncas who made 
complaint that all the Indians on the river were 
receiving presents while thej' were overlooked ; that 
the men fi-om the steamboats cut their trees down ; 
and that the white settlers were taking all their 
lands. In 1858, another treaty was signed by the 
Poncas, in which they relinquished all the lands 
occupied and claimed by them except small portions 
on which the government proposed to colonize and 
domesticate them. This proceeding was deemed 
necessar}' in order to oljtaiu such control over these 
Indians as to prevent their interference with white 
settlements, which were extending rapidlj-. From 
the day the Poncas signed away their lands, in 1858, 
their real troubles began, and from that year, the 
history of the tribe is almost an unbroken record of 
misery and suffering. The government failed to 
keep faith with them, the monej' appropriated for 
them was stolen bj' dishonest agents and contractors, 
and their old enemies, the Sioux, robbed them of 
what little the white men left them, stole their 
ponies and killed many of their young men. A 
single instance will serve to illustrate the lonsi story 



s "V 



-rf s>\^ 



■t 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



of outi'age upon this unoffending tribe. In Decem- 
ber of 1863 a party of Poncas, consisting of four 
men, six women, three boys and two girls, return- 
ing from a \isit to the Omahas. had encamped for 
the night about twelve miles from their own reser\a- 
tion. In the night a party of sohliers from a mili- 
tar\' post on the Niobrara River came to tlieir camp, 
and began to insult the squaws, ofToring money with 
one hand and presenting a revolver with the other. 
The Indians, alarmed, pulled up their lodge and 
escaped to a copse of willows near Ijy. The sol- 
diers fired at them as they ran awaj-, and then 
proceeded to destroy all their effects. They cut the 
lodge cover to pieces, burnt the saddles and lilankets. 
cut open sacks of beans, corn and dried pumpkins, 
and strewed their contents on the ground, and then 
went away, taking with them a skin lodge-covering, 
beaver-skins, buffalo-robes, blankets, guns, and all 
the small effects. Earlj- in the morning the Indians 
returned with their ponies, which had been hidden 
in the willows, picked up what few things they 
could find and started for home. After going but a 
comparatively short distance they were again discov- 
ered and attacked by the soldiers who fired upon them, 
wounding one woman by a ball in her thigh ; an- 
other, with a child on her back, by two balls through 
the child's thighs, one of which passed through the 
mother's side. These women were fired upon as 
they were crossing the river on the ice. The sol- 
diers then took possession of the six ponies and all 
the articles at the camp and left. The squaws and 
children, who were looking for beans, were half a 
mile below. A little dog belonging to them barked 
and revealed their hiding place. The soldiers imme- 
diately turned on them, dismounted, made up to 
them and deliberately shot them dead as the}- hud- 
dled helplessly together — three women and a little 
girl. One of the boys ran for the river, pursued by 
the soldiers. On reaching the river he dived into 
the water through a hole in the ice. As often as he 
lifted his head the soldiers fired at him, but he 
finallj' escaped. One of the murdered women had 
three balls in her head and cheek, her throat cut, 
and her head half severed l)y a sabre thrust ; another, 
the youngest woman, had her cloth shirt taken off 
and can'ied awav. and all her other clothes torn 



from her body, leaving it naked. The men who 
perpetrated this outrage belonged to Compan}' B, of 
the Seventh Iowa Cavalry, and it is quite needless 
to remark that they were never lirought to justice. 
In 1870, the government decided to remove the 
Poncas to the Indian Territory. By this time the 
Poncas had acquired many of the arts of civiliza- 
tion. They had comfortable homes, well-tilled 
farms and supported a school. It was hard for 
them to leave the homes where they had lived for so 
many years, espeeiallj' as thej- could not understand 
why they should be compelled to go. A number 
of chiefs visited the lands in the Indian Territory 
and found them so cheerless and so sterile that they 
protested vigorousl}- against the proposed removal, 
but all in vain. They were forcibly removed from 
their homes by the soldiers, and compelled to march 
to the Indian Territory, where they lived most un- 
happily. Finallj- Standing Bear and thirtj- of his 
people ran awaj- from the Indian Territor}-, and after 
a long weary foot journej- of three months reached 
their old friends on the Omaha reser\ation. They 
were again arrested. Standing Bear, in his naiTa- 
tive of the sufferings of his tribe, saj-s: "Half of us 
were sick. AVe would rather have died than have 
been earned back; but we could not help ourselves. " 
But help did reach, them from an unexpected source. 
The news of their arrest roused no little excitement 
in Omaha. At the request of an Omaha editor, Mr. 
T. H. Tibbies, two prominent attorneys, A. J. Pop- 
pleton and John L. Webster, applied for a writ of 
haheas corpus. Standing Bear and his people were 
brought before Judge Elmer S. Dundy, of the Uni- 
ted States District Court. The case attracted 
National attention. It was argued eloquently and 
ably by G. M. Lambertson, United States District 
Attornej-, on the one side and by Jlessrs. Poppleton 
and Webster on the other. Judge Dundy decided 
that the Indian is a "person" within the intent and 
purpose of the constitution, and released the pris- 
oners. The result of the ti-ial attracted general 
attention through the East and much sympathj' was 
manifested for the unfortunate Poncas. They were 
finally restored to their reservation, where they still 
reside in peace and contentment. 

The Pawnees were ]5robably the largest and most 



IS 



HTSTORY OF XHI'.KASKA. 



powi'ifnl Tudiaii nation that lived in \eljraska pre- 
vious to tiio advent of the white men. When Louis 
and ("laike visited the Platte eountry they found the 
Pawnees living on the south side of the Platte River, 
f(jrty-tive miles above its mouth. There were four 
branehes of the tribe at that time— the Pawnees 
proper, consisting of live liundred men with their 
families, the Republican Pawnees, .so named from 
their having lived on the Republican branch of the 
Kansas River, whence they emigrated to join the 
principal liand on the Platte. The}- numbered about 
250, exclusive of women and children. The third 
was the Pawnee Loups, or Wolf Pawnees, who re- 
sitled on the Wolf Fork of the Platte River nearl}' a 
hnntlrcd miles from the main branch of the tribe. 
These numbered 280 men. The fourth band for- 
merly resided far south of Nebraska, Imt in their 
wars with their enemies they were so often defeated 
that they were compelled to move northward to a 
laud where they could be at jieace. The four tribes 
soon after the visit of Lewis and Clarke in 1804, 
formed a confederation and became practically one 
tribe. In 1834 the}' ceded to the United States all 
their lands south of the Platte River. By another 
treaty, in 1848, they relinquished still another part 
of their lands, and by a subsequent treaty made in 
1857, after the organization of Nebraska Territory, 
they gave up all their lands and settled upon a 
reservation of 288,000 acres of land in the Loup 
Valley. Here they resided until 1874, when they 
consented to a removal to the Indian Territory, 
where they still reside. 

The Otoes, another small tribe found in Ne- 
liraska by Lewis and Clarke, were spoken of as the 
remnant of a once powerful nation. Their home 
was originally on the west bank of the Missouri, 
aljout thirty miles above the month of the Platte 
River. The}" were of a wandering disposition, in 
frequently moving from point to point. At one 
time their village was located upon the present site 
of the city of Omaha and at another time near the 
present site of Nebraska City. Tlieir first treaty 
with the government was nuule in 1834, by which 
they ceded to the United States a large portion of 
the lands they had hitherto claimed as their own. 
Again, in 1854, they ceded to the Ignited States all 



their lands, taking in lieu thereof a reservation in 
the southeastern part of the State, a portion of 
which they still occupy. 

The Omaha Indians formerl}- resided noi'th of 
the Missouri River, in Dakota; but being constantl}' 
harrassed by the Sioux they moved into Nebraska in 
the early part of the present century. When the 
Territory of Nebraska was organized the Omahas 
claimed as their territoiy the lands west and south 
of the Missouri and adjoining it, and north of the 
Platte River. In 1854 this land was ceded to the 
United States, the Omahas removing to a reserva- 
tion of 345,000 acres in the northeastei-u part of 
the State. 

The Sioux tribes more properly belonged to 
Iowa and Dakota; but in the early part of the pres- 
ent centuiy they overran the Nebraska country, and 
for many years claimed all that part of the State 
lying south of the Platte River as their hunting 
grounds. They were the most warlike of all the 
western Indians and were constantly at war with 
their neighboring tribes. The Pawnees were their 
deadliest enemies, and the two tribes were almost 
constantly at war. The supremacy of the Pawnees 
was finally settled in 1832 by one of the most des- 
perate encounters ever recorded in the annals of In- 
dian warfare. The battle was fought near the junc- 
tion of the Big Sandy and Little Blue River, within 
the present limits of Jefferson County. According 
to the best accounts, 16,000 savages participated in 
the conflict. The Pawnees were under the command 
of the chief Tac-po-ha-na, while the Sioux were led 
by Oco-no-me-woe, of whom it is claimed the cele- 
brated Sioux chief. Sitting Bull, is a lineal descen- 
dant. The struggle for supremacy lasted for three 
days and the Sioux were completely worsted, losing 
over 3,000 men. The Pawnees sustained a loss of 
2,000 men. The story of this most remarkable con- 
flict was told in 1870 by an aged French trader 
named Mont Crevie, one of the inimerous agents of 
the American Fur Company, who were scattered all 
over the western plains. 

From the time Nebraska was formally thrown 
open to settlement until the white settlers became so 
numerous as to be formidable, the Indians, and 
especially the Pawnees, were exceedingly trouble- 



fi Xrf 



®-., 



.L£ 



HISTORY OF NKBRASKA. 



19 



some. Their depredations, however, consisted mostly 
of petty thievery, with -an occasional murder and 
outrage. Tlie only serious uprising of Indians in 
Nebraska, since the organization of the Territory, 
occurred in 1864. A number of causes have been 
assigned for this uprising; but it is probable that 
the Indians had been nursing the accumulated griev- 
ances of years, until their auger had been fully 
aroused to a formidable outbreali. Their plans in- 
cluded nothing less than the complete extermination 
of the white settlers along the trails from the 
western to the eastern part of the State. The up- 
rising was planned with a skill and cunning known 
only to the savage breast. For two years the prep- 
arations went on. Every Sioux and Pawnee Indian 
was well armed with the most approved modern 
weapon, and for a time it was believed that these 
arms were secretly supplied by the agents of the 
Confederate government, and that the great out- 
break was instigated by these emissaries of seces- 
sion. But, whether this was the case or not, it is 
needless to say that but little credence has ever been 
paid to the story. A party of Indians had been de- 
tailed to attack every settlement along the Fremont 
trails for a distance of two hundred miles. The 
morning of Sunday, August 7, 1864, had been 
selected as the day for the assault along the entire 
line, and on that day the assault was made simul- 
taneously according to program. The first mas- 
sacre reported was at Plumb Creek, in Dawson 



County, where eleven settlers were murdered in 
cold blood. Plum Creek was a telegraph station, 
and the operator, divining at once that the threat- 
ened outbreak had come, immediately flashed the 
news along the line, giving warning of the danger. 
The existence of the telegraph line, together with 
the fact that the Plum Creek massacre occurred 
earlier in the day than any of the others contem- 
plated, saved the lives of many settlers who took 
measures to protect themselves upon receipt of the 
warning. A stampede of settlers to the eastern 
part of the State at once commenced. Nearlj' every 
settlement in the vallej- was abandoned, the settlers 
pushing for the Missouri River in order to escape 
destruction. The government threw all available 
troops in the west into the Platte Valle\- and after 
three weeks of arduous work, in which many In- 
dians as well as soldiers lost their lives, the upris- 
ing was quelled. The majority of the settlers ven- 
tured back to the homes they had abandoned with 
so much precipitation, and peace once more reigned 
along the Platte. 

The uprising of 1864 was the last serious dis- 
turbance raised by the Indians in Nebraska. Since 
that time a number of "scares" have occun-ed; but 
these instances are hardly of sufficient importance 
to be worthy of especial mention. They will be 
ti'eated of full}- in the history of the counties, where 
they are chiefly interesting by reason of their local 
associations. 







^h r- 



~^ B 



20 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER III. 



The Settlement of the Territory — Population of Nebraska at the Formation of Tire Territory — The 
Earliest Visits of the White Men — The Trading Post and Settlement at Bellevue — Col. 
Peter A. Sarpy — The Mormon Settlement at Florence— First Attempts to found the 
City' of Omaha — The Settlement of Douglas County- — Col. John Boulware — 
The Settlement at St. Deroin — The Founding of Bkownville— Early' 
History of Douglas County — Stephen Story and His Settle- 
ment IN Richardson County. 



Hail, memory, hail ! In thy exhaustloss mine 
From age to age unnumbered treasures shine! 
Thought and her shadowy brood thy call obey. 
And place and time are subject to thy sway. — Rogers. 




^N the 30tli of May, 185-i, 
when President Pierce affixed 
his signature to the Kansas- 
Nebraska bill, the Territory 
of Nebraska gave but little 
l)romise of the great State of 
""""^"^ to-day. The white popula- 
tion of the Territory at that time was 
less than 3,000 souls, scattered among 
the little settlements at Bellevue, 
Omaha, Browuville and other places 
along the Missouri bottoms. 

The oldest settlements in Nebraska 
were made within the present bound- 
aries of Sarpy county. Lewis and 
Clarke, in their famous expedition in search of 
the headwaters of the Missouri River, explored 
that part of Nebraska lying immediately adjacent 
to the mouth of the Platte River, in July 1804, 
and camped for some time near the present site 
of Bellevue. In 1805, the same spot was visited 
))y Manuel Lisa, a Spanish adventurer, who had 
doubtless been attracted to the region more from 
curiosity than from any more practical incentive. 
It was not, however, until 1810, that a permanent 



settlement was attempted in Nebraska. In that 
year the American Fur Company, organized and 
controlled by the genius of John Jacob Aster, estab- 
lished a trading-post at Bellevue, and placed a 
French-Canadian l)y the name of Francis Deroin in 
charge. Deroin was soon afterwards succeeded by 
a fellow-countryman named Joseph Roubidoux, who 
held the position until 1816, when he was in turn 
succeeded bj' John Carbanne. The latter agent 
remained until 1823, when he was relieved bj- Peter 
Sarpy, a man whose name is inseparably linked 
with the early history of the Territory of Nebraska. 
He was a splendid specimen of the hardy race of 
pioneers who have at the present day almost entirely' 
disappeared. He possessed all the hardihood, all 
the bravery, all the endurance, necessary for a life 
on the ragged edge of civilization. At the time of 
the formation- of the Territory, Peter Sarpy was 
described as Ijeing about fifty-five j-ears of age, 
rather below the medium in height, with black hair, 
dark complexion, well-knit and compact features 
and a heavy beard that had scorned the razor's edge 
for man^' years. His manner was commanding, his 
address fluent, and, in the presence of the opposite 
sex, he was polished and refined. He preferred the 



IV 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



21 



freedom of the western plains to the gaiety and 
refluemeut of the more civilized life of the East, and 
was never happier than when visiting the rude wig- 
wams of the Indians encamped around the old trad- 
ing-post. Such was the appearance and character- 
istics of one of the oldest settlers of Nebraska. In 
the same year that Peter Sarp3- arrived at Bellevue 
the Indian agency, which had previouslj- been located 
at Fort Calhoun, within the present limits of Wash- 
ington County, was also removed to Bellevue, mak- 
ing the place the most important settlement in the 
Territory. The trading post drew all the fur trap- 
pers, traders and Indians for hundreds of miles 
around, and in certain seasons of the j'ear Bellevue 
presented an exceedinglj* lively and animated appear- 
ance. The affairs of the little settlement pursued 
the even tenor of their ways until 1846, when it 
received new accessions. A representative of the 
Presbyterian Board of Missions, in the jDerson of 
Rev. Edward ^McKinne^*, visited Bellevue in that 
j-ear, and decided to establish a mission at that 
point. The mission was duly established, a school 
house erected, and D. E. Reed placed in charge. 
Mr. Reed was another early pioneer who was prom- 
inently- associated with the settlement of Nebraska. 
He was the first school teacher, the first regularlj'- 
appointed postmaster, and the first editor in the 
new TeiTitory. 

Up to the year 1852 the settlement at Bellevue 
had always been known as Council Bluffs. This 
name was not, however, entirely satisfactory to the 
settlers, and in that year steps were taken to form a 
company and lay out a town. It was not until 
Februar3- 9, 1854. however, that the town companj- 
was formally organized and the settlement given the 
name of Bellevue. The original incorporators of 
the town of Bellevue were Peter Sarpy, Stephen 
Decatur, Hiram Bennett, George Nepner, William 
R. English, James M. Galeswood, George F. Furner, 
P. J. McMahon, A. W. Hollister and C. A. Ford. 
The first postoffice in Nebraska Territory was estab- 
lished at Bellevue in 1849, but it was not until 1855, 
nearly a year after the Territory had been formally 
erected and thrown open to settlement, that a regu- 
lar postmaster, Mr. D. E. Reed, was officially 
appointed. 



At the time of the organization of Nebraska, 
Bellevue was the most important settlement in the 
Territorj-, and would have undoubtedly been selected 
as the capital but for the strange perversity of one 
man. In October, 1853, Gov. Burt and Secretary 
Cuming, the Territorial officers appointed by Presi- 
dent Pierce, arrived at Bellevue for the purpose of 
setting up the Territorial government. By an in- 
scrutable dispensation of all-wise Providence Gov. 
Burt died after having resided in Nebraska but ten 
days. Secretary Cuming, who assumed the duties 
of governor until a successor to Mr. Burt could be 
regularly appointed, proposed to locate the capital 
of the new Territory at Bellevue, providing 100 
acres of land were donated to the future State. 
Rev. Mr. Hamilton, superintendent of the Presby- 
terian mission, which controlled the town site of 
Bellevue, as well as the lands immediatelj- surround- 
ing the town, declined to donate the land asked for, 
and in consequence Omaha became the first capital 
of the Territory of Nebraska. 

In 1819 the government located a military post 
within the present limits of Washington County. 
The post was then called Fort Atkinson, but after- 
ward this name was changed to Fort Calhoun. It 
stood on the spot where Lewis and Clarke held their 
famous council with the chiefs of the Otoe and 
Missouri Indians. 

Next to Peter Sarp\-, John Boulware is believed 
to be the first white man to attempt a settlement in 
the yet unorganized Territory of Nebraska. He 
established himself at Fort Calhoun in 1826 and 
resided there for many years. In 1846 he estab- 
lished, or rather, was placed in charge of a govern- 
ment ferrj-, at Fort Kearney, at the present site of 
Nebraska City. The fort was used as a military 
post b}' the government until 1848, when it was 
abandoned and the garrison removed to new Fort 
Kearney. The American Fur Company also estab- 
lished a trading post at old Fort Kearney in 1846 or 
1847, and continued it until 1854. 

A trading post was established at St. Deroiu, in 
the southern part of Nemaha County, in 1853, and 
a town laid out. Robert Hawke, iifterward a prom- 
inent merchant of Nebraska City, opened a small 
store at this point in that year. In 1854 Richard 



r 



<? *^ 



.JS 



k^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Brown caine to Nemaha Couiilv, :iii<l lociilod on the 
spot where Brown ville now stands. 

Next to the settlement at Bellevue, the most im- 
portant settlement made in Nebraska, previous to 
the formation of the Territory, was made within the 
present eonflnes of Douglas County. The first set 
tlement at Omaha was not made until 1852 or 1854; 
but ]irevious to this time the IMormons in large num- 
liers had found a temporary residing place near that 
city. In 1844 the Mormons were driven from Illi- 
nois. The higher eiyiljiwtion of the East declined 
to tolerate their peculijjr religious beliefs, and they 
pushed westward toward the setting sun in hopes of 
finding some place where they could live up to the 
tenets of their religion without fear of molestation. 
They crossed the Blississippi, wended their way 
through the broad State of Iowa, and crossed the 
^lissouri. Here, on the extreme western limit of 
civilization, they Ijelieved they might rest in peace. 
A colony was located upon or very near the present 
site of Florence. Here the Mormons built quite a 
city, with residences, stores, and a place of worship. 
The land surrounding tiie settlement was cultivated, 
and within a short time fully 10,000 disciples of 
Joseph Smith were settled in and around Florence. 
The Mormons, however, were not destined to become 
important factors in the developement of the new 
Territory. In 1S50 Brigham Young had taken a 
band of pioneers across the plains, over the Rockies, 
to the valley of the Great Salt Lake, where he 
founded the city that has become known throughout 
the ci^•ilized world as the one plague spot upon the 
map of the United States. As soon as it was deter- 
mined to make Salt Lake City the metropolis of a 
new Territory, where the disciples of Smith could 
practice their peculiar teachings, the Mormons all 
over the East prepared to emigrate to the modern 
Zion. In 1851 the Mormons at Florence abandoned 
their homes and farms, took up their Journey west- 
ward, and the place that had known them for six or 
seven j'ears knew them no longer. 

After the Blormon hegira there is no definite 

record of any permanent settlements in Douglas 

County for several years. The city of Council 

Bluffs, on the opposite side of the river, had, in 

.1853, become quite a city, with 2,001) inhabitants. 



In June, 185U, William D. Biown established a 
ferrj' between Council BluH's antl the Nebraska side, 
and made several explorations along the river bot- 
toms. In the same niontii a companj- was organ- 
ized for the purpose of locating a town opposite 
Council Bluffs and operating a steam ferry-lioat be- 
tween the two points. The company was composed 
of William D, Brown, Joseph Street, Jesse Wil- 
liams and Enos Lowe. Tiiese gentlemen visited the 
site of the proposed citj- of Omaha several times, 
made friends with the Indians and "squatted" on 
several claims. Owing to the fact that the Indian 
title to the land had not yet been extinguished, no 
attempt was made to make a complete settlement. 
In the meantime, A. D. Jones, a surveyor living in 
Council Bluflfs, had crossed the river to Nebraska 
and, with the consent of the Indians, settled upon a 
claim which he proposed to occupy as soon as the 
Territory was thrown open to settlement. Nothing 
further was done in the way of settling Douglas 
County until the following year. 

Earl}' in the spring of 1854, as soon as it be- 
came apparent that the Territory would be formally 
organized and thrown open to settlement, a numlier 
of men crossed the river from Council Bluffs anil 
took up claims. Among these the names of the 
following ha\'e been preser\'ed: A. D. Jones, J. E. 
Johnson, Robert B. Whitted, William Clancy, Jef- 
fry Brothers, J. C. Reeves, James Hicke}', Benja- 
min Leonard, A. R. Gilmore, C. H. Downs, W. P. 
Snowden, 0. B. Seldon, J. W. Paddock, William 
Gray, John Withnell, George L. Miller, A. J. Poyy- 
pleton, Loran Miller, J. G. Megeath, A. B. Moore, 
0. D. Richardson. There were others who came 
about the same time, and these, with the ones named 
above, were the first hona-fide settlers of Douglas 
County. They were typical specimens of the pio- 
neers who laid the foundation for the magnificent 
citj' of Omaha and State of Nebraska. They went 
about the work of building a town with commend- 
able zeal and earnestness. Dwelling houses, stores 
and shops were commenced and places of business 
opened. The first building was completed by A. D. 
Jones on May 28, 1854, just two days before Presi- 
dent Pierce signed the Kansas-Neliraska bill. A 
town site was selected, sur\'e3"ed and platted, and 



V 



^ s 



l>> 



TITSTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



23 



the new city namerl "Omaha." The history of 
Omaha and Douglas Cminty would of itself fill a 
large volume; but as it is the purpose in these pages, 
and especially in this chapter, to give merelv a brief 
sketch of the history' of the State of Nebrasiva, no 
effort will Ipe made to follow up the history of sin- 
gle counties not included in the scope of the main 
Ijody of the work. 

Still another early settlement in Nebraska, pre- 
vious to the organization of the Territory, was made 
at the mouth of the Platte River, within the present 
limits of Cass County. In the spring of 1853, Sam- 
uel Blartin, having first obtained the necessary per- 
mission from the government to establish a trading 
post in the Platte country, crossed the river from 
Iowa and erected a two-story building at a point on 
the south branch of the Platte River, near its mouth, 
where the city of Plattsmouth now stands. This 
was the first building erected by a white man in 
Cass County, previous to the organization of the 
TeiTitorv. In June, 1854, as soon as the news of 
the final opening of the Territory had been received, 
a large number of settlers crossed the Missouri 
River from Iowa and staked out claims. The 
largest settlement was made at Plattsmouth, and 
in 1856, two years after the Territory had been 
organized, Cass Cojntj- contained a population of 
1,251. 

Another Nebraska pioneer, whose name is worthy 
of especial prominence in the pre-Territorial historj' 
of Nebraska, was Stephen Story, who settled in 
Richardson County in 1844. Although born in 
Vermont, Story was taken to Canada by his parents 



when but two years of age, where he lived until he 
was twent3-one. In Canada he fell in with a class 
of young men whose adventurous spirit led them to 
adopt the lives of lumbermen, traders and trappers. 
Young Storj- joined a party of kindred spirits and 
all came to the West. He wandered up and down 
the Missouri Valley and finally settled in Richard- 
son County, in 1844. But the Indians made mat^ 
ters decidedly unpleasant for him and he was com- 
pelled to leave. He joined the armj' and served in 
the Mexican War, after which he drifted to Califor- 
nia. In 1850, after working in the gold mines of 
the Golden State for a j'ear, he turned his face to 
the plains and again settled down in Richardson 
County, this time permanently. He lived upon a 
farm for a number of years and started the town of 
St. Stephen. He was a prominent figure in Rich- 
ardson Count}' until the day of his death, which 
occurred on January 27, 1882. 

Two other well-known pioneers were Charles 
Martin and F. X, Dupuis, both of whom settled in 
Richardson County previous to the formation of the 
Territorj-. Both had been trappers and hunters, 
and both had passed through all the strange vicissi- 
tudes of a life on the plains. 

In the foregoing pages of this chapter has been 
given a brief sketch of the settlement of the Ten-i- 
tory previous to its formation. AVhen Gov. Burt 
arrived in Nebraska to assume the duties of gov- 
ernor of the new Territorv, he found well-estaVilished 
settlements at Omaha, Bellevue and Plattsmouth, 
with a number of smaller communities scattered 
along the Missouri River bottoms. 




« k^ 



24 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER IV. 



TiiE Foii.MATiox OF THE Teriutory — Othek Tekiutories Adjutted— Calls for the Forsiatiox op the 
"Platte Country" — First Attempt to Erect the Territory op Nebraska — A Eesume of Polit- 
ical Events Leading to the Opposition to the Erection of Nebraska — The Mis- 
souri Compromise — Second Attempt to Form the Territory op Nebraska — 
Opposition of Southern Senators — The Slavery- Issue — Senator 
Douglas Introduces the Kansas-Nebraska Bill — Its Oppo- 
sition AND Final Passage. 






ITT 









"Set all things in their 
And know that order 

T has been shown in the 
preceding chapter bow 
Louisiana became a part of 
the domain of the United 
States. When the United 
States tooli formal posses- 
sion, Louisiana contained 
less than 500 white inhaliitauts ; but 
the tide of immigration was already 
sweeping westward, and in LSIO the 
census showed a total population of 
1 . 0ri2. The influx of English-speaking 
^i/*^ inhabitants steadily continued, and be- 
"** '-^ fore many years the struggling settle- 
ments enlarged into Territories, and the 
Territories were soon clamoring for the 
dignity of Statehood. Pre\ious to the 
year 1850, the States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mis- 
souri and Iowa had been carved out of the original 
Territory of Louisiana. West and northwest of 
these States lay a vast, unorganized territory, with 
no form of government whatever. It was pre-emin- 
ently the home of the Indian. Immense herds of 
liuffalo grazed undisturbed on the prairies, and the 
entire region was as free from the civilizing restraints 
of the white man as when Columbus first sighted 




own peculiar place, 
is the greatest gi-ace." 



the palmetto trees of the West Indies. But a ten-i- 
tory so vast, so fertile, and so well adaptecl to the 
wants of man, was not to be left unoccupied. The 
gold excitement in California in 1849 had impelled 
an immense throng of adventurers to cross the 
plains in search of the treasure fields beyond the 
Rockies. The route of the emigi-ants lay along the 
Platte River, across the entire length of the present 
State of Nebraska. The whole region was then 
known as the " Platte Countiy," and it soon became 
known that it embraced lands of the greatest value 
to the settler. 

There had been calls for a Territorial organ- 
ization for the " Platte country" as early as 1850, 
and in the first session of the XXXIId Congress, 
which assembled at Washington in the winter of 
1851-52, petitions were presented asking for the 
formation of a new Territory west of the Missouri 
River. No action was taken in regard to the mat- 
ter in that session; but in the next session, Mr. 
Willard P. Hall, a representative from the State of 
Missouri, offered a bill which had for its object the 
organization of the "Territory of Platte." This 
bill was introduced on December 13, 1852, and 
was refen-ed to the committee on Ten-itories. On 
Februarv 2, 1853, Representative William A. Rich- 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 






arclsou, from that committee, reported a bill provid- 
ing for the orgauization of the • ■ Territorj' of 
Nebraska." This bill, it will be understood, in- 
cluded all the territory now comprised in the States 
of Nebraska and Kansas. When the bill came up 
for consideration in the committee of the whole, it 
was the signal for a liitter and formidal)le opposi- 
tion from the Southern members. After a \ioleiit 
discussion, the committee rose with a recommenda- 
tion that the liill be rejected; but the House passed 
the liill on February 10. 1853. by a vote of 98 
to 43. 

From the House the bill went to the Senate, 
where its opponents were already organized for its 
defeat. Reaching the Senate on Februarj' 11, it 
was referred to the committee on Territories. 
Stephen A. Douglas, whose name is inseparably 
linked with the history of Nebraska, was chairman 
of this committee. On March 2 (being the last 
day Init one of the session^, a motion to take up the 
Neliraska liill for consideration was defeated, by a 
vote of 25 to 20. Another attempt to get the 1)111 
Ijefore the Senate on the last day f)f the session was 
defeated and the l>ill itself laid upon the table. 
Thus, the first attempt to erect the Territory of Ne- 
braska was unsuccessful. 

It will not be out of place here to give a brief 
resume of the political events which comliined to 
cause so determined an opposition to the formation 
of the Territory of Neliraska. That opposition had 
been forming in the minds of the people of the South 
for forty years, and the implacable hostility of the 
Southern peoijle to the formation of the Territories 
of Nebraska and Kansas, form one of the most 
prominent of the causes of the War of the Re- 
liellion. 

The first opposition to the admission of a slave 
State occurretl in 1811, when Louisiana knocked 
at the doors of Congi-ess and demanded admission 
into the Union. The opposition to the admission 
of Louisiana was not grounded so much upon 
the fact that it would increase the power of the 
sla\'e holders, as upon the alleged violation of the 
constitution iu forming a State out of a TeiTitory 
not included in the original government of the 
Union. The opposition centered in tlie person of 



Joseph Quincy, and in the light of subsequent 
events, his threats of dissolving the Union read 
strangely enough. He declared that if Louisiana 
were admitted, "the bonds of the Union were vir- 
tually dissolved; that the States which compose it are 
free from their moral obligations; and that as it will 
the right of all, so it will be the duty of some to 
prepare defiuitel}- for a separation, amicably if they 
can, violently if they must." He maintained that 
' ' there was no authority to throw the rights and lib- 
erties of this people into ' hotchpotch ' with the wild 
men of Missouri, nor with tlie mixed but more 
respectable race of Anglo-Hispania-Gallo- Americans 
who bask in the sands at the mouth of the Jlissis- 
sippi. " Although the people of the North did not go 
as far as Josiah Quincy in their objections, there was 
a strong opposition to the admission of Louisiana. 
Manj' people of the Nortli had always regarded the 
purchase of Louisiana as unconstitutional, and 
always looked upon that Territory as foreign soil; 
liut the agitation did not extend beyond the walls of 
Congress, and the bill admitting Louisiana was 
passed b}' the necessarj- majority. 

But the rapidl3Mncreasing hatred of slaverj' soon 
began to crystallize into organized opposition. Ben- 
jamin Lundy had organized his •■Union Humane 
Society" in 1815, and soon afterwards had written 
his famous appeal to the philanthropists on the 
subject of slaveiy. Charles Osborne had also 
started the Philanthropist, a journal devoted to the 
abolition of slavery. The influence of other pio- 
neers in the anti-slavery movement began to make 
itself felt, and when, six years after Louisiana had 
liecome a State of the LTnion, Missouri asked for 
admission on an equal footing with the other States, 
the agitation at once became so violent that for a 
time it seemed as if the Union would be disrupted. 
The agitation continued for a period of two years 
and was finally ended by the adoption of the famous 
'•Missouri Compromise. " By the provisions of this 
compromise, Jlissouri was admitted as a slave State; 
but it was further enacted that slavery should for- 
ever be prohibited in all that part of the Louisiana 
purchase lying north of 3G degrees, 30 minutes, 
north latitude. This compromise, which alone stood 
between the nation and cixil war. allaved to a large 



^ 



HISTOKV OF .NEBRASKA. 



exU'ul the bitter feeling between the North and the 
Soutli. The North had secured tlie blessinu- of 
freedom for a larirc part of tlie then organized Terri- 
tory, and. as it tiionght, ciieclved the advance of 
till' slave power. The South felt satisfied that gen- 
erations would ]5ass before the development of the 
counti'N' would call for the formation of new States 
out of the unorganized territory. Uolh were con- 
tent; though, in the light of subsequent events. 
both were mistaken. 

However, the .Mi.ssouri cDUipromise, much as it 
.allayed sectional feeling at the time, could not check 
the sweeping tide of immigration which was surging 
westward. The population of the Tuited States in- 
creased so rai)idly that the formation of new States 
became an imperative necessity. The bill for the 
formation of the Territory of Nebraska was a result 
of this demand, and the determined opposition of 
the slave power was conclusive evidence that the 
famous compromise would be trampled under foot 
as soon as it should prove a liarrier to the further 
I'xtension of the slave territory. 

The friends of the Nebraska bill did not remain 
inactive. The XXXIIId Congress assembled on 
December 5, 1853. and on December 14 of the same 
year Senator Augustus C. Dodge, of Iowa, submit- 
ted a bill •• To organize the Territory of Nebraska." 
The bill was very similar to the one introduced in 
the previous Congress by Representative Hall, of 
.Missouri, and contained no intimation that the 
liindiug force of the Missouri compromise was to be 
disputed, or that the compromise itself would be 
meddled with. x\fter being referred to the proper 
committee, the liill was, on January 4, 1854, re- 
liorted back to the Senate by Senator Stephen A. 
Douglas, chairman of the committee on Territories. 
In his report Senator Douglas alluded to the fact 
■that a ((uestion had arisen regarding the right to 
hold slaves in the new- Territory of Nebraska, after 
it should have been thrown open to settlement and 
the Indian laws withdrawn. The ^Missouri compro- 
mise clearly prohibited slavery in the new Territory ; 
but a ((Uestion had arisen concerning the constitu- 
tional |)ower of Congress to i)ass laws prescribing 
and regulating the domestic institutions of the vari- 
<ins Territories of the Union. One class of states- 



men, notably those of Northern birth and education, 
contended that Congress had no constitutional 
authority to regulate the domestic institutions of the 
Territories, but, rather, that such matters shouhl lie 
left exclusively to the people residing therein. An- 
other class of statesmen, who probably represented 
a much larger number of [jcople, especially those of 
the South, insisted strenuously upon the doctrine 
that the constitution secured to every citizen the in- 
alienable right to move into any of the Territories 
with his property, of whatever kind or description, 
and to hold ;ind enjoy the same under sanction of 
law, Th(^ committee on Territories, foreseeing the 
storm of agitation that was certain to follow the re- 
opening of this much-disputed question, very pru- 
dently declined to enter into a discussion of the 
relative merits of the coniiictiug opinions. 

Soon after the new bill had been reported to the 
Senate, Mr. Archibald Dixon, a Senator from Ken- 
tucky, gave formal notice that when the bill erect- 
ing the Territ(^rv of Nebraska came up for consider- 
ation, he should otter the following amendment: 

Sf:ctiox 2'i. A)uJ be it fiiWter cnui-ted: That so 
iMiicli of tlie eighth section of an act approved March (i. 
1830, entitled "an act to aiitlioi'l/.c the people of Mis- 
souri Territory to form a constitution and State go\ - 
ernmont. iiml Uiv the admission of such State into tlic 
union on an equal footing with the original States, and 
to proliibit slavery in certain Territories," and declares 
"that, in all that territory ceded by France to tlie 
United States under the name of Louisiana, which lies 
north of 30 degrees, 30 minutes, nortli latitude, slaverv 
and involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the piuiisli- 
ment of crime whereof the party sliall have been duly 
convicted, shall be forever prohibited." shall iiut he su 
construed as to apidy to the Territory rontemiiUited by the 
act. or to any other Territory of the United States; but tliat 
thi' citizens of the several States and Territories shall be 
at liberty to take and hold their slaves within any of the 
Territories or States so to be formed therefrom, as it 
said act. entitled as aforesaid, liad never lieen passed. 

This proposition to virtually repeal the Mis- 
souri compromise was received by the Senate with 
no little surprise. Senator Douglas, whose presi- 
dential aspirations were well known, had hoped to 
concentrate Southern prejudice by his proposal to 
firganize the new Territory of Nebraska without 
reference to the (luestion of slaverv: but the belliger- 
ent attitude assumed by the Senator from Kentucky 



^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



-l^ 



showed him that the South would be satisfied with 
no doubtful or implied coucessiou. He saw at once 
that if he was to gain an}' prestige by fathering the 
Xel)raska liill he must include in that bill the total 
repeal of the Missouri compromise. Aceordiugly, 
upon his own motion, he withdrew the bill, and, on 
January 23. 1854, reported from his committee a 
new liill so dissimilar in its provisions that the pro- 
moters of the original bill were hardly able to recog- 
nize it. Instead of one Territory, to be called 
Nebraska, stretching from the parallel of 36 degrees, 
30 minutes on the north, and westward from the 
boundary of Iowa and Missouri to the Rocky Jlount- 
ains, Mr. Douglas proposed to erect two Terri- 
tories, one to be composed of so much of the terri- 
tory lying west of the State of Missouri, to be 
known as Kansas, and the other to compose that 
region lying west of the State of Iowa. With refer- 
ence to slavery the new bill contained the following 
provisions: 

Section 21. And he it fuHher enacted: That in 
order to avoid all miscou-struction, it is liereby declared 
to be the true intent and moaning of this act, so far as 
the question of slavery is concerned, to carry into prac- 
tical operation the following propositions and principles, 
established by the compromise measures of 1858, to-wit: 

First, That questions pertaining to slavery in the 
Territories, and in the new States to be formed there- 
from, are to be left to the decisions of the people resid- 
ing tlierein, through their appropriate representatives. 

Second, That '-all cases involving title to slaves," 
and "questions of personal freedom," are referred to the 
adjudication of the local tribunals, with the right of 
appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Third, That the provisions of the constitution and 
laws of the United States, in respect to fugitives from 
service, are to be carried into faithful execution in all 
••organized Territories," the same as in the States. 

The original Neljraska bill, introduced by Senator 
Dodge, stipulated that "the constitution and all 
taws which are not locally inapplicable, shall have 
the same force and effect within the said Territory as 
elsewhere in the United States. " Mr. Douglas, 
having once committed himself, threw himself bodily 
into the arms of tlie most radical of the i)ro-sla\ery 



leaders, and to the above stipulation of Mr. Dodge, 
added the following: 

Except the section of the act preparatory to the 
admission of Missouri into the Union, approved March 
(i, 18'.J0, which was superceded by the principles of the 
legislation of 1850, commonly called the compromise 
measures, and is declared inoperative. 

At the present time it is difficult to realize the 
storm of indignation and protest that swept up from 
the North at 3Ir. Douglas' lilunt proposal to repeal 
the jMissouri compromise — a measure which had 
come to be regarded almost as a part of the con- 
stitution. There had been, it is true, talk of the 
repeal of the measure; but the people of the North 
always looked upon such talk as the mere idle 
bravado of the slaveholders. Consequently, Mr. 
Douglas' proposition was the signal for combat. 
The " Nebraska cjuestion '' took the precedent of all 
others, and was almost the sole topic of discussion 
in public and private circles. The sentiment in the 
East. North and West seemed to be almost unan- 
imous in opposition to the bill, while even in the 
South, the section most to be benefitted by the 
repeal of the Missouri compromise, the proposal 
was looked upon with some disfavor. 

In spite of sentiment against it, however, the 
Kansas-Nebraska l)ill became a law and was ap- 
proved by President Pierce on May 31), 1854, after 
having been almost the sole subject of an excited 
deliate for a period of four months. ' ' No previous 
anti-slavery excitement," says J. G. Blaine in his 
" Twenty Years of Congress," "bore any compari- 
son with that which sj)read o\er the North as the dis- 
cussion progressed, and especially after the liill be- 
came a law. It did not merely call forth opposition; 
it produced almost a frenzy of wrath on the part of 
thousands in l)oth the old parties, who had never 
before taken any part whatever in the anti-sla\-ery 
agitation. In the North, conservative men felt that 
no compromise could acquire weight or sanction or 
sacredness, if one that stood for a whole generation 
could be brushed aside b\- partisan caprice or liy the 
demands of sectional necessity." 



V 



28 



HISTOKY OF NEHltASKA. 



CHAPTER Y. 



Gkoi.ooical Fokmation — PitiMiTiVK Ages — Mixeual Deposits — Topogiiapiiy and PiiYsirAi. Featukes — Extent 

.txD Area — Rivers, Lakes, Etc. — Navigable Stheajis— Timber— Before the Time 

OF ^VIIITE IVFex — Natihai, Pkoductioxs. 




Such "blessings Xatiu'c pours, 
O'erstockod mankind enjoys but half her stores. — Yoiiiuj. 



() part of the history of 
Neliraska is of more gen- 
eral interest than an ac- 
eoiint of its geological 
t'onnation and character. 
'^- The record following the 
?• .^ j"^ advent of man covers Init 
a comparatively short period of 
time. Tlie history of the State for 
the thonsands of years jirevious to 
man's appearance — a history re- 
vealed Ijy geological research alone, 
is of more entranciug interest than 
the wildest dream of fiction. A 
large volume might be filled with 
the geological history of Nebraska 
without exhausting the subject ; the 
brief scope afl'orded us in this 
sketch compells a condensation of the story of ages 
within the limits of a few sentences ; but even a 
bare outline cannot be uninteresting to the readers 
of this work. 

It was not until the Carboniferous Age followed 
a long succession of periods of growth that dry 
land appeared in Nebraska. Previous to this age the 
State lay many fathoms beneath a restless, illimita- 
ble, nameless ocean. It was during the Carljonifer- 
ous Age tliat the vast deposits of coal underlying 
nearly every section of the country were formed. 
Nebraska, emerging from the waters at a later period 



ill this age, reaped a smaller share of its benefits. 
The carboniferous deposits are only found in the 
southeastern part of the State. They commence 
as fur north as Fort Calhoun, in Washington Country, 
and extend across the southern liouudary of the 
State. The principal characteristics of this age, 
which covers a period of thousands, perhaps mil- 
lions of years, were a remarkably luxuriant vegeta- 
tion, abundant animal life, and a constantly cloudy, 
murky atmosphere. Had man existed in Nebraska 
at this remote period of its geological history, he 
would, of necessity, have been a semi-amphiliious 
creature, roaming through interminable, almost im- 
penetrable jungles of vegetation. He would have 
found hundreds of forms of vegetalile life long- 
since extinct. He would have noted the presence of 
ferns as large as our tallest trees, huge lepidoden- 
driads with tough bark and pithy wood, tall sigilla- 
rias with fluted trunks and long, tapering, needle- 
like leaves. He would have subsisted principally 
on fishes and the lower forms of animal life. The 
sun would have been obscured from his vision by 
dense clouds of fogs and vapors, and he would un- 
douljtetUy have found life a burden which he would 
gladly have dispensed with. Coal, the sole valuable 
product of the Carboniferous Age, has been discov- 
ered in many places in Nebraska, but not in sufti- 
cientlj' large quantities to make the work of mining 
remunerative. The most valuable deposit as yet 
discovered is in riichardson Countv. where a vein 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



-^ 



from eighteen to thirtj- inches in thickness has been 
worked to a limited extent. A fifteen-inch vein has 
been discovered near Nebraska City at a depth of 
189 feet. At Lincoln, at a depth of 909 feet, a 
thirt}--inch vein has been discovered. At Ponca, a 
vein four and a half feet thick has been discovered 
at a depth of 574 feet. 

Passing out of the Carboniferous Age, Nebraska 
emerged into the Permian Age, in which the State 
was man-elouslv changed in appearance. The murky 
atmosphere gave way to clear skies, and the sun's 
warm rays exerted their influence on the soil. The 
continent had been upheaved and ranges of high 
mountains appeared on Nature's map of the State. 
The climate became more changeable, and the old 
fonns of animal and vegetable life disappeared. It 
was a period of transition. Then dawned the Meso- 
zoic Era. In this period the surface of Nebraska 
underwent many more startling changes. The land 
surface was measurabl}- increased, and was more 
thoroughl}- drained. Vegetable and animal life again 
appeared. The surface of the State again became 
covered with thickets and forests, the vegetable types 
being those now found in tropical and semi-tropical 
latitudes. It was the Reptilian Age, and the huge 
animals that ranged the forests were of a kind 
that would ha^e stricken terror to the heart of our 
friend of the Carboniferous period. Among these 
animals was the Atlantosaurus immanis, or giant 
lizard. It had a femur eight feet, four inches long, 
which would indicate an animal, when standing on 
all fours, thirty feet in height and one hundred feet 
in length. Other animals of this age were the rep- 
tilian birds, crocodiles, and a mammal resembling 
an opossum. This age was brought to a close li^- 
still further changes brought about in the earth's 
surface. The cooling globe was gradually contracts 
ing. The mountains, among them the Sierras, the 
Wasatch and the Rockies, were emerging from the 
sea. The waters which covered the western part of 
the continent were still further drained away. Then 
came the Cretaceous period, divided into the Dakota, 
Fort Benton, Niobrara, Fqrt Pierre and Fox 31 ills 
groups. During this period the land was gradually' 
subsiding, and the climate becoming colder. In 
the times covered by the Fort Benton group deeper 



waters and quieter seas had taken the place of shal- 
low seas, extended sea beaches and flats and low 
islands. The Niobrara group epoch was marked by 
a still further subsidence of the continent. All but 
the southeastern part of Nebraska was covered by 
deep seas, which swarmed with fishes and mollusks. 
On the land the reptiles flourished in large numljers, 
over fort}^ species being discovered. They ranged 
in size from twelve to seventy-five and one hundred 
feet in length. One tortoise discovered had a spread 
of fifteen feet. The flying reptiles also flourished 
in this age, and disputed the empire of the air with 
the birds, of which many species existed. Toward the 
close of the era represented by the Niobrara group 
a reverse movement of the continent commenced. 
Instead of subsiding, the land began a slow process 
of elevation. Animal life again became nearlj^ 
extinct, not to appear again in Nebraska until the 
era represented by the Fort Pierre group had passed 
away, and a new era, represented by the Fox Mills 
group, appeared. In this era Nebraska was covered 
with huge forests and savannas. The land again 
swarmed with animal life. Then followed the Lara- 
mie epoch, during which the seas again covered the 
greater part of Nebraska, and the entire plain region 
of Colorado. The Laramie epoch was brought to a 
close by one of the gi'catest convulsions in the geo- 
logical history of the globe. From the eastern base 
of the Rocky Jlountains to the Wasatch range, the 
entire region was thrown up into a series of folds 
and undulations. The whole region of the plains 
sympathized in this movement. The elevation in 
the mountains became sufficient to give free drain- 
age to the sea, and exclude the oceanic waters. The 
great interior sea which had tossed its restless bil- 
lows over Nebraska for so many countless ages, was 
finally exterminated, never again to appear. The 
culmination of these stupendous changes inaugu- 
rated the Cenozoic Age, or the age of mammals, 
comprising two divisions, the Tertiary and the 
Quateruarj-. The Tertiary period is again divided 
into three epochs, the Eocene, the Miocene and the 
Pliocene, the two latter being represented in Ne- 
braska. Passing over the Eocene epoch, which is 
of little interest to Nebraskans, we come to the 
Miocene epoch. In this epoch the physical condi- 



J^ 



30 



HISTOKV OF NKlJliASKA. 



tions first began to assume a luodcni air. Vegetable 
and animal life floiirislieil in their liigher forms. 
The forests of llie Mioeene epocli were composed of 
oaks, cottonwooils, willows, magnolias, cypress, sas- 
safras, lindens, maples and pines. Geologists are 
of the opinion that the tig and palm trees also 
flourished here. The conditions of mammalian life 
were also extremely favoralile. The horse family 
was represented by a number of species, elephants 
and mastodons roamed the forests, the camel made 
its appearance for the first time, and several species 
of monkeys chattered in the trees. Passing into the 
Pliocene epoch we lind the conditions of animal and 
vegetable life much similar. Prof. Aughey, until 
recentlj' the State geologist, has drawn a vivid pic- 
ture of life in Nebraska during the Pliocene epoch. 
•'Had we been in existence then," said he, "and 
started westward on a journey from some point near 
where the Missouri now flows, much of the peculiar 
life of the times would have been oliserved. The 
climate was congenial to an eminent degree. The 
gi'eat Pliocene lake caused a much moister atmos- 
phere than exists at the present time. Groves of 
sequoias, like the present gigantic trees of Califor- 
nia, the glj-ptastrobus of China and Japan, the 
cypress, the date and the palm, were interspersed 
with magnificent savannas. The songs of ten thou- 
sand birds, many of them of the most beautiful 
plumage, would have greeted our ears. At some 
places, herds of thousands of oveodons would have 
been encountered. Bisons, similar in form to our 
buffaloes, would have been seen cropping the grass. 
At other points might have been seen herds of ele- 
phants and mastodons quietly proceeding toward 
some streamlet, or lakelet, to indulge in a bath. 
Vast numbers of many species of camel would have 
been seen reposing at midday on a gentle hillside 
under the shade of se(iuoias or cypress. More curi- 
ous than all, thousands of hyperions, those wonder- 
ful thi'ee-toed horses, along with many kinds of 
one-toed horses, of all sizes, would sometimes 
have made the earth tremble under their tretid. 
When, at last, in such a westwaril journey, the 
shores of the great Pliocene lake would be reached, 
its borders would have been a marvel for the life 
represented there. ,V rliinoceros might have been 



seen wallowing in the mud near the shore. Thou- 
sands of water-fowl would have been riding tiie gen- 
tle waves. Elephants, camels, oveodons and horses 
would iiave l)een seen there slaking their thirst in 
the streamlets flowing into the lake. Life would 
have been observed everywhere — the hum of insects 
and the song of birds in the air — life in the trees, in 
forest and glade, on land and lake. Most of it, too, 
was happy life. It is true, some unfortunate rumi- 
nants would fall victims to the gigantic wolves and 
cats of the time, but the carnivora were not the 
rulers of the land. Grass and leaf and seed and 
fruit eating animals were the rulers of the Pliocene 
world in Central North America. It was a physical 
paradise, for violence, rapine and murder w-ere the 
exception, not the rule. Violence, indeed, has ex- 
isted in every geological epoch, Init in Pliocene 
America, herbivorous life was so dominant that it 
could successfully defend itself against the carni^■- 
ora, and the latter evidently obtained the most of 
his prey by stealth, and by picking off the aged and 
infirm. Animal life is generally happy when left 
alone, and this was especially the case during Ameri- 
can Pliocene times. 

The Pliocene epoch, in whicli a happy state of 
affairs existed in the animal kingdom, continued for 
countless ages; but ever restless Nature was again 
at work. In the closing centuries of this epoch 
the great Pliocene lake was drained and its bed 
became dry land. The climate gradually became 
colder and the snows of winter accumulated too 
rai)idly to lie removed by the summer's warmtii. 
This finally resulted in the glaciation of the plains 
of Nebraska. A thick mantle of ice covered the 
8tate and the glacial epoch was inaugurated. A 
vast sheet of ice, 3,000 feet in thickness, covered 
this entire region, moving southward at the rate of 
but a few inches a day and crushing out all ani- 
mal and vegetable life in its irresistible progress. 
This vast sea of ice left in its path enormous beds 
of blue clay and other drift materials. Following 
the ice came the floods, bringing with them huge 
icebergs with loads of sand, gravel and boulders. 
Then followed a period of slow elevation, during 
which tile waters were drained off and a new forest 
lied formed. Again the ice sheet advanced, crush- 



V 



>>. 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



31 



iiii; out the magnitieent forest growth. The retreat 
of the secoiul ice sheet was followed by another 
subsidence, the land was again flooded and a lalve 
occupied the phiins. Then dawned the Loess epoch, 
the epoch in which Nel.)raslia was prepared for the 
advent of man. 

When the Loess era was inaugurated, the greater 
part of Nebraska was co\eretl by a vast inland sea 
of fresh water. Tlie waters of the lake were loaded 
with loess, a sediment left by the retreating glaciers. 
As the great lakes became tilled up with this sedi- 
ment they were gradually transformed into bogs 
and marshes. Isolated portions would first become 
dry land. After the first low islands appeared, they 
gradually increased in size and numliers until dry 
land conditions prevailed. The ponds and sloughs, 
some of which are almost lakes, still in existence, 
are probalily the last remains of these great lakes. 
The rising of the land continuing, the rivers began 
to cut new channels through the middle of the old 
lake beds. This drained the marshes and formed 
the bottoin lands, as the rivers of that period co\-- 
ered the whole of the present flood plains from 
blutt' to bluff. It was then, when the liluffs were 
new and plastic, that they were first sculptured by 
rains into their present iniique forms. The Mis- 
souri, during the closing centuries of the Loess 
epoch, must have been from five to thirty miles in 
breadth. The Platte, Niobrara and Republican Riv- 
ers covered their respective flood plains in the same 
way. In the smaller streams of the State, those 
that originated within or near the Loess deposits, 
such as the Elkhorn, Loup, Bow. Blue and Nema- 
has, we see the same general form of flood plains 
as on the larger rivers, and no fhjubt their waters 
were also covered with water during this period. 

It was during the Loess epoch in the history of 
the continent that man made his first appearance. 
Stone arrow heads and other human relics have been 
discovered in undisturbed loess deposits. Animal 
life also flourished in this epoch. The remains of 
rabbits, gophers, otters, beavers, squirrels, deer, 
elk and bufl'alo are frequently discovered. The 
remains of ele|)liants antl mastodons are also abund- 
ant. According to the most reasonable estimates, 
the Loess epoch covered a period of 10.200 years 



before it was merged into the Terrace epoch. When 
the rivers covered the whole (^f the existing bottoms, 
and had the (jld Loess lake Ijcd for a flood plain, the 
land still lay far below its present level, and was in 
the transition stage between the Loess and Terrace 
epochs. When the elevation became a little greater, 
and the drainage better, and the volume of water 
less, it cut a new channel amid its old lied, which 
now constitutes its flood plain. This fonned the 
first terrace and inaugurated this epoch. Here the 
land and the river must have stood for ages. Again 
there was an upward movement, the drainage be- 
came still lietter, the volume of water lessened and 
another channel formed. Thus terrace after ter- 
race formed, each representing a stage of quiet in 
the upward movement of the land. 

In the foregoing pages the reader has had a 
rapid sketch of the several geological eras that 
elapsed before Nebraska was considered liy an all- 
wise Creator inhabitable for man. A subject which 
should fill volumes is merely glanced at in order to 
round out the sketch of Nebraska's history. The 
student who wouhl read the story of the rocks will 
find the records accessible, and he will find it. in- 
deed, a most interesting branch of study. 

Neljraska is one of the largest States of the 
Union. It contains an area of 76,895 square miles, 
or 49,212,000 acres. The extreme length of the 
State is 413 miles, and the extreme width, 208. The 
general surface of the State has been compared to a 
recently drained lake bed. The greater part of the 
State is a plateau, with an average elevation of 2.312 
feet above the level of the sea. Along the south 
line of the State, the elevation of the eastern half 
averages 1,200 feet; the western half 2,672 feet. 
Along the northern line of the State the elevation of 
the eastern half is 1 .353 feet ; the western half 
3,525. West from Omaha the ascent is at the rate 
of fi^-e and one-half feet to the mile for 100 miles. 
The second hundred miles increases the ascent to 
seven feet ; the third hundred, seven and a half feet 
to the mile; and the fourth hundred to ten and a 
half feet to the mile. The ascent on the last fifty 
miles at the west end of the State is eighteen feet to 
the mile. ' • To gain a clear conception of Nebraska 
topographj-, " writes Prof. Samuel Aughey. in his 



>y 



^Ja 1^ 




treatise on the Physical and Natural Features of 
Nebraska, "one must cross the valleys and divides 
nearly at right angles. In doing this it will be ob- 
served that the most rolling lands generally border 
the valleys or bottoms. Advancing, the rolling and 
sometimes broken character gradually disappears, 
when the divide is reached which separates the last 
from the next drainage system. Here the land 
swells out into a gently undulating plain that varies 
extremely in extent. Tlie extent of such a divide 
may be limited to a half-mile, or may extend for 
thirty or more miles. These swells or long tongues 
of undulating lands are found on the divides between 
nearly all the rivers of the State. Occasionally, be- 
tween the lesser streams, a single low bluff, a few 
hundred feet wide, and only slightly raised above 
llie general level, marks the divide. Among the 
most conspicuous of these' divides are the beautiful 
uplands between the Repulilican and the Platte, be- 
tween the Platte and the Blue Rivers, and between 
the forks of the Blue Rivers. Between the Blues and 
the Nemahas and between the forks of the latter 
similar divides exist. North of the Platte, con- 
spicuous for their beaut}-, are the divides between 
the forks of the Elkhorn and the headwaters, and 
lietween the forks of the Logan, and between the 
Elkhorn and the Loups. In f:ict, they are met with 
between most of the streams of the State. Some of 
these high uplands have great uumliers of shallow, 
basin-sliaped depressions, whose soil and grasses 
greatly resemble those of the bottom lands. The}- 
are evidently the remains of lakes that until recentlj- 
occupied their sites. Indeed, some of them still 
retain this character, being filled with water the 
whole jear round, var3'ing from one to ten feet in 
depth. Between these last and swamps and bogs 
every kind of transition form is found. Fillmore, 
Clay, York, Hamilton, Franklin, Phillips and 
Wayne Counties have a notable number of these old 
lake l)eds. 

Nothing is more surprising than the amazing 
numlier of valley or bottom lands. They must be 
numbered Ijy the thousand. Take the Republican 
as an example. On an average a tributary vallej- 
comes into the liottom from tiie north side every two 
miles. Now, as tliis river Hows for 200 miles 



through the State, it would give 100 for this section 
alone. Counting, however, the streams that come 
in from the south side, and those flowing into its 
larger tributaries, this number should lie inultiplied 
by four, giving 400 valleys, great and small, for this 
region alone. Now, add to these valleys those that 
are tributary to the Platte, the Blues, the Nemahas, 
the Elkhorns, the Logan, the Bows, the Missouri, 
between its larger tributaries, the Niobrara and the 
Loups, and it will increase the number to thousands. 
It is true that many of them are narrow, ranging 
from one-fourth to a mile in width, but still they are 
valleys, with living or extinct stream beds in the 
middle or towards one side of them, and having all 
the physical features of the larger river bottoms. 
As already intimated there are a few minor valleys 
among the smaller tributaries of the Upper I]lk- 
horns, Bazile, Loups, Niobrara and Repulilican, in 
the stream beds of which water no longer flows ; 
but, as will be shown further on. manj' of them are 
regaining — and all of them will in time — their foi-mer 
supply of water. Thus can be seen why, over the 
larger part of Nebraska, the settler can have his 
choice between bottom and upland. The gi-eat 
bod}^ of these bottom lands, though composed of the 
richest mold and modified alluvium and loess mater- 
ials, are perfectly dry. It is true that swamps are 
occasionally met with, but they occur at long inter- 
vals and are the exception. 

There are n(3 large lakes in Nebraska, but there 
are, however, a large number of small bodies of 
water, the largest one. northwest of Dakota City, 
being about fi^•e miles in length. Water beneath 
the surface is abundant, and is reached at depths 
ranging from twelve to 125 feet. Up to the present 
writing arteuian water has been reached in but two 
localities, although a number of deep wells have been 
bored in various parts of the State. At Omaha an 
artesian well 750 feet deep furnishes a fine supply 
of good water. At Lincoln another well 1 . 050 feet 
deep furnishes a constant flow of saline and mineral 
water. At the present writing (January, 1890) a 
company is sinking a deep well at Hastings, in the 
hopes of discovering coal, salt, natural gas, oil, or 
artesian water. At a depth of 250 feet a thick 
ileposit of yellow oi'hre was reached. At a depth of 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



945 feet a heavy ileposit of salt was discovered. 
The operations at Hastings are still in progress, it 
being the intention to liore to a depth of 4.000 feet 
if possible. 

Tlie rivers of Nebraska are nnmerous. and are 
distinguished for feheir width, shallowness, and the 
rapid flow of their currents. The Missouri River is 
a deep stream with a rapid current, navigable for 
barge Ijoats for manj- hundred miles north of Omaha. 
It performed a vast sen'ice to the State in the daj-s 
before the advent of the railroads, as it was the 
highwa}' of travel and traffic for all coming to the 
Territorj'. Next to the Missouri comes the Platte 
River, one of the most erratic streams in the country. 
It flows through the entire length of the State from 
west to east, dividing it into two unequal portions. 
Its length from its source in the Rocky Jlountains to 
its confluence with the Missouri River is about 1 ,200 
miles. In some places the Platte is nearly a mile 
wide, and in other places it separates into five or 
more separate channels. In some portions of the 
year the river is almost entirely drj' ; not because 
the supply- of water is undiminished, but because the 
water disappears in the sandy bed of the sti-eam, 
from whence it is drained (according to the theory of 
Prof. Aughey) to the Republican Ri-\-er. 

The Republican River, next in importance m 
Nebraska to the Platte, has its source in Colorado. 
In genei'al characteristics the Republican is very 
similar to its big sister, the Platte, in that it is shal- 
low, sandy and has a rapid current. Of an entirely 
different character is the Niobrara River. From its 
source in Wyoming to its mouth, the Niobrara is 
460 miles long. For a distance of 189 miles it 
flows, a deep and rapid stream, through a canon, 
the walls of which are high and steep. After 
emerging from the canon tlje Niobrara more nearly 
resembles the Platte, its bed being broad and 
sandy, and full of quicksands. 

The Elkhorn River is one of the most beautiful 
and picturesque streams in the State. It rises in 
the northwestern part of the State in a region dotted 
bj- a large number of small, fresh-water lakes. 
From its source to its mouth the main river is about 
250 miles in length, and for the most part of this 
distance it is a rapid, clear and deep stream. It 



empties into the Platte in Sarpy Countj*, and for a 
large part of its course flows over a rock bottom. 
One of the principal tributaries of the Elkhorn is 
the Logan River, which has its source in Cedar 
County. Of the several branches of the Logan it is 
difficult to tell which is the longest, or which 
deserves the distinction of being the principal stream. 
They all originate in bogs or old fllled-up lake beds. 
The general direction of these Logan Rivers is 
southeast until Burt County is reached, after which 
it is south until it unites with the Elkhorn in Dodge 
County. 

The Nemaha Rivers consist of the main stream, 
the North Branch and the Little Nemaha. The 
North Branch runs in a southeasterlj- direction 
diagonally through Johnson and Richardson Coun- 
ties until it unites with the main river in the latter 
county. Its length is about sixty miles, and in- 
creases regularh' in size from its source to its 
mouth, by the addition of numerous tributaries. 
The main Nemaha has its source in Pawnee County, 
takes a southerly direction into Kansas, then turns 
northeast into Richardson Count}-, and then flows a 
little southeast until it empties into the Jlissouri, in 
the southeast portion of the State. Its length is 
but sixty miles, but it receives so man}' compara- 
tiveh' large tributaries that its magnitude at the end 
of its course is much greater than many longer 
rivers. The bottom lands are broad, beautifully ter- 
raced, and the bordering bluff's are beautifulh' round- 
ed off. The Little Nemaha is a smaller edition of the 
Big Nemaha, and has also numerous tributaries. 

The Blue Rivers are among the most important 
as well as among the best known in the South Platte 
portion of the State. The Big Blue is 132 miles in 
length, and drains eight of the richest, most fertile 
counties of the State. The Middle Fork rises in 
Hamilton County, and unites with the North Blue 
at Seward. It is about sixtj- miles in length. The 
West Fork unites with the Big Blue in Saline 
Count}'. All of the Blue Rivers are remarkable for 
the amount of water they carry off, and the great 
lieauty of the liottom lands through which they pass. 
Still another Blue River rises in Adams Count}', and 
passes out of the State in Jefferson County, and 
finallv. in Kansas, unites with the Big Blue. It 



"V 



'^u 






U 



lllSTor.V OF NH BRA SKA. 



I 



is a liaiulsoiiu' stream, ami in addition to nunicrous 
small streams is furnished nitli larire supplies of 
water bv the numerous sprinjjs which line its hanks. 

Other important systeTns of water courses are 
the Ijoup Rivers, in the northern half of the State. 
The ^Middle Loup Rivei- rises within fifty miles of 
the north line of the Slate and flows a distsince of 
ahout 230 miles heforeemptyinii into the Platte near 
("ohimlms. The North Loup rises within forty-live 
miles of the noitll line of the State, is 15(1 miles 
long and empties int(i the .Aliddle Loup in the east- 
ern part of Howard ("onnty. The South Loup 
rises near the western lioundarv of Custer County 
and empties into the ^liddle Loup in the southwest- 
ern part of Howard County. 

There are numerous smaller rivers and streams 
in Xeliraska not enumerated in the foregoing pages. 
Among the most important of these are the Bow 
Rivers, in Northeastern Nebraska, the Weeping 
Water, in Cass County, Salt Creek, in Lancaster 
County, the Wahoo. in Saunders County. Elk Creelv, 
111 Dakota County, and South and West Iowa Creeks, 
in Di.xou County. All possess more or less the 
characteristies of NeViraska streams. A stud}' of 
a i-omplete topograpliical map of Nebraska demon- 
strates the fact tliat the State is plentifully supplied 
with streams of pure running water. Every count}' 
ill the State has a iMuintiful supply of water, a fact 
which sufficiently accounts for the magnitude of its 
a<rricultural interests. 



Geological research has demonstrated the fact 
that at one time Nebraskti was heavily timbered 
with a varied forest vegetation. But the operations 
of time have caused tlie disai^pcaraiice of the beau- 
tiful forests, until now Nebraska is a prairie State, 
the forest area comprising but a comparatively 
small portion of the Stiite. Seventy-one species of 
trees and ninety-one species of shrubs exist in their 
native state to-day. Among the trees are the lin- 
wood. mai)le. locusts, wild clierrv. ash of four 
species, four species of elms, walnuts, hickories, 
twelve species and varieties of oaks, many species 
of willows, four of cottonwood, and a niimber of 
pines and cedars. The native wild fruits known to 
exist are the |)lum. cherry, strawberry, rasjiberrv. 
blackberry, euriaiits, gooseberry and others. Wal- 
nuts, hickory and hazel nuts are common. 

Previous to the advent of the white man. Ne- 
braska was a paradise for wild animals. Count- 
less herds of buffalo roamed the plains, and elk and 
doer were abundant. F?ut the buffalo has become 
entirely extinct, while the elk and deer have almost 
entirely disappeared. Altogether, eighty-two species 
of mammals are native to Nebraska. The liird 
fauna is much more remarkably developed, there 
being not less than 2V.) distinct species. Of fishes, 
onl}' thirty-f(^ur species have been recognized. Of 
the insects, nearly 11.000 different species are known 
to exist, the injurious species being few, and not 
unusually destructive. 




^. 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



35 



CHAPTER YI. 



Thk ExPLoiiATiox OP Nebraska — Early Visitors — GovERXMfixT Expeditions — Valuable Extract by .IrunE 
Savacje— Nebraska as a Territory — First Officials— Death of Gov. Burt — Formation Ixto 
C0UXTIE.S— Early Legislative Sessions — Population in 185.5 — The "Florence Seces- 
sion" — The Slavery- Question Considered — The Territory' in 1861 — Numer- 
ous Acts and Measures of Interest — Anxiety to Uecome a State. 

About me roiniil I saw 
Hill, dale and shady woods, and sunny plains. 
And liquid lapse of nmrin'i'ing streams. — Milton. 




E B R A S K A was visited 
mail}- times Ijy various ex- 
peditions and individuals 
during tlie time tiiat inter- 
vened between tlie cession 
of Loui.siana to tlie United 
^^ States and tlie formal erei'- 
Lewi.s 
and Clarke headed a government ex- 
pedition in 1804-45, and made a 



y-^r%. tion of the Territorv in 1854 



r^^ and ( 

;?i^ioJ) pedit 

" 'i -i' thorough exploration of the Missouri 

cJ-Tf^T Rive 

Si N eljr 




vei: They spent some days on 
raska soil, at the mouth of the 
Platte and in the vicinity of Omaha 
and Bellevue. Their journal con- 
tains many references to the Indian 
trilies inhabiting this region, which 
will be found in the chapter of this 
work devoted to the Indian history of the Territory. 
In 1805 Manuel Lisa, a member of the Missouri 
Fur Company, visited Nebraska, making an ex- 
tended tour of the northern part of the State along 
the Missouri, cultivating the friendship of the na- 
tives and making arrangements for the establish- 
ment of trading expeditions. In 1808 an expe- 
dition sent out by the ^Missouri Fur Company, under 
the command of Major Henry, visited the same 
country. In 1811 a party of men belonging to 



Hunt's expedition to the mouth of the ColumViia 
River, on their return from the Pacific, crossed the 
Rocky Mountains, and descended the Platte River 
to its mouth. In the following year, three men 
named Stewart, 3IcClellen and Crooks made a simi- 
lai- trip on their way from the Pacific coast to New 
York. 

In 1819 the War Department of the Uniteil 
States fitted out an expedition and placed it under 
the command of Maj. S. A. Long, of the regular 
army. The principal object of the expedition was_ 
to prepare a topographical description of the coun- 
try west of the Missouri River. ^Maj. Long and his 
party reached the mouth of the Big Nemaha earl\- 
in September. 1819, and the mouth of the Platte 
the 1 5th of that month. Near the mouth of the Platte 
was found a trading post named Fort Lisa. A short 
distance from this fort, the expedition went into 
winter quarters. During the winter the adjacent 
country was examined and many friendly confer- 
ences held' with the Indian tribes in the vicinity. 
On June 6, 1820. the expedition started up the 
Platte A^alley. Tlie excursion to the lieadwaters of 
the Platte lasted until the latter part of July. In 
the year 1835, Col. Henry Dodge, of the Uniteil 
States army, traced the Platte River from its mouth 
to its source, in a search for data for a topographical 
description of the country. In 1842 John C. Fre- 



3G 



UlSTOliV OF NKHRASKA. 



iiioiit iiiaili' his lii'st exploration of Neliraska. His 
t'xijloratioii was coiifincd largely to the South Platte 
countrv. and was niiu-h more elaborate than au3- pre- 
viously uudei-taken. He made a similar exploration 
ill the followinij; year. 

An extract from an iulerestiui; and valuable 
article read before the Nebraska State Historical 
Society on January 14. 1S!)0, l>y Judge James W. 
Savage, is wortliy of mention in this portion of the 
present volume. The extract is as follows : 

■ • In the sixth volume of his collections of 
manuscript documents relating to America, by M. 
Pierre Margcy, the distinguished historical investi- 
gator of France, is given a brief synopsis of an 
account of a visit in the year 1739 to the territory 
now included in the State of Nebraska, which seems 
worthy of a translation or paraphrase, and a place 
in the records of the historical society of our State. 
It is entitled ' The Journey of the Mallet Brothers 
with Six Other Frenchmen from the River of the 
Panimahas in the Missouri Country to Santa Fe. ' 
To comprehend the full significance of the expedi- 
tion it will be useful to recall to our minds the 
jealousies, the rivalries, the contests, the treacheries, 
the massacres, the assassinations, the crimes of all 
sorts which the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries 
witnessed as the result of the discoveries by Colum- 
bus. 

■ ■ Spain , reasonably secure in her possession of 
the country west of the deserts bej-ond the Missis- 
sippi which the valor and prowess of Cortez had 
given her, laid claim also b}- virtue of the revela- 
tions of the Genoese navigator to the whole of 
Florida, under which attractive name was compre- 
hended the entire region from the Atlantic to the 
Mississippi, and from the gulf to the north pole. 
France, grudging the glorj' and the wealth with 
which the new world had adorned the crown of 
Chai-les the Fifth, entrusted to A'errazzaao the task 
of finding the opulent kingdom of Cathay, and as 
a result of his discoveries laid claim to the same 
extensive country. The hostility thus begun lasted 
for more than two centuries. 

• ■ The French complained with indignation that 
the Spaniards thought that the new world was created 
expressly for them, and that no other man livinff 



had a right to move or brcatlie tlicrciii. The hitter 
ness engendered by these rival interests led to the 
atrocities of 3Ienendez and Gourgues, the butcheries 
of Fort Caroline and St. Augustine, at the narrative 
of which the l>lood still runs cold. That the slaughter 
was committed in the name of the founder of the 
religion of peace, adds darker shadows to the somluc 
stories of those days. One mild and gentle apostle 
addressed the king in these words; • It is la^i'ul 
that your majesty, like a good shepherd appointed liy 
the hand of the Eternal Father, should tend and lead 
out your sheep, since the Holy Spirit has shown 
spreading pastures whereon are feeding lost sheej) 
which have been snatched away by the dragon, the 
demon. These pastures are the new world, wherein 
is comprised Florida, now in possession of the 
demon, and he makes himself adored and revealed. 
This is the land of promise possessed bj- idolaters, 
the Amorite. the Amalekite, Moabite, Canaanite. 
This is the land promised l\y the Eternal Father to 
the faithful, since we are commanded bj" God in the 
holy scriptures to take it from them, being idolaters, 
and by reason of their idolatry and sin to put them 
to the knife, leaving no living thing except maidens 
and children, their cities robbed and sacked, their 
walls and houses levelled to the earth. ' 

' ■ For many long years the struggle lietwecn 
France and Spain for this fairest portion of the new- 
world continued. Neither was destined to succeed. 
The pompous expeditions of both nations, their blas- 
phemous proclamations, their costly- settlements — all 
gave way in time to the simple beginnings on the 
banks of the James and the coast of New England. 
Still, for a long time after the Spaniards were con- 
fined to Mexico, and the French to Canada and the 
Mississippi Valley, the same suspicions, jealousies, 
rivalries and antagonisms continued. If the French 
made a move in one quarter the Spaniards endea^■- 
ored to meet it bj- a counter stroke in another. If 
one nation established a trading post in the wilder- 
ness, the other sought to seduce its servants and to 
render the enterprise abortive. Spies and other 
emissaries abounded everywhere. With an austen- 
tatious (fisplay of peace on both sides there were con- 
stant suspicion and constant watchfulness. In a 
letter from Bienville, governor of Louisiana, dated 



:kC 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



37 



April 25, 1752, he says that he learns from the sav- 
ages of the Missouri that the Spaniards meditated an 
establishment on the Kansas River, and that he had 
ordered Sieur de Boisbriant to prevent this by send- 
ing a detachment of twenty soldiers to build a little 
fort and to remain in garrison on that river. 

■■Such was the situation in the years 1739-40, 
when the expedition, to which I invite a few minutes' 
attention, started from what is now Nebraska to 
Santa Fe. What we know of this journey is meagre 
and fragmentary in a most provoking degree, con- 
sisting solely of an abridgment or synopsis of a 
journal kept by one of the travelers for the perusal 
of Ctov. de Bienville at New Orleans. The sum- 
mar\' or table of its contents is as follows : ' The 
brothers JIallet, with six other Frenchmen, leaving 
the river of the Panimahas discover the river Platte, 
visit the villages of the Salitane nation, and reach 
Santa Fe. ' The names of those who composed this 
venturous band were Peter and Paul Jlallet, Philip 
Robitaille. Louis Moriu (or as the name is some- 
times written, ^loreau), ^lichael Beslot, Joseph Belle- 
court, Manuel Gallien and Jean David. All except 
the last, who was from the mother-country, were 
Canadians of French parentage. The ostensible ob- 
ject of their trip was to establish trade with the mer- 
chants of New Mexico. What secret instructions, if 
am', they had, or what their real purpose was, is no 
where involved in their memorial, and will probably 
never be more than conjectured, but that the Span- 
iards were at least doubtful as to their character 
seems clear. About 100 jears later, and long after 
Louisiana had become the property of the United 
States, an expedition starting from Texas with the 
same pretense of amitj- and social intercourse re- 
ceived but scant courtesy from the Mexicans, and 
it is not probable that the latter were less on 
their guard against their hereditary enemies, the 
French. 

•■The little band, at the time when the journal 
was introduced to them, had reached the nation of 
the Panimahas, with whom the French were on 
friendly terms, living on a river of the same name. 
It may be considered as a fact, established bj' papers 
already |nililished in the collections of this society, 
that the I'animahas were the tribe since known as 



the Pawnees, and the Panimaha River was the 
stream now called the Loup Fork. 

" From a point on the Loup, not far from where 
Genoa is now situated, the Mallet Ijrothers took 
their departure on the 29th of May, 1739. Those 
who, prior to that time, had essayed to make the 
same hazardous journey, had supposed that New 
Mexico was situated on the headwaters of the Mis- 
souri, and had therefore attempted to reach that 
country by following up the course of the last men- 
tioned stream. But the Mallet brothers, upon the 
advice of some of their savage allies, determined to 
seek New Mexico by taking a southwesterly direc- 
tion across the country. Accordingly, pursuing this 
course, they eame on the third day to a wide and 
shallow river which (and here I follow the exact lan- 
guage of the original) they named the Platte. So 
far as I know, or can ascertain, this was the first 
time our wandering stream had received an appella- 
tion in a Christian tongue. Other adventurous Inish- 
rangers thereafter translated other titles, and L'Eau- 
qui-court, L'Eau-qui-pleure, the Papillion, the 
Chadron, the Loup and others will long retain, it is 
to be hoped, the soft and musical nomenclature of 
the Gallic race. But who named them, and when, 
are as yet as difficult to answer as the question 
Achilles assumed when he hid himself among women. 
This one fact alone has survived this century an<l a 
half that has elapsed since the daring enterprise of 
these Canadian French. 

"They struck the Platte probably in the vicinity 
of Kearney — at any rate at some point where the 
general course of the stream was toward the north- 
east or east, for we read that the explorers, finding 
that it did not deviate materially from the route the}' 
had chosen, followed it up for the distance of twent}'- 
eight leagues, where they found that the river of the 
Padoncas emptied into it. This river of the Padon- 
cas was unquestionably the South Fork of the Platte, 
and it is noteworthy that on one of Colton's maps of 
the United States, published in 1862. the stream is 
still called the Padonca. For three days afterward 
the brothers Mallet ascended the North Fork of the 
Platte, until on the 13th of June, finding that its 
course was leading them to the northwest instead of 
the direction they had determined upon, they turned 



? 



^1 



38 



HI^TOHV OF NEBRASKA. 



I 



to the left, trossc'd the North l'\)rk, tniversi'd the 
tongue of hmd inaite hj- the two hranehes, and en- 
camped on the shoi'cs of a river which must have 
been the South Forlv. 

••It is not easy to identify with atisohite cer- 
tainty the water courses which in tlie next few days 
tliey secMi to have crossed. From their journal has 
been cliniinated all matter except such as would 
enal)le an engineer officer to direct the march of an 
army over the same course. It is manifest, how- 
ever, that they crossed several affluents and the 
main current of the Republican, marching over a 
treeless country, which supplied barely wood enough 
for cooking purposes, and recording that these bare 
plains extended as far as the mountains in the 
vicinity of Santa Fe. On tlic 2()th they reached 
and crossed a deep and rapid river, losing in the 
operation seven horses laden with merchandise. 
This stream they say was the Kansas. Again they 
entered upon the prairies l)are of trees, dependent 
upon Ijutialo chips for their fuel, encamping nearly 
everj- night by a water-course, until on the 30th of 
June, they pitched their tents upon the lianks of 
the Arkansas River, where for the first time they 
came upon traces of Spanish occupation." 

Although the act creating the Territory of Ne- 
oraska liecame a law on May 30, 1854, it was not 
until October of that year that the officers appointed 
by President Pierce reached Belle vue, then the onlj' 
pretentious village in the Territory. These officers 
were: Secretar}', Thomas B. Cuming, of Iowa; 
chief justice, Fenner Ferguson, of Michigan ; asso- 
ciate justices, James Bradley, of Indiana, and 
Edward R. Hardin, of Georgia; marshall, Mark W. 
Izard, of Arkansas; attorney, Experience Esta- 
brook. of Wisconsin. Gov. Burt was a Southern 
gentleman of birth and education, and was a man 
of sterling integrity and unblemished reputation. 
Before receiving his ippointment as governor of the 
Territory of Nebraska he had held important pul)- 
lic positions, both in his own State and in Wash- 
ington. He was a man who would undoubtedly 
liave left liis impress upon the history of Nebraska 
had iiis life been spared; but his visit was destined 
to be of l)rief duration, for he died within a few 
days after his arrival. The governor and his party 



arrivcil at Hcllcvuc on ( )ctiibcr 7. 1 s.')4. The jour- 
ney from the east had been a severe one for Go\ . 
Burt, and he was taken sick at St, Louis, In 
spite of his illness, however, he pursued his journey, 
arriving at Bellevue in l)ad condition. He was made 
as comfortable as possible at the Presbyterian .Mis- 
sion, then in iliai'ge of Rev, William Hamilton, and 
medical aid summoned from Omaha and Council 
Bluffs ; but all the efforts in his behalf were unavail- 
ing, and he died on October 18, just eleven days 
after his arrival at Bellevue. antl twenty-one days 
after being taken ill at St. Louis. By virtue of his 
office. Secretary Thomas B. Cuming became acting 
governor. Mr. Cuming assumed the duties of the 
office at once, and on October 18. issued the first 
proclamation promulgated in the new Territory, It 
contained the official announcement of the death of 
Gov, Burt, In the proclamation xVcting Governor 
Cuming referred to the efforts made to save the life 
of Gov, Burt, and directed that the National colors 
within the Territory' be draped in mourning. 

The news of the death of Gov, Burt cast a gloom 
over the Territory. Resolutions of regret and con- 
dolence were adopted and published in the only two 
papers published in the Territory, and the President 
of the United States notified. The funeral services 
were held at Bellevue on October 19, after which 
the remains were taken to South Carolina by Barton 
Green, Ward B, Howard, James Doyle and W. R, 
Jones. Thus closed the first tragedy in the official 
life of the new Territory. 

Nf) sooner had the proper respects been paid 
to the memory of the Territory's distinguished dead, 
than the affairs of the living pushed themselves into 
prominence. A cajjital for the new Territory was 
to be selected, and the wheels of government put in 
motion. The ambitious citizens of Bellevue, Flor- 
ence, Omaha, Neliraska City and Plattsmouth 
entered into a fierce competition for the seat of 
government. After due consideration of the claims 
of the rival towns, Acting Governor Cuming decided 
to locate the capital at Omaha, although Bellevue 
was retained as the official place of residence until 
January, 1855, in which month the first session of 
the Territorial Legislature met at Omaha. In a 
proclamation issued December 20. 1854, the acting 



'^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



30 



governor designated Omaha as the capital, and 
called the first session of the Legislature to meet at 
that cit}- on the 16th daj- of January, 1855. Pre- 
viously to this, however, a census of the Territory 
had been taken by order of the acting governor, 
and an election called for. The census revealed a 
population of 2,732. The Territory was divided 
into eight counties, which were designated as Burt, 
Washington. Douglas, Dodge, Cass, Pierce, Fornej- 
and Richardson. The memliership of the first 
Legislature was divided as follows: 

Burt County — One Councilman, two Itcpresenta- 
tix'cs. 

Washington County — < )n(' Councilman, two Hep- 
resentattA'es. 

Douglas County — Four Councilmcn. eight Rep- 
resentatives. 

Dodge County — One Councihnau. two l!c|jre- 
sentati^'es. 

Cass County — One Councilman, two Representa- 
tives. 

Pierce County — Three Councilman, fi\'e Repre- 
sentati\'es. 

Forney County — One Councilman, two Repre- 
sentatives. 

Richardson County — One Councilman, two Rep- 
resentatives. 

On December 12, 1854, the first general election 
in the new Territor}' was held. It resulted in the 
selection of Napoleon B. Giddings as the Territorial 
delegate to Congress. 

The first session of the Territorial Legislature 
convened in a two-story lirick building erected at 
Omaha for its reception, at 10 o'clock A. M. , Jan- 
uary IG, 1855. A temporary organization of the 
Council was eflfected by the election of Hiram P. 
Bennett, of Pierce Count}-, president, pro tern. A 
committee on credentials, consisting of Joseph L. 
Sharp, James C. Mitchell and Lafaj-ette Nuckolls, 
was appointed and an adjournment taken until two 
o'clock P. jNL The Representatives also effected a 
similar organization l)y electing John M. Latham, of 
Cass County, speaker, and J. W. Paddock, chief 
clerk, y)/() ti'm. At 2 o'clock P. M. , of the same 
day. both Houses of the Legislature convened in 
joint session to listen to the first gubernatorial mes- 



sage. Acting Governor Cuming alluded feelingly 
to the untimelj- death of Gov. Burt. The principal 
part of the message was devoted to a discussion of 
the Pacific Railway. Its importance to the welfari' 
of the new Territory was del:)ated upon and a strong 
argument made in favor of the Platte Valley route — 
an argument which has been fully vindicated by the 
completion of the great railway system along the 
route indicated. 

The first Nebraska Legislature was not. in all 
respects, a model one. But, considering the some- 
what chaotic condition of affairs in the Territorj-, it 
made a fair beginning, and there was much accom- 
[tlished in the way of legislation that was worthy of 
commendation. 

The local machinery of government was pro- 
vided for and county officers created. The criminal 
code of Iowa, with some slight, necessary altera- 
tions, was adopted for the regulation of the new 
Territory. The capital was formally and officially 
located at Omaha. Nor were the educational inter- 
ests of the young commonwealth lost sight of. 
Three institutions of learning, viz. : The Simpson 
University, at Omaha ; the Nebraska University, at 
I'^ontanelle, and the Collegiate and Preparatory In- 
stitute, at Nebraska City, were incorporated. 
Among the notable transactions of this, the first 
session of Nebraska's Legislature, was the favor- 
able report, b^- 51. H. Clark, chairman of the Coun- 
cil committee on corporation, on the bill chartering 
the Platte ^^alley and Pacific Railroad Company, a 
proposed line which has since become one of the 
greatest commercial highways of the world. 

In the meantime. President Pierce had appointed 
Mark JI. Izard, of Arkansas, to succeed Gov. Burt. 
Gov, Izard arrived at Omaha on February 20. 1855, 
and took the oath of office three days later. 

There was much to l)e done, even after the ad- 
journment of the Legislature. Gov. Izard at once 
took steps looking to the establisment of the affairs 
of the Territory on a firmer and more substantial 
basis. In the year 1855 a formal census of all the 
white persons in the Territory was taken, which dis- 
closed the fact that 4,491 people had taken up their 
permanent residence in Nebraska. In that year the 
several towns in the Territ()r\" began to assume bet- 



40 



HISTORY OF NKBltASKA. 



tor proijoitioiis. Society became settled. ;iii(l mat- 
ters assiuiu'd a less tniiisjeiit aspect. The second 
session of the iieiiislaturc assemliled on December 
18, 1855. In his annual message, Gov. Izard 
alluded to the progress of the work on the capitol, 
which was rapidly approaching completion. Tlic 
progress of the Tcrriturial snrveys, under the direc- 
tion of Surveyor (leneral ("alhoun. was spoken of. and 
many other matters pertaining to the needs of the 
Territory referred ty. The Territory made eonsider- 
al)le progress iluring the year 1850. The boundary 
lines of the counties were established by the Legis- 
lature. A road from Omaha to Fort Kearney was 
surveyed and its construction commenced. The 
second session of the Legislature also provided for 
the common school system of the State. The real 
and [WM'sonal proijerty of the Territory was assessed, 
and another census taken, which revealed the pres- 
ence of Iti.TKi inhabitants. 

The third session of the Legislature assembled 
on ,J«uuiary 5, 1857. The Territorial machinery had 
now been in operation two entire years, and matters 
seemed to be passing along smoothly. In his an- 
nual message, (lov. Izard congratulated the citizens 
of the Territory upon their prosperity. The follow- 
ing excerpt from his message is quoted as being a 
fair idea of the condition of the Territory at that 
time. Gov. Izard says: ''We can boast of a pop- 
ulation of more than 15,000 intelligent, orderly and 
energetic citizens, who can challenge comparison 
with those of any State or Territory of the Union ; 
of flourishing towns and prosperous cities, with their 
handsome church edifices, well-regulated schools 
and bus}- streets ; of our broad and beautiful prai- 
ries, being thickly dotted with comfortalile farm 
houses and well-cultivated fields, yielding their rich 
treasures to the hand of peaceful industry. The 
appreciation of property far exceeds the expectation 
of the most sanguine. Business lots upon the streets 
where the wild grass still flourishes are readil}' com- 
manding from $500 to $3,000 each; lands adjacent 
to our most prosperous towns sell readily at from 
§50 to $400 per acre ; credit is almost unknown in 
our business circles; no citizen oppressed by debt 
or crippled in his energies by the hand of penury 
and want ; luit all, encouraged Ijy the success of the 



past, look forward to the futin'c with eager hope and 
bright anticiijations. " 

It was during this, the third session of the jjcg- 
islature, that the first attempt to remove the capital 
from Omaha occurred. A bill was passed locating 
the capital at "Douglas," a proposed town in a pro- 
posed county. Gov. Izard i)romptly vetoed the liill 
and thus killed the first attempt at removal. 

The most striking piece of legislation accom- 
plished by the third session was the passage of the 
liill repealing the criminal code, leaving the Terri- 
torj' without a law against crime or misdemeanor of 
an}' character. As a piece of ill-advised legislation 
it stands unparalleled in the history of Nebraska 
Territory. It may be said, to the personal credit of 
Gov. 'Izard, that he vetoed the bill; but that the 
Legis'lature passed it over his veto. 

The fourth session of the Legislature, which 
convened on December 8, 1857, was destined to be 
a memorable one in the history of the young Terri- 
tor\', for it was during this session that a majorit} 
of the members withdrew and attempted to set up a 
new government at Florence. The division in the 
Legislature resulted from the renewal of the attempts 
to remove the capital from Omaha. The following 
brief extract from the official report of the •• Flor- 
ence secession" will give the reader a clear view of 
the facts concerning that somewhat extraordinar\" 
affair: "On the morning of January 7, 1858, the 
House went into committee of the whole to ostensi- 
bly consider a joint resolution, making it obligatory 
on the Legislature to award the printing of the Ter- 
ritory to some one established in the business within 
the limits of Nebraska, hut really, as claimed by the 
friends of the removal scheme, to fillibuster to pre- 
vent the consideration of the capital bill. The 
speaker, James H. Decker, withdrew from the 
House, with his friends. Thirteen membei'S re- 
mained in session, and when the committee rose, J. 
S. Jlorton was chosen speaker, pro tern. Asking 
leave to sit again, the committee reported their work 
unfinished, and the session was declared adjourned. 
The following morning, the 8th, the House met. 
and. on motion of Mr. Donelan, to adjourn to meet 
at Florence, the session was declaicd adjoiu'ned by 
Speaker Decker, Thereupon all l>ut thirteen mem- 



I, 



'^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



41 



bers quitted the chamber. Mr. 3Iorton then nom- 
inated 3Ir. Poppleton as speaker p;'o tern. The 
minorit}' then adjourned to meet at the regular place 
of liolding session, on the next day at 9 o'clock A. 
JI. The infection spread to the Council, where, on 
the 8th, Jlr. Reeves moved that the Council adjourn 
to meet at Florence on the succeeding morning. 
President George L. Miller declined to entertain the 
motion upon the ground that, under the organic 
act, no such adjournment could take place without 
the concurrent action of lioth Houses and the official 
sanction of the governor. Mr. Reeves appealed from 
this ruling, and, by a vote of 8 to 4, the ruling was 
not sustained. The president still refused to enter- 
tain the motion, and Jlr. Reeves, standing in his 
place, put the motion, and it was can'ied Ij}- a vote 
of 8 to 4. The eight members thereupon left the 
chamber. ' 

The Florence secession, as a matter of course, 
effectuall}' blocked all further legislation in that 
session. The seceding liranch went through the 
formality of holding dailj' sessions at Florence; 
but they accomplished nothing in the way of legis- 
lation. The minority branch met at Omaha from 
day to day until the session expired, on January 1 G. 
by limitation. 

Thomas B. Cuming, who for a second time was 
serving the people of the Territory as acting gov- 
ernor — Gov. Izard having resigned — declined to 
issue an order requested bj' the seceding branch, 
compelling the ''minorit}' Legislature,' to deliver 
to the majority the books and documents necessary 
for the proper transaction of business. Thus matr 
ters stood until January 12, when Gov. Richardson, 
Izard's successor, arrived at Omaha and assumed 
the duties of the office. Although waited upon b\- 
a delegation from the seceding branch of the Leg- 
islature, Gov. Richardson declined to give that bod}- 
an}- satisfaction. He advised the seceding memljers 
to return to Omaha, and assured them that their 
interests as well as themselves would be fully pro- 
tected. The Legislature adjourned on Januarj* 16, 
before Gov. Richardson's in\itation was accepted. 
A few months later, on August 14, Gov. Richard- 
son issued a proclamation calling the Legislature to 
meet in special session on September 21. In his 



proclamation, the Governor alluded to the fact that 
the disagreement between the waring factions, in 
the preceding session, had left the Territory without 
a criminal code, and to other matters of importance 
to the inhabitants of the Territory. 

The special session, which is known as the fifth 
session of the Territorial Legislature, assembled at 
Omaha on September 21, 1858, and was organized 
bj- the election of the following officers : House : 
H. P. Bennett, speaker; E. G. JIcNeelj-, chief 
clerk. Council : H. L. Bowen, president; S. M. 
Curran, chief clerk. One of the first acts of the 
session was the adoption of resolutions upon the 
death of Thomas B. Cuming, secretary of the Ter- 
ritory, which occurred on March 12, 1858. His life, 
character and distinguished services to the Territor}' 
were fittingly referred to in the following words : 
'•Thomas B. Cuming was appointed secretai-y of 
the Territory of Neliraska, by Franklin Pierce, 
President of the LTnited States, and entered at once 
upon the discharge of the duties of the office, arriv- 
ing here in the month of September, 1854. Bj- the 
untimely decease of Gov. Burt, he succeeded to 
the supreme executive, and became acting governor 
of the TeiTitor}-. How ably he filled that office 
those living can testifj-. In the organization of the 
first Legislature, surrounded as he was b}' conflict- 
ing elements, threatened by fierce and contending 
factions, standing in imminent danger of even per- 
sonal violence, he wavered not once in his fealty to 
the general government, nor in his fidelity to the 
trust imposed in him. Throughout the duration of 
those troublesome times he pursued a policy, the 
sagacity of which was proved by its success, and 
the wisdom of which is evidenced by the present 
prosperous condition of the Territory which he 
governed." 

Upon the death of Secretar}' Cuming, John B. 
Motlej- performed the duties of the office until Juh' 
12, when J. Sterling Morton, who had been ap- 
pointed, assumed the office. 

The most interesting feature of the fifth session 
of the Legislature was the first contest over the 
abolition of slaverj- in tiie Territory-. On Novem- 
ber 1, Representative S. G. Dail}' introduced a bill 
•■to abolish slaverv in the Territory of Nebraska. " 



;r>~ 



^1 



42 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



It was referred to a special committee, consisting of 
>S. (i. Daily, Jaines Stewart, John Tatte, I). P. Ran- 
kin and William C. Fleming. Two reports were 
sul)mitted by the committee, the majority report 
being favorable and tlie minority unfavorable. Af- 
ter a very brief discussion the bill was laid upon 
the table and not taken up again during the session. 
But the friends of aliolition were not to be deterred 
from their purpose of making Nebraska a fi-ee State 
in name as well as in fact. 

The sixth session of the Territorial Legislature 
convened on December 5, 185!). In the interim be- 
tween the fifth and sixth sessions. Gov. Richardson 
had resigned his office. Secretary J. Sterling Mor- 
ton assumed the executi\'e functions until May 2, 
1859, when Gov. Samuel W. Black arrived to take the 
office. Gov. Black delivered his first message to 
the sixth session on the day following its opening. 
The following facts gleaned from his first message 
will lie of interest as showing the growth and 
progress of the Territory : " This Territory was 
organized on Maj' 30, 1854, and the first Legislature 
met at Omaha on January 16, 1855. In that bodj' 
eight counties were represented. Now, at the expira- 
tion of less than five j^ears, twenty-three counties 
have their Representatives in the Legislature, and 
thirty-five counties have been fully organized or 
their boundaries defined by law. The lands in Ne- 
braska actually surveyed amount to 8,851,758 acres. 
The surveys have been extended fi'om the dividing 
line between Kansas and Nebraska, on the fortieth 
parallel, to the latitude of 42 degrees, 51 minutes, 
while the average depth of the Missouri Ri\er is 
about 140 miles." 

The sixth Legislature was noted by the renewal 
of the contest over the slaverj' question, and by the 
first attempt to fonn a State government. Strictly 
speaking, Nebraska was not a slave Temtory. 
The bill erecting the Territories of Kansas and Ne- 
liraska left the slavery question to the decision of 
the citizens of those Territories. The contest o^'er 
the question of slavery was a bitter one in Kansas ; 
but, owing to her geographical location, Nebi-aska 
did not ofl'er a promising field for the extension of 
slaxery. The first official census, taken in 1854, 
revealed the presence of thirteen slaves. Most of 



them were brought to the Territory by the officials 
coming from slave States, and it is probalily the fact 
that their servitude was almost voluntary. We 
have already noted the failure of the first attempt to 
abolish slavery in Nebraska. The friends of the 
movement did not long remain idle. On Wednes- 
daj', December 7, 1859, the third day of the sixtii 
session of the Territorial Legislature. William H. 
Taylor introduced in the Council a bill -'to abolish 
and prohibit slavery or involuntar}- servitude. " It 
was referred to a special committee consisting of 
William H. Taylor, George W. Doane and George 
L. Miller. On December 12, two reports were sub- 
mitted from the committee, one by Mr. Taj'lor and 
one by Mr. Miller. In his report, Mr. Tajlor cited 
the fact that slavery did actuallj' exist in the Terri- 
tory, and gave the names of the men who held 
slaves. He recommended the passage of the bill 
for the following reasons: 

1. Because no human being should lie held in 
slavery in this Territory now and hereafter. 

2. Because slavery does practically exist in 
Nebraska, and should be prohibited. 

3. Because the people of the Territoiy, in their 
Territorial capacity, have the power to pi-ohibit 
slavery or involuntar}' servitude, and are responsible 
for its continuance. 

4. Because the administration and a large party 
in this country maintain that neither the people of 
the Territories nor the Congress of the United States 
have the power to legislate upon the subject of 
slaverj' ; and it is time this monstrous proposition 
was settled and forever put at rest liy the judicial 
tribunals of the land. 

5. Because the passage of the bill will forever 
rid us of the excitement created in a neighborhood 
by the slavery propagandist, upon the escape of a 
slave from bondage. 

6. Because now is the most propitious time to 
rid ourselves of slaverv if there is anything in popu- 
lar sovereignty. 

7. Because if we permit people to hold slaves, 
and slaverj' to exist in Nebraska, when we can get 
rid of it, we will be justlj- censured by the present 
and succeeding generations. 



^ '^{v 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



43 



In his report Mr. Miller asserted that it was 
injudicious for the Legislature to lend itself to the 
agitation of a subject which, to the people of Ne- 
In-aska at least, was conceded to be really of no 
practical importauce. He denied the necessitj- of 
the bill, and claimed that "no sane person for a 
moment supposes that Nebraska is in the slightest 
possible danger of lieing either a slave Territorj' or 
a slave State." "Popular sentiment in Neljraska, " 
said Mr. Miller, ' ' is universally against the institu- 
tion of slavery, and even if it were not, and the 
public voice was to pronounce to-day in favor of its 
establishment here, the controlling laws of nature, 
peculiar to the latitude, would utterly preclude the 
possibility of its obtaining a permanent place among 
us. Suppose it true — which it is not — that the Ter- 
ritory does furnish a profitable field for slave labor, 
who is there so infatuated as to believe for an 
instant that this Territory, peopled almost entirely 
by men whose associations from infancj', and whose 
education in the midst of free institutions have con- 
ducted them into manhood, not only with all their 
prejudice, but with all the convictions of their judg- 
ment against the institution — who so foolish as to 
say that legislation is required or ought to be granted 
on this subject?'' Mr. Miller made light 'of the 
claims of the friends of the bill that its passage was 
a necessity, and concluded his report as follows: 
"In view of all the circumstances of the case, the 
admitted absence of any necessity either for the 
bill under consideration or the report which is made 
upon it, it may be justly- presumed that Iwth were 
designed for the single and sole purpose of agitating 
a subject which may be thought calculated to 
advance the political interests of restless and am- 
bitious men, at the expense of the peace, harmony 
and good will that ought to unite in the bonds of 
common hopes and common aims of the people of 
the Territory, which certainlj- requires the combined 
eflforts and energies of all to secure to it that posi- 
tion to which, liy its inexhaustible resources, geo- 
graphical situation and other advantages, it is so 
very justly entitled. Nor can j^our committee per- 
mit the occasion to pass without expressing the 
opinion that the effort to introduce to Nebraska the 
popular excitements which have agitated and dis- 



tracted other communities, in our neighborhood, will 
be a miserable failure. The people undcrstantl the 
motives which move men to engage in these political 
games, and thej^ will meet them in the proper way 
and b}' the proper means, regarding onlj' those 
things that shall best redound to the political peace 
and permanent prosperity of the entire Territorj-." 
Mv. Doane concurred, in the main, with the views 
expressed in the report submitted by 3Ir. Jliller. 

The bill also made its appearance in the House 
on December 7, being presented by T. M. Marquette. 
On the following day an attempt made to lay the 
bill on the table was unsuccessful. Then a mo- 
tion to reject the bill was defeated by a vote of 
2-1: to 11. On December IG, the measure was 
taken up by the committee of the whole House 
and amended so as to prohiliit the further exten- 
sion of slavery in the Territory, without effecting 
the status of the slaves alreadj' held. After an un- 
successful attempt to strike out the enacting clause, 
the bill was engrossed and passed to a third reading. 
The bill came up for its final passage in the House 
on December 17. The opponents of the measure 
resorted to every form of parliamentarj* strategy to 
avoid a vote, but their efforts were unavailing. The 
bill passed by a vote of 21 to 17. 

In the Council, on December 20, consideration 
of the bill was indefinitely postponed, and for a time 
the friends of the measure believed that their efforts 
to make Nebraska a free Territory were to be unsuc- 
cessful. On December 29, Mr. Little offered "a 
joint resolution for the prohibition of slavery in Ne- 
braska." It was objected to on the ground that the 
whole matter had been disposed of by indefinite 
postponement. The chair decided the point of order 
not well taken. The resolution was then put in the 
form of a bill and passed. In its new form it was 
returned to the House, where it was again amended 
and passed. On the 3d of Januar}-, the Council 
concurred in the amendments, and the bill was 
finally sent to the governor. On January 9, Gov. 
Black returned the bill with his veto. In his mes- 
sage, which was an elaborate document, the governor 
discussed the subject in all its legal and constitu- 
tional aspects. He believed that the constitution, 
" while not canying slavery into the Territories, did 



A. 



44 



HISTOItY OF NKBItASKA. 



o-uanmtoo the (jropcrty right of masters in slaves, 
and permitted tlie owners to cany tliem wherever 
they desired. " Discussing the power of tlie Legis- 
kture to pass tlie hill, Gov. Black said: "The 
Territorial Legishitiiro was deemed but a temporary 
ilepartment, having no right or power to pass a law 
which was regarded as conflicting witli the individual 
rights of citizens — rights protected by tlie constitu- 
tion of the United States. " Thus the second attempt 
to abolish and prohiliit slavery in Neliraska pro\'ed 
a failure; but a sentiment in favor of making Ne- 
braska Territory free soil had been created, and it 
soon liecarae powerful enough to place the desired 
law upon the statute books, as will be seen further 
on in this volume. 

Another notable feature of the sixth session was 
the first attempt to raise Nebraska to the dignity of 
Statehood. In his message (lov. Black had dis- 
cussed the question of Statehood, but stated that 
Nebraska was hardly yet in a position to claim ad- 
mission, for the reason that the population of the 
Territory was not large enough. In spite of the 
governor's views, however, the Legislature at this 
session passed a bill entitled "an act to frame a 
constitution and State government for the State of 
Nebraska. " The proposition embodied in the bill 
was submitted to a vote of the people on March 5, 
18G0. It was rejected by a vote of 2,372 to 2,094. 
The seventh session of the Legislature convened 
on Monday, December 3, 1860. Gov. Black's an- 
nual message indicated that at that time the Ter- 
ritorial debt amounted to $50,000. Various matters 
of importance to the development of the Territory 
were discussed in the message. It was during this 
session that the slavery question received its final 
quietus in Nebraska. On December 7, John M. 
Thayer introduced a bill in the Council ' ' to abolish 
slavery and involuntary servitude in the Territory." 
The same bill had been introduced in the House on 
December 6, by Representative Mathias. Both 
Houses passed the bill, but for a second time Gov. 
Black interposed a veto. His veto message was 
very similar to the one penned by him in the pre- 
vious session. It was, as may be expected, severely 
censured by the friends of abolition. Councilman 
T. W. Tipton, afterward United States Senator from 



Nebraska, commented on the veto message as fol- 
lows: " In ray hunilili^ ojiinioii this veto message 
is a most remarkable production — remarkalile on 
account of the pertinacity with which His Excellency 
follows up this question <jf human freedom with 
ponderous documents, earnest protests and unavail- 
ing entreaties. In its component parts, it is equally 
remarkal)le, whether you consider it a system of 
dove-tailed fallacies, special pleadings or sublimateil 
foolishness. If His Excellency had a mint of gold 
with which to bribe this Legislature, and we 
possessed all the logical acumen and captivating 
eloquence of our race ; were we willing to receive 
the one and exert the other, we could neither give 
dignity to this doc-ument nor force to its conclusions. 
The honest hearts of our constituents would consign 
us, for our efforts, to everlasting political infamy." 
The sentiment in favor of abolition had grown rap- 
idly in the short time which had elapsed between 
the sixth and seventh sessions. Conseciuently the 
friends of the measure had no difficulty in securing 
its passage over the governor's veto. Thus closed 
the contest over slavery in Nebraska. Gov. Black 
was the last of the succession of Democratic gov- 
ernors that had presided over the destinies of the 
young Territory since its organization in 1854. His 
political and social education had placed him in the 
ranks of those who belie\-ed that the constitution 
guaranteed the right of a master to own slaves in any 
State or Territory of the Union. He was a man of 
sterling integrity, an able jurist and a fine executive 
officer. He died on the field of battle in defense of 
the Union, in the second year of the war. He was 
one of the ablest men connected with the Territorial 
government of Nebraska. 

The year 1861 inaugurated a new era in the his- 
tory of Nebraska. The Territory had passed through 
the critical period of its existence, and was now on 
the highway of prosperity. The National govern- 
ment had passed under the administration of the 
Repuljlican party, and the change also resulted in a 
change in the politics of the Territorial government 
of Nebraska. Alvin Saunders, of Iowa, was ap- 
pointed governor of the Territory by President Lin- 
coln, while Algernon S. Paddock received the 
appointment of Territorial secretary. Gov. Saunders 






9 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



45 



held his position until Nebraska assumed the mantle 
of Statehood, and won many high eeoniums for the 
able manner in which he wielded the executive 
authority. 

Althouii'li appointed soon after President Lincoln 
took his seat, Gov. Saunders did not assume the 
office until May, 18G1. In the meantime the War of 
the Reliellion had been inaugurated by the firing 
upon Fort Sumter. President Lincoln immediately 
issued his call for 75,000 volunteers. On May 18, 
1861, Gov. Saunders issued a proclamation asking 
for the formation of companies in Neliraska, a call 
which was speedilj- responded to. The proclama- 
tion is of interest to readers of this sketch, and it 
will be found in its appropriate place, in the chap- 
ter devoted to Nebraska's part in the Rebellion. 

The eighth session of the Territorial Legislature 
added its endorsement to the cause of the Union by 
the adoption of resolutions to the following efl'ect : 

' • That this body deems it its first duty to renew 
its vows of allegiance to the federal government, and 
to reaffirm its devotion to the Constitution ; that we 
regard secession and nullification as treason against 
the general government ; that we indorse the decla- 
ration of Congress that the war is not waged in any 
spirit of oppression or purpose of interfering with 
the rights of established institutions, but to defend 
and maintain the supremacy of the Constitution ; 
that whenever an American citizen imsheaths his 
sword or shoulders his musket he shall leave the 
spoilsman, the partisan and the politician in a name- 
less grave behind him. ' To these resolutions sup- 



plementary resolutions were adopted declaring : 
' ■ That we approve of the war ; that we hold rel)els 
against our government to be outside the pale of its 
protection ; that we recommend the amendment of 
the act of confiscation of certain property so as to 
embrace all kinds of propeitj-. " 

The adoption of the above resolutions left no 
doubt as to Nebraska's position in the great strug- 
gle over the preservation of the Union. Nor did 
Nebraska stop here. She raised ti'oops, not onlj' for 
the defense of the frontier, but for service against 
the armies of the Confederacy. The history of Ne- 
braska's part in the war is reserved for a special 
chapter. 

In his message to the ninth Legislature, which 
convened on January 7, 1804, Gov. Saunders re- 
ferred at length to the prosperous condition of the 
Territory. He also paid a deserved tiibute to the 
courage and high patriotism of the Nebraska volun- 
teers, and recommended legislation to relieve the 
necessities of the widows and orphans of those who 
died in defense of the flag. A resolution indorsing 
and upholding President Lincoln's Emancipation 
Proclamation and the Amnesty Proclamation was 
adopted. 

The tenth and eleventh sessions, the last two in 
the history of the Territory, furnished but little of 
interest to the reader of these pages. The last ses- 
sion authorized the people of the Territorj- to vote 
upon the question of .Statehood. As the proposition 
was adopted, that period will be discussed in a chap- 
ter devoted to the history of Nebraska as a State. 







i, 



ih 



46 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER YII. 



Admitted Into the Union — Fokmation ok State Government — Historical Record by Hon. C. H. Geke- 

CONDITION AS A STATE PiSOPER — PiRST OFFICIALS — LINCOLN, THE SeAT OF GOVERNMENT — EaRLY ELEC- 
TIONS — First Legisl.\tivi'; Session.s — Gov. Butler's Regime — The Governor Impeached — A 
Famous Trial — The James Administration — Stirring Events — Buzzard and 
Grasshopper Scourge — State Officers Since Organization. 




Could any but a knowing, prudent pause 

Begin such motions, and assign sucli laws? — iHnckmare. 



-Ji 






PRIL 19, 1S64, nearly ten 
years after the formation 
of the TeiTitorv, Congress 
passed a law authorizing 
the people of Nebraska to 
, adopt a constitution and 
form a State government ; 
but it was not until Februaiy 9, 1866, 
that the Territorial Legislature made 
provision for carrying the law into 
effect. On June 2, 1S66, an election 
was held to decide the question. The 
question was made a political one by 
""i^ ' ' circumstances which will be subse- 
"^^P* quently related, and the vote was a very 
close one ; but the opponents to Statehood were de- 
feated, the vote standing 3,938 for, and 3,838 
against. The best record of the contest over the 
formation of a State government is found in the 
archives of the State Historical Society at Lincoln. 
A portion of the record relating to this part of 
Nebraska's history is inserted hero for the reason 
that it is of unquestioned reliability, being prepared 
by Hon. C. H. Gere, who was an active participant 
in the struggle: 

"In 1864 Congress passed an act to enable the 
people of Nebraska to form a constitution and State 
government, and for the admission of such State in- 



to the Union on an equal footing with the original 
States, in which the usual amount of lands were set 
apart for school purposes, embracing the sixteenth 
and thirty-second sections of each township ; also 
twenty sections to be appropriated for each of the 
public buildings for legislative and judicial purposes, 
flftj' sections for the erection of a penitentiary, 
seventy-two sections for the erection of a State uni- 
versity, twelve salt springs, with six sections to each, 
adjoining them or contiguous as may be, for the use 
of the State, and 5 per centum of the proceeds of 
all sales of lands within the boundaries of the Terri- 
tory previous to its admission as a State, for a com- 
mon school fund. By other acts 9(1,0011 acres of 
laud were granted to the State upon admission f(jr 
the endowment of an agricultural college, and 500,- 
000 acres for internal improvements. No action 
was taken under this act until the meeting of the 
Legislature of 1865 and 1866. During its session 
a committee was appointed to draft a constitution 
for submission to the people. The committee drew 
up the document. The Legislature by resolution 
approved it, and passed an act calling an election 
on June 21, at which election not only the question 
of rejection or adoption of the instrument be voted 
upon, but candidates for the executive, judicial 
and legislative offices authorized by the instrument, 
should be elected. 



A, 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



'■The question of adopting tlie constitution was 
immediately made a political one. Under the ad- 
ministration of President Johnson, a considerable 
change was likely to be made in the boundary lines 
between the two great parties. The Republican 
party was more or less divided, and the Democrats 
were affiliating with the Johnson or liberal wing. 
The President was exercising the powers of patron- 
age for the success of the coalition, and the liveliest 
hope pervaded the ranks of the Democracy and the 
Johnson Republicans that another election or two 
would put Congress and the go\'ernment in their 
hands. Hence the Republicans in Nebraska were 
exceedingly anxious to forestall such a change and 
assist in holding the National Legislature for that 
party bj- the immediate admission of Nebraska, in 
which they seemed to have a good working majority, 
and sending two Senators and one Congressman of 
tlieir faith to reinforce the party in the National 
councils. With equal foresight, the Democratic 
leaders saw that it was against their interests to 
permit this to be done; that by delaying the matter 
until their expected accession of strength would 
give them control of the nation, and eventually of 
Nebraska, where the majority against them was 
compai-atively small, they would assist their friends 
in AVashington, and at the same time keep the 
coveted Senatorship for themselves, to take posses- 
sion of as soon as they acquired the expected pre- 
dominance at the polls. For this reason, the can- 
vass became exceedingly lively, and was, in fact, 
the most thorough and bitterly contested of an}- that 
had previously occurred. Each part}-, of course, 
nominated a full State and Legislative ticket. The 
Republican orators labored for the adoption of the 
constitution, and the Democratic stumpers worked 
as hard to defeat that instrument as they did to 
secure votes for their own candidates for governor, 
or judge, or a member of the Legislature. But, as 
is not seldom the case in these disputes of slates- 
men, the real motives of the patriots on each side 
were not publii'ly proclaimed, and the debates were 
ingeniouslj- engineered so as to make it appear that 
purely economical and financial principles were at 
stake. The Republicans drew rose-colored pictures 
of the future of the emljryo State. They dotted the 



lone prairies of the Platte, the Salt, the Blue, the 
Republican, the Elkhorn, the Loup and the Niobrara 
Valleys with cities and towns, and drew a complex 
web of railroads on the school-house maps, and 
said: 'All these shall we have in tiie next ten or 
fifteen years, and a population of hundreds of thou- 
sands, if we show to the people of the East and 
Europe our capacity of self-government, and secure 
the privilege of chartering and encouraging rail- 
roads. ' They pointed to the Rocky ^lountaius, and 
said: 'Here is the great mining region; at our 
back door is a great market, that we need rail- 
roads to Colorado, to New Mexico, to Montana and 
Idaho to develop, and when these are built we can 
sell a great portion of our surplus corn, wheat, pork 
and beef at a price that will rival the markets of 
Illinois and Ohio. ' They pointed to Galveston and 
said: 'There, only 700 miles from our border, is a 
seaport, and if we attain our sovereignty we shall 
have a line to the Gulf of Mexico, and need no 
longer to ship our grain to Europe, to Chicago and 
New York at rates of transportation that eat up all the 
profits. ' Some of the most fervent of these orators 
— among whom was, notably, a comparativelj- new- 
man in polities, though an old settler, David Butler, 
of Pawnee, the Republican candidate for governor — 
were so carried away with these prophetic views of 
the future that they would cut the prairies in every 
direction with their paper railroads, and in their 
highest flights of oratory predicted a line to every 
county seat on the map. 

' ' The Democratic orators shook their heads and 
thi-ew cold water upon these ardent prophesies. 
They took the chalk and figured upon the black- 
boards the enormous cost of railroad building, and 
called upon the honest farmers and mechanics to 
pause before they cast a ballot that would impose on 
the new and sparselj* settled community a horde of 
office-holders, with unlimited power to rate taxes 
upon the peoijle for their own aggrandizement. The 
Republicans pointed to the low salaries fixed bj- the 
proposed constitution for executive and judicial offi- 
cers, and the limitations bj- which the Legislatixe 
power to bleed the people were hedged and con- 
fined. The Democrats contended that these were 
illusions and traps, that the irresistible inclination 



:^ 



-A s> 



^ 



48 



HISTORY OF XEBRASKA. 



of t)ie radicals for the loaves and fishes of office, 
and their well-known ability as puljlic plunderers, 
would make these constitutional limitations mere 
i-opes of sand, and figured up the expenses of a 
State so tlK\v amounted to sums far above those set 
by the Repulilicans as the utmost limit of expen- 
diture. 

'■ The event has shown that both sides had 
really a strong case. Even the sanguine soul of that 
red-hot optimist, Butler, fell short in its conception 
of the immense strides of the first decade of Ne- 
liraska's Statehood in the building of railroads, the 
development of wealth and resources of the country, 
and the influx of immigration; and the sarcastic 
tongue of the eloquent pessimist. J. Sterling Morton, 
his opponent in the race for the gubernatorial chair, 
failed to state quite high enough the figures of 
the annual appropriations of the State Legislature 
for the carrj-ing-on of the machinery of the new 
commonwealth. Because neither of the contestants 
dreamed of the mighty impulse of humanity that was 
about to beat across the western banks of the Mis- 
souri, the one could not mark high enough the 
future tide of wealth and improvements, and the 
other failed to estimate the necessities of large ex- 
penditures of money to meet the rapid growth and 
development of Nebraska. 

'■ It was a stoutly fought campaign and an ex- 
ceedingly close election. The majority for the adop- 
tion of the constitution was barely 200, and Butler 
was elected governor l\y a vote of 4,093 to 3,948 
for ^lorton. So close was the election that the 
majority of .Judge Crounse, one of the Republican 
cantlidates for the Supreme Court, was only six, while 
William A. Little, one of the Democratic candidates 
for cliief justice, was elected. 

' ' But the liattle at the polls was merely a pre- 
liminary skirmish. The advocates of the State had 
captured the out- works, but the citadel was yet to 
lie stoi-med. The Republicans had secured a major- 
ity of certificates of memliership in each House. l)ut 
there was a large numl)er of contested seats. Cass 
Count}- had given a large majority against the con- 
stitution, and. though the Republican candidates for 
the Senate and House from that county were declared 
elected, a bitter contest for their seats was opened 



up by their opponents, and it was considered doubt- 
ful if some Repulilican delegate, if an issue was 
made squareh' for or against an application to Con- 
gress for admission, would not vote with the ac- 
knowledged sentiment of a majority of their con- 
stituents, against Statehood. 

' ' In consecjuence of this critical condition of 
affairs, when the Legislature met at Omaha in the 
old capitol. on the 4th day of July, 1866, excite- 
ment was exceedingly high. Tlic part}- leaders were 
marshaled on both sides in full array, much bad 
blood was manifested, and it was even predicted 
that the session might be enlivened, after the old 
stj'le, bj- a row in which physical force should be 
more potent than oratory- for the settlement of dis- 
puted points of parliamentary practice. * * * * 
In law, possession is nine points; in a Legislature, 
experience has never vet demonstrated that there 
are anj- other points, and the contested seats were a 
foregone conclusion when it was ocularly demon- 
strated that the Repuljlicans had the organization in 
Ijoth Houses, and could not keep it without counting 
in the Cass delegation, Rock Bluffs or no Rock 
Bluffs to the contrary notwithstanding. But the 
Democrats had an arrow in their quiver that seemed 
likely to do fatal execution. It was an adjourn- 
ment sine die immediately upon the organization of 
the Legislature, which would leave the new State 
suspended between the heavens and the earth, like 
ilahomet's coffin, and overthrow the lalior of months 
in the time it should take to call the roll of the two 
Houses. The Cass County delegation was believed 
to be ready to unite with them in the expedient, 
and that would give them one majority in the Senate 
and two in the House. The Cass County delegation 
had a secret meeting late at night on the evening of 
the 5th, the organization of the two Houses having 
Vieen completed, and. it was understood, agreed to 
be l)ound by a vote thus taken, which resulted in a 
motion to adjourn siur die. 

' ' In the Senate the next morning a motion was 
made immediately after roll-call, that the Senate do 
adjourn sine die; and it was carried by a majority of 
one. The news spread like wild-fire, and in the 
midst of the reading of the journal in the House. 
Paddock arose, and, amid much turmoil, moved to 



V 



-tW 



HISTORY OF NKBRASKA. 



49 



dispense with its f urtlier reading. Tliis was declared 
out of order l>y the Speaker, and the journal was 
finished. Mr. Paddock immediatel}' moved that the 
House do now adjourn sine die, and declared that no 
further business could be done in anj- event, since 
the Senate had formallj- ended its existence. The 
Speaker properl}' ruled the motion out of order, be- 
cause an adjournment sine die, according to Legisla- 
tive law, could only be had l)y a joint resolution. 
His decision was immediately appealed from, and 
was reversed bj' a vote of 21 to 15. The motion 
was then put, and in the midst of the most intense 
excitement, and activity of part}- leaders running to 
and fro, the ayes and nays were slowly called. The 
votes, when the list had been completed, were 10 for 
adjournment to 18 against. The Speaker took the 
tally of the clerk and paused, as if to collect his 
tlioughts. Jlaxwell, of the Cass delegation, who 
was not in sympathy with the adjournment, had 
voted 'no.' The Speaker paused just long enough 
for Hathaway, of the same delegation, whose sym- 
pathies were in the same direction, to conclude that, 
as the delegation was not a unit, as he had supposed, 
he would vote to suit himself, and he changed his 
aye to no. . The vote was announced, and the anti- 
State arrow missed the buUs-ej-e by a hair's breadth. 

' ' As soon as this break in the programme was 
made, the Senators opposed to adjournment collected 
again in the hall, and, on motion of Cadman,took a 
recess till 3 o'clock P. jM. At that hour a quorum 
presented itself and quietly and unostentatiously pro- 
ceeded to business as if nothing had happened, and 
the secretary as unobtrusively scored out with his 
ready pen all record of the matutinal hari-kari. 

"The next day Gov. Butler read his message to 
the joint convention and the machinery of the quasi 
State was fairly under motion. * * * * jjj the 
meantime the Senatorial candidates had been waging 
their individual warfare, and there were more of 
them ostensibly in the field than have been since 
noticed on a similar occasion. The military won the 
fight. Maj. General Thayer and Chaplain Tipton, 
who both won their spurs in the First Nebraska, 
came out ahead, and the joint convention that cast 
the ballot show that Tipton was elected 'the Senator 
from the South Platte,' and Thayer 'the Senator 



from the North Platte" — a proceeding somewhat ex- 
traordinary, the State of Nebraska lieiug nominated 
nowhei'e in the bond. 

" The seat of war was now transferred to Wash- 
ington. Senators Thayer and Tipton, armed with the 
proper credentials as the Representatives of the 
State organization, departed for the eapitol, and 
Hon. T. M. Marquette, who had been elected liy 
the people as their first Congressman, knocked 
at the door of the House. On July 18, one week 
after the adjournment of the Legislature, on the 
eve of the close of the long session, a liill was 
passed admitting Nebraska to the Union. President 
Johnson put it in his pocket, and Congress ad- 
journed, leaving the embrj-o State out in the colil. 
Upon the reassembling of Congress in Decemtiei-. 
representatives were on hand pressing their claims 
and urging tlie National Legislature to perform 
its part of the implied contract in the enabling act 
of 1864. But the Repuljlicans had, in the progress 
of their political struggles, reassured themselves of 
their solidity with the people, and were no longer 
for accessions to their strength on the floor of the 
Senate. There was also a growth of the stalwart 
feeling in favor of a franchise unlimited by a color 
line. The fifteenth amendment had not yet been 
proposed to the Federal constitution, but strong 
efforts were being made to accomplish its object 
through the action of the States in se\eralty. Tlic 
conservative gentlemen who had framed the constitu- 
tion of Nebraska had inserted the word ' white. 
This the Republican Congress now objected to. 
The Representatives of the old States were now more 
solicitous of preserving their sectional and individual 
weight in Congress against the swift encroachments 
of the growing Northwest than in reaching out after 
party accessions. It was exceedingly plain that no 
majoritj- less than two-thirds in each House would 
avail, as the President was bitterlj- hostile to the 
proposition. A bill was introduced in the Senate, 
however, and passed that body, admitting the State 
in accordance with the provisions of the act of 18G4. 
upon the following conditions : 

"Sections. Andbeitfui-thcr cmietccl. That this act 
shall not take effect except under tho fundamental condi- 
tions, that within the State of Xehraska thorc shall bi> 



-rf s 



^ 

(S 



50 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



no denial of tho elective francliise. or of any other right 
t(i any other person, by reason of race and color, except- 
hiR Indians not taxed, and upon the further fundamental 
prineiijh'. that the Lefrislature of said State, by a solemn 
public act, shall declare the assent of said State to these 
fundamental conditions, and shall transn\it to the Presi- 
dent of the United States an authentic copy of said act, 
upon receipt whereof the President, by proclamation, 
shall forthwith announce the fact, whereupon said funda- 
mental conditions shall be held as part of the organic 
law of the State, and thereupon and without any further 
proceeding on the part of Congress, the admission of 
said State into the Union shall be considered as com- 
l)lete. 

• • In the House for :i time the fate of the bill 
seemed uncertain. Mr. Marquette enlisted the assis- 
tance of his old law instructor, Mr. Shellabarger, of 
Ohio, one of the most prominent gentlemen and 
eloquent speakers on the floor of the Representative 
chamber, and he took the lead in championing the 
bill, and made a speech in its favor, of great force 
and brilliuncy, which was probably decisive. The 
bill passed the House on February 8, 1867, was 
\etoed by the President next day, and immediately 
Ijassed over his head by the constitutional majority 
in b()tli Houses. 

■ ■ A new State Legislature had been chosen by 
the people of the Territory, at the Territorial elec- 
tion in October previous, consisting for the most 
part of the same gentlemen elected to the Territorial 
Council and House. On the 14th of February. Gov. 
Saunders issued his proclamation, calling the mem- 
bers of the Legislature to meet at the capital on the 
2(lth inst. , to take action upon the conditions pro- 
l)osed by Congress. The Legislature assembled and 
passed the l)ill , accepting the fundamental conditions 
on Febriwry 21. * * * * On March 1, 
the President issued his proclamation announcing 
the admission of Nebraska into the Union, and on 
the 2d inst. Hon. T. M. JManjuette presented his 
credentials in the House of Representatives and con- 
summated the bond. Mr. Marquette's promptness 
was not imitated by the two Senators. The 
XXXVIIIth Congress was about to expire two days 
later, and by waiting that length of time, the com- 
mencement of their terms of oHice would be dated a 
couple of years later, it l)eing the custom to fix March 
4th. upon which Congress connnoiicfd its official life. 



as the initial point of Senatorial terms. By waiting 
two days, the first Congressman's actual term of 
office would have been multiplied b}- .365, but he 
said he was tired of Washington, and, as John Tulle 
had been elected his successor, though at a time un- 
authorized In- the enabling act, he preferred to cast 
his lot with the expiring Congress and return to pri- 
vate life. He sat two days and nights, cast the 
decisive vote against the ap}5ropriation of $50,000 to 
fix up the White House according to the taste of the 
President, recorded his ' aye ' on the famous recon- 
struction act, and was honorably mustcrctl out of 
service. 

"On April 4, Gov. Butler issued his call for an 
extra session, and on Ma}' 18, the Legislature came 
together and set in motion the machinery of the 
State." 

From the stormy period of Territorial historj-, it 
is interesting to turn to the pleasauter and more in- 
viting periods of State development. In the part of 
this sketch devoted to State history, the subject 
matter will be grouped under the several guberna- 
torial administrations. 

The first governor of Nebraska was David But- 
ler, of Pawnee County. Associated with him in the 
management of the affairs of the young State were 
the following officers : Thomas P. Kennard, secre- 
tary of State ; John Gillespie, auditor ; Augustus 
Kountze, treasurer; Champion S. Chase, attorney- 
general. Gov. Butler was a native of Indiana, and 
moved into the Territory of Nebraska in 1858. In 

1861 he served in the Territorial Legislature, in 

1862 was elected to the Council for two years. He 
took an active part in Territorial politics and headed 
the Republican ticket in the ever to be remembered 
struggle over the question of Statehood. Gov. But- 
ler's first official act was the issuing of a proclama- 
tion, dated April 4, calling the Legislature together 
in special session, on May 18, for the purpose of 
enacting needed legislation and amending existing 

'■ laws to harmonize with the new form of government. 
Shortly after this session of the Legislature, the cap- 
it<al was formally moved from Omaha to Lincoln, in 
accordance with an act of the Legislature passed the 
year previous. Gov. Butler, Auditor Gillespie and 
Secretary of State Kennard had liecu empowered to 



^^ 



A 



k. 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



51 



select a site for a capital of the new State, and. 
after visiting the several locations which offered 
themselves, they had selected Lincoln. The con- 
tract for tlie erection of the State house was let on 
January 11, 1868, to Joseph Ward, of Chicago, for 
the sum of §49, 000. The walls of the building were 
constructed of magnesian limestone from the Bea- 
trice quarries in Gage County. The building was 
sufficiently completed by December for occupancy, 
and on the 3d of that month Gov. Butler issued 
his proclamation announcing the removal of the seat 
of government to Lincoln, and ordering the transfer 
of the archives of the State to the new capital. 

The first State and National election in which 
the people of Nebraska were permitted to participate 
occurred on November 3, 18(58. An extra session 
of the Legislatui'e convened at Omaha on October 
27, to malie the necessary provisions for the election 
of presidential electors, the existing laws being de- 
fective in this respect. The Republican State ticlvet 
was as follows: Presidential electors, T. M. Mar- 
iiuette, Lewis Allgewahr and J. F. Warner ; Con- 
gressman, John Taffe ; governor, David Butler ; 
secretary of State, T. P. Kennard ; auditor, John 
Gillespie; treasurer, James Sweet. S. A. Strick- 
land, Alvih Saunders, L. Gerard, T. B. Stevenson, 
R. W. Furnas and S. IMaxwell were selected as dele- 
gates to the National Republican convention which 
assemliled at Chicago on Maj- 21, at which Gen. U. 
S. Grant was nominated for President, and Hon. 
Schu3'ler Colfax for Vice President. 

The first session to meet at the new capital con- 
vened on Januarj- 7, 1869. The session was un- 
eventful. The most notable event in the year 1869 
was the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad 
through the State, a full account of which will be 
found in a chapter especially devoted to that sub- 
ject. The sixth session of the Legislature, which 
assembled on February 17, 1870, ratified the fif- 
teenth amendment to the constitution of the United 
States, and provided for the erection of a peniten- 
tiarj-. The sixth session adjourned on March 4, 
l)ut Gov. Butler reassembled the members in extra 
session on the same day. In his message calling 
the extra session, the governor called attention to 
the necessity of passing a herd law and the ratifica- 



tion of a certain contract made by him for tlie con- 
vej-ance of certain lands to Isaac Cahn and Jolin M. 
Evans, to aid in the development of tlio saline lands 
of the State. In the fall of 1870 occurred the biennial 
election. Both political parties were in the field witli 
full tickets, and the Republicans were successful. 
The follf)wing is a list of officers elected: Governor, 
David Butler; secretaiy of State, W. H. James; 
treasurer, Henry Koenig; superintendent of puli- 
lic instruction, J. M. McKenzie; attorney-general. 
George H. Roberts. The years of Gov. Butler's 
administration were not prolific of great events. 
The population of the State grew rapidly and, in 
1870, had reached over 120,000. The Union Pa- 
cific had been built through the State, and several 
other railway enterprises inaugurated. With the 
advent of the railroads, new sections of the State 
were opened up for settlement, new towns sprang 
into existence, and the State grew in wealth and 
political power. 

In spite of the rapid strides being made by the 
young State of Nebraska, everything pertaniing to 
her State government was not as serene as a sum- 
mer da3'. Although honored witli a re-election to 
the highest post of honor in the State, Gov. Butler 
did not entirely escape criticism for some of his 
official actions. The charge that he had appro- 
priated State funds for his own personal use and 
benefit was frequently made, and the charge be- 
came so emphatic tliat the Legislature was finally 
compelled to take official cognizance of it. On 
March 1, 1871, the eighth session of the Legislature 
lieing then in session, a committee fi'om the House 
of Representatives appeared before the Senate and 
announced that articles had been prepared impeach- 
ing David Butler, governor of Nebraska, of mis- 
demeanor in office. Secretary of State James was 
immediately notified to assume the executive func- 
tions, and preparations for the impeachment trial 
made. The Senate convened as a High Court of 
Impeachment on March 6, and upon the following 
day Gov. Butler appeared in answer to summons. 
With him appeared his counsel, Clinton Briggs, T. 
31. Marquette and John I. Redick. Hon. J. C. 
Myers, J. E. Doom and De Forest Porter acted as 
managers of impeachment, with Experience Ester- 






52 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



lirook us counsel. The articles of impeachment, 
aliriilsed and stripped of their legal phraseology, 
were as follows: 

First. That David Biillcr, governor of the 
State of Nebraska, being authorized and directed In- 
joint memorial and resolution of the Legislature of 
the State of Nebraska, U) secure the pa3-ment over to 
the treasurer of the State the 5 per cent of the pro 
coeds of public lands h'ing within the State of Ne- 
liraska, did, in the spring of 1869, procure to be 
audited and allowed to the State of Nebraska afore- 
said, the sum of §10,881. 2G, for which sum a warrant 
was issued by the proper department at Washington, 
|)ayable to the order of David Butler, as governor 
of said State ; and that while said monej' was sub- 
ject to his order and control, he, the said David 
Butler, governor as aforesaid, was guilty of unlaw- 
fully and corruptl}' neglecting to discharge his duty 
in regard to said money, and of appropriating the 
same to his own use and benefit, whereliy he became 
and was guilty of misdemeanor in his said office. 

Second. That the said David Butler, being by 
virtue of his office one of the commissioners author- 
ized by an act of the Legislature to expend monej's 
belonging to the State of Nebraska, in and atiout the 
crei'tion of a State University, Agricultural College, 
anil State Lunatic Asj'lum ; and one M. J. McBird, 
having a claim against the State for services per- 
formed by him as architect, in and about furnishing 
plans and specifications for said buildings, he did, 
in the month of August, 1869, present his said 
claim to David Butler for allowance and approval, 
who proposed in substance and to the effect follow- 
ing: That he, David Butler, would procure to be 
issued a warrant upon the treasurer of the State for 
the sum of $3,750, provided that said McBird 
should retain the sum of $2,000 onlj- out of the pro- 
ceeds of said warrant, and should pay to him, the 
said David Butler, the sum of $1,750 of such pro- 
ceeds ; and thereupon the said McBird did agree to 
said proposition ; that the warrant was issued to the 
said McBird in the sum of $3,750, and that the said 
McBird paid to David Butler part of said money, 
to-wit: $1,750, whereby the said David Butler did 
commit and was guilt}' of a misdemeanor in office. 

That the said David Butler did allow a claim 



of .AI, J. McBird in the sum of $1,828.26 for addi- 
tional seri'ices, and did procure and cause to l>e 
issued two warrants, each for the sum of $914.13; 
and that in accordance with a scandalous and cor- 
rupt agreement, the said ^IcBird indorsed and 
delivered one of the warrants to David Butler, who 
received and kept the same ; whereby the said David 
Butler did commit and was guilty of a misdemeanor 
in office. 

That Da\id Butler, governor of Nebraska, en- 
deavored to induce D. J. Silver & Son, contractors 
for the erection of the State Universit}-. to pay him 
the sum of $10,000, and that he refused to settle the 
accounts of the said D. J. Silver & Son, until they 
acquiesced in such demand ; whereby the said David 
Butler did commit and was guilty of a misdemeanor 
in office. 

That on the 15th day of July, 1869, the said 
David Butler, governor of Nebraska, did willfully 
and corruptlj' propose to lease to one Thomas F. 
Hall, certain saline lands belonging to the State. 
providing the said Thomas F. Hall would pay hiui 
the sum of $5, 000, for his own use and benefit ; and 
upon the refusal of said Thomas F. Hall to pay 
the sum demanded, the said David Butler did de- 
cline to lease said lands, contrarj- to his duty and 
his oath of office ; whereby the said David Butler 
did commit and was guilty of a misdemeanor in 
office. 

That on the 1st daj- of Januarj', 1871. the said 
David Butler did willfully and corruptlj- agree to 
procure the appointment of one Nelson C. Brock, as 
treasurer of the board of regents of the University 
of Nebraska, in consideration of the sum of $750 ; 
wherebj- said David Butler was guilty of a misde- 
meanor in office. 

That on the first daj- of July, 1869, the said 
David Butler received a convej-ance of -certain 
lands to himself as an inducement and bribe to 
influence the location of the State Insane Asylum, 
b\- which he was improperly and corruptly influenced 
to locate said asylum in the immediate vicinit>- of the 
land so conveyed ; whereby the said David Butler 
did commit and was guilty of a misdemeanor in 
office. 

Third. That the said David Butler, on the 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



53 



IStli liny of February, ISOO, did uulawl'ully iuduee 
John Gillespie, auditcjr of the State of Nebraska, 
ti) issue two warrants in the sum of $1,000 each 
under the pretense that they were issued for the 
purpose of paj'ing one Champion S. Chase, for ser- 
vices rendered the State as an attorney, and that on 
the 22d day of February, 1860, the said David 
Butler did willfully and corruijtly appropriate to his 
own use one of said warrants, whereliv he did com- 
mit and was guilty of a misdemeanor in office. 

Fourth. That the said David Butler did un- 
lawfully and eorruptlj' enter into contract with 
one Joseph Ward for the completion of the State 
Lunatic Asylum at a contract price, i. e. $88,000, 
greatly in access of the sum appropriated for said 
building ; that by the terms of said contract the 
foundation of said asylum was to be completed for 
$18,500, and that in the spring of 1870 said foun- 
dation was not finished, and there was due to said 
^\'ard less than that sum on contract, j-et the gov- 
ernor approved the estimates of said Ward and 
caused the same to be allowed and paid to the 
amount of $-15,000 ; whereby the said David Butler 
did commit and was guilty of a misdemeanor in 
office. 

FiFTEi. That David Butler. Ijeing a memlter of 
the board of regents and e.e-ojficio president of 
said board, did willfully and recklessly assent and 
become a party to a contract with D. J. Silver & 
Son for the erection of the State University- and 
Agricultural College at a price greatly in excess of 
the appropriations therefor, whereby the said David 
Butler did commit and was guilty of a misdemeanor 
in office. 

Sixth. That In response to a resolution passed 
l\v the present session of the Legislature, the said 
David Butler transmitted to the Legislature a com- 
munication in which he stated that he had collected 
from the National Treasury, the sum of $10,881.20. 
and deposited that amount in the State treasury, 
that in the communication the said David Butler did 
falsely declare that he deposited the amount of 
money in the State Treasury, whereliy the said 
David Butler did commit and was guilty of a mis- 
demeanor in office. 

Seventh. That on the 30th day of Julv, 1870, 



the said David Butler instructed James Sweet, State 
treasurer, to let Anson C. Tichcnor have $10,000 
of the school money of the State ; that saiil sum 
was loaned Tielienor without the assent of either 
State auditor or treasurer; and that the security 
was known to be wholly inadequate and insuffi<'ient ; 
whereby the said David Butler did commit and was 
guilty of a misdemeanor in office. 

Eighth. That the said David Butler did in 
the year of 1869 receive the sum of $648.43, a 
Iialance of money in the hands of the Treasurer of 
the Board of Immigration, which he has paid into 
the treasury of the State, but wrongfully appro- 
priated it to his own use, whereby he did commit and 
was guilty of a misdemeanor in office. 

Ninth. That during the 3-ear 1870, the said 
David Butler did improperly execute and cause to 
be issued to the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad 
Companies a patent or patents to seventy-five sec- 
tions of land belonging to the State, and granted bj- 
the Legislature to the Northern Nebraska Air Line 
Railroad Company; whereby the said David Butler 
did commit and was guilty of a misdemeanor in 
office. 

Tenth. That in the month of December, 1869, 
the said David Butler sold to one James Gerrens, a 
piece of land belonging to the State, for the sum of 
$1,920, of which sum he appropriated to his own 
use the sum of $1,120, whereby he committed and 
was guilty of a misdemeanor in office. 

Eleventh. That in the month of April, 1869, 
the said David Butler sold to one Andrew J. Cropsey, 
certain lots in Lincoln, Neb. , the title to which was 
in the State of Nebraska, for the sum of $2,400, 
a portion of which he appropriated for his own use 
and benefit, whereby he committed and was guilty of 
a misdemeanor in office. " 

To the aljove articles and specifications Gov. 
Butler made an elaliorate answer. He denied in 
t(jto the allegations made in each and eveiy article 
and specification, with the exception of the first. 
To that article he made, in effect, the following an- 
swer : 

Tliiit it i.-; true the governiupnt of the United States 
had donated to tlie vState of Nebraska the five per cent 
ou proceeds of tlie public lands, and the amount thereof 






54 



IIISTOKY (W NKBRASKA. 



was due the State of Nebraska, and that this respondent 
was authorized to i)rocure the same to be paid over to 
the treasurer of said State; and tliat in the spring of 
1809, this respon'lent proeured to lie audited and allow(^d 
for the State of Nehraslva the sum of »lG,881.2(i, for 
wliieh amount a warrant was duly issued by the proper 
department at Wasliington, payul)le to the order of tlie 
respondent, as governor of said State ; and that said 
warrant was brought to Nebraslva and deposited in the 
First National Bank, at Omaha, to the credit of the re- 
spondent, as governor aforesaid ; that it is untrue that 
he unlawfully and corruptly neglected to discharge his 
duties in regard to said money, and denies that ho appro- 
priated the same, or any part thereof, to his own use ; 
but this respondent alleges that some time after said 
money was deposited as above set forth, he did, at the 
suggestion and with the consent of the treasurer of the 
State, Ijorrow said sum of money of the State, and that 
at the time the respondent agreed to and did give to the 
State the bonds liereinafter mentioned, and agreed to 
secure the same by mortgages on real estate situated in 
tlie State, and tlie said treasurer at the same time prom- 
ised to draw the mortgages, and present them to this re- 
spondent without delay, but the treasurer, having neg- 
lected to prepare the same,after the lapse of considerable 
time, the respondent caused said mortgages to be pre- 
pared, and did execute to said State, in due form of law, 
nineteen mortgages, on as many distinct tracts of land, 
amounting in the aggregate to about three thousand acres 
of land, which mortgages, bearing date May 25, 1869, 
were duly executed and acknowledged by this respondent 
and his wife, and were, about tlie 1st of January, 1871, 
delivered to said State, duly recorded in the offices of tlie 
county clerks in the counties respectively where said 
lands are situated. 

That at the time said mortgages were executed and 
recorded this respondent was seized of the same in fee 
simple; that they were free from incumbrances and 
were then and still are worth at least $30,000 in cash, 
and that each particular tract of land included in said 
mortgages is worth, in cash, at least double the 
amount secured thereby; that at the date of said 
mortgage the respondent executed to said State nineteen 
bonds for the aggregate sum of $16,881.26, payable to 
said State five years from date, with interest from date 
at tlie rate of ten per cent per annum, the interest pay- 
able annually; and that the respondent has paid the in- 
terest due on said bonds and mortgages for one year. 

Space forbids a detailed account of the trial. 
Suffice it to saj- that Gov. Butler was acquitted of 
every charge except the first, upon which he was 
found guilty. He was removed from his office, the 
duties of the executive devolving upon William H. 



James, secretary of State. Gov. Butler remained 
under this cloud until the Legislature of 187(>-77, 
when all record of the famous iuipcachmcnt tri;il was 
expunged from the records. 

The elevation of Secretary of State James to 
the executive chair was followed by stirring events. 
An attempt was made to impeach Auditor Gillespie, 
but after allowing tlie matter to rest for some time 
the House withdrew its charges, and the matter was 
dropped for all time. On September 19, 1871, a 
new constitution was submitted to the people of the 
State, but it was rejected by a vote of 8,627 to 
7,986. The necessity for the adoption of a new and 
revised constitution was generality admitted ; but a 
number of distasteful amendments were attached 
which brought the instrument in disfavor. 

The leading issues of the eighth session of the 
Legislature, which convened on January 9, 1872, 
were the reconsideration of the question of a new 
constitution, and the adoption of a measure looking 
to the development of the saline resources of the 
State. The relations between the members of this 
body and Acting Governor James were not of the most 
cordial character. A joint resolution providing for 
the submission of the constitution, stripped of its 
ohjectional;)le features, was defeated in the House on 
January 19. A dead-lock ensued, whereupon the 
House adopted a resolution to adjourn on January 
24. In the meantime the Senate had adopted a 
resolution to adjourn until December 31. Acting 
Governor James then assumed a questionable preroga- 
tive of issuing a proclamation, declaring that inasmuch 
as ' ' no reasonable hope is entertained that the longer 
continuance in session of the Legislature will result 
in the adoption of any measures which have for their 
object the public good, " the Legislature adjourned 
without day. But the Legislature refused to recog- 
nize the right of the acting governor to regulate its 
movements. The Senate assembled on the 21st, 
took up the concurrent resolution of the House to 
adjourn on the 24th, and agreed to it. An unsuc- 
cessful attempt was made to have the office of gov- 
ernor declared vacant, and the Legislature adjourned 
on the 24th. 

But the end was not yet. Acting Governor 
James was called to Washington, J). C. , on business. 



it 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



00 



His enemies seized tlie opportunity to make trouble 
for him. Isaac S. Hascall, president of the Senate, 
issued a proclamation, declaring that the absence of 
the acting governor from the State created a vacancy 
in the ofBce, and calling the Legislature to convene 
in a special session on February 15, for the purpose 
of enacting laws, as he alleged, for the promotion 
of the State. A friend immediately telegraphed the 
news to Acting Governor James, who at once re- 
turned to the State. He issued a counter proclama- 
tion annulling the call for a special session of the 
Legislature issued by Mr. Hascall. A few of the 
members came together and attempted to organize, 
but a test case was decided against them by the 
supreme court, and the matter passed into history. 

At the general election in the fall of 1872 the 
following State officers were elected : Governor, 
Robert W. Furnas ; secretary of State, J. J. Gasper ; 
auditor, J. B. Weston ; treasurer, H. A. Koenig ; 
attorney-general, J. R. Webster; chief justice, 
George B. Lake. The name of Robert W. Furnas 
has been prominentlv identified with the State of 
Nebraska from its earliest days. He removed to 
Nebraska from Ohio in 1856, and located at Brown- 
ville, where he commenced the publication of the 
Nebraska Advertiser, one of the oldest newspapers 
in the State. At an early period in the Civil War 
he received a colonel's commission and organized the 
Indian brigade of three regiments, which he com- 
manded during its service in Kansas, Missouri, Ar- 
kansas and the Indian Territorj-. He afterward 
recruited the Second Nebraska Cavalry, and com- 
manded them in a notable expedition against the 
Sioux. For four years he had the appointment as 
agent of the Omaha and Winnebago Indians, a po- 
sition he held until a short time before his election 
as governor of Nebraska. He has always taken an 
active interest in everything pertaining to the agri- 
cultural and horticultural interests of the State. 

The ninth session of the Legislature convened 
on January 9, 1873. This session was made mem- 
orable by the first contest over the submission of a 
prohibitory amendment to the constitution. The 
friends of prohibition introduced a measure to regu- 
late the sale of intoxicating liquors, but after some 
consideration it was indefinitely postponed. The 



tenth session of the Legislature was a special one. 
convening on March 27, 1873, and remaining in 
session only two days. It was called for the pur- 
pose of taking needed action on matters relating to 
the boundaries of certain counties. On April 23, 
1873, occurred one of the most ten-ible storms ever 
experienced in the history of the State. The storm 
began with a heavy rain, which before nightfall 
changed to snow, and for forty -eight hours the fall 
of snow, driven by a fierce, northwest wind, was so 
heavy that most of the time a person could not see 
ten feet from him. Many persons were lost and 
narrowly escaped death in trying to pass from their 
houses to the barns. Much stock perished, even in 
barns, the snow peneti'ating and filling them entirely, 
while herds were driven miles before the storm. The 
snow packed so firmly and drifted to such an extent 
that ravines and even streams were eflfectually 
bridged by it, and loaded teams were driven over 
them on the drifted snow. 

The }-ear of 1873 was also a memorable one in 
the history of the State, as it was in that j-ear that 
the grasshoppers first devastated the State. In July 
and August of, that year myriads of these insects 
settled down over the State, destroying the crops and 
leaving the farmers utterly destitute. Their coming 
was forestalled at times by a dark, cloud-like haze, 
caused by the swarms as the}' passed through the 
air, obscuring the sunlight of the brightest da}-. 
Dropping from their flight to the earth, they became 
a thick, seething mass of devouring insects. All 
green vegetation, except grasses, was rapidh" con- 
sumed. The damage done by the grasshoppers had 
an exceedingly depressing effect upon all the busi- 
ness interests of the State. The troublesome insects 
visited the State a second time in 1874, doing almost 
as much damage. Since that year, however, they 
have done no injurj' and it is not likely that they 
will ever again make their appearance. 

At the general election in 1874 the following 
State oflflcers were elected : Governor, Silas Garber; 
secretar}- of State, Bruno Tzschuck ; treasurer, J. 
C. McBride ; attorney-general, George H. Rogers ; 
superintendent of pulilic instruction. J. JI. Mc- 
Kenzie. 

Gov. Garlier came to Nebraska from Cali- 



^ 



V 



56 



HISTORY OP NEBRASKA. 



foniia ill JsTd, and sottlcd in WcbsttT Countj. 
Before removing to California he had served in tlie 
war witli distinction. holdin<i' a capttun's eoniniission 
in an Iowa regiment. He laid out the eit}' of 
Red Cloud in 1S72, and was the lirst proliate judge 
of Webster County. Before liis election as gov- 
ernor, he served the ])eoi)lc of Webster, Nuckolls 
and Jefl'erson Counties in the Legislature. 

The eleventh session of the Legislature, which 
convened in January, 187."), performed a notable 
service for the State, by providing for a new consti- 
tution better suited for the needs of the rapidlj- 
growing young commonwealth. A constitutional 
convention was held in Lincoln in June, 1875, at 
which the present constitution was devised. It was 
submitted to a popular vote on October 10, and was 
adopted by an overwhelming majority, the vote for 
adoption being 30,202, and against adoption 5,474. 

The eleventh session of the Legislature also ■wi1> 
nessed the memorable contest over the election of a 
LTnited States Senator, to succeed Senator Tipton. 
Algernon S. Paddock was elected. In 1876 Gov. 
Silas Garber was honored by a re-election. His 
associates during the second term of his admin- 
istration were : Lieutenant-governor, O. A. Abbott ; 



secretary of State, Bruno Tzs(.'huck ; auditor, J. B. 
Weston; treasurer, J. C. JIcBride; superintendent 
of pulilic instruction. S. R. Thompson; attorney- 
general, George II. Roberts ; land commissioner, 
F. M, Davis. The twelfth, thirteenth and four- 
teenth sessions of the Legislature were uneventful. 
At the general election in 1878 the following State 
officers were chosen : (lovernor, Albinus Nance ; 
lieutenant-governor, E. C. Cams ; secretary- of 
State, S. J. Alexander; auditor, F. W. Leidtke; 
treasurer, G. M. Bartlett; superintendent of public 
instruction, S. M. Tliompson ; attorney-general, 
C. J. Dillworth ; commissioner of lands and buUil- 
ings, F. M. Davis. Gov. Nance came to Nebraska 
from Illinois in 1871, and located in Polk County. 
He enlisted in the Ninth Illinois Cavalry when but 
sixteen years of age, and served until the close of 
the war. After the war he became a student at 
Knox College, in Galesburg, 111., and afterwarils 
studied law. After coming to Nebraska he en- 
joyed a successful professional and political career. 
He was twice a member of the Legislature, speaker 
of the House, delegate to the National Republican 
convention in 187li. and was re-elected governor of 
Nebraska in 18S0. 




Tv" 



L>> 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



57 



CHAPTER YIII. 



Nebraska's Part in the Rebellion — Number of Soldiers Furnished — Sentiment of the People — Com- 
panies Organized — Sketches of Infantry Regiments — Engagements Participated In — Home Pro- 
tection Considered — Indian Encounters — Sketches of Nebraska's Senators and Con- 
gressmen — Senatorial Succession — Phineas W. Hitchcock — Thomas W. Tipton — 
John M. Thayer — Algernon S. Paddock — Alvin Saunders — Charles F. 
Manderson — Charles H. Van Wyck, and Others. 

The, cannon's hushfd ! nor drum nor clarion sound: 
Helmet and hauberk gleam upon the ground; 
Horsemen and horse lie weltering in their gore; 
Patriots are dead and heroes dare no more. — Montgomery. 




T the breaking out of the 
Rebelliou Nebraska con- 
tained a population of less 
than 30,000; but notwith- 
standing this fact the State 
sent 3,307 men to fight for 
'J\^ the preservation of the 
Union. These soldiers comprised at 
least one-third of the able-bodied men 
of the State, consequently Nebraska 
furnished more troops in proportion 
to her population than many of the 
loyal States of the North. The news 
of the fall of Fort Sumter aroused 
all the patriotism of the people of 
the 3'oung States, and the work of raising troops 
to quell the Rebellion commenced on the veiy 
day the news was received. Under the proclama- 
tion of President Lincoln calling for three years' 
volunteers, the Secretary of War assigned one 
regiment to Nebraska. Gov. Alvin Saunders im- 
mediately called for volunteers to fill the Neliraska 
contingent, and the patriotic citizens readily re- 
sponded. The first company was formctl June 3, 
18(51, and the regiment was filled bj- the organiza- 

4 



tion of the tenth company- Jul^- 22, less than fift}- 
days being required. The companies were as fol- 
lows : Omaha furnished two companies, the Omaha 
Guards, Thomas Watson, captain, John Horbach, 
lieutenant, and the Union Rifle Company, William 
Baumer, captain, and P. Walter and H. Koenig, 
lieutenants. Cass County furnished a company of 
dragoons, with R. G. Dooms as captain, and Isaac 
Chivington and G. D. Conley as lieutenants. Platts- 
mouth furnished a company under the command of 
Capt. R. R. Livingston, with A. F. McKinney and 
N. F. Sharp, lieutenants. Burt County furnished a 
compan}- commanded by Capt. Stephen Decatur. 
Florence, Nebraska Citj' and Brownville each raised 
companies, and two more were furnished Ijy Omaha 
and Douglas County. The regiment being full, Gov. 
Saunders appointed the following officers : John 
Thayer, colonel; Henry P. Downs, lieutenant-colonel; 
William H. McCord, major ; Enos Lowe, surgeon. 
On July 30, the First Nebraska Infantry em- 
barked on a Jlissouri River steamer for St. Joseph, 
JMo. , where the men were to receive their equipments. 
After being fully equipped the regiment was taken 
to St. Louis and employed in service within the 
boundaries of the State of Missouri until February, 



58 



HISTORY OF XHBRASKA. 



1SG2. They encountered nianj- Ijodies of rebels 
lielonging to Price's coniinancl and several hot 
skirmishes ensued. On February 2, 1862, the regi- 
ment started for Tennessee where it was to partici- 
pate in the first campaign in which the Union armies 
won a decided advantage. The regiment arrived at 
Fort Henry, Tenn. , on Fehrnary 11, but was imme- 
diately sent to Fort Donelson, where it participated 
in the straggle which resulted in the capture of that 
rebel stronghold. The First Nebraska then remained 
comparatively inactive until April (j, when it marched 
for Pittsbui'g Landing, reaching there too late, how- 
ever, to participate in the flrst day's fighting. On 
the morning of the 7th they were placed in Gen. 
Lew Wallace's division, Col. John M. Thayer being 
in command of the brigade. The fighting com- 
menced at daybreak, the First Nebraska troops 
bieng placed so as to receive the brunt of the ene- 
my's charges. The fighting, as is well known, was 
furious, but the enemy were repulsed, the First 
Nebraska having the honor of leading the final 
charge that dro^'e the relsels from the field. In his 
official report Gen. Thaj-er spoke of the First Ne- 
1 iraska troops as follows : ■ ■ The action now became 
general. _ I again ga\e the order to 'forward,' and 
the line advanced as regularly, and with a front as 
unbroken, as upon a parade ground, the First Ne- 
braska, Lieut. -Col. McCord, moving up directly in 
front of the enemy's battery. '' And again : ' ' Nobly 
did the First Nebraska sustain its reputation, wt'll 
earned on the field of Donelson. Its progress was 
onward during the whole day, in face of a galling 
fire of the enemy, moving on without flinching, at 
one time being an hour and a half in front of their 
battery, receiving and returning its fire ; its con- 
duct was most excellent." At Pittsburg Landing 
the First Nel)raska sustained a loss of between 
twenty and thirty- men. At Corinth and other bat- 
tles of the summer of 1862, the regiment did its 
full duty. From October, 1862, till the following 
August, the regiment was stationed at various points 
in Missouri and Arkansas, doing camp and picket 
duty. They had several skirmishes with tlie enemy, 
notably at Cape Girardeau and Chalk Bluffs, on l)oth 
occasions the enemy lieing repulsed witli great loss. 
August 28, 1863, they were removed to St. Louis. 



In November their regiment having been mounted 
were thereafter known as the First Nebraska Ca\'- 
alry. From this time uutilJune 18, 1864, the First 
Nebraska was stationed at different points in Arkan- 
sas, engaged in scouting and doing picket duty. 
They skirmished with the enemy at the towns of 
Jacksonport and Sycamore, killing a few of the 
enemy and capturing a great manj* prisoners. 

The regiment returned to Omaha in June, 1864. 
and were furloughed until the following August, 
when the}- were detailed for dut}' against the Indians, 
and were ordered to Fort Kearney. Here the regi- 
ment remained until they were mustered out of ser- 
vice Jnh' 1, 1866. During this tune they were 
engaged in scouting and escort duty, protecting 
telegraph lines and guarding the lives and prop- 
erty of the settlers from the depredations of the In- 
tlians. It was a constant warfare between the 
Indians and the soldiers. Raid succeeded raid, and 
the punishment wiiicli the Indians received did not 
seem to deter them, Init they were j-eady for new 
depredations and outrages whenever the opijortunity 
presented itself. The regiment served faithfully- in 
defense of the Union. Their bravery is attested on 
the fields of Donelson, Pittsliurg Landing, Corinth. 
Sycamore, Chalk Bluffs, Red Banks, Cape Girardeau, 
Jacksonport and others. And after they were no 
longer needed in crushing the Rebellion, they rushed 
to the protection of frontiers from the ravages of 
hostile Indians. 

In the summer of 1862, while the First regiment 
was in the South fighting the Confederates, it be- 
came necessary to devise some means by which 
home interests could be protected. The Indians 
were plundering, killing and capturing the settlers, 
and an organized effoit to repel their attacks must 
be made. The result was the organization of the 
Second Nebraska Cavalry, as a nine mf)nths regi- 
ment. R. W. Funias, Brownville, was their col- 
onel. In April, 186.3, the Second Nebraska were 
ordered to report for duty at Sioux City, pi-eparatory 
to joining the expedition up the Missouri under 
Gen. Sully. Under S'.dly the Nef)raska troops took 
part in various skirmishes witli the Sioux Indians. 
On September 3, 200 miles aliove Fort Pierre, the 
sireat battle of Whitestone Hills was fouuhf, witli 






/ 



±t^ 



HISTORY OF NEBEASKA. 



59 



the Brule. Yiinkton and Blaekfeet Sioux, luiinbering 
nearl}- 2,000 strong. In this tight the Indians were 
completely defeated, abandoning all their camp 
property and animals, losing 150 men, 300 wounded 
and 200 prisoners. The Xeljraska troops lost 7 men 
killed, 14 wounded and 10 missing. In the latter 
part of September, 1SG3, the regiment returned to 
Omaha and were mustered out of service, having 
served most acceptably against the Indians. 

In August, 1861, a call was issued for two com- 
panies of cavalry to join the First regiment. Under 
this call two companies were formed under Capts. 
Patrick and Croft. These companies, however, did 
not join the First regiment as first intended, but 
with two other companies, one from Nebraska City, 
the other from St. Louis, were merged into the 
Fifth Iowa Cavalry, under which name they went 
through the war. They were also known as the 
"Curtis Horse. " These four companies, designated 
the Neliraska Battalion, were lettered respectively 
A. B, C and D, and composed the First battalion. 
These troops served their time in the arm\' of the 
Southwest, where they participated in some of the 
hardest fought battles of the war. 

As a matter of no slight interest, the following 
brief personal sketches are given prominent mention 
as indicating the character of those who have been 
called upon to occupy honored official positions. 

Phineas AV. Hitchcock, deceased, was Ijoru No- 
vember 30, 1S31. His father was a farmer near 
New Lebanon, Columbia County, N. Y. , where the 
subject of our sketch was born. He spenc two 3"ears 
at school in Barrington, Mass. , and when twentj' 
years of age he entered Williams CfjUege. Four 
years later 3Ir. Hitchcock graduated from that insti- 
tution, and after several years of comljined law 
study and journalistic worlc in the State of New 
York, he came to the Territory of Neljraska in the 
spring of 1857. He at once opened a law office at 
Omaha, comljining with the practice of his profes- 
sion an agency for several insurance companies, and 
a general real estate business. He was elected to 
the Republican convention in Chicago, which, in 
ISGO, nominated Aliraham Lincoln, and from the first 
voted for Lincoln. In the winter of 1800-01 he 
went to Washincrton to secure from ]\Ir. Lincoln the 



app(Mntment of secretary of the Territory of Ne- 
liraska. Meeting with J. Sterling 3I(jrton, the occu- 
pant of that position, he visited with him at the lat- 
ter's old home at Detroit, Mich. , where he became 
acquainted with Zach. Chander and other prominent 
Republicans, who supported him in his application. 
He received the appointment of marshal instead of 
secretary of Neliraska. which office he held until 
186-1. He was then nominated for Territorial dele- 
gate to the XXXIXth Congress. On the admis- 
sion of Nebraska as a State he was elected surveyor- 
general. He was elected to the United States 
Senate for the term commencing JIarch 4, 1871, 
He was remarkably successful in the passage of a 
large number of bills of great Importance to the 
undeveloped West. He originated a number of 
laws relative to timber culture, of Indian legislation, 
and of the acts admitting Colorado as a State. He 
belonged to the stalwart wing of the Republican 
party. His death occurred at Omaha, Neb., July 
10, 1881. 

Thomas W. Tipton was born August 5, 1817, 
near Cadiz, Ohio. He was a student in Alleghany 
College, Meadville, Penn. , and graduated from Mad- 
ison College, Pennsylvania, in 1840. In 1849 he 
was appointed to a position in the United States 
Land Office, resigning in 1852. He .was admitted 
to the bar in 1844, and began practicing law in 
McConnellsville, Ohio, in 1853. In 1856 he re- 
ceived authority to preach in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, but preferring the Congregational Church, 
changed his church relation. In Brownville, Neb. , 
he served a small Congi-egational Church organiza- 
tion, for one j'ear, as pastor, and was elected chap- 
lain of the First Nebraska Infantry in July, 1861, 
in which capacity he served until the end of the war. 
In 1845 he was a member of the Legislature in 
Ohio; in 1859 was elected to a constitutional con- 
vention in Nebraska, and in 1860 was a member of 
the Territorial Senate. In 1865, in July, he was 
appointed assessor of internal revenue for Nebraska. 
He entered Congi-ess on March 4, 1867, drawing a 
term as United States Senator. In 1869 he was re- 
elected for a full term of six years. In 1872 he left 
the dominant political party antl supported Horace 
Greeley for president. Since that time he has su]> 






A 



J 9 



GO 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



porU'd the principles of the Democratic partly, bj' 
whicli he was nominated, in 1880. as a candidate 
for governor of \elira.ska. In reply to an interro- 
gation as to tiie reason of his acceptance of the 
nomination : ''I did it in order to try and keep the 
lii'puUliean majority down to 25,000." 

John M. Thayer located in Omaha in the fall of 
1854, being one of the first settlers of that place. 
In 1855 he went to Fontanelle to fight and subdue 
troublesome Indians. He was at the head of 150 
men called the Territorial Militia. In the spring of 
1859 he again led a force of 194 men against the 
Indians. He was elected a memljer of the Upper 
House of the Nebraska Legislature from 1850 to 
18G0, and was elected a member of the constitutional 
convention in the fall of 1860. When the Rebellion 
broke out he wrote to the Secretary of War, propos- 
ing that Nebraska should furnish one regiment. 
He was instrumental in organizing the First Regi- 
ment, Nebraska Infantry, and was appointed colonel 
of the same, organized in the spring and summer of 
18G1, and went to St. Louis, then to Pilot Knob and 
Sedalia, Mo. They then came to St. Louis, and 
were sent by steamer to Fort Henry, and partici- 
pated in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. 
He was then promoted to brigadier-general, having 
l)een in command of the Second Brigade of Wal- 
lace's division at the two latter battles. Was in the 
liattles of Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post (where 
4,000 to 5,000 prisoners were captured), siege of 
Vicksburg, and was appointed brigadier and major- 
general of volunteers for gallant services. He par- 
ticipated in the capture of Jackson, Miss., under 
Sherman. He was in the army of Arkansas, and 
participated in the liattles of Prairie de Ann, 3Ios- 
cow. Jenkins' Ferrj- and Saline River. Subsequently 
he was placed in command of the Army of the 
Frontier. His military sen-ice closed in July, 1865, 
and he was brevetted a major-general. On the ad- 
mission of the State he was elected to the United 
States Senate, drawing the four years ballot. In 
1875 he was appointed governor of Wyoming Terri- 
tory, and served one term. In the fall of 1886 he 
was elected governor of the State of Nebraska, and 
in 1888 was re-elected to that high office, being the 
present incumbent. 



Algernon Sidney Paddock was born at Glens 
Falls, N. Y., Novemlier 5, 1880. He entered Glens 
Falls Academj- in his thirteenth j'ear, remaining 
until his eighteenth j'ear, when he entered Union 
College. Here he remained up to his senior year, 
when he left and went to Detroit, Mich. , but re- 
turned to New York after an absence of three months , 
and began teaching school and studying law mean- 
while. In May, 1857, he came to Fort Calhoun, 
Neb. , where he pre-empted a farm and settled. In 
1872 he removed to Beatrice, Gage County-, where 
he has since resided. During 1858-59 he was en- 
gaged on editorial work on the Omaha Republican. 
In 1860 he was a delegate to the National Republi- 
can convention in Chicago that nominated Lincoln, 
and the same fall stumped New Y'ork for that ticket. 
He assumed the position of secretary for Nebraska 
April 1, ISGl. In 1864 Mr. Paddock was delegate 
to the National convention at Baltimore. Was de- 
feated for the LTnited States Senate in 1867. In 
1868 he was nominated governor of Wyoming, but 
declined. In 1874 was elected to the United States 
Senate, serving in that capacity six years. Mr. 
Paddock was again a candidate for that office in 
1880-81. Iiut was defeated liy C. H. ^'an Wyck. 
In 1886 he was again re-elected to the Senate, and 
is the present incumlient, 

Alvin Saunders was born in Fleming County, 
K3-., on July 12, 1817, At the age of twelve his 
parents removed to Springfield , 111, , where they re- 
mained until he was nineteen. In 1836 he went to 
Mount Pleasant, Iowa, to engage in mercantile luisi- 
ness. He was appointed first postmaster at Mount 
Pleasant. In 1846 he was elected to the State con- 
stitutional convention, which f(jrmed the constitu- 
tion under which Iowa was admitted into the Union 
as a State. He was elected to the State Senate in 
1854, and re-elected in 1858. He served as dele- 
gate to the first Iowa Republican State convention, 
and also to the Chicago convention in 1860. where 
he voted for Lincoln. He was appointed governor 
of Nebraska in 1861, and served in that capacity 
until Nebraska was admitted into the Union as a 
State, six years later. He was an earnest advocate 
of the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1868 he went as 
delegate to the Republican National convention at 



V^^ 



l^ 



-< g) 



^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Gl 



Chicago. Ill 1876-77 be was elected United States 
Senator. He lias, for manj- years, been identified 
with the banking interests of Omaha. 

Charles F. !Mauderson was born in Philadelphia, 
February 0, 18.38, where lie lived until nineteen 
years of age, when he removed to Canton, Ohio. 
Here he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 
ISGO. In April, 1861, he raised Company A, 
Nineteenth Ohio Infantry Volunteers, and subse- 
quently became major of that regiment, and lieuten- 
ant-colonel after the battle of Shiloh, and colonel 
after the battle of Stone River, in January, 1863. 
He was made brevet brigadier-general in February, 
1865, but resigned from the service, on account of 
wounds, in April, 1865. Gen. Manderson removed 
to Omaha, in 1867, continuing his law practice. 
He was a member of the constitutional convention 
of 1871 and 1875. In 1882 he was elected to the 
United States Senate to succeed Charles H. Van 
Wyck. He was re-elected in 1888 and is still serv- 
ing the people of the State in the Senate. 

Charles H. Van Wj-ck was born and grew to 
manhood in the State of New York. He represented 
the State in Congress for several terms, after which 
he moved to Nebraska, locating in Otoe County. 
He has represented the people of Otoe County in the 
Legislature several terms, and in 1880 was elected 
to the United States Senate to succeed Algernon S. 
Paddock. He championed the anti-monopoly cause 
during his term of office. In 1886 he was a 
candidate for re-election, but was defeated by his 
former opponent, A. S. Paddock, after one of the 
hottest political contests ever witnessed in the 
State. 

James Laird, for six years member of Congress 
from the Second Congressional district of Nebraska, 
was born at Fowlerville, N. Y. , on June 20, 1849. 
AVliile he was yet a child his parents removed to 
Michigan. He had received a g(jod academic edu- 
cation before the breaking out of the war, and on 
July 24, 18C2, entered the service as a private in 
Companj- G, Sixteenth Michigan Infantry, in which 
regiment he served during the war. After serving 
in the ranks two years, he was several times pro- 
moted anil reached the rank of brevet-major liefore 
he was seventeen years of age. Two of his older 



brothers entered the service at the same time, and 
both were killed in action. Mr. Laird was engaged 
in all the battles of the Potomac except when dis- 
abled by wounds received in action. He received 
several severe wounds at Gaines Mill, was shot 
through the body and left for dead. He was twice 
wounded at Gettysburg, and at Laurel Hill received 
a sabre thrust through the right shoulder ; had his 
horse shot from under him at Hatch's Run, and was 
wounded in the ankle. All his promotions were 
received for service. He was, upon several occa- 
sions, mentioned in general orders for bravery and 
conduct. 

After the war he received a good education at 
Adrian College and the University of Michigan, 
graduating from the law school of that institution as 
a law student in 1871. In 1872 he emigrated to 
this county and commenced the practice of law. 
His first public service in this State was in 1875, 
when he was elected a memlier of the constitutional 
convention. In 1880, after the taking of the census, 
the State of Nebraska was re-districted and three 
Congressional districts organized. In 1882 Mr. 
Laird was elected to the XLVIIIth Congress and re- 
elected in 1884-86-88. This district embraces 
twenty-flve counties. The demands of so large a 
district impose an arduous duty upon its member, 
but Mr. Laird has been able to meet all demands 
made upon him. 

It has been noticed of late years that many ol 
the younger members of the House have shown more 
good sense in the framing of laws than some of their 
older colleagues are willing to give them credit for. 
Among this class of young statesmen was Hon. 
James Laml. In the XLVIIIth Congress, as mem- 
Ijer of the committee on military atfairs, he displayed 
great zeal in the interest of ex-Union soldiers in his 
efforts to secure them back pay and bounty. He 
championed the rights of settlers on the public lands 
in the West, and more especially in Nebraska, Kan- 
sas and Colorado. 

In the season of 1885-86 he was active in behalf 
of the working men throughout the country, and as 
a inemlier of the military committee of the House, 
rendered valuable service in behalf of his comrades. 
The debate over the lull for the relief of certain 



:rr 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



officers and sokUcrs of the vohmtcor army was led 
by himself, and was considered rcmarkahle in the 
House. The bill carried relief to veteran soldiers 
who were promoted from tiie ranks after re-enlist- 
ment, and also bounty to the privates who were dis- 
charged prior to two years' service and not on 
account of wounds. 

The Southern members, after fillibustei-ing over 
tliis measure until nearly morning, offered to allow 
the bill to puss, giving relief to the officers, if Mr. 
Laird would pei-mit them to sti'ike oat that portion 
of carrying the benefits to the private soldiers. This 
yir. Laird emphatically refused to do and the bill 
was defeated. J\Ir. Laird was always regarded as a 
good parliamentary deflator, and a hard worker. 
During the hours of session he was always found in 
his seat unless occupied with committee work. His 
course in Congress was most creditable to him- 
self and the State of Nebraska. At each re-election 
he was returned to Congress with a large and in- 
creased majority. He was becoming strong and in- 
fluential with his party in the House, and would 
soon have become one of the foremost men in Con- 
gress had not death ended his career while he w*as 
in the prime of life. During his last terra in Con- 
gress his arduous labors undermined his health. 
Every efl'ort was made l)y liis friends to restore his 
health, and the best medical talent in the United 
States was called into service ; but his usually robust 
constitution had received too great a shock, and on 
Saturday morning, August 17, 1S89, the breath of 
life left his long suffering frame, and James Laird 
was at rest. He was buried in Parkview cemetery 
at Hastings, Neb., on August 19, 1889, with the 
most imposing funeral rites ever witnessed in Ne- 
Ijraska. 

Hon. T. ^I. 3Iarquelte, Nebraska's first Congress- 
man, came to Nebraska in 1856 and located at 
Plattsmouth. He commenced the practice of law 
in 1857, and took an active interest in politics. He 
represented Cass County in the Territorial Legisla- 
ture in 1857, 1858 and 1859. In 1860 he was 
elected to the Council, and held that position foiu- 
years, declining a fifth nomination. Upon the 
admission of the State he was elected to represent 
Nebraska in Congress. His term of office expired 



two days after he had taken his seat, and he declined 
re-election. lie has been the general attornej^ for 
the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad ever since 
that road was built into the State. His home is at 
Lincoln. 

Hon. Lorenzo Crounsc represented Nebraska in 
Congress from 1872 to 1870. He was born in New 
York State on January 27, 1834. He received his 
education in that State, and was admitted to the bar 
in 1856. He continued in the practice of his pro- 
fession until 18(15, when he removed to Nebraska, 
settling in Richardson County. He was elected 
from the latter county to the Territorial Legislature 
in the fall of 1856, and served one term. He helped 
frame the first constitution of the State, and 
advocated its adoption. In May, 1860, he was 
unanimously nominated for associate justice of the 
Supreme Court, and was elected in June of the same 
3"ear. He held the office for the full term of six 
years, and at the expiration of his term was elected 
to represent his State in Congress. At the comple- 
tion of his service of four 3-cars in Congress he was 
appointed internal revenue collector for the State, 
holding the position for a number of years. 

Hon. John A. 3IcShane, who represented Ne- 
braska in Congress from 1887 to 1889, was born in 
New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio, August 25, 
1850, He lived in that State until 1874, when he 
removed to Nebraska. He engaged extensivelj' iu 
the cattle industry, aud amassed a comfortable 
competency. He was elected to Congress on the Dem- 
ocratic ticket in 1887, and held his seat for one 
term. 

Hon. 'William J. Council was born at Cowans- 
ville, Canada, July 6, 1840, aud removed to New 
York iu 1857, where he received an academic educa- 
tion. In 1867 he came to Omaha, Neb., where he 
has since resided. He was admitted to the practice 
of law in 1809, and has been engaged in his profes- 
sion since that date. In 1872 he was elected dis- 
trict attorney of the Third judicial district, and re- 
elected in 1874. "Was appointed city attorney of 
Omaha in 1883, and held that position until 1887. 
In 1889 he was elected to the List Congress as a 
1 Republican. 

Hon. Gilbert Lafayette Laws was born iu Rich- 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



03 



laud County, 111., on IMairh 11. 1838; removed 
with his parents to Wisconsin in 1841), where he re- 
ceived his schooling, completing his e(lucati<jn at 
Haskell Uuiversit\' and 3Iiltou College. Leaving 
college, he taught school until the breaking out of 
the Rebellion, when he enlisted in the Fifth Infantry, 
Wisconsin ^'olunteers. At the Ijattle of Williams- 
burg, A'a. , on May 5, 18(52, he received wounds 
which incapacitated him from active service. He 
returned to Wisconsin, where he resided until 1876, 
when he removed to Orleans, Neb., and assumed 
editorial management of the Republican Valley 
Sentinel. In 1881 he was appointed register of the 
United States land office at MeCook, and served in 
that capacity until 1880. when he was elected secre- 
tary of State. He was re-elected in 1888, but re- 
signed in 1889 to accept a seat in Congress. 

Hon. George W. E. Dorsej-, of Fremont, was 
born in Loudoun County, Va., January 25, 1842. 
He received his education in Preston County, W. 
Ya. , and entered the Union army in 1801, as first- 
lieutenant of the Sixth AVest Yirginia Infantrj- ; was 
promoted to the rank of captain and of major, and 
was mustered out of service with the Army of the 
Shenandoah, in August, 1865. He removed to 
Nebraska in 1866, studied law and was admitted to 
practice in 1809 ; has engaged in the banking busi- 
ness for the past ten j-ears ; was elected to the 
XLIXth, Lth and List Congresses, and still occu- 
pies his position. 

John M. Thurston, general solicitor of the Un- 
ion Pacific Railroad Company, and one of the lead- 
ing members of Neljraska's legal profession, was 
l)orn at Montpelier, Yt. , August 21, 1847. He 
moved to Wisconsin in 1854 and received his educa- 
tion and was admitted to the bar in that State. Re- 
moved to Omaha in 1869. Being a close student, a 
profound thinker and a brilliant orator, he rose 
rapidly in his profession. Held the position of citj' 
attorney of Omaha from 1874 to 1877, serving one 
tenn in the State Legislature in the meantime. In 
1877 he resigned his city attorneyship to accept the 
position of assistant general solicitor of the Union 
Pacific Railway Company. In 1888 he succeeded 
A. J. Poppleton as general solicitor, a position 
which he still holds. He was elected a presidential 



elector in 1880. In 1888 he was a delegate to the 
National Republican convention and wa.s elected 
temporar3- chairman. In the year 1880 he was 
elected president of the National Republican League. 

Hon. 0. P. Mason, the first chief justice of Ne- 
braska after the admission of the State, was 1iorn in 
jNIay, 1829, in Madison Cou itj-, N. Y. , and made 
that State his home until 1852. He was admitted 
to the bar in the State of Ohio in 1854, and came to 
Nebraska the following .year, making his residence 
at Nebraska City. He served in the Territorial 
Legislature for eight years, and in 1808 was elected 
chief justice, an office which he held until 1872. 
Since his retirement from the bench Judge Mason 
has practiced his profession and holds a high rank 
among the lawyers in the State. He is at present 
one of the secretaries of the State railroad com- 
mission. 

J. Sterling Morton, at one time Territorial secre- 
tary and acting governor of Nebraska, was born in 
Jefl'erson County, N. Y., April 22, 1832. He 
moved to Michigan where he graduated at the State 
University, at Ann Arbor. He subsequently took a 
post-graduate course at Union College of New York. 
He came to Nebraska in Xo\ember, 1854, and a>^- 
sumed editorial management of the Nebraska City 
News. In 1855 he was elected to the Territorial 
Legislature. In 1858 he was appointed Territorial 
secretary and became acting governor within a few 
months by the resignation of Gov. Richardson. He 
was the first democratic candidate for governor of 
the State and was defeated by but a few votes. He 
has been prominently identified with State and 
National politics, and is a member of the famous 
Cobden Club, of London. 

Hon. Amasa Cobb, ex-justice of the Supreme 
Court of Nebraska, was born in Crawford Count}', 
111., September 27, 1823, and resided in that State 
until 1841, when he removed to Wisconsin. In 1847 
he enlisted for the Mexican War. At the close of 
the war he returned to Wisconsin and continued the 
practice of law until the opening of the Civil War. 
when he recruited a regiment and was its colonel. 
In the fall of 1862 he was elected a member of 
Congress, but remained with his regiment a greater 
portion of the time. He was re-elected to Congress 



.Y 



64 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



in ISO-i, ami again in lS(iG and 1S(J8. In IStJ'J he 
ivnioved to Neliraska and continued in his profes- 
sion. He was elected to the supreme l)ench in 187S 
and served two terms. 

George B. Lake, the second chief justice of Ne- 
l)raska, was liorn in Greeufield, Saratoga County, N. 
v. , September 15, 182G. His onlj- schooling during 
his minority was in the district schools of Ohio; but 
after he reachetl his majority he took a two years' 



course at Oberlin College. He commenced the study 
of law in 1849, and was admitted to the bar in 1851. 
He came to Omaha in 1S57 and at once assumed a 
high place in the ranks of the attornej's of the Ter- 
ritory. He served in the Territorial Legislature and 
was speaker of the House in 1865. In 1807 he took 
his place on the supreme bench, to which he had 
been elected the year previously. He became chief 
justice in 1873, and held the position until 1878. 






^ (j 



^1 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



65 



CHAPTER IX. 



CouxTiES IX THE State — Brief Historical Sketches — Descriptive Account of Their Origin — Location, 

County Seats, Etc. — First Settlements — General Development — Advent of Railways — A Com 

MERCIAL Necessity — Surveys of 18.53-.54 — Building of the Pacific Railroad — Hlstory of 

the Enterprise — Central Pacific Railroad — The Consolidation. 




Not chaos-like, together crush'd and bruised, 

But as the world, harmoniously confused; 

Where order in variety we see. 

And where, though all things differ, they agree. — Pope. 



m 



N the following pages will be 
found a very brief descrip- 
tion and historical sketch of 
a number of the counties of 
Nebraska. 

Adams County is named 
in the State records for the 
first time February 16, 1867, when the 
south Ijank of the Platte was fixed as 
its northern boundaiy. There were no 
inhabitants there at the time, although 
Jlortimer N. Kress, Joe Fonts, James 
Bainter and others united or made tem- 
porary camps here. In 1871 it was de- 
clared a county by executive proclama- 
tion and the first elections were held 
that year. During the days of Indian 
warfare there were no residents to injure, but the 
county is not without evidence of war. In August, 
1864, numbers of immigrants were given up to 
slaughter at the hands of the Sioux and their prop- 
ertj', which could not be easily removed, given to 
the flames. lu 1870 the pioneers of progress began 
to pour in — the earlier adventurers locating on the 
Blue, at Juniata, and at the point now known as 
Hastings City. Within a few years the county took 
a leading place among the iwlitieal divisions of the 




State, and after the county seat wars were ended, 
Hastings bloomed into the Queen City of the State. 

Antelope County is situated in the northeastern 
part of the State. It contains 864 square miles, or 
552,960 acres of land. The first recorded settle- 
ment was made by a French Canadian named 
"Ponea George," April 25, 1868. Other settlers fol- 
lowed in the same year. The county was raided by 
Indians in 1870 and 1871, but no serious depreda- 
tions were committed. The county was organized 
by the Legislature in 1871. Its county seat is Ne- 
ligh, and its principal towns are Oakdale, Neligh, 
Burnett, St. Clair and Clearwater. 

Boone County is in the fifth tier west of the ^lis- 
souri River and the third north of the Platte. It 
has an area of 634 square miles. The first settle- 
ments were made in April, 1871, bj' a party consist- 
ing of S. D. Avery, Albert Dresser, N. G. Myers, 
W. H. Stout, W. H. Prescott and others. Albion, 
the county seat, was platted in October, 1872, by 
Loran Clark. The other towns are St. Edwards, 
Petersburg and Cedar Rapids. 

Burt County is located in the eastern part of Ne- 
braska and contains 512 square miles. It was 
named in honor of Francis Burt, and was organized 
in 1854 by Gov. Cuming, it being one of the eight 
original counties. Tekamah, the county seat, was 



V 



6G 



IIISTOKY UF XEliRASKA. 



fi)iiiiiU'il ill 1S55 Ijy A. B. Folsom, Z. B. Wililer. 
John 15. Folsom and otliors. Tlic ollu'r towns of 
llic county are Arizona. Decatur, Oakland and 
Lyons. 

Butt'alo County is located in nearly the central 
portion of the State and has an area of !)00 sciuare 
miles. It was first settled in 1858 liy the Mormons 
who located at AVood River. In lSti4 the county 
was overrun l)y the Indians who did a jireat deal of 
damage and frightened most of the settlers from 
their homes. The county was organized in 1870, 
with the city of Kearney as county seat. The Un- 
ion Pacific Railroad was completed through the 
county in 18(3(5. and the Burlington i.t .Missouri River 
Railroad in 1872. In common with the other coun- 
ties of the State Buffalo (Jountj- was devastated hy 
the grasshoppers in 1873 and 1874. Kearne\-,the 
county seat, was settled in 1870 and is to-da}' a city 
of nearly 10,000 inhabitants. By the enterprise of 
its citizens it has secured a fine water i)ower liy the 
construction of a canal from the Platte River. The 
l)rospects for Kearney becoming an important manu- 
facturing center are bright. The other important 
towns of the county are (Jibsou, Shelton, both on 
the line of the Union Pacific, and Ravenna, 

l?ufler Count}' is located in the eastern part of 
the State, fifty -one miles west of the Missouri River, 
and contains an area of 377,600 acres. It is well 
watered by the Platte, Blue and other streams. The 
county was first visited by the Fremont exploring 
expedition in 1842, and the first permanent settle- 
ment was made in 1857. The countj' was not organ- 
ized until 1868. Savannah was the county seat, 
but after a bitter struggle lasting four jears that 
distinction was confeiTcd upon David Citj-. The 
first railroad built through the county was completed 
in 1880 by the Burlington & Missouri Company-, 
The principal towns of Butler Countj^ are David Citj-, 
Ulysses, Rising City, Brainard, Bellwood and Oc- 
tavia. 

The Ijoundaries of a county named Clay were 
fixed by the act of March 2, 1855, and the county 
seat established at an imaginary town called Clayton. 
The act of 1856 transferred the name to the present 
county and defined its boundaries. Bj' an act of 
February 15, 1864, an old county in the eastern part 



of the State was abandoned, when the northern half 
was attached to Lancaster and tlie southern half to 
(iage, and by the act of February l(i, 1867, the name 
was coiiHnued to the present county. The procla- 
mation to oi-ganize was issued September 11, 1871, 
wliile the population was 356, The county seat wars 
were carried on up to 1879, when the center of the 
county was selected as the seat of justice. During 
the pioneer days (1857-66) the Indians inflicted many 
injuries on the whites, and during the raid on the 
California trail carried murder and rapine into the 
homes of the settlers. The county seat, outside tin; 
court-house, is a primitive village, but throughout 
the county are several towns — Sutton, Harvard, 
Fairfield and Edgar lieing the principal business 
centers, 

Cass County, one of the original counties of the 
State, is located on the Missouri Ri\er, It was 
visited by white men as early as in 1804, The first 
attempt at a permanent settlement was made in 
1853 by Samuel Martin, In 1856 Cass County had 
a population of 1 ,251, The county was proclaimed 
in 1854 by Acting Governor Cuming, Plattsmouth 
was selected as the county seat in 1861, The first 
company of Nebraska volunteers in the War of the 
Rebellion was organized at Plattsmouth on the same 
day that the news of the breaking out of the war 
was received. The Burlington & Missouri Railroad 
was built through the county in 1869, the principal 
shops of that company being located in Plattsmouth, 
The Missouri Pacific Railroad was completed through 
the county in 1882. Plattsmouth was founded in 
1853, and contains a population of from 8,000 to 
10,000, The other towns of the county are Weep- 
ingWater, Louisville, Greenwood, Rock Bluff and 
Avoca, 

Cedar County is located in the northeast corner 
of the State, and has an area of 730 square miles. 
It was organized in 1857, In the years 1858, 1862 
and 1863 the Indians committed many depredations 
in Cedar Count}', burning homes, stealing stock and 
murdering a few settlers, St. Helena is the county 
seat, and the other principal towns are St, James 
and Hartington, 

Cheyenne County is located in the extreme 
western part of the State. Previous to the construe- 



,4^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



C7 



tioii of the Union Pafific Railw;iy tlie settlements iu 
the county were few and far between. The county 
was organized in 1870. Sidney, the principal town, 
was laid out in 1867, a United States military post 
being established there iu that year. When the 
Black Hills excitement was at its height Sidnej' be- 
came a j'oung city, doing an immense business. 
But other routes to the Hills have been opened, and 
Sidney has lost much of the traffic that once thronged 
her streets. 

Custer Count}' is one of the largest counties of 
Nebraska, and is located in the geographical center 
of the State. It contains 2,590 square miles. It 
was not settled by the whites until 1877 and 1878. 
In the earl}' days of its historj' Custer County was 
the scene of much lawlessness, but to-day is one of 
the most prosperous and orderly counties in the 
State. Its count}' seat is Broken Bow, a city but a 
few years old, but giving evidence of remarkable 
prosperity. The Burlington & INIissouri Railroad 
was built through the county in 1887. 

Colfax Count}' is one of the eastern counties of 
Nebraska, and contains 276.480 acres of land. It 
was settled in 1856, but the early settlements did 
not flourish until the completion of tlie Union Pacific 
Railway through the county in 1868. With the 
advent of that road, however, the county grew 
rapidly in population. Schuyler, the county seat, 
was founded in 1869. It is a thriving little city. 
The only other town of importance is Benton. 

Cuming County is iu the northeastern part of 
the State, and contains 504 square miles. It was 
originally settled in 1856, although its boundaries 
were defined by a Territorial act in 1853. West 
Point, the county seat, was platted in 1869, and is 
one of the best known towns in the northeastern 
part of the State. Bancroft is the only other town 
of importance in the county. 

Dakota County is situated in the northeastern 
part of the State, and was one of the original coun- 
ties of the State. It was settled pre-\"ious to 1855, 
and was organized on March 7 of that year. The 
county seat is Dakota City, founded in 1856. The 
other principal towns of the count}' arc St. John's, 
Jackson, Homer. Hulibard and Covington. 

Dawson Countv is situated 215 miles west of the 



Missouri River, and contains 1,008 square miles. 
In the times of the old overland freight and emi- 
grant traffic, Dawson County presented many li\-el}- 
j aspects. Ranches were established every few miles 
along the route. The county was settled in 1861-6:i. 
On Augu.st 7, 1864, the Indians made a general 
attack upon all white settlements along the Fremont 
trail, the first attack being made in Dawson Count}- 
on eleven emigrants in one part}'. Troops were sent 
to the scene of the outbreak, and the Indians were 
finally driven back. Plum Creek, the county seat, 
was established in 1871. In 1889 the name of this 
town was changed to Lexington. The other towns 
of Dawson County are Overton and Cozad. The 
latter place from its location was formerly known as 
Hundredth Meridian. 

Dixon County is in the northwestern part of the 
State, and was organized in 1858. Previous to the 
advent of the whites Dixon Count}- was the abiding 
place of several tribes of Indians, chief among which 
were the Poncas. The settlement of the county was 
considerably retarded in 1862, b}- fears of a general 
Indian massacre, and in pursuance to a call of the 
general government a military company was raised 
in the county for the protection of the inhabitants. 
Ponca, the county seat, was platted in 1856, but the 
growth of the town was slow until 1876, at which 
time the Covington, Columbus & Black Hills Rail- 
road was completed to the place. Wakefield and 
JMartinsburg are also thriving towns in Dixon 
County. 

Dodge County is located in the second tier of 
counties from the Missouri River, and has an area of 
540 square miles. The first settlement was made in 
1856. On September 3, of that year, a town com- 
pany was formed and the future city named Fre- 
mont, in honor of the distinguished explorer. The 
citizens of Fremont led a troubled existence for a 
time, as the Pawnee Indians had their principal vil- 
lage on the opposite side of the Platte River, and 
looked upon the advent of the pale face with consid- 
erable disfavor. A military company was stationed 
there until all fears of an outbreak were allayed. 
The financial panic of 1857 retarded the growth of 
Fremont and Dodge County considerably, some of the 
settlers being compelled to Ijorrow money at 60 per 



~^i afv 



OS 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



cent to tiik' them over tlu-ir iliflirulties. The I'niou 
Pacifie Railroad was Imill through the county in 
ISOC, ami from that time the populatiou rapiilly in- 
creased. In 1869 the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad 
was built into Fremont, and the same year the con- 
struction of the Elkhom Valley branch of that liije 
was commenced. To-day Fremont has a population 
of 10,000. and is growing rapidly. The other towns 
of Dodge County are North Bend. Scribner, Pebble 
and Hooper. 

Douglas County, in the eastern part of the State, 
was one of the original counties proclaimed bj- Act- 
ing Governor Cuming. The first important settle- 
ments were made at Florence by the Mormons in 
1844; but after the exodus to Salt Lake Citj- the 
county was uninhabited for a number of years. The 
Ijarticulars of the permanent settlement of Douglas 
County are given in another chapter of this volume. 
Omaha, the county seat of Douglas County, and the 
metropolis of the State, was founded in 1854 by 
■Jesse and Enos Lowe, A. D. Jones and others. In 
that same year the Territorial capital was located at 
Omaha, and the city at once became the principal 
town of the Territory. In 1856 the young city 
began to grow rapidly. Early in that 3-ear a num- 
ber of brick blocks were put up. Banks and news- 
liapers were est^iblished, and schools and churches 
erected. The panic of 1857, of course, had its 
depressing effect on Omaha's prosperit}', but the 
tide which had set in was not checked long. In 
18511 business of all kinds revived to a wondei-ful 
extent. In 1860 it was estimated that the city had 
1 , 500 buildings, and 4,000 inhabitants. During the 
war the growth of the citj- was slow. On December 
H, 1863, ground was broken for the Union Pacific 
Railroad, and from that time onward Omaha grew 
more rapidly. In 1867 the Chicago & Northwestern 
Railroad was completed to the city. In 1870 the 
city had a population of 16,000. In the decade 
that elapsed from 1870 to 1880 the growth of the 
place was but little short of wonderful. In the latter 
year the population had increased to 36,000. To- 
day Omaha is a city of 150,000 people, and is 
growing at an unprecedented rate. 

Dundy County is situated in the extreme south- 
western part of the state. It is one of the newer 



counties, having been settled and organized since 
1S>^8. Its county seat is Benkleman. The Burling- 
ton tt -Missouri Railroad was completed through 
the county in 1882. 

Filhnore County is located about twenty-four 
miles north of the southern boundary of the State, 
and has a sui)erficial area of 576 square miles. The 
first settlements in the county were made in June. 
1866, by William Bussard and William Whitaker. 
These two men were the only settlers of the county 
until 1868, when a few more settlers came to the 
localitj'. It was not until 1870, however, that the 
rush of immigi'ation commenced. The county was 
organized in 1871. In that year Geneva and Fair- 
mount were laid out, Geneva being made the county 
seat. The other towns of the county are Grafton, 
founded in 1874, and Exeter, founded in 1871. 
The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad was built 
through the county in 1871. In 1888 the Fremont. 
Elkhorn & Missouri Valle}- line was extended 
through the county. 

Franklin Countj- is in the southern tier of coun- 
ties of the State, 175 miles west of the Missouri 
River, and has an area of 576 square miles. It was 
settled in 1870 by a colony from Omaha, and in the 
following year a military company, including every 
man in the colonj", was formed for protection against 
the Indians. The county was formally organized in 
September, 1871. Bloomington. the county seat, 
was laid out in 1872. The Burlington & Missouri 
Railroad was extended through the county in 1879. 
The United States land office is located at Bloom- 
ington, but at the present writing nearh^ all of the 
public lands have been taken up. The principal 
towns of the county are Franklin. Riverton ami 
Naponee. 

Frontier County is situateci well toward the 
southwestern part of the State, and has an area of 
576 square miles. It was organized in 1872, at that 
time there being but a few settlers in the count}-. 
Stoclaille is the county seat and Curtis the princi- 
pal town. The Burlington & Missouri River Rail- 
road was built through the county in 1888. 

Furnas County lies in the southern tier of coun- 
ties, and contains 720 square miles. The fii-st set> 
tier of the county was Benjamin Burton, who located 



jlt 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 




thfiv in 1870. Other .settlers foUowi^l in tlie same 
year. In the following year fully l.')(l settlers with 
their families came to the ccninty. The county was 
formally organized in 1878, and the name was given 
it in honor of Robert W. Furnas, then governor of 
Xel)raska. For .several years the location f)f the 
county' seat caused consideraljle strife between the 
citizens of Arapahoe and Beaver City, the contest 
being finally decided in favor of the latter. The 
principal towns are Arapahoe, Oxford, Beaver Cit^' 
and Hendley, the latter place being established bj- a 
Hastings town site company in 1888. 

Gage County is in the third tier of counties west 
of the Missouri River, and contains 864 square miles. 
Its location, wealth and population make it one of 
the most important counties of the State. The first 
settler was David Palmer, who came to the count}' 
in 1854 or 1855. In 1857 a colony of thirty-five 
men, a number of them with families, formetl a set- 
tlement which was named Beatrice, in honor of a 
daughter of Judge McKinney, a member of the 
colon}'. In the same year another settlement was 
made seven miles north of Beatrice, and still an- 
other at Blue Springs, ten miles southeast of Be- 
atrice. The Indians caused some troul)le in the 
early history of these settlements, but the treaties 
made by the government soon brought peace to the 
county. To a citizen of Gage Count}' belongs the 
honor of having secured the first homestead entered 
in the United States. The homestead law went into 
effect on Jauuar}' — ,1863, and on that day Daniel 
Freeman took his claim. His patent is numbered 1, 
and is recorded in volume 1 , page 1 , of the records 
of the general land office at Washington. Beatrice, 
the county seat, is one of the principal cities of 
Nebraska, and has a population of about 12,000. 
The other towns of the county are Blue Springs, 
Wymore, Libert}', Odell, Holmesville, Adams and 
Caldwell. 

Greeley County is situated a little northeast of 
the center of the State, and contains 576 square 
miles. Its original settlement dates back to 1871. 
The county was organized on October 8, 1872. The 
county seat was located at Scotia. The other towns 
of the county are O'Connor and Spaulding. 

Gosper County is in the western part of the 



State, and contains an area of 448 square miles. It 
was settled in 1872 and was organized in 1873. 
Owing to the lack of railroad facilities, the county's 
population increased slowly until after the year of 
1882, since which time it has enjoyed a rapid and 
steady growth. Homerville is the county seat. 

Hall County boundaries were established by the 
act of November 4, 1858, with the Platte River 
forming the southern boundary. The act of Feln-u- 
ary 1, 1864, re-defined such boundaries. Tliis act 
was repealed on Fcliruary 15, and not until March 
1, 1871, were the present Congressional boundaries 
fixed. The settlement dates back to July 2, 1857, 
when a part}' of Germans and a few Americans 
arri\ed here. During the first decade (jf pioneer lifi' 
the Indians committed some depredations anil mur- 
ders here, and would have extended the work of 
rapine had the people not erected Fort Independ- 
ence and O. K. Fort. The county forms one of the 
richest agricultural districts west of the Missouri, 
and here, in 1889, the headquarters of the Iteet 
sugar industry were established. In early years the 
Spaniards are said to have explored this section, but 
not until 1739 are there records of actual explo- 
ration. In that year the French party, referred to 
in other pages, traversed the valley of the river and 
named the broad stream La riviere Platte. 

Hamilton County is located nearly in the cen- 
tral portion of the State, and contains an area of 
over 500 square miles. Its first permanent settle- 
ment was made in 1866. The county was organ- 
ized in 1870, the county seat then being located at 
Orville, but after a bitter contest lasting for several 
years it was moved to Aurora, in 1876. To-day 
Aurora is a thriving town of 2,000 inhabitants, and 
the junction of two l)ranch lines of the Burlington & 
Missouri River Railroatl 

Harlan County is located in the southwest part 
of the State, and contains an area of 576 square 
miles. Its first settlement dates back to 1870. 
The county was organized in 1871. Alma, the 
county seat, was founded in 1872. The other towns 
of the county are Orleans, Republican Cit}' and 
Melrose. 

Hitchcock County is located in the southwestern 
part of the State and contains 720 square miles. 






HISTORY OF XKHI'.ASKA. 



It w:is first permanently settled in 1869 by raneli- 
nuii. It was n(jt until 1872 that the farmers settled 
in any nuniliers. The count}' was organized in 1873. 
In the I'all of that year the memorable fight between 
tlie Sioux and the Pawnee Indians took place, in 
which the latter were defeatetl with terrible loss. 
Culbertson is tlii^ county seat and principal town. 

Howard County is situated in the fertile Loup 
A'alley and contains an area of 570 square miles. 
It was settled in 1870 and formally organized in the 
following year. St. Paul is the county seat and 
the principal city. The other towns are Dannebrog 
and St. Libory. 

Hayes County is in Southwestern Nebraska and 
contains 576 square miles. It has been settled and 
developed since 1 882. Hayes Centre is the county 
seat and principal town. 

Holt County is one of the largest counties in the 
State, containing 2,412 square miles. It was set- 
tled in 1872 and formally organized in 1876. 
O'Niell is the county seat, and the other towns of 
the county are Stuart, Paddock, Ford and Atkinson. 

Jefferson County was first known as Jones 
C<Junty in the early history of Nebraska, but in 
1871 the boundaries of the present county were de- 
fined by an act of the Legislature. The county con- 
tains 576 square miles and was originally settled in 
1855 or 1856. The Indians were extremely trouble- 
some in the early history of the county. Fairliury, 
the county seat, was laid out in 1869. It is a thriv- 
ing voung city of about 5,000 inhabitants and quite 
a railroad center. The other towns of the county 
are Steele City and Endicott. 

Johnson County is situated in the southeastern 
part of the State and contains 378 square miles. 
It was first settled in 1856 and formally organized 
in 1857. Its county seat is Tecumseh and its other 
towns, Sterling, Elk Creek, Helena, "S'esta and 
Spring Creek. 

Keith County is situated in Western Nebraska 
and contains an area of 2.010 square miles. It was 
organized in 1873. Ogalalla is its county seat and 
principal town. 

Knox County was organized 1)\" the Territorial 
Legislature in 1857, and named L'Ean Qui Court, 
that being the French name for the River Nel)raska. 



The name was clianged to Knox in 1S73. In its 
early history the wliite settlers disputed with the 
Ponca Indians for the possession of their lands, 
but happily no bloodshed occurred. The Santee 
Sioux reservation is situated in the northern part of 
the county. Ni(il)rara is the county seat, while 
Creighton and Bazile Mills are thriving towns. 

Lancaster Comity is situated fifty miles west of 
the Missouri River and contains 86-1 square miles. 
It was first settled in 1857 and formally organized 
in 1859. Lincoln was chosen as the State capital in 
1807. It is the second city of Nebraska and is 
growing rapidly. The State house was completed in 
1889, and is one of the handsomest buildings of the 
kind in the West. The State University, State Pen- 
itentiar}' and State Insane Hospital are located at 
Lincoln. The Wesle3-an and Advent Colleges are 
also located in the city. Lincoln is also the most 
important railway center in the State, the Burlington 
& Missouri River Railroad and numerous branch 
lines, the Union Pacific, Fremont, Elkhorn & Mis- 
souri Valley and Missouri Pacific roads centering 
here. The United States court house was erected 
in 1889, at a cost «f $200,000. The other towns of 
Lancaster County are Bennet, Waverly, Firth and 
Roca. 

Lincoln County is locatetl in the western central 
part of the State and contains an area of 2,592 
square miles. It was originally settled in 1858, 
although the county had been repeatedly visited bj- 
fur traders and explorers, as far back as the year 
1 762. The great overland trail passed through this 
county, over which from 1,000 to 2,000 emigrant 
and freight wagons traveled daily. Fort IMcPherson 
was estalilished in the county b}- the government in 
1863. The county was organized in 1860. North 
Platte, the county seat, was laid out in 1860, and is 
the leading city of Western Nebraska. It is the 
home of William F. Cody, or " Buffalo Bill." 

Madison County is east of the central part of the 
State and contains 576 sciuare miles. It was settled 
in 1805 and formally organized in 1868. Norfolk 
is the principal town of the county, as well as of 
Northern Neluaska. The other towns of the county 
are Madison, which is the county seat, and Battle 
Creek. 



^^ 



'.[^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



71 



Merrick Count}- is situated in the Platte Yalle}- 
and contains 468 square miles. It was first settled in 
L'^aO. hut formally organized in 1858. Central City 
is the county seat and prini'ipal town and was laid 
out in 1866. The other towns of the county are 
Clark's. Silver Creek and Chapman. 

Nance County lies near the central part of the 
State and contains an area of 450 square miles. It 
was first settled in 1S57 and was formally organized 
in 1870. Fullerton is the county seat. Genoa, one 
of the principal towns, was first settled in 1860. 
One of the principal Indian schools of the country 
is located at this point. 

Nemaha County was known during the early jears 
of the Territorial organization as Forney Count}-, 
hut its present name was given it at the first session 
of the Territorial Legislature. The particulars of the 
settlement of the county are given in the main body 
of this sketch. The principal towns of Nehama 
County are BrownviUe, Carson, London and Peru 
(the State Normal school being located at the latter 
l)lace), Auburn, Brock, Aspinwall, Johnson. Clif- 
ton, St. Deroin, Febing and Bedford. 

Nuckolls County is situated in the southern 
tier of counties, 100 miles west of the Missouri 
River. Its settlement dates back to 1858. It was 
formally organized in 1871. The earlier settlers 
had considerable trouble with the Indians, and in 
1866 every settler was driven from the county. 
Many settlers wore killed during the Indian troutiles. 
and it was not until 1869 that hostilities entirely 
ceased. Nelson is the county seat, although Supe- 
rior is the principal town of the county. Hardy is 
also a thri\-ing town. 

Otoe County is centrally located on the ^lissonri 
River in Southwestern Nebraska. It has a river 
frontage of eighteen miles and contains about 390.- 
0(10 acres. The first settlement was made in 1846, 
when the L^nited States government established, on 
the present site of Nebraska City, a military post, 
called Fort Kearney. In the fall of 1848, the post 
was abandoned for new Fort Kearney on the Platte 
River. Nebraska City is the county seat of Otoe 
and also its principal town. Other towns of Otoe 
County worth}- of notice are Syracuse, Palm}-ra and 
Dunbar. 



Pawnee County is in the southeastern part of the 
State and contains 276,480 acres of well watered 
and tillable land. It was first settled in 1854, at a 
little village called Cincinnati, about fourteen miles 
from the present site of Pawnee City. The county 
seat is Pawnee City. Table Rock and Cincinnati 
are thriviug towns. 

Pierce County was created in 1859, by the Terri- 
torial Legislature. It contains 368.640 acres of 
land. The first settlement was made in 1866. 
Pierce, the present county seat, was founded in 1870. 
Plainview and Colbergen are post offices in this 
county. 

Phelps County is situated on the divide between 
the Platte and Republican Rivers. The early set- 
tlers were much troubled with the Indians, and little 
was done toward the settlement till 1872-73, when a 
heavy immigration commenced, and the couutr}- is 
now nearly all occupied. Holdrege is the county 
seat. 

Platte County is the fourth in the tier of eastern 
counties. It comprises 684 square miles or 437.- 
760 acres of land. Its settlement dates back to 
1856. In the summer of 1863, the Sioux made 
numerous raids, murdering settlers and burning 
property. The Union Pacific Railwaj' reached Col- 
umbus, the county seat, in June, 1866, and from 
that time the growth of the county has been rapid. 
Cohnul)us is the county seat and a thriving city. 
Other points of business importance in the county 
are Humphrey and Platte Center. 

Polk County is the fourth county west of the Mis- 
souri River, in the fourth tier of counties from the 
south. It contains 450 square miles or 288,000 
acres of land all susceptible of cultivation. It was 
originally part of Butler County, but. by act of 
Legislature, was included in its present boundaries, 
and the county seat was located in August, 1870, at 
Osceola. In 1887 Osceola furnished Nebraska with 
a speaker of the House of Representatives in the 
person of Hon. Albinus Nance, who later filled the 
gubernatorial chair. Stromsburgh. a large, thriving 
town, was organized in 1872. 

Red Willow County is in the southern tier of 
counties, and lies in the Republican Valley. In ex- 
tent it is twentv-four miles from north to south and 



^ 



HISTORY OF NEBKASKA. 



thirty miles from cast to west. It was first settled 
ill 1871, and organized as a county in 1873. In- 
dianola is the county seat of Ked Willow County. 
McCook being the end of the division, midway be- 
tween the Missouri River and Denver, on the Bur- 
lington & ^Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska, is a 
prosperous town, with machine shops and large 
round house. 

Ricluirdson County occupies the southeastern 
corner of the State, and comprises 550 square miles. 
The county was settled in 1854. The first election 
was held in the fall of 1854, ten vt>tes being cast. 
Falls City, the county seat of Richardson County, 
was incorporated in 1858. Other towns worthy of 
mention are Humboldt. Rulo, Salem. Dawson and 
Stella. 

Saline County lies in the third tier of counties 
from the Missouri River, ami in the second from the 
south line of the State. The first permanent settle- 
ment liegan in 1858, but the country was not organ- 
ized until February 18, 18G7. The early settlers 
suffered somewhat from the depredations of the In- 
dians. Saline Count}' in its early days was greatl}- 
agitated over the location of the count}' seat, and 
several contests were the result. The seat of gov- 
ernment was first located at Swanton, where it re- 
mained until 1871, when, after a spirited contest in 
which the city of Crete was a competitor, it was 
removed to Pleasant Hill. In 1877 another election 
was held and Wilber and Crete contested for the 
honor. Wilber was the choice and is now the 
county seat. Crete is a large and growing town, 
with unrivaled water facilities. It is a railroad cen- 
ter and has important educational interests. Here 
is located Doane College, which was opened in 1872, 
under the auspices of the Congi-egational Church. 
Other places of lousiness importance in the county 
are De Witt, Dorchester, Friend, Pleasant Hill, 
Swanton and Western. 

Sarjjy County was named in honor of one of 
Neliraska's pioneers, Col. Peter A. Sarpy, who came 
to Bellevue in 1823 as agent for the American Fur 
Company. This company had had a trading post 
at this point since 1810, and there are also accounts 
of the exploration and settlement of Sarpy earlier 
than that date. Althousjh it was among the earliest 



to be settled, it was not until I s.")7 that it was or- 
ganized as a county, being until that time a part of 
Douglas County. The first Nebraska postofttce was 
estal)lished at Bellevue in 1848. It was at Bellevue 
that the first Territorial governor died, having onl\- 
been in the Territory ten days. Bellevue expected 
to secure the capital, but owing to the death of 
Gov. Burt was disappointed, as Gov. Cuming lo- 
cated it at Omaha. Sarpy indulged in a county 
seat contest, and the county seat was located at 
Papillion, where it now remains. Springfield is a 
thriving town. 

Saunders County is in the second tier of counties 
west of the Missouri River. It embraces 483.840 
acres of rich, loamy soil. The first settlers arrived 
in March, 1857. The county was organized liy a 
general election held October 8, 1867, and the 
county seat located at Ashland. The count}' seat 
was removed to Wahoo in 1873, and that place is 
the present county seat of Saunders County. Other 
towns worthy of mention are Weston, Valparaiso, 
Clear Creek and Mead. 

Seward County is located about sixty miles west 
of the Missouri River. It includes an area of 576 
square miles, rich in agricultural resources, being 
watered by the Big Blue River with its numerous 
tributaries. The first settlement made in the county 
was by Daniel Morgan and his three sons, who lo- 
cated a preemption claim in the fall of 1858. Sew- 
ard is the county seat of Seward County. Milford 
and Utica are also located in this county. 

Sherman County lies nearly in the center of the 
State, and is twenty-four miles square. The count}- 
was first settled by a pai-ty of men from Gram! 
Island, who had received authority from the State 
government to form a county organization. The 
day appointed for the election was April 1, 1873, 
and resulted in the organization of Sherman County, 
and the county seat at Loup City, where it still re- 
mains. 

Stanton County has an area of 432 square miles, 
or 253,303 acres. Its date of settlement is 1865. 
Stanton is the county seat. 

Tha}er County is aliout one hundred miles west 
of the Missouri River. It is twenty-four miles 
square, and contains 368,640 acres of land well 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



watered with numerous streams. The Indians gave 
a great deal of trouble in the earl^- history of the 
count}-. The first settlers came in 1858, but the 
county was very little settled until after the close of 
the C'i\il War, when the United States government 
could protect the frontier from the depredations of 
the Indians. The first election held in Thayer 
Count}- proper was in October, 1871. The county 
seat is Helirou. Alexandria, Hubbell, Carleton, 
Belvidere, Davenport. Chester. Fricdensau and Hai'- 
liino are the other towns in Thayer County. 

A'alley County is located not far from the center 
of the State, and is in extent twenty-four miles 
square. It is one of the best watered counties in 
Central Nebraska, the North Loup River with its 
numerous creeks crossing the county. The first 
actual settlement in the county was in April and 
3Iay, 1872, by a partj- of Danes. The county was 
organized in 1873, and the county seat w-as located 
on the site of the present town of Ord. North Loup 
is also a prosj^erous town in A'alley County. 

Washington Count)- is situated on the eastei-n 
border of the State, midwaj- from north to south. 
It contains 400 square miles, or 256.000 acres. In 
1859 the settlers and Indians engaged in what is 
known as the "Pawnee War," after which the set- 
tlers were unmolested. Blair is the county seat of 
Washington County. 

Wa3-ne County lies in the northeastern portion of 
Nebraska. It embraces 322.560 acres of land. Its 
date of settlement is the summer of 1868. Wayne 
is the county seat. 

Webster County is situated in the southern tier 
of counties, about 150 miles west of the 3Iissouri 
River. It is in extent twenty-four miles square, and 
consists of land well watered by the Republican 
River which flows across its entire breadth. The 
first settlement made in the county was in the spring 
of 1870 by the members of the Rankin Colony. 
They located at Guide Rock. The same season. Silas 
Garber, afterward the governor of the State of Ne- 
braska, pushed on up the n^er to where Red Cloud 
now is, and made a settlement. Webster County 
was organized in 1871. Red Cloud is the countj- seat 
and largest town. Guide Rock. Blue Hill. Cowles 
and Ambov are located in Webster County. 



York County is aljout ninety miles west of the 
Missouri River, and about sixty from the south line 
of the State. The first settlement of Y'ork County 
was the establishment of five posts for purpose of 
furnishing supplies to travelers on what was known 
as the '-Old Government" or "California Trail." 
which led through the region now known as York 
County. The first permanent settlement was made 
in February, 1865, bj- John Anderson who, with his 
son William, took up homestead claims, and are 
honored as the pioneer settlers. Tlie county was 
organized in 1870. before that being a part of 
Seward County. At the same election the county 
seat was located at York, where it still remains. 
Bradshaw and Waco are other towns worthy of men- 
tion in York County. 

Within the past four years a numlier of new 
counties have been organized in the western and 
northwestern parts of the State. In 1880 Sioux 
County comprised within its limits aliout one-fifth of 
the entire superficial area of the State. The rail- 
roads had not as yet been built through that part of 
Nebraska, settlements were few and far between, 
and there was really but little need of count}- or- 
ganization. But the rapid development of the north 
and western portions of the State, brought about by 
the construction of many lines of railroad, has 
entirely changed the map of Nebraska. Out of 
Sioux County have been formed the counties of 
Sioux. Grant, Arthur, Hooker, McPherson, Keya 
Paha, Brown. Cherry, Sheridan, Dawes, Box Butte, 
Scott's Bluff, Deuel, Rock, Banner, Kimball and 
Logan. That part of Keith County lying south of 
the Platte River has also been erected into a separate 
county, known as Perkins Count}-, and the northern 
half of Dundy County gi^-eu a separate organization, 
and called Chase County. The settlement and or- 
ganization of these counties has been of too recent a 
date to admit of anything like a historical sketch. 
They are developing rapidly, and w-ill soon be as 
populous and wealthy as many of their older sister 
counties of Nebraska. 

Kearney County is situated in Southern Ne- 
braska, and has an area of 576 square miles. The 
history of the county dates back to 1848. when 
Fort Kearnev was established bv the government. 



Init the settlements made in and around this military 
post were of a tompoi-ary character. Permanent 
settlers be<ran to arrive in 1S07, and their numbers 
increased so rapidly that in 1S72 a permanent 
county organization was formed. Lowell was at 
that time the most important town and the county 
seat. In 1878, however, Minden was selected as 
the county seat. The other towns of Kearney 
County are Lowell and Newark. 

Thurston Ccninty is one of the newest counties 
of Nebraska. It was organized liy the Legislature 
of 1888-89, and was formed of the territory em- 
braced in the Omaha Indian Keservation. It is 
situated on the Missouri River, between Burt and 
Dakota Counties. 

Under the different treaties with Great Britain 
and France, America's right to the country north of 
the forty-second parallel — now the States of Oregon 
and Washington — was conceded. Texas was ad- 
mitted in 1845 and in 1848 California and the Ter- 
ritories of New Mexico and Utah had become a part 
of the LTnion. In this way the government acquired 
a vast territory, rich in agricultural and mining 
resources which would verj' materially increase the 
wealth and influence of the Nation if it could once 
l)e utilized. Commercially, it was rapidlj^ becoming 
necessarj- that some means for communication l^e- 
tween the East and the West should be provided. 
In all ages, mankind has sought the shortest, most 
expeditious and economical route to market. The 
Panama route superseded the route to California bj' 
the way of the Cape of Good Hope. The freighters 
across -the American Desert shortened the route 
asain, but the time came when, not shorter, but 
more expeditious means were essential. 

Politicallj-, also, it was seen to be necessary, as 
the breaking out of the late war demonstrated the 
fact that the isolation of California involved a peril 
to the Union. 

The necessity of building a railway connecting 
the East and the West had been recognized before 
this, however, and manj- plans had been proposed 
and rejected. In all the plans offered, Congressional 
.lid was contemplated and suggested, the only point 
of difference being the manner in which this aid 
should be siven. 



In 185.3-54 nine routes wire surveyed across the 
continent on various parallels between British 
America and Mexico, under the supervision of Jefter- 
sou Davis, then Secretary of War. Tiie results 
were submerged in the interests of the extrcnir 
southern line. It was thought impracticable to 
build a road through the central portion of the con- 
tinent because of the barriers in the way in the 
shape of the Rocky ^Mountains. There were engi- 
neers, however, who urged that the geography of the 
country and other features of excellence demon- 
strated, incontestibly, that the old Mormon trail up 
the north side of the Platte River was the most 
available. 

In June, 1857. a number of distinguished gentle- 
men from various portions of the United States 
visited Omaha, and confen-ed with interests and cor- 
porations having in view the construction of the 
Pacific road liy way of the Platte River and South 
Pass. They examined the city and vicinity, visited 
the Platte River, and united in recommending that 
an appeal to Congress be made for such reasonable 
grant of land and other aid as would give an impulse 
to the liuilding of the road. 

From the earliest days of the Territory, the 
people and official representatives of Nebraska 
favored the speedy completion of a line through the 
Valley of the Platte. By referring to the proceed- 
ings of the Legislature, it will be seen that this was 
one of the first and most cherished hopes of the new 
country. Every governor from Cuming to Saun- 
ders advocated the measure, and most urgent spirit 
was manifested throughout the decade from 1855 to 
1865. 

On January 2(t. 1858. the committee, which had 
been appointed to inquire into the subject, reported 
through Senator Gwin, of California, a bill which 
pi-oposed to locate the road at some point between 
the Big Sioux and Kansas Rivers to San Francisco. 
The bill provided for the donation of alternate sec- 
tions of land on each side of the route, and $12,500 
per mile, the same to be advanced upon the comple- 
tion of every twenty-fi\e miles of road, until 
$25,000,000 were reached; the amounts thus ad- 
vanced to be returned in mail senice and transpor- 
tation of men and munition of war ; 5 per cent of 




HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



75 



the stock to be issued, the President of the United 
States to receive bids and locate the road. The biU, 
however, was killed in the Senate. At the session 
in 1859-GO, another effort was made and a bill intro- 
duced into the house by Mr. Curtis, of Iowa. It 
provided for the construction of a road across the 
continent, with branches from two points on the 
navigable waters of the Missouri, to converge and 
unite within 200 miles of that stream, thence on to 
the navigable waters of the Sacramento. 

In January, 1859, a memorial was adopted liy 
the citizens of Omaha, and addressed to Congress, 
for a Pacific railroad up Platte A'alley. This docu- 
ment set forth the advantages of the central route 
very clearl}-. This was circulated throughout the 
Territory of Nebraska and being heartily approved, 
was forwarded to Washington. 

After a month's discussion of the Curtis bill 
and its amendments b}- Congress, a motion to strike 
out all after the enacting clause, and authorizing 
the President of the United States to receive liids to 
contract for the construction of three routes to the 
Pacific, same to be submitted to the XXXVIIth 
Congress, prevailed. 

Early in 18G2 the question was again agitated 
and plans began to take definite shape. On Feb- 
ruary 5, 18G2, Mr. Rollins, of Missouri, by unani- 
mous consent introduced a bill to aid in construct- 
ing a railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri 
River to the Pacific Ocean, and to secure to the 
government the use of same for postal, military and 
other purposes. It was substantially the same bill 
that Gen. Curtis had submitted the previous session. 
A number of amendments were offered and accepted, 
and the final vote in the House resulted in its adop- 
tion, and the bill was sent to the Senate for con- 
currence. After numerous amendments made by 
the Senate and accepted by the House, the bill was 
finallj' approved, and became a law July 1, 1862. 

Among other things for which this bill provided 
was that certain men, their names being given, to- 
gether with five commissioners, to be appointed by 
the Secretary of the Interior, were hereby created and 
erected into a body corporate and politic in law and 
deed , by the name, style and title of ' ' The Union 
Pacific Railroad Company.'' 



The bill further provided for the laying out and 
construction of a continuous railroad and telegraph 
line, with the appurtenances, from a point on the 
one hundredth meridian of longitude west of Green- 
wich, l)etween the south margin of the Republican 
River and the north margin of the valley of the 
Platte River, in the Territorj- of Nebraska, to the 
western boundary- of Nevada Teiritory ; for the 
amount of capital stock ; the appointment of com- 
missioners and other officers ; the election of direct- 
ors ; the right of way through puljlic lands ; the 
extinguishment of Indian titles ; the donation of 
alternate sections, except mineral lands ; the con- 
veyance of lands upon completion of forty consecu- 
tive miles of road, and the issue and pajTnent of 
l)onds therefor; the designation of the route of the 
road ; time of completion ; for the completion of the 
main line in 1876 ; the company to make annual 
reports containing names of stockholders and direct- 
ors, amount of stock subscribed, description of lines 
of road surveyed, and cost, receipts and expenses; 
also of general indebtedness. 

Subsequently an act amendatorj' of this act cre- 
ating the corporation was introduced into Congress, 
directing that the first meeting be held in Bryan 
Hall, in the city of Chicago, on the first Tuesday- of 
September, 1862. The objects of the meeting were 
the completion of the organization and the opening 
of subscription to the capital stock. The meeting 
was held as provided, Gen. A. R. Curtis presiding, 
with an attendance of tweuty-three commissioners. 
The convention was permanentlj^ organized bj' the 
election of W. B. Ogden, of Illinois, as president, 
and H. V. Poor, of New York, as secretary. A 
committee of thirteen was appointed to advise and 
co-operate with the officers, and the meeting ad- 
journed suliject to call of the president and secretary. 

On October 29, 1863, this great enterprise was 
formally organized at a meeting held in New York 
City, liy the election of a board of thirteen directors, 
on the part of the stockholders, and the appointment 
of two directors on the part of the government, as 
follows, pursuant to the charter : George Opdyke, 
John A. Dix, T. C. Duvant, E. W. Dunham, P. 
Clark, E. T. M. Gibson, J. F. D, Louier, G. T. M. 
Davis, A. G. Jerome, August Belmont, L, C. Clark, 



"IT"* 



TIlSTOItY OF NKP.IJASKA. 



Charles Tuttle, Henry Y. Poor, and George Gris- 
wold, New York City; J. Y. L. Pruyn, Albany; 
E. II. Eosekrans, Glens Falls; A. A. Lowe, San 
Francisco; W. B. Ogden and J. F. Tracy, Chicago; 
Nathaniel Thayer and C. A. Loml)ard, Boston; C. 
8. Bushucll, New Haven; J. H. Scranton, Scranton; 
J. Eilgar Thompson, Philadelphia; Ebenczer Cook 
and John E. Hi'nry, Davenport; II. T. ^IcComli, 
Wilmington, Del. ; Augustus Kontze, Omaha ; John 
J. Blair, Bclvidere, N. J.; and S. C. Pomeroy, 
Atchison, Kan. 

The question now arose as to what place the 
l)resitlent would select as the initial point of the 
road, and from the beginning it was asserted by 
many that Omaha or Council Bluffs offered superior 
advantages and inducements. In support of this 
conclusion, the advocates of these places argued that 
at that time four lines of railroads had been pro- 
jected and were in process of construction across the 
State of Iowa to points on the Jlissouri River — one 
with the avowed purpose of making Council Bluffs 
its western terminus. Another had abandoned its 
original plans and seemed to be making for the same 
point. Further, that there were many evidences 
that the Burlington & Missouri road, which was 
liuilt for a distance of 100 miles west of Burlington, 
would be diverged to a point as near as practicable 
to, but south of the Platte River. 

These arguments and considerations undoubtedly 
weighed the balance in favor of Omaha, for on 
Decemlx'r 2, 1SG3. the engineer of the road received 
'a telegram announcing that the President of the 
United States had fixed the initial point of the road 
on '-the western boundary of the State of Iowa" 
opposite Omaha, and directing him finally to ''break 
ground" and inaugurate the great -work of that 
day. 

At 2 o'clock, on the date indicated, impressive 
ceremonies were held at the grounds donated to the 
railway company by the city. The " first shovelful 
of earth ' was removed b\- Gov. Saunders, 3Iayor 
Kennedy, of Omaha, and Mayor Palmer, of Council 
Bluffs, amid the roar of artillery from either shore 
of the 31issouri. These proceedings were followed 
by addresses by Gov. Saunders, Mayor Kennedj-, A. 
J. Poppleton, and George Francis Train, of New 



York, the festivities concluding with a grand ban- 
quet and ball, and a general illumination of the city. 

Work was commenced at once, and progressed 
expeditiously and satisfactorily through 1864. To 
aid in the construction of the great National High- 
way, the United States government conferred upon 
the Union Pacific a magnificant land grant amount- 
ing to 12.0(10,000 of acres, or 19,000 square miles. 
These lands are contained in alternate sections of 
one square mile each, within a breadth of twenty 
miles on either side of the railroad, and extend 
along its entire line. 

The road had been located and placed under 
contract from the west bank of the ^lissouri Ri\er. 
a distance of 100 miles westerly, in the great valley 
of the Platte River, and surveys continued from that 
point to the one hundredth mcrjdian of longitude. 
But in the fall of 1864 Jesse L. Williams, one of the 
government directors, and Silas Seymour, consult- 
ing engineer of the road, visited this portion of the 
line entering the Great Platte A'alley at the crossing 
of the Elkhorn River, and on their return to New 
York united in a recommendation that the company 
change the location of the line between the Jlissouri 
River and the Platte ^'alley for the purpose of 
avoiding the heavy grades of eightj' feet per mile. 

The matter was laid before the board of directors 
at their meeting in January, 1865, when a resolu- 
tion was adopted approA'ing of the change, provided 
tlie facts assumed in the arguments of the govern- 
ment director and consulting engineer, in relation to 
the topograph}' of the countrv and feasibility of the 
proposed line, should be borne out by actual surveys. 
A sur^'ey of the proposed route was accordingly 
made, which showed results much more favorable 
than had been assured, and the work of grading 
was therefore suspended upon the old line, and 
commenced upon the new. 

This change was stronglj- protested against buth 
by Cbiiaha and bj- the Burlington & Jlissouri Rail- 
road Company ; the former, because it would in- 
jure their city by the proposed change of route, as 
rapid imj)ro\cmcnts had l)een made and a large 
amount of capital invested about that city and 
Council Bluffs with full faith that the location was 
permanent. The Burlington it .Missouri protested 



& - 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



i^ 



liecause the proposed change would encroach some- 
what on the territory and grants which had been 
appropriated to them to aid in the extension of their 
road. However, the proposed cliange of route was 
approved of bj' President Andrew Johnson on Sep- 
tember 23, 1865. While this acti(m was severelj- 
condemned by the citizens of Omaha and Council 
Bluffs, the lienefits to be derived liy the former city 
and the country around soon manifested themselves. 

During the winter of 1805 the track was laid as 
far west as Columbus. On Tuesday, March 13, 
18(56, it was announced that sixty miles of the road 
had been completed, and awaited examination by 
the commissioners of the government. This exam- 
ination took place April IG. 1866. In July, 1866, 
135 miles were announced as ready for the "cars" 
west of Omaha. 

While the Union Pacific had nearly crossed the 
plains of Nebraska, and was rapidly approaching 
the Rock}- Mountain range, the Central Pacific from 
the west was making equally gratifying headway. 
During the fall of 1867, the last and greatest of the 
tunnels of the western link was opened, and the 
crossing of the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the 
great Salt Lake Basin was effected. Early in 1868 
the Union Pacific pierced the rich mineral regions 
of the mountains, and eoutin\ied its movement 
toward the Pacific. 

The race between the Union and Central Pacific 
to liuild the greatest number of miles caused much 
rivalry and dissension, and proved very vexatious, 
if not damaging. The difficulties between the Union 
and Central Pacific were settled on April 9, 1860, 
imder the following circumstances: It seems that 
the railroad committee of the House of Representa- 
tives on that date, after a storm j- discussion, agreed 
to ask the passage of joint resolution, declaring that 
no bonds be issued to either corporation for the 
eighty-mile section between Ogden and Monument 



Point until Congress arrange for the junction of the 
two roads. 

In the meantime, and prior to the introduction 
of the resolution, the representatives of the two 
companies had met and arranged for the consolida- 
tion of the two lines. The junction was mutually 
agreed upon, and located at Promontorj' Point, be- 
tween Ogden and ^Monument Point. 

The completion of the road occurred on Monday, 
May 10, 1869. This event was celebrated with 
impressive ceremonies, amidst the rejoicings of a 
continent. 

In 1888 there were 4,902. 67 miles of railroad in 
Nebraska, valued at $25,574,431.00. From 1881 
to 1886 the increase in railroad building was grad- 
ual; but by 1887, 845. 72 miles were constructed, and 
1,072.58 miles the following year. That nearlj' 
5,000 miles of railways should have been built with- 
in the State in twenty-two j-ears from the commence- 
ment of the first road in 1864, and that, in 1888, 
the State, once a part of the ' ' Great American 
Desert," as mapped out by our earl}' geographers, 
should have railroads assessed for taxation at over 
$25,000,000, is a matter of wonder and astonish- 
ment. The names of the railroads within the State, 
as reported by the State Board of Equalization 
in 1888, are the Union Pacific, Burlington & Mis- 
souri River, Omaha & Southwestern, Nebraska, Re- 
publican Valley, Atchison & Nebraska, Lincoln & 
Northwestern, Nebraska & Colorado, Chicago, Ne- 
braska & Kansas, Omaha & Repuljliean Valle}-, St. 
Joseph & Grand Island, Sioux City & Pacific, Fre- 
mont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley, Chicago, St Paul, 
Minneapolis & Omaha, Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska, 
Republican Valley, Kansas & Southwestern, Grand 
Island «& Wyoming Central, Omaha & North Platte, 
Lincoln & Black Hills, (Lincoln & Black Hills un- 
operated), Kansas City & Omaha, Missouri Pacific, 
Oxford & Kansas and Pacific. 




\ 



A 



J^^ 



78 



HISTORY OF XKBRASKA. 



CHAPTER X. 



Nebraska's Impoktant Cities — Sketch op Their Progress and Development — Material Advantemext 
Noted — Character of Improvements — Present Interests — Attractions Offered — Lincoln, thk 
JrniciAL Center — Omaha, the Commercial Metropolis — Public Prosperity — Edu- 
cational Facilities — The Public School System — Early Enumera- 
tion — School Funds — Statistics — Denominational Insti- 
tutions OF Learning — Local Colleges. 



J 




JIaiiy things impossible to 
Have been by need to full 



JIONG the most interesting 
facts in the history ol any 
State are those relating to 
its principal commercial 
centers. The following con- 
cise reference to a number 
of important towns of Ne- 
'*w\l braska serves to indicate the rapid pro- 
^S^ gress made in the development of this 
EM- section of country. 

fe^ Beatrice, the county seat of Gage 
^C* County, is pleasantly' situated on rolling 
3!fl^r^ ground ou the Big Blue River, about 
three miles west of the geographical cen- 
-,-' : tre of the county. It was founded l\y a 
colony of emigrants in 1857. and named in honor 
of the daughter of Judge Kinney, a member of the 
colony. With the organization of the county that 
year it was made the seat of justice thereof, aud as 
such it still continues. In 1871 the first railroad, 
the Omaha & Southwestern, was completed to Beat- 
rice, and since then several other lines have been 
constructed, so that at this writing seven railroads 
lead out from the city. Prior to the comiiletion of 
the lirst road the growth of the place was slow, V)Ut 



thought 
perfection brought. — Drydcn. 

has since been rapid. Its first school house was 
built in 1862, and Mrs. Frances Butler was its first 
teacher. The first church organized in the place 
was the Methodist Episcopal, organized in 1857 or 
1858. The school and church privileges of the city 
are now extensive. The city contains manj- fine 
business blocks, several banks and man}- mercantile 
houses, and a population bordering near to 10,000. 

Blair, the seat of justice of Washington County, 
is situated on a beautiful plateau about two and a 
half miles west of the Missouri River, at the cross- 
ing of the St. Paul, Minnesota & Omaha, and the 
Sioux City & Pacific Railroads. The plateau was 
settled in 1855 by three brothers, Jacob, Alexander 
and T. JI. Carter. The town was founded and be- 
came the seat of justice in 1869, and in 1872 it was 
chartered as a city of the second class. Its first 
school was taught, and its first church (M. E.) estal> 
lished the year it was founded. It is now a pros- 
perous little city with several schools and churches 
and many mercantile houses, also banks and weekly 
newspapers. Its population reaches into the thou- 
sands. 

Columbus, Platte County's judicial center, is on 
Loup Kivcr. and on tlie Cnion Pacific, Lincoln & 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



'k^ 



Northwestern . ami Omaha & Black Hills Railroads. 
It was founded in 1856, by the Pawnee City Com- 
l)any and the Columbus Town Company consoli- 
dated, and was incorporated as a town in 1865, and 
became a eit}' of the second class in 1873. It has 
flourishing schools, prosperous churches, good so- 
ciety, manj- mercantile houses, banks, flne public 
buildings and public works, newspapers, and everj- 
thing constituting a growing j'oung city. 

Crete, situated on Blue River in the north- 
eastern part of Saline County, at the crossing of 
two lines of the Burlington & Missouri River Rail- 
road, was laid out and established in the summer 
of 1870, by J. C. Bickle and the town company 
of a railroad companj'. There were three or four 
buildings on the site when the town was laid out, 
and in the fall of 1870, there were seventeen. The 
railroad was completed to Crete in 1871, and then 
came a mighty impetus to the growth of the town. 
It was incorporated that year as a second class city, 
and it is now a prosperous place containing several 
thousand inhabitants, Doane College, a noted insti- 
tution of learning, good public schools, numerous 
churches, banks, newspapers, many mercantile 
houses, and several manufacturing establishments. 

Falls City, the county seat of Richardson Count}', 
in the southeast corner of the State, situated at the 
crossing of the Missouri Pacific and the Burlington 
& Missouri River Railroads, was settled and founded 
in 1857. It was incorporated as a citj- in 1860, 
and re-incorporated in 1867, having lost its first 
charter in 1863. It is now a prosperous little city 
of about 3,000 inhabitants, with good schools, a 
complement of churches, newspapers, banks, a few 
manufacturing establishments, numerous commercial 
houses, benevolent, religious and literarj' societies, 
etc, , etc. 

Fremont is the county seat of Dodge County. 
It is on the Platte River, and on the Union Pacific, 
at the western terminus of the Sioux Citj^ & Pacific, 
and also at the terminus or crossing of several other 
lines of railwaj', and was founded in 1856 by Pin- 
ncy, Barnard & Co. In 1860 it became the seat 
of justice for the countj'. It is distant from Omaha 
forty-seven miles, and from Lincoln fifty -two miles. 
The first court house, a two-story brick building. 



costing about $12,000, was erected in the winter of 
1867-68. The jail, costing about $15,000, was 
erected in 1875. The present court house, costing 
$60,000, was erected in 1889. The town was incor- 
porated as a city of the second class in 1871. It is 
the outlet or market place for the products of the 
rich valleys of the Platte and Elkhorn. The first 
church at Fremont — the Congregational — was organ- 
ized in 1857 by Rev. I. E. Heaton, and the first 
school was taught, in 1858, by Miss Charity Colson. 
Many denominations have since organized churches 
and erected comfortable and magnificent edifices, 
and the city contains two colleges, a large central 
and several other school buildings. It has the met- 
ropolitan features of a citj', having street cars, gas 
and electric lights, water works, granite paved 
streets, three daily, four weekly and two monthly 
newspapers, a most extensive creamery, six rail- 
roads, twenty-two passenger trains daily, fine public 
buildings, eleven chui-ches, eight school houses, free 
post delivery, five banks, a board of trade, numerous 
mercantile houses, and a large number of manufac- 
tories. 

Its public improvements alone for the year 1889 
were as follows: Court house, $60,000; city hall, 
$13,000; granite paving, $35,000; water works ex- 
tension, $35,000; high school building, $27,000; 
ward school building, $11,000; sti'eet railway im- 
provements, $5,000; streets and sidewalks, $2,500; 
parks, $3,000; railroad improvements, $8,000; elec. 
trie fire alai-m system, $2,000; total, $201,500. 
Fremont's population in 1880 was 3,031; in 1885 it 
was 5,600; on January 1. 1890. it was estimated at 
10,000. 

Grand Island, located on the north side of the 
Platte River (and onlj' a short distance from it), and 
at the crossing of the Union Pacific and the Bur- 
lington & Missouri River Railroads, in Hall Count}-, 
was founded in 1857 bj' a colony which started out 
from Davenport, Iowa, in May of that 3-ear. But 
little improvement, however, was made until the 
Union Pacific Railroad was completetl to that point 
in 1866. The town then began to grow, a postoffice 
was established, and other improvements immedi- 
ately followed. In 1869 a United States Land Office 
was established at Grand Island. In the spring of 






80 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ISTI! tlu' town was incorporated as a city. The fli'st 
church built therein was a German Roman Catholic, 
which was erected soon after the raih-oad survej- of 
tlie town in 18ti6. Many other denominations have 
since organized societies and erected edifices for 
woi-ship. Good schools were established early in 
the history of the city, and its educational facilities 
arc now of the fii-st class. The city contains fine 
public buildinjrs and public works, newspapers, 
banks, many mercantile houses, and all things nec- 
essar3' to constitute a flourishing place. 

Hastings, the county seat of Adams County, lo- 
cated on the Burlington & Jlissouri River Railroad, 
at the junction and crossing of several other railwa}- 
lines, was laid out and established in 1872, by the 
'• Hastings Town Site Company," on lands owned by 
Walter Micklin, a member of the compan}-, who 
made the fii-st improvement by erecting a sod house. 
The same year Samuel Alexander opened the fii-st 
business house in the town. The postoffice was es- 
tablished in the fall of that year. The city had a 
continuous and rapid growth from its inception, on 
account of which it became the seat of justice for 
the county in 1877. In April. 1874. it was declared 
an incorporated town, and before the year closed it 
became a city of the second class. With the begin- 
ning of the town, church soi'ieties were organized, 
and the first school was taught by iliss Phoebe Den- 
stoe in the spring of 1873. Space will not admit of 
specific mention of the phenomenal growth of the 
city. Suffice it to say that it has become a great 
railroad center, having the '■ Burlington " and its 
brani'hes. the Hastings & Oberlin line, the Hast- 
ings & Aurora line, the Chicago & Northwestern, St. 
Joseph & Grand Island and the 3Iissouri Pacific; also 
an educational center, having the Hastings (Presby- 
terian) College, the Sisters of A'isitatiou Academj- 
(Catholic), a fine high school, and several ward 
school Viuildings. There are eight churches, viz, : 
Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, 
Episcopal, Catholic, Evangelical Asssociation and 
German Evangelical. The city has five banks, a 
number of loan and trust companies, water works, 
street railways, gas and electric lights, free postal 
delivery, many business houses, a hospital, public 
library, newspapers, and all other requisites of a 



substantial city. The iin[)rovements in Hastings 
for the single j-ear of 1887 amounted to §1.450,595, 
The site of the city is a level plain, and the streets 
are wide and well paved, and cross at right angles. 
It contains many handsome business blocks, and the 
residences — from the palaces to the cottages — all 
have a neat and stylish appearance. The population 
is estimated at 12,000 or more. 

Kearney Junction, an impoitant point in the 
Platte River '\'allej' in Buti'alo County, on the 
Union Pacific Railroad, at the junction therewith of 
the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, was set- 
tled in 1871, and the same year the postollice was 
established there. The town was survej-ed in 1872. 
and l)oth railroads were completed to it that year. 
In the spring of 1873 it contained about twenty 
buildings, and in the fall of 1874, upon a vote of 
the people of the county, it liecame the county seat. 
In January. 1873, it was incorporated as a town, 
and in April. 1874. it was incorporated as a city. 
The first church in Kearney Junction was the 
Methodist Episcopal, organized in 1871 by Presid- 
ing Elder A. (J, White and Rev. A, Collins, at the 
residence of tlie latter. The Preslnterian and Con- 
gregational Churches were organized the following 
yeai'. and since that time several other churches 
have been organized. The first school was taught 
in 1872 by Miss Fanny Nevins, The city has now 
a large central and other school houses, banking 
institutions, public works, and all the requisites of a 
growing city of several thousand inhabitants. 

Lincoln, the capital of the State and county 
seat of Lancaster County, is situated on high rolling 
lands in the southeast part of the State about fifty 
miles west of the Missouri, ami thirty miles south- 
west of the Platte River at its nearest point. The 
first settlement on the site of the city was made in 
1863 by Elder J. M, Young and othere composing 
a colony. Soon after a town was founded and 
named Lancaster, which name it retained until 18t)7, 
when it was chosen as the capital of the State, and 
the name changed to ' • Lincoln, " At this time the 
town contained two country stores and four or five 
dwelling houses; and the county numbered about 
500 inhabitants. The State capitol was erected in 
18G8, and has since been enlarged. In October. 



J, 



'.[^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



81 



lS(i7, tlio survey of tlic city was complL'ted. The 
streets rumiiug east aiul west were named from the 
letters of the alphabet commencing with "A" on 
the south and extending to " U " ou the north, not 
inehiding the letter I. The streets running north 
and south were numbered from First on the west to 
Seventeenth on the east, making thirtj'-seven sti'eets, 
with an average length of one and a quarter miles, 
or an aggregate of about fortj'-six miles. The site, 
however, was cut into by a reservation on the north- 
west corner of about twenty acres, and another pene- 
trating from the northeast as far as street to the 
south and Fourteenth to the east. The four blocks 
bounded by H and K and Fifteenth and Sixteenth 
Streets were reser\'ed for the capitol, another tract 
of the same size bounded b}- R and T and Tenth and 
Twelfth Streets was reserved for the State University, 
and the blocks bounded by D and F and Sixth and 
Eighth Streets were reserved for a park. Reser\a- 
tious of one lilock each were made for a court house. 
State Historical Soeietj- and a market square. All 
churches applying had a reservation of three lots 
set apart to them. The lilocks were 300 feet square 
and laid out into twenty-four business, or twelve 
resident lots, with a frontage of twenty-five and 
fifty feet. The streets were 100 feet wide with the 
exception of D, J, O, S, Seventh, Eleventh and 
Fifteenth, which were 120 feet wide and called 
avenues. 

The first church in Lincoln, the Congregational, 
was organized in August, 1866; and the first school 
was taught in 1867, by G. W. Peck. In April, 
1868, the town was incorporated, and in 1871 it was 
chartered as a city. At this writing, 1890, it is 
only twenty-seven j-ears since the site of the city 
was first settled by white men, and only twenty- 
three j'ears since it was surveyed for a town. Not- 
withstanding this short period of time, it is now the 
railroad, political and educational centre of the 
State. Among the industries, religious and educa- 
tional institutions of the city are the following: 
Eleven banks, the State fair, sevent}- factories, 
twenty-six schools, three great universities, three 
public liliraries, thirty-eight churches, sixty-eight 
wholesale houses, thirteen temperance unions, seven 
liuilding brick works, twelve miles of paved streets. 



the best paper mill in the west, twenty miles of san- 
itar}- sewer, ten miles of storm water sewers, thirty- 
one miles of street railway, three immense paving 
brick works, doubled in population in three years, 
strong gas and electric light companies, eighteen 
newspapers and periodicals, the finest residences in 
the State of Nebraska, a government building cost- 
ing a quarter of a million, five street ear companies, 
one with a capital of $1,000,000, six hundred tele- 
phones, connected with fifty-seven towns in Ne- 
braska and sixty-si.K in Iowa, stock yards and two 
large beef and pork packing houses, the onl}' con- 
servatory of music west of Chicago, the finest pot- 
tery on the globe, the products of which go to either 
ocean, the finest soap factorj- in the A\'est, the largest 
tannery in Nebraska. 

Lincoln is rapidlj' taking a foremost position in 
the great Northwest as a manufacturing centre. 
Its wonderful shipping facilities, with twelve di- 
verging lines of railway radiating in every direction, 
connect it with the railway systems of the entire 
country-. Its population is estimated by the local 
press at 60,000, but this is probably too high at this 
time. 

Nebraska City, the seat of justice of Otoe 
County, lies on the west bank of the Missouri River. 
about sixty miles south of Omaha, Neb., and 110 
miles north of St. Joseph, JIo. Its site was first 
occupied about the yenv 1844, by a companj- of 
United States Dragoons who afterward erected there- 
upon a block house, a log cabin for the officers, and 
a hospital. The place was sul)sequently occupied 
by the United States Fur Company-. It was per- 
manently settled about 1852 b}- the Boulwares and 
Hiram P. Downs, the original proprietors of the 
site. The town was surveyed and laid out in 1854, 
and the following j-ear it was incorporated. In 
1856 the second land office in the State was estab- 
lished at Nebraska Citj'. The first regular preach- 
ing in the place was by Rev. W. D. Gage, a Metho- 
dist missionary, in the spring of 1854, and the first 
school was taught in the spring of 1855. On the 
organization of Otoe County-, in 1855, Nebraska 
Citj' was made the county seat thereof. This city is 
now one among a numlter of cities each of which 
claims to be the third in size in the State. For 



^ 



- > n ; 



^, 



82 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



IrMiisporlMtion it luis tlio ailvantufjcs of the river and 
five ilivcriiiii^- liiK's of railway. It has all tlu' requi- 
sitos of a luoiU'rii city. 

Nortli Platte, in Lineoln County, is situated be- 
tween the North and South Platte Rivers, just above 
their junetion, and on the Union Pacific Railroad. 
Tile town was laid out in 1800, about the time of 
tlie ef)mpletion of the railroad to this point. A post- 
otliee was established, and a newspaper, The Pioneer 
on Wheels, was published, and the town began at 
once to grow. In 18G7 it became the seat of justice 
for tiie county. The same year the Union Pacific 
began the erection of their machine shops and round 
houses, which gave the place an impetus for growth. 
North Platte is now a flourishing little city of several 
thousand inhabitants, well supplied with churches, 
schools and business of all kinds. 

Omaha, the commercial metropolis of Nebraska, 
and the county seat of Douglas County, is situated 
on the west bank of the Missouri River, opposite to 
Council Blufl's, Iowa. Its site was first settled in 
1854, and the same j-ear it was surveyed and laid 
out into 320 blocks, each being 264 feet square, in- 
tersected by streets 100 feet wide, except Capitol 
Avenue and Nebraska Avenue, now called Twenty- 
first Street, which were made 120 feet wide, but 
which were given no alley in the lilocks on each side 
of them. The lots were staked out 00x132 feet, ex- 
cept the business lots, which were made 22 feet wide. 
Three squares were reserved — Capitol Square, 600 
feet; Jctfersou Square, 264x280 feet, and Washing- 
ton Square, 264 feet square. A park of seven 
l)locks, bounded by Eighth and Ninth and Jackson 
and Davenport Streets, was laid out, but afterward 
given up to business purposes. 

During the year 1855 Rev. Mr. Koulmer and 
otheis preached at stated periods at Omaha, and 
soon thereafter church societies began to be organ- 
ized. The first public school was opened in Novem- 
ber, 1859, and A. D. Jones, J. H. Kellum and Dr. 
G. C. Monell, composed the first school board. 
They employed Howard Kennedy, who taught the 
first school in the old Capitol building. The year 
1860 found Omaha with one high and three subor- 
dinate schools. At this time the city was estimated 
to contain about 1,500 buildings and 4,000 inhab- 



itants — a marvelous growth for its short existence. 
Of church organizations there were then about a 
dozen. During this year the city debt was reduced 
to $46,000, and lousiness was prosperous. From 
the beginning of the Civil War of 1861-65 until 
December, 1863, when the first ground was broken 
on the site of the city, by a pick in the hands of 
George Fi-ancis Train, for the Union Pacific Rail- 
way, which event gave it a new impetus and insured 
its future great success, Omaha's growth was not 
very marked. 

Immediately following the close of the war a 
■' boom " took place in the building up of Omaha. 
The restoration of peace and the construction of its 
coming railroads induced many immigrants to settle 
there. In January', 1867, the Northwestern Rail- 
road was completed to the city, being the first line 
to give it an eastern outlet. The growth of the city 
was so rapid that in 1870 its population reached 
16,000. During the next decade its growth was 
somewhat retarded by the financial panic of 1873, 
but notwithstanding this fact its population was 
more than doubled. Its most rapid growth , however, 
has been during the decade closing with 1800. To 
show the extent and wonderful growth, the following 
is taken from the Omaha Daily Bee, of Januarj-, 
1890: 

'•Omaha, with a population of 120,000, covers 
an area of twentj'-four and two-thirds square miles. 
It has 103 miles of graded streets, of which fifty- 
two miles are covered with pavement. The sewer- 
age system of Omaha has a mileage of seventy-two 
and two-thirds miles. The total cost of these im- 
provements up to December 31, 1889, aggregates 
15,619,954.14. Its street railways, water works, 
gas works and electric light works arc owned and 
operated by chartered corporations. Its street 
railways have a trackage of eighty-six miles. The 
waterworks company has laid 120 miles of mains, 
and 1,113 fire hydrants are now in use. The gas 
company has laid fortj' miles of gas mains, and 
lights tlie public thoroughfares with 820 lamps. 
One hundred and twenty electric arc lamps have 
been contracted for by the city, and 5G0 gasoline 
lamps are in use in the outskirts. 

" Tile board of public wovks reports public ini- 



(5 r- 



^ 



^1 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



83 



provcments during 1889 aggregating $846,665.95. 
These expenditures represent nineteen miles of curb- 
ing, costing $77,415.25; six and seven-tenths miles 
of sewers, costing $103,668.61; eleven miles of p.iv- 
ing, costing $483,482.09; twentj'-two and three- 
tenths miles of grading, costing $182,000. The 
cost of sidewalks laid during the year approximates 
$112,000. The amount expended on park improve- 
ments was $55,000. 

" The franchised corporations, including rail- 
ways, street railway company, waterworks, gas and 
electric lighting companies, have expended $2,010.- 
666 in 1889 in improvements within the city. The 
public improvements in South Omaha for the same 
period are computed at $140,000, making an aggre- 
gate of expenditure for public improvements during 
the year of $3,160,325.75. 

" The building record of the year includes 1,918 
buildings of all grades, costing in the aggregate 
$7,064,556. Of these structures ninety-six were 
business blocks, mills and factories costing in excess 
of $2,500 each, 336 were residences costing in ex- 
cess of $2,500, 1,434 were stores, dwelling and mis- 
cellaneous buildings, ranging in cost below $2,500 
each, and twenty-two were churches and school- 
houses, ranging in cost from $10,000 to $100,000. 
There were also 106 buildings erected in South 
Omaha, aggregating in cost $412,106, and fift3'- 
eight residences were erected in Dundee place, 
which, including other improvements, represent an 
outlay of $383,000. The expenditures for the com- 
pletion of business blocks under way at the com- 
mencement of the year was $750,000. This swells 
the aggregate expenditures for building improve- 
ments made during 1889 to a grand -total of $8,609,- 
662. In other words, Omaha has expended $11.- 
802 ,957. 75 for public improvements, packing houses, 
factories, banking and business houses, school 
buildings, churches and dwellings, and erected 
2,082 new buildings of everj- description during the 
year. 

' ' Omaha's commercial growth is exhibited by 
its wholesale trade, bank clearings and industrial 
statistics. The capital of the Omaha banking houses 
aggregates $5,100,000, and their deposits amount 
to $18,343,734. The clearing house record pre- 



sents a fair index of the volume of business trans- 
acted in Omaha, and affords conclusive proof of its 
commercial supremacy. The clearings of 1889 ag- 
gregate $208,681,000, as against $174,700,761 the 
preceding year. 

' ' Omaha maintains its rank as the third largest 
pork market in America, atid its beef packing in- 
dustry has more than trebled within the last two 
years. The number of hogs packed during the past 
year was 931 ,478, the number of beeves slaughtered 
was 113,307, and the total of all kinds of stock 
killed and packed foots up 1.303,765, as against 
1,078,785 in 1888. 

' ' The manufacturers of Omaha have turned out 
products to the value of $23,515,000, an increase of 
over two millions over the preceding year. This is 
exclusive of the products of the packing industries 
of South Omaha, which exceed $13,000,000, and 
which will swell the grand total of Omaha's indus- 
trial products in round figures to over $37,000,000. 

" The wholesale trade of Omaha has materiallv 
increased in volume, and the jobbers have extended 
their territor3' considerably during the past year. 
The sales of the wholesale dealers, exclusive of 
products manufactured in Omaha, amount to 
$44,910,000." 

The banking capital of the city amounts to 
$6,000,000. There are fifty-two public school- 
houses, four colleges, three Catholic academies, 
nine parochial, and a number of other schools with- 
in the city. There are also ninety-four church or- 
ganizations divided among various denominations. 
The city is a metropolis of the great Northwest. 

Plattsmouth, the county seat of Cass County, is 
situated on the west liank of the Missouri River, a 
short distance below the mouth of the Platte Ri\-er. 
In 1819, Long's exploring expedition, with the 
'' Western Engineer," the first steamer on the Mis- 
souri, was sent by the government to explore the 
great river and the regions between it and the Rck'Uv 
Mountains, leaving St. Louis, Mo., in July, reacli- 
ing the mouth of the Platte September 17. 

The traders and trappers presumably crossed the 
Platte at various times during the twenty j'ears fol- 
lowing, but the next visit to that section, of which 
there is historic record is that of Fremont, in 1842, 






-rf s 



A 



84 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



his expedition camping for one iiiglit on the projeetr 
iug bliifl' just below the present site of Plattsmouth, 
the place still retaining the name of Fremont's Point. 

About tlie 3-ear of 1848, a Mormon liy the name 
of Libeas T. Coon established a ferrj- — a flat-))oat 
propelled l)y sweeps — across the Missouri, landing 
in the vicinity of this point, on the Xel)raska side, 
for the con\enienee of the Saints, whose exodus to 
tiie far West was in full progress. In this manner 
a highway became established along the south bank 
of the Platte, but no settlements were made below 
that river and along the Missouri for some years, the 
territory being occupied by the Pawnees and Otoes, 
and the Indians protected in their rights by the 
(Government, forts flanking the Missouri and no one 
Iteing allowed to remain on Nebraska soil without a 
special permit from the Secretary' of War. 

The first permit of this kind as regards Cass 
County was obtained liy Samuel Martin, who had 
been living on the east bank of the Missouri, to 
establish a trading post at or near the confluence 
of the two rivers. Accordingly, verj' early in the 
spring of 1853, he brought o\'er on the ice the logs 
of his house in Iowa, and, with the assistance of 
James O'Neil and Col. J. L. Sharp, erected a sub- 
stantial two-story building, afterward known as the 
"Old Barracks," for a trading house, and, shortly 
subsecpient, a smaller one for a council house. The 
following year the Plattsmouth Town Company, 
consisting of Martin, O'Neil, Sharp and others, 
was organized, and bj' them the town was laid out. 
An act of the Legislature of the Territorj', approved 
March 14, 1855, defined the boundaries of Cass 
County, made Plattsmouth the county seat thereof, 
and provided for its incorporation. The postoflice 
at Plattsmouth was established in the fall of this 
year. The first merchant was Samuel Martin, with 
his "trading post." The first school here was 
taught in 1S5G, by Miss Mary Stocking, and the 
first church. Baptist, was organized the same year; 
the next, Methodist, was organized the following 
j'ear. The cit3' is now well supplied with schools 
and churches, also with sevei-al newspapers, socie- 
ties, extensive and substantial l)uildings, manufac- 
t<n-ies, etc. Its population in 1880 was 4,180; it is 
now proljably double that amount or more. It is a 



pro.sperous cit}' and bids fair to maintain its promi- 
nence. It is twenty-one miles below Omaha ami 
thirty miles north of Nebraska City. For transpor- 
tation it has the advantages of the river and the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the 3Iissouri 
River Railroads. 

Among other young and ambitious cities of Ne- 
braska, each of which numbers its inhabitants by 
tlie thousands, and strives to take front rank in the 
great march of progress, mention may be made of 
the following: Seward, the seat of justice of the 
county of the same name, is quite a railroad centi-e. 
having six lines of railway diverging from it. 
York, the county seat of York Count}-, also has six 
lines of railway diverging from it, and so has 
■\\'ahoo, the county seat of Saunders Count}-. Ash- 
land, Auburn, Aurora, Brownville, Central City. 
David City, Fairbury, Fairfield, Friend, Norfolk. 
North Bend, Pawnee City, Ponca, Red Cloud, 
Schuyler, Sidney, St. Paul, Sutton, Tecumseh, Teka- 
mah. West Point, Wilber, Wymore, and some other 
places also deserve mention as prosperous little cities. 

Nebraska may well be proud of her educational 
facilities. An act entitled '-Common schools," 
passed liy tlie Territorial Legislature, and approved 
January 2G, 1855, was the origin of the pulilie 
school sj-stem of the State. The first State report 
of the schools was made January 5, 1857, by the 
State auditor, ex-officio commissioner of education; 
but as the system was yet in its infancy, the report 
contains nothing worthy of note here. The next 
report was made b}- State Auditor W. E. Harvey in 
January, 1861, showing nineteen counties returned, 
in which there were eight3--four precincts and 139 
suli-districts. There were 3,703 males and 3.272 
females enumerated, making a total of 7.041 chil- 
dren of school age. These were attendant upon 
four high and 104 primary schools, of the pulilic 
S3stem, and twent}--three private institutions, gi^'ing 
a total of 131 schools of all classes. The higli 
schools contained 376 pupils, of whom 227 were 
males; the primary schools held an enrollment of 
2,554, of whom 1,377 were males. This showed an 
enrollment of 2,930 out of au enumeration of 7,041. 
There were two male and two female teachers in 
the high schools, and thirtv-six males and seven- 



f 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



85 



ty-four females in the piimtuies, besides eightmales 
and seventeen females in the select schools, or 139 
teachers all told. The school-houses numbered thir- 
ty-four, with a total value of all property of $9,748. 
The aggregate of wages paid was $-1,772, and the 
aggregate of expeudituros reached $8,214. 

Under the act of Jauuar}- 13, 1860, an appor- 
tionment was made and an enumeration taken of 
'■ the unmarried white youth" of the Territory. The 
result of this for the year ISCO, and the apportion- 
ment of money for the year of 1861, were: 

COUNTIES. NO. ENROLLED AMOnST. 

Burt 115 1)5153 08 

Calhoun 17 

Cass I.IOC) 

Cedar 78 

Clay 74 

Cuming 26 

Dakota 300 

Di.xon 77 

Dodge 87 

Douglas 889 

Gage 130 

Johnson 124 

Nemaha 917 



1,000 


00 


38 


10 




150 


30 


30 


43 


80 


04 


1,000 


00 


47 


12 


01 


43 


700 


00 



Otoe 1,222 1,491 35 

Pawnee 249 -106 65 

Richardson 029 500 00 

Sarpy 393 500 00 

Washington 452 43138 

Platte 153 55 25 



Total 7,041 S6,352 23 

The enal)ling act of Congress, approved April 
19, 1864, under which Nebraska afterwards became 
a State, provided that Sections 16 and 36 in every 
Congressional township should be donated to the 
State for the support of common schools, and that 
if any portion or portions of these sections had pre- 
viously been conveyed, other lands equivalent 
thereto should be donated in their stead. It further 
provided that seventy-two other sections of land 
should be set apart and reserved for the use and 
support of a State University, to be appropriated 
and applied as the Legislature of the State might 
prescribe for the purpose. It also provided that 
five per centum of the proceeds of the sales of all 
public lands lying within the State, which had been 
or should be sold by the United States prior or sub- 
sequent to the admission of the State into the Union, 
after deducting all expenses incident to the same, 
should be paid to the State for the support of the 
common schools. These were the provisions of the 



general government made for the education of the 
people of the State, and were far more liberal than 
the donations made for the same purpose to Indiana, 
Illinois, ^Missouri and other States, to which Section 
16 only, in each township, was donated. 

The sources from whence come the perpetual 
funds for common school purposes, of which the 
annual interest or income onlj- can be appropriated, 
are: 1. Such per centum as has been or may be 
granted b}' Congress on the sale of lands within the 
State. 2. Moneys arising from the sale or leasing 
of Sections 16 and 36 in each township. 3. The 
proceeds of all lands granted to the State, not other- 
wise appropriated by the terms of the grant. 4. 
The net proceeds of escheats, forfeitures, or from 
unclaimed dividends or distributive shares of the 
estates of deceased persons. 5. All moneys, stocks, 
bonds, lands and other property already belong- 
ing to the common school fund. 6. All the rents 
on unsold school lands, and the interest on deferred 
payments on school lands sold. All fines, penal- 
ties and license moneys arising under the general 
laws of the State, shall belong to the counties where 
the same is levied. All such moneys arising under 
the ordinances of cities, villages or towns, shall be- 
long to the same respectively. 

All of these funds are j^rincipals of a perjutual 
fund which can never legally be diminished, but 
which will continue to increase. That arising from 
the sale of lands will increase until the last acre 
shall have been sold, and the last dollar of the pro- 
ceeds belonging to the fund paid into the treasury; 
then it will become a fixed and permanent amount, 
to be diminished onl}' by insufficient securities. 
That arising from escheats, forfeitures, fines, penal- 
ties, etc. , will contine to increase as long as men 
continue to die and leave estates, or forfeit bonds. 
or commit crimes. 

The amount of the perpetual school fund derived 
from the foregoing sources, and belonging to the 
State, November 30, 1888, as shown by the last pub- 
lished report of the State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, was $5,947,724.30, being an increase 
over the amount belonging to the State two j'ears 
prior thereto of $1,043,605.09. The increase from 
1884 to 1886 was $92,602.40. Thus it is seen that 



s > 



-> gX 



>> 



86 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



this fund is rapidly increasing. There are about 
two and one-half niillii)ns of acres of the common 
sclidol lands in the State yet unsold. From the sale 
of these lands, all of which will eventually be sold, 
and from the other sources of income, the perpetual 
fund is destined to reach an enormous sum, perhaps 
larger than that of the school fund of any other 
State in the Union. The interest of the perpetual 
school funds, and the rents and profits of the unsold 
school lands, are collected annually and ajipropriatcd 
to the support of the common schools. 

The school law of the State provides for the free 
instruction in the common schools of all persons be- 
tween the ages of five and twenty-one years, and 
that no sectarian instruction shall be allowed in any 
school or institution supported wholly, or partially, 
by the public funds set apart for educational pur- 
poses. Every organized county is divided into 
school districts, and each corporate cit}- of 1,500 or 
more inhabitants constitutes one school district. 
Unless otherwise specified, twenty days constitutes 
a school month, and the minimum length of the 
school year is three months. In all schools under 
State control, instruction must be given, in addition 
to the other branches taught, in physiology and hy- 
giene, with special reference to the efl'ects of alcoholic 
drinks and other stimulants and narcotics upon the 
human system. For the support of the free schools, 
in addition to the income from the permanent school 
fund, an annual tax is levied, not to exceed one and 
one-half mills upon the dollar valuation of all the 
taxable property of the State. The income thus de- 
rived is apportioned semi-annually by the State su- 
perintendent to the several counties in the State, in 
proportion to the last enumeration of school children. 

The law also provides that the voters of any 
school district may annually level a local tax for 
school purposes, not exceeding 25 mills on the dol- 
lar, 10 mills of which may be used for the building, 
purchase, or lease of school houses. For the bene- 
fit of persons desiring to teach in the common 
schools, a State Normal School, and State and 
county normal institutes, are maintained. The law 
also provides for a county superintendent of schools 
and district school boards. The State Normal 
School and State University, lioth of which belong 



tr) the common school system, are treated of else- 
where in this work under the head of State Institu- 
tions. 

To show the condition of the schools, and thi> 
workings of Nebraska's educational sj'stem since the 
State was organized, the following statistical facts 
are inserted, giving the figures for 1870. ISSO and 
1888, the latter date being the last for whidi an 
otticial report has been published. It will be inter- 
esting also to compare the figures for 1870, wuth 
those giving the condition of the schools in 18G1 , as 
stated on a former page: 

Number of counties organized in 1870, iil; in 
1880, 64; in 1888, 80. Number of school districts 
in 1870, 797; in 1880, 3,132; in 1888, 5,CG4. 
Number of school houses in 1870, 298; in 1880, 
2.701; in 1888, 5,187. Children of school age in 
1870, 32,789; in 1880, 142,348; in 18S8, 298,006. 
Average number in each district in 1870, 41; in 
1880,44; in 1888,52. Number of children attend- 
ing school in 1870, 12,791; in 1880, 92,549; in 
1888, 215,889. Per cent of attendance in 1870, 
39; in 1880, 65; in 1888, 73. Number of male 
teachers in 1870, 267; in 1880, 1,670; in 1888, 
2,752. Number of female teachers in 1870, 269; 
in 1 880, 2 ,430 ; in 1 888 , 7 , 1 34. Number of graded 
schools in 1870, — ; in 1880, 70; in 1888, 343. 
Total wages paid male teachers in 1870, $26,650; 
in 1880, 8242,334; in 1888, $557,113.87. Total 
wages paid female teachers in 1870, $31,088; in 
1880, $306,805; in 1888, $1,142,670.74. Average 
wages per month, males, in 1870, §28.10; in 1880, 
$36.12. Average wages per month, females, in 
1870, $33.72; in 1880, $31.92. Value of all school 
property in 1870, $178,604.34; in 1880, $2,064,- 
768; in 1888, $5,123,179.81. Total receipts in 
1870, $167,597.95; in 1880, $1,294,137; in 1888, 
$3,550,488.78. Total expenditures in 1870, $163,- 
931.84; in 1880, $1,249,793; in 1888, $3,238,- 
241.89. Total indebtedness in 1870, $31,657.09; 
in 1880, $1,008,799; in 1888, $2,069,598.92. 

These facts, in addition to the information per- 
taining to the common schools, serve to show how 
the State has tleveloped; how the counties, school 
districts and school children have increased, A 
notable feature is the increase in the per cent of 



■ is 



liL 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



87 



school cbiklren that attended the free schools, it be- 
ing seventy-three in the year 1888, which is higher 
than that found in several of the older States. An- 
other interesting feature Is that showing the increase 
of female over male teachers emploj-ed. The table 
is especially valualile to persons interested in educa- 
tional matters. It shows the gigantic achievements 
of the young and enterprising State in regard to 
education. 

The statutes of Nebraska designate the twenty- 
second day of April as Arbor Day. This day was 
originated in Nebraska in 1872, and since that date 
there has been planted within the State, as shown 
liy statistics, the enormous number of 355,560.000 
forest, shade and fruit trees. In no part of the 
countrj' is it of more importance than in this prairie 
State to plant trees. By inducing the children to 
oliserve Arbor Da}-, thej' can be taught to observe 
and study the growth and habits of ti-ees. Many of 
our native American trees, in twenty years after be- 
ing transplanted, will attain a diameter of twenty 
inches. In consequence of the observance of Arbor 
Da}-, many a citizen of the State, when he shall 
have grown old, will point with satisfactory pride to 
the majestic tree that his hands set out when he 
was a school boy. 

Brownell Hall was begun as a school for girls 
l)y the Rt. Rev. Joseph Talbot, missionary bishop 
of the Northwest, in 1865, at a place called Saratoga, 
a couple of miles north of the city of Omaha. In 
the year 1868 it was moved into the city to a site 
on the corner of Sixteenth and Jones Streets, and 
incorporated as a seminary by the Rt. Rev. Robert 
H. Clarkson, bishop of Nebraska, and others under 
the title of the Board of Trustees of Brownell 
Hall. It was named in honor of Bishop Brownell, 
who was then the bishop of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church in the Ignited States. Bishop Clarkson was 
rector of the school from 1868 until 1870, when the 
present rector, Rt. Rev. Robert Doherty, S. J. D. , 
was elected. The first site chosen in the city was 
contracted and unsuitable, consisting of only one 
hundred feet frontage, and on a hillside so steep as 
to be of unsafe approach by carriage. The Iniild- 
ing was of wood, old and dilapidated, and the whole 
value of the property was less than the debt. 



The present buildings were erected in the year 
1886, on a site donated by 3Ir. Herman Kountze, 
mainly by contributions from citizens of Omaha. 
Their cost thus far, including furniture — the south 
wing yet unfinished — is about $100,000. The 
chapel, St. Matthias Church, was completed this 
year, 1890, at an additional cost of $41,000. The 
buildings are of .stone, brick and iron; the inside of 
wood polished. The site is a beautiful eminence on 
Tenth Street, overlooking the whole city and com- 
manding a view of the river and woocfed terraces of 
Iowa and Nebraska for several miles. The faculty 
is large and able, and the course of instruction is 
thorough. The school is prosperous in numerical 
attendance, is out of debt, and is paying its run- 
ning expenses. It maintains a reputation generallv 
for doing good, thorough, honest educational work. 

The Bellevue College, at Bellevue, Neb., nine 
miles south of Omaha, on the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad, has a location of historic interest, 
of delightful view, and of commanding advantage. 
It is controlled by the Presbyterian Synod of Ne- 
braska, with its property rights vested in an incor- 
porated board of trustees. It was established by 
the generosity of the Hon. H. J. Clarke, now of 
Omaha. His gifts were 264 acres of laud, the ele- 
gant three-story brick college building, Clarke Hall, 
and large donations to the salaiies of the professors 
and other necessities during the first year of the in- 
stitution. The college opened with fourteen stu- 
dents on September 10, 1883; it has now a large 
attendance, and its outlook for the future brightens 
more and more. 

Creighton College. — It was the dying request of 
Edward Creighton, one of Omaha's early settlers, 
that his wife, the late Mrs. Mary Creighton, should 
endow a free college in Omaha for the education of 
youth without regard to creed or color. His wish 
was complied with, and Creighton College was the 
result. It was erected in 1877, and was incorpo- 
rated by an act of the Legislature February 27, 
1879, with power to •• confer such degrees as are 
usually conferred by colleges and universities in the 
United States," and in the same year it was en- 
trusted, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop James O'Connor, 
D. D., to the fathers of. the Society of Jesus, by 



"r^ 



, 4s — «- 



88 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



whom it is conducted. In religions triuning tlie 
Catholic religion alone is taught; but non-Catholic 
students are welcome, and their religious opinions 
are studiously respected. No students are admitted 
under twelve years of age, and none for a less term 
than ten months. The tuition is entirely free. The 
attendance for the last 3X'ar was 195, an increase of 
twenty over the previous year. The college campus 
is extensive. The library contains 0,500 volumes. 
The scientific laboratory- is the most complete in 
the West. 

The college liuilding is large and commodious. 
Its left wing was erected in 1SS9, at a cost of about 
$25,000, largely owing to Mr. John A. Creighton, 
brother of the founder. In connection with the col- 
lege, as its chapel, is St. John's Collegiate Church, 
a beautiful stone building, not full}- completed at this 
writing. The college faculty consists of eleven pro- 
fessors and instructors, with Rev. Thomas S. Fitz- 
gerald, S. J. , as president. The course of study is 
complete and the instruction exhaustive. 

Doane College, located at Crete, in Saline County, 
was established by the Congregational Churches of 
Nebraska in June, 1872, and is therefore the oldest 
existing college in the State. '• Its growth has been 
steady and healthful. From a dozen students and 
one teacher the first year, it has advanced to an 
annual attendance of 200 students and a corps of 
ten teachers. There are two full college courses, 
classical and scientific, each of four jears. The 
preparatorj' course is for three years. There is a 
normal department for those wishing to prepare 
themselves for the teacher's profession. " A con- 
servatory of music is connected with the college. 
Boswell observatory-, built in 1883, is the central 
station of the Nebraska weather service. The col- 
lege cabinet contains about fourteen hundred species 
of animals from all parts of the world; an 
herbarium of between two and three thousand 
species of plants, mostly from the United States and 
Kurope, and good collections of minerals, rocks and 
fossils. There are also zoological and anatcimical 
collections. 

Fairfield College, located at Fairfield, in Clay 
County, was founded in 188-t as the result of an 
action of the State Missionary Society of the Chris- 



tian Churcli, the object being to furnish opportuni- 
ties to both sexes for higher education. The officers 
of the board of trustees were J. P. Nixon, president; 
Ira Titus, treasurer, and W.' J. Newcomb, financial 
agent and secretarj-. The presidents of the institu- 
tion have been C. W. Henry from 1884 to 18S7, 
W. P. Aylsworth from 1SS7 to 1889, O. C. Hubble 
from 1889 to the present (1890). In 1889 the in- 
stitution was re-incorporated as Fairfield College, 
the original name failing longer to indicate the scope 
of the work, while the management was placed in 
the hands of a board more local in its nature. The 
propert}' of the institution consists of several hun- 
dred acres of fine land adjoining the cit}-, much of 
which lies within the corporate limits. 

In 1886 a fine brick structure was erected at a 
cost of upward of $100,000. It stands on a com- 
manding site east of the citj- in the College addi- 
tion. The courses of study are the classical, philo- 
sophical, biblical, normal and business, with an ex- 
cellent musical department under the management 
of Prof. E. R. Gajlord. The last catalogue shows 
an enrollment of 112 pupils, with eight professors 
and instructors. The high moral atmosphere of the 
cit3', the absence of saloons and other places of vice, 
and its favorable location at the junction of the 
St. Joseph & Grand Island and the Kansas Cit}' & 
Omaha Railroads, all conspire to a suitable place 
for such an institution. 

The Hastings College was founded in 1879, un- 
der the care and control of the Kearnej- Presbytery, 
Hastings being then in that district. The citizens 
of Hastings contributed $50, 000 in money and lands, 
to aid the enterprise. J. H. Hanson donated the 
twentj- acres known as the College Campus, and the 
citizens purchased and donated seventy-five acres 
more. The whole amount, ninety-five acres, com- 
prises the college addition to the city; thirty-five 
acres are reserved in the campus, and the balance is 
laid out into city lots. The first building — McCor- 
mick Hall — was built in 1883, at a cost of $14,700, 
and named in honor of the late Cjtus H. McCor- 
mick. who made the first donation, $5,000, to aid 
the college. The second building was erected in 
1884, at a cost of about $20,000, which was sub- 
scribed bv the citizens of Hastings, Mr. James B. 



jji 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



89 



Hartwell alone contributing $11,000. The site of 
the college is in the eastern part of the city. Thou- 
sands of trees have been set out on the grounds, and 
the buildings and the campus constitute a scene of 
beautj-. The college is open to both sexes, has a 
large patronage, and is well sustained. The faculty 
is able and thorough work is being done. Board 
and rooms are furnished in the institution. There 
is no better location for a college than Hastings. 

The Nebraska Wesleyan Universit}- was founded 
b}' the Methodists of the State, under a plan of uni- 
fication, by which it is the only university possible 
to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Nebraska. 
All schools or colleges which are now or may here- 
after become the property of the church are incor- 
porated as departments of the universit}', and none 
are permitted to teach beyond the sophomore year 
of the university courses. This institution of learn- 
ing is situated in Universit}- Place, originally platted 
as a suburb of the city of Lincoln, and which has 
been incorporated as a village, thus avoiding en- 
croachments of saloons and limiting local taxation. 
It is about three miles from, and overlooks the capi- 
tal city. Street cars and telephone lines connect it 
with all parts of the citj-. The property of the 



university consists of the campus, a beautiful 
pleateau containing fortj--four acres. The build- 
ing, 168x72 feet in size, and four stories in height, 
costing $75,000, is one of the most substan- 
tial and beautiful structures in the West; 500 lots 
adjacent are estimated worth $150,000. An en- 
dowment fund has been secured. The first year of 
school in the university began September 11, 1889, 
and the fij-st commencement will be held June 25, 
1890. Being supported bj- all the Methodists of the 
State, its future great success is assured. 

The institutions mentioned are the leading de- 
nominational colleges of the State. The Universitj' 
of Nebraska, the State Normal School and the State 
Industrial School, are mentioned in this work with 
the State Institutions. There are many other col- 
leges of less note throughout the State, among which 
may be mentioned Gates College, at Neligh, on the 
main line of the Elkhorn & Missouri Vallej' Rail- 
road, a Congregational School, first opened in Sep- 
tember, 1882; the Sisters of Visitation Academy at 
Hastings, founded in 1889, and others. There are 
also good commercial colleges and schools of music 
at Omaha, Lincoln and other leading cities of the 
State. 






:v: 



90 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XI. 



H*l- 



State Institutions — Akchitectukai. ISeautv of Buildings — Convenience op Construction — Tue Capitol 
Edifice — Histoky of Erection — Appropriations — University — Blind Institute — Normal School — 
Insane Asylums — Deaf axd Dumb Institutions — State Penitentiary — NebrasivA an Agricul- 
tural State — Productions — Valuation — Climatic Features — Manufacturing Inter- 
ests — Official Directory — Abstract op Votes — Ecclesiastical History. 




Heaven forming each on other to depend, 
Bids each on other for assistance call. — Pope. 



OTWITHSTANDING Ne- 
braska is oue of the young- 
est States of the Union, it 
is justly entitled to the 
pride it shows in its State 
■■^ institutions. Its State 
jS House has but few equals 
iu tlif couutry, its asj'lums for those 
unfortunate wards of the State, the 
insane, the blind, the deaf and dumb, 
and the feeble-minded, are models 
in their waj', its penal institutions 
*ell constructed and managed, and 
f'Ai^S' lastly its magnificent State Univer- 
sity towers above all similar institu- 
tions in tlie West, as the crowning 
achievement of nearly a quarter of 
a century of Statehood. It is emi- 
nently proper that a few pages of this work be de- 
voted to a history of these institutions. All of them 
have a history intimately associated with the history 
of the State, and doubtless, if their walls of stone 
could be made to speak, the store of material for a 
State histoiy would be measurably increased. 

Nebraska's first State House was not an impos- 
ing structure, and yet when it was finished it was 
regarded bj' the pioneer settlers of the new Territory 
as a marvel of architectural iirandeur. It was 



erected in the city of Omaha, on Ninth Street, be- 
tween Farnham and Douglass Streets, b}- the Ne- 
braska Ferry Company, and by that organization 
leased to the Territorial officers. It was a two-story 
ijrick structure and cost about $3,000. In this 
humble edifice assembled the first Territorial Legis- 
lature. Later, Congress appropriated 830,000 for 
the erection of a capitol building, to which sum the 
citizens of Omaha added $60,000. The new edifice 
was much more in keeping with the dignity and 
growing importance of the Territory. But even this 
more imposing and modern structure was soon to be 
outgrown. Nebraska was admitted into the ITnion 
of States on March 1, 1867, and the Legislature at 
a special session soon after that date decided to 
move the State capital from Omaha to some point 
in the interior of the State. A commission was 
appointed, consisting of Gov. Butler, Secretary of 
State Kennard and State Auditor Gillespie, to select 
a site for the new capital cit^-. Lincoln was selected 
and the work of building a State House at once 
commenced. The first contract for the State House 
was let to Joseph Ward, of Chicago, on January 11, 
1868, for the sum of $49,000. The building was 
constructed from magnesian limestone olitained from 
extensive quarries in Gage County. It was finished 
in December of the same year. On the third of that 
month Gov. Butler ordered the archi\es of State 



-.^ 



^1 



'1)2^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



91 



transferred from Omaha to the new building. This 
was the original State capitol. It stood upon the 
site now occupied by the present edifice, but not a 
stone is left of the old building. It served its pur- 
pose for ten years, at the end of which time work 
was commenced upon the present structure. 

There were a number of causes which contributed 
to the sentiment in favor of a new capitol. Chief 
among these was the very evident unfitness of the 
liuildiug for the permanent home of the offices of 
the State. The walls were badly constructed, and 
soon gave signs of disintegration. The outer courses 
of stone were effected by the weather, and began 
flalving off. The State officers soon began to be 
afraid to stay in the building during high winds, 
and each succeeding Legislature met under the 
shalvy roof with an increased trepidation. Then the 
advocates of removing the capitol commenced an 
agitation which strucli terror and dismay to the 
hearts of the citizens of Lincoln. That city, at that 
time, depended almost entirely upon the capitol for 
its future, and the agitation for removal had a de- 
pressing effect upon values and the growth of the 
place. In October, 1878, the north wall of the 
building was condemned. The board of public lands 
and buildings had it rebuilt, and in January, 1879, 
Gov. Garber, in his message to the Legislature, re- 
commended that a new State House be erected, and 
suggested that a levy be made for a capitol building 
fund. After a bitter strugle, $100,000 was appro- 
priated for the erection of the west wing of the new 
capitol. Work was commenced upon the new build- 
ing as soon as possible, but it was not until Novem- 
ber, 1 88 1 , that the wing was ready for occupancy. 
It was built bj- W. H. B. Stout, of Lincoln, who 
undertook the contract for the sum of §63,400. In 
1881 the Legislature appropriated §100,000 for 
the erection of the east wing. The contract for the 
erection of this wing was let to W. H. B. Stout 
for the sum of $96,800. In February, 188.3, the 
Legislature provided for the demolition of the old 
building, and the erection of the main or central 
part of the present capitol, and on July 9, of the 
same year, the contract was let to W. H. B. Stout 
for $4.39,187.25. The foundation walls were laid in 
the fall of 1883, and on July 15, 1884, the corner- 



stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies. From 
that date the work progressed rapidly, and by Janu- 
ary 1, 1889, had been completed. 

The capitol is a credit to the State. The follow- 
ing description of the noble building, written by a 
visitor on the day it was formally turned over to the 
State, will give the reader a clear idea of the edi- 
fice: 

The style is the Italian renaissance. There is 
no superfluous ornamentation, either on exterior or 
interior. Quiet elegance and dignity are the charac- 
teristics of the design. The main elevations of the 
structure face the north and the south. The fronts 
are uniform in appearance. The main building, 
without the wings, is 85 feet in width and 168 feet 
in depth, exclusive of the two porticoes, which are 
each 12 feet wide. The wings are 85 feet wide and 
114 feet long. The structure would be cruciform if 
the main building had been extended about 50 feet 
farther north and south. The extreme length east 
and west is 313 feet, and the breadth is 192 feet. 
The basement is 10 feet in height, the first story 14 
feet, the second 15 feet, and the third 14 feet. The 
dome is 45 feet square at the base, and the lantern 
is 200 feet from the grade line. 

The west wing for the past nine years has housed 
the treasurer, the State auditor, the commissioner of 
public lands and buildings, and the secretary of 
State on the first floor. All have had large and well 
furnished suites of rooms, with all the conveniences 
usually found around buildings of this class. At 
the west end of the second floor is the Senate cham- 
ber, 85 feet long, 55 feet wide, and with a ceiling 
40 feet aliove the floor. The chaml^er is haudsomel}- 
carpeted, and the walls are decorated with Imcrusta 
Walton and heavy papers. On the second floor near 
the entrance to the Senate chamber, the governor 
and attorney-general have had their offices. On the 
third floor are the offices of the adjutant-general and 
the board of live stock agents. The east wing has 
been the temporary home of the State library and 
the supreme court. The superintendent of public 
instruction also has a pleasant suite of offices on the 
second floor. The second and third floors are taken 
up mostly with representative hall and cloak and 
committee rooms. The board of transporUition has 



*Jl 



!£: 



02 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



been slielterecl here since Its organization, and the 
State oil inspector lias occuijied the room of the 
speaker and chief clerk of the liouse, pending the 
comjiletion of the main ijuilding. 

Tlie now portion of the capitol will be occupied 
immediatelj'. This is the main building, and is 
nearl}- as large as both of the wings comliined. The 
visitor ma}' enter from Fifteenth Street, eitlier from 
the north or the south. Passing between the massive 
piers of the portico he enters a vestibule tiled and 
wainscoated in marble. From that open apartment 
he steps into the main corridor, running north and 
south through this part of the building, and inter- 
secting in the rotunda the long corridor running the 
extreme length of the building from east to west. 
These corridors are tiled with A'ermont marljle and 
partiall}- wainscoted in scagliola, or artificial marble. 
The heavj' doors and frames are of oak. In each of 
the four corners of this floor is a suite of offices. 
Tiie commissioner of public lands and buildings will 
have the northwest corner, the secretary' of State 
the southeast, and the board of transportation the 
southwest. The offices are large, well ventilated, 
furnished with fire places and equipped with the 
latest plumbing conveniences. There are immense 
fireproof vaults for storing State papers, both in the 
basement and on the first floor. 

The rotunda is octagonal, with an inside dimen- 
sion of about thirtj- feet. An opening in the second 
floor admits light to the first storj', and gives a view 
of the upper portion. A section of the first fioor is 
of heavj- glass, admitting light to the basement also. 

A better view of the upper rotunda ma}- be had 
from the second storj". We will therefore climb one 
of the iron stairways. The second corridor will be 
found to be floored in hard wood instead of marble, 
but there is an abundance of the scagliola here, 
and it has a beautiful effect. It is particularly' 
striking around the interior of the rotunda. From 
the second floor upward the whole interior of the 
dome is open. When the frescoing is completed, 
the clusters of incandescent lamps are in place, and 
a plate glass polish has been given the marble, this 
rotunda will indeed be a beautiful sight. 

The south half of the second floor is to be occu- 
pied bj' the State librarv. The main room lies 



across the front, and extends up through the third 
fioor. The size of the room is S3x.31 feet. A wide 
gallery around the whole apartment gives a large 
amount of additional siieif space. The lilirarv rooms 
are finished in hard wood and are very cpnveuieutly 
arranged. 

The north half of tliis fioor contains the finest 
suite of rooms in the entire building. There are five 
of the apartments, and they are to be occupied by 
the executive department. In the middle of the 
front is the main reception room. It is 30.\3() feet 
in size. On each side are two apartments used as 
private rooms and the offices of the pri\'ate secretaiT 
and executive clerks. The finishings and furnish- 
ings when complete will lie worth}' of the office of 
the governor of tlie great State of Nebraska. 

The third floor is not finished in hard woods, but 
this fact will not Ije detected li}' the casual visitor. 
The north half is devoted to the uses of the supreme 
court, five rooms being set apart for the judiciary 
department. The south half is taken up by tlic up- 
per portion of the librar}' and two committee rooms. 

If the visitor wishes to continue his investigation 
still further, he maj- climb a succession of stairs and 
a long spiral stairway, and at last stand out at the 
top of the dome, 200 feet above the ground, and 
overlooking the entire city and country for ten or 
fifteen miles in every direction. On a pleasant da}' 
visitors often remain there for hours enjoying the 
scene. There is nothing striking in the landscape 
that is unfolded, but it is always a pleasure to be 
alile to get a bird's eye view of the busy city, and to 
mark the great advances it is making upon the sur- 
rounding country. In the summer season especially 
there is a great amount of tranquil beauty in that 
broad circle of green whose outer edge forms the 
horizon. 

Next to the State capitol the State University is 
the most notable State institution of Nebraska. The 
men who drafted Neliraska's enaliling act disjilayed 
admirable wisdom and forethought in directing that 
a large portion of the public lands within the new 
State l)e set apart for the erection and maintenance 
of a State University. By leasing and selling these 
public lands Nebraska secured an endowment for 
its jM'incipal educational institution that at once 



\ 



liL 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



93 



pl:K.'C'(l it upon a solid fluancial foundation. On 
Febrimiy 15, 1869, the Legislature passed an act 
establishing the Universit}' and creating a board 
of regents, in whom was vested the management of 
the institution. The act further ordered the sale of 
all lots in the citj' of Lincoln belonging to the State, 
rtnd directed that the proceeds be devoted to the 
erection of a university building. In accordance 
with this act the commission, consisting of the gov- 
ernor, secretary of State and auditor, accepted the 
plans and specifications prepared bj- JI. J. McBird, 
of Logansport, Ind. , and awarded the contract for 
the building to D. J. Silver & Son, also of Logans- 
port. The contractors commenced work upon the 
pi'oposed structure in Jul}-, 18G9, and pushed it 
rapidly toward completion in the face of almost in- 
surmountable obstacles. It must be remembered 
that at that time Nebraska was unti-aversed by rail- 
roads, and Lincoln was a new town sixty-five miles 
from the Missouri River. The lumber had to be 
ferried across the Missouri from Iowa, and trans- 
ported to Lincoln by wagon over poorly constructed 
prairie roads. The brick for the walls had to be 
manufactured, and the contractors were compelled 
to pay $10 per cord for the wood used in burning 
them, and this wood liad to be hauled thirty miles. 
Yet, in spite of these difficulties the work progressed 
with surprising rapidity. The excavation, founda- 
tion and basement story were completed in April, 
1S70, and the work of building the walls commenced 
in that mouth. The walls were completed, and the 
roof finished b}' the middle of August, 1870. 

The board of regents at once began prepara- 
tion for the formal opening of the Universitj'. The 
Ijuilding was finished; but the more important work 
of selecting a chancellor and corps of instructors, 
preparing a course of study and enlisting the in- 
terest of prospective students, was yet to be accomp- 
lished. Through the influence of mutual personal 
friends the regents induced Dr. A. E. Benton, presi- 
dent of the Northwestern Christian University, of 
Indianapolis, Ind., to accept the chancellorship. 
Dr. Benton paid his first visit to Nebraska in 1871, 
and made a most favorable impression upon the 
board of regents. At a .meeting of the board of 
regents in that month it was decided to formally in- 



augurate the work of the University on September 
7, 1871. Chancellor Benton removed to Nebraska 
in JMay of that year, and at once began his work. 
Under his direction courses of study were prepared 
and the rooms in the University building arranged 
and furnished. The chancellor also visited the dif- 
ferent cities and towns in the State, delivering lec- 
tures in the interests of the new inSintution, and 
securing the attendance of pupils. 

In 1871, it must be remembered, Nebraska con- 
tained a population of barely 100,000. These peo- 
ple were for the most part people of small means. 
The school system of the State was in its infancy, 
and but few pupils were prepared to enter even the 
lowest classes of the University. Yet, in spite of 
the discouraging outlook. Chancellor Benton and his 
associates on the original faculty set about their 
work with a zeal and confidence that angered well 
for the success of the new institution. The doors 
of the University were formally thrown open for the 
reception of students on the morning of September 
7, 1871. The following named gentlemen com- 
posed the original faculty: Prof. A. R. Benton, 
chancellor and professor of mental, moral and polit- 
ical philosophy'; O. C. Dake, professor of English 
literature; S. H. Manley, professor of Greek lan- 
guage and literature; G. E. Church, professor of 
Latin language and literature; Samuel Aughej', 
professor of natural sciences. Seventy students 
appeared on the opening daj'. 

By an act of the Legislature approved Februar}- 
15, 1869, and an act amendatory thereto, approved 
February 19, 1877, the regents are authorized to 
establish five departments or colleges as follows: 
(1) A college of literature, science and art. (2) An 
industrial college, embracing agriculture, practical 
science, civil engineering, and the mechanic arts. 
(3) A college of law. (4) A college of medicine. 
(5) A college of fine arts. 

Of the first department organized, that of litera- 
ture, science and art, there are four courses of 
study, of four years each, namel}-; A classical, a 
scientific, a Latin scientific and a Greek scientific. 
In the department of agriculture, there are two 
courses, one of three years and a course of one year, 
therefore the following degrees are granted, namely: 



T|^ 



04 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



(1) The degree of Bachelor of Arts is eonf erred on 
stiulents who complete the classical course. (2) 
That of Bachelor of Science, on students who com- 
plete the regular scientific course. (3) That of 
Baiiielor of Philosophy, on students who complete 
the Latin scientific course. (1) That of Bachelor 
of Letters, on students who complete the literary 
course. (5) The degree of Master of Arts, Master 
of Science, Master of Philosophj-, or JIaster of Let 
ters, is conferred respectively on Bachelor of Arts, 
Science, Philosophy or Letters, who shall have pur- 
sued a post-graduate course of study for one year, 
under the direction of the faculty, or upon gradu- 
ates of three years' standing, who shall have been 
engaged during that time in literary, scientific or 
professional studies. 

In November, 1873, Samuel Bacon, who had 
served as superintendent of the Institution for the 
Blind, in the State of Iowa, arrived in Nebraska 
City, and immediately broached the project of the 
establishment of a school for the education of the 
blind. The proposition was favorably received, 
and in the autumn of 1874 he became a resident of 
Nebraska City. At a public meeting a committee 
was chosen to wait on the Legislature and ask for 
the appropriation. The committee consisted of 
George Sroat, H. K. Raymond, Dr. John Blue, 
Rev. J. H. McNamara, William Bisehof, Dr. Bowen 
and Samuel Bacon. 

Their mission was successful, and on the 19th 
day of February, 1875, the act was passed. The 
first section of this act read as follows: "That there 
shall be maintained at Nebraska City, county of 
Otoe, an institution for the blind, and there is 
hereby appropriated for that purpose the sum of 
$10,000, for the erection of a building and furnish- 
ing of the same; provided, that the citizens of Ne- 
braska City shall raise the sum of $3,000, and when 
the said sum is raised and paid over to the board of 
trustees, either in money or in property, to the satr 
isf action of such board, then the board of trustees 
of said institution for the blind shall proceed to 
locate said institution on not less than ten acres of 
land, and not to exceed one mile in distance from 
the court house of said Nebraska City." The suc- 
ceeding sections, to the seventeenth, provide for the 



mode of governing the instiliilinn liy the lioanl of 
trustees, composed of the go\ernor, secretary of 
State, attorney general, State treasurer and com- 
missioner of public lands and buildings, and sec- 
tion seventeen provides that '• All liliml persons 
residents of this Slate, of suitable age and caiKicity, 
shall be entitled to an education in this institution 
at the expense of the State. Each county superin- 
tendent of common schools shall report to the Insti- 
tution for the Blind on the first days of April each 
year, the name, age, residence, and postofflce ad- 
dress of every blind person, and every person blind 
to such an extent as to be unable to acquire an edu- 
cation in the common schools, and who reside in the 
county where he is superintendent." 

For $2,400 a ten-acre tract lying about three- 
fourths of a mile north of the city was purchased, 
and preparations for the construction of a suitable 
edifice were Ijegun. In the meantime temporar\ 
rooms were rented, and the institution formally 
opened on ^larch 10, 1875, with three pupils. The 
new luiilding was completed as rapidlj' as possible, 
and on January 13, 1876, was formally occupied by 
the school. The main building, a substantial brick, 
is three stories and basement, 49x65 feet, and con- 
tains thirty large rooms. In 1877 a two-story brick 
work-shop was added at a cost of S3, 000. 

The spot occupied by the institution is one of tlu' 
most beautiful in the West. The government of the 
school is paternal, and the law of kindness the gov- 
erning principle. Corporal punishment is unknown 
in the institution. A regular coui-se of study is 
marked out, running from eight to ten years. Tin' 
course includes geometry, physiologj-, ancient antl 
modern philosophy, astronomy, natural history and 
natural philosophy. Two of the most interesting dc 
partments of the institution are the musical and in- 
dustrial. In the matter of securing self support, 
experience proves that the musical Ijranches are the 
most efficient, while they also contribute to relic\e 
the monotony which falls to the lot of those unfor- 
tunates. 

In the industrial departments the boys and 
young men are required to spend a certain numlier 
of hours at the occupation of cane-seating and liroom- 
making. Tiie girls are instructed in hand and ma- 




cliine sewing, kuitting, crocheting, bead and fancy 
work. Tlie reports show that both slio]) and fancy 
uoik departments are sources of profit, after paj'ing 
all expenses for stock. 

The Normal School is located adjoining the town 
of Peru. In 18G3 John M. McKenzie, a practical 
educator, settled in Peru, and with the assistance of 
zealous friends of education, measures were started 
for the organization of Mount Vernon College, a 
school under the auspices of the IMethodist denomi- 
nation. Soon the building, now used as dormitory, 
three stories high and 40x80 feet in size, was erected 
at a cost of $10,000. John M. McKenzie was 
chosen first principal of the new college. In the 
early spring of 18G6 the new building was occupied, 
although it was unfinished, and school continued 
until June. Messrs. William Daily and T. J. Ma- 
jors, members of the State Council and House of 
Representatives for Nemaha County, in the winter 
of 18(56-67 tendered the property, valued at SIO.OOO, 
to the State for a Normal School. The proposition 
was prom|)tly accepted, and the Legislature appro- 
priated the sum of $3,000 to finish the building, and 
also gave an endowment of twenty sections of saline 
land lying in Lancaster County. 

The act to locate, establish and endow a State 
Normal School was passed June 21, 1867. Section 
1 provides that the school shall be established at 
Peru, in Nemaha Count}-, ' ■ the exclusive purpose 
of which shall be the instruction of persons, both 
male and female, in the art of teaching and in all 
the various Ijranches that pertain to a good common 
school education; also to give instruction in the 
mechanical arts, and in the arts of husbandry and 
agricultural chemistry; in the fundamental laws of 
the T'nited States, and what regards the rights and 
duties of citizens." 

Prior to the location and building of the Hospi- 
tal for the Insane at Lincoln, this class of unfortu- 
nates were sent to the lova Asylum. The bill 
locating and appropriating funds for the hospital 
building was passed by the Legislature in 1868. In 
1869 the contract was let to Joseph Ward, of Lin- 
coln, for $137,000, and on November 29, 1870, was 
formally accepted liy the State. It was opened on 
December 22, 1870, with Dr. Lane as superinten- 



dent. In April, 1871. five months after the institu- 
tion had Ijeen opened for the reception of patients, 
it burned to the ground. After the conflagration 
three patients were missing, and it has always been 
supposed that they lost their lives. A special ses- 
sion of the Legislature convened in June, 1871, and 
made an appropriation for a new building. The 
buildings as they stand at present cost $165,000. 
They are built of light gray sandstone, the ground 
dimensions being 54x328 feet, and the main build- 
ing four stories in height. In addition tx:> the hospi- 
tal at Lincoln, a second hospital has been established 
by the State at Norfolk, while the Asylum for the 
Incuraltle Insane is located at Hastings. 

The Twelfth Territorial Legislature, by an act 
approved February 7, 1867, provided in due form 
for the establishment of an institute for the deaf 
and dumb, to be located in Omaha; all of the class 
specified of a suitable age and capacity, to receive 
instruction, to lie admitted into and enjo}- the bene- 
fits of said institution without charge. The act fur- 
ther constituted a board of directors a body politic 
and corporate with perpetual existence, consisting of 
Aurelius Bowen, Able L. Childs, E. H. Rogers, 
John S. Bowen, Gilbert C. Monell and John Mc- 
Pherson. 

A building was rented in Omaha, and the school 
opened April 1, 1869, with W. M. French, principal, 
and Mrs. Jennie Wilson, matron. Twelve pupils 
were enrolled during the first eight months of the 
school's existence, and the amount expended for the 
same time was $2,179.03. 

The Thirteenth General Assembly, foreseeing 
that more suitable and commodious accommodations 
would have to be provided, made an appropriation of 
$15,000 for building purposes. Grounds located 
about three miles northwest of the city were donated 
by the city of Omaha, and a flue brick edifice erected 
in a suitalile form to receive additions as they might 
be needed. The new building was occupied for the 
first time in January, 1872. Four teachers were 
employed during the second 3"ear and twenty-nine 
pupils were enrolled. 

In 1873 a printing office was established in con- 
nection with the institution, for the instruction of 
pupils desirous of learning that trade. Mr. S. F. 



^=4^ 



-^ l^ 



96 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Biickk'v. Olio (if llu'si' pupils, shortly after assumed 
the position of foreman. 

In 1879 a brick work-shop was erected at a cost 
of $3,000, carpenter work Ijeing introduced under 
charge of F. E. Maynard. Both the printing office 
and carpenter shops are self supporting, bej'ond the 
salaries of their formen. Tlie shops are supplied 
with suitable machinery for the various kinds of 
work. In 1874 a semi-inoiithly paper, entitled the 
Nebraska Mute Jtnirnal, was established. The 
mechanical work of this paper is done entirely by 
the pupils. 

A new building, similar in many respects to the 
first, was erected in 1870 at a cost of $15,000. In 
1S79 the brick work-shop, above mentioned, was 
built, and in 1881 a third Iniildiiig was erected, con- 
necting the two built in 1871. and 1876, the combi- 
nation being in perfect harmony, and constituting 
one of the finest public buildings in the State. The 
cost of this improvement was $16,000. In addition 
to this $4,000 was expended in heating apparatus, 
whereby' the entire institution is warmed by steam; 
$1,000 for gas apparatus, $1,000 for engine and 
machinery for the shops, $500 for hose for use in 
ease of fire, and $500 for telephonic communication 
with the city of Omaha. The institution is under 
the charge of the board of public lands and build- 
ings, and directly under the control of a corps of 
competent instructors. The bo3's are learning good 
trades and the girls are taught general housework, 
plain sewing and dressmaking. The same general 
methods of instructing the deaf which are practiced 
in similar first-class institutions, are in use in this 
one, articulation being made a specialtj- with good 
success. A regular course of instruction is followed , 
in which it is aimed to prepare the pupil for active 
life and self support, the institution being in no 
sense an asylum, but in every sense a school. 

The act providing for the building of the State 
penitentiai-y on the site south of Lincoln, donated for 
that purpose by W. T. Donovan and Mr. Hilton, was 
passed by the Legislature on March 4, 1870. The 
national government had set apart 34,000 acres of 
land for prison purposes. Three commissioners 
were appointed to dispose of these lands. In the 
meantime the Legislature appropriated $5,000 for 



the erection of a temporary prison. In the same 
year plans and specifications oflfered by AVilliam H. 
Foster, of Des Moines, Iowa, were adopted, and the 
contract let to W. H. B. Stout and .1. M. Jamison 
for $312,000. The quarries of Saltello, located 
about twelve miles south of Lincoln, furnished the 
material for the walls, a hard, magnesian limestone. 
The external appearance of the building is very im- 
posing, at once suggesting to the observer the use 
for which it is intended. It is a most substantial 
structure, well heated and ventilated, considered 
perfectly secure, and has a capacity for 800 
prisoners. The cells are in rows of forty each, and 
by means of a lever at one end the keeper is enabled 
to lock at once the whole row. This greatly dimin- 
ishes the chances for escape, and the danger to the 
keeper of being attacked while on the round locking 
each door. A wall twenty-five feet in height, sur- 
mounted at intervals by watch towers, encloses nearly 
three acres at the rear of the building. Within the 
enclosure are the work-shops of the institution. The 
discipline of the prison is good. It is lenient, yet 
severe enough to produce good order, and not so 
severe as to cause dissatisfaction and breed revolt. 
But once in the history of the institution has a seri- 
ous revolt taken place. On the afternoon of Janu- 
ary 11, 1875, seven convicts under the leadership 
of a convict named jMcWaters, overpowered the 
guards in the work-shop. Deputy Warden Nohes 
entered the shops at this moment. He was also 
o\erpowered, bound and stripped. Mc Waters, who 
had the audacit}' to attempt anything that might 
lead to escape, donned the deputy's clothes and 
marched his convicts past the door guards into the 
building where more guards were overpowered, and 
the armory broken into. It was the plan to secure 
guns and ammunition, dress themselves in citizens 
clothing, kill the guards and effect their escape. 
Their plans might have succeeded had not the for- 
tunate escape of Deputj- Warden Nohes gi\eu the 
alarm. The mutinous convicts soon found them- 
selves besieged in the main building. So I'onipletely 
were they hemmed in that ever}" attempt to leave 
the building proved ineffectual. A detachment of 
United States troops arrived early the next morning, 
anil tile appearance of the soldiers caused them U) 



-4. S 



A 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



97 



weaken. They surrendered during the forenoon. 
The story of the revolt would be incomplete without 
at least a brief reference to the heroism displayed 
upon the occasion bj^ Mrs. Woodhurst, wife of the 
warden. Her hu.sband was absent when the mutiny 
occurred, and his wife was almost alone in the 
main building. As soon as she discovered the revolt 
she rushed to a window and alarmed the guards in 
spite of the threats of the convicts. She defied 
them to harm her, and fearlessly placed herself be- 
fore their guns when they were about to fire at citi- 
zens who had come from Lincoln to ciuell the mu- 
tiny. During the night she succeeded in getting 
possession of their guns and hiding them. When 
the hopelessness of their attempt to escape finally 
dawned upon the minds of the mutineers, they sur- 
rendered to her, aud were turned over to the officers. 

MeWaters and the seven convicts made a second 
attempt to escape on Maj^ 26, 1875. The attempt 
was a failure, MeWaters being shot dead \)\ the 
guard at the outset of the demonstration. 

The management of the penitentiary is neces- 
sarily strict, but not more so than necessity demaiuls. 
Among the theories entertained for the amelioration 
of the condition of the inmates of the institution, is 
the introduction of a well-devised system of educa- 
tion. The maintenance of a well-selected librarj', 
and the employment of instructors, are features of 
prison reform which deserve the commendation of 
every humane citizen of the State. 

Nebraska, with her broad and rich prairies aud 
fertile valleys, is pre-eminently an agricultural State. 
According to the official report of the State Board 
of Agriculture, for the year 1888, there were within 
the State 9,521,966 acres of improved land, valued 
at §40,144,780, and 13,353,171 acres of unimproved 
laud valued at $30,307,241; thus making the aver- 
age value per acre of the improved lauds $4.07, and 
of the unimproved lands S2.80. These values were 
obtained from the assessments for taxation , and as 
can readily be seen, were far below the actual 
values, the latter being double, or more than double, 
the assessed values. The number of acres reported, 
both improved and unimproved, equals 22,875,137, 
the amount then owned and subject to taxation. 
The total numljer of acres within the State as re- 



ported by the census of 1885, was 47,869,978. 
Tliis shows that less than one-half of the real prop- 
erty of the State was then subject to taxation. In 
the agricultural report pertaining to cereals and veg- 
etables many counties are left out, consequently the 
aggregate amounts raised in the State in 1888 can- 
not be given. 

The following statement will show the kinds of 
products raised, total yield and average yield per 
acre in four counties, representing different localities 
of the State, indicating the crops raised therein: 

Adams — Corn, 3,096,380 bushels, average, 35 
bushels; wheat 298,104, bushels, average 12; oats 
1,512,600 bushels, average 30; barley, 222,728 
bushels, average 12; rye, 5,544 bushels, average 11; 
flax, 9,600 bushels, average 6; millet, 1,100 tons, 
average 2; potatoes not reported; fruit trees, 9,845; 
forest trees, 2,561,183; grapevines, 15,479. 

Lancaster — Corn, 8,004,900 bushels, average 
50; wheat, 170,496 bushels, average 18; oats, 1.030.- 
980 bushels, average 60; barley, 23,184 bushels, 
average 20; rye, 5,400 bushels, average 15; flax, 
3,276 bushels, average 12; millet, 2,100 tons, av- 
erage 3; potatoes, 34,500 bushels, average 172.5; 
fruit trees, 71,283; forest trees, 2,777,314; grape 
vines, 1,283. 

Lincoln — Corn, 400,000 bushels, average 40; 
wheat, 15,000 bushels, average 15; oats, 35,000 
bushels, average 35; barley, 6,250 bushels, average 
25; rye, 8,000 bushels, average 40; millet, 1,000 
tons, average 2; potatoes, 80,000 bushels, average 
40; trees not reported. 

Platte — Corn, 2,672,540 bushels, average 41; 
wheat, 214,600 bushels, average 10; oats, 1,081,- 
850 bushels, average 35; barley, 16,632 bushels, 
average 12; flax, 17,210 bushels, average, 10; mil- 
let, 6,480 tons, average 3; potatoes, 121,950 
bushels, average 150; fruit trees, 29,145; forest 
trees, 1,776,000; grape vines 12,125. 

The yield per acre of the several products in 
these counties can lie taken as a fair average j'ield 
per acre throughout the State. The trees and vines 
represent the total number planted, and should not 
be construed as the number planted in 18SS. 

The total number of animals in the State, and 
their assessed values in 1888, were as follows: 



98 



HISTORY OF M;BILVSKA. 



Horses, 372,829, $9,425,542, average $20.21; 
cattle, 1,505,634, $8,436,940, average $G.08; mules 
and asses. 43,191, $993,208, average $24.36; sheep, 
19.'). 105, $105,830, average $0.50; hogs, 1,238,731, 
$1,318,975, average $1.17. The average value of 
each animal is the average througliout the State, but 
not uniform in the several counties. The assessed 
values are very unequal throughout the State. Laud 
in some counties is assessed for taxation at nearly 
twice the price it is in other counties where the soil 
and shipping facilities are equally as good, and the 
same is true with regard to animals; for instance, 
in 18SS, horses wete assessed in Lancaster County 
at $17.11, and in Loup County at $29.29. Are 
thej- so much more valuable in Loup than in Lan- 
caster County? At the same time cattle were 
assessed per head at from $2.66 up to $13.06; mules 
and asses at from $11.80 up to $46.75; sheep at 
from ten cents up to $1.42. This shows that strin- 
gent legislation is needed in order to secure greater 
uniformity in the assessment of property. 

The value of the taxalile property- of the State, as 
assessed for taxation from 1881 to 1888 inclusive, 
has been as follows: Li 1881, $93,142,456.99; in 
1882, $98,537,475.11; in 1883, $110,543,644.58; in 
1884, $123,615,886.95; in 1885, $133,418,699.83; 
in 1886, $143,932,570.51; in 1887, $160,506,- 
266.25; iu 1888, $176,012,820.45. 

No official report for 1889 has been published. 
The increase in the values from year to year, also 
for the whole eight years — the latter being $82,870,- 
363.47, is noticeable. It is seen that in the short 
time of eight }-ears the entire taxable wealth of the 
State nearlv doubled. The next biennial report, in- 
cluiling 1SS9 and 1890. will show that in the ten 
years the property considerably more than doubled 
in value. 

Winter wheat is grown in Nebraska to a limited 
extent liy drilling it between corn rows, with a five- 
hoed, one horse wheat^corn drill, and leaving the 
corn stalks stand until spring, when they are cut 
down. The stalks are left to iiold the snow, and 
thus prevent the ground from freezing dry and kill- 
ing the wheat. On account of the difflculty to raise 
winter wheat, spring wheat is generally raised, and 
it is claimed that it is superior to the former for 



bread. Corn is the great staple product, l)ut the 
soil is well adapted to the raising of all kinds of 
grains and vegetables. The cultivation of the sugar 
beet, for the purpose of sugar making, has been in- 
troduced, and in all probability the day is not far 
distant when our sugar will be manufactured at 
home instead of being imported from foreign coun- 
tries. 

The conditions for successful agriculture are a 
rich soil, temperate climate and sufficient moisture. 
Time and experience have removed all doubt as to 
the existence of the first two in Neliraska. and will 
soon remove all doubt as to the third. 

In 1880, Samuel Aughey, Ph. D. , LL. D. , profes- 
sor of natural sciences in the University of Nebraska, 
published his ' ■ Sketches of the Physical Geography 
and Geology of Nebraska, " in which he says '• Eastern 
Nebraska has an abundance of moisture. This may 
appear like an exaggeration to those who were edu- 
cated to believe that Nebraska was an arid region. 
And yet there is nothing in the natural history of the 
State better established than that there is here an 
alnmdancc of rainfall. When the snows of winter 
disappear, the ground is in good condition to be 
worked. Sufficient showers come during early spring 
to excite the crops of cereal grains, grasses and 
corn to an active growth. Sometimes it is compar- 
atively dry between the spring showers and the June 
rains. These come sometimes earlier than June, in 
the last of ^lay, and sometimes not till the last of 
June, and constitute the rainy season for the State. 
It begins whenever the • Ijig rise ' of the Missouri 
and the Platte occur. This rainy season lasts from 
four to eight weeks. In fifteen yeai's I have not 
known it to fail. During its continuaiu-e it docs not 
indeed rain everv day, except occasionally for a 
short period. Generally during this time it rains 
from two to three times a week. It is more apt to 
rain every night than every day. In fact during the 
whole of this season three-fourths of the rain falls 
at nighf. It is not an unusual occurrence for the 
rain to fall every night for weeks, followed by cloud- 
less days. This rainy season of June occurs at a 
period wiien crops most need rain, and owing to the 
regularity of its occurrence, drouths suflicientlj' 
severe to destroy- the crops in Eastern Neliraska, 



<5_. 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



99 



where there is proper cultivation, luive not jet 
lieeu known. * * * After the wet season of 
June, which sometimes extends into July, is over, 
there are rains and showers at longer intervals until 
and during autumn. During winter it rarelj- rains. 
Snow falls in winter, but seldom to a great depth. 
* * * West of the one hundredth meridian the 
amount of rainfall gradually decreases from the 
yearly average of thirty inches, at or near Kearney 
Junction, to twenty inches at North Platte. If the 
last two j-ears onlj- were taken into account, even 
there and almost to the west line of the State the 
rainfall would be estimated at thirty inches." 

The professor goes on to prove that the amount 
of rainfall and moisture was on the increase, and it 
certainly has been on the increase ever since. Manj" 
springs have broken out of late j'ears where no water 
had ever before been observed, and water has ap- 
peared in old creek beds, where it apparentlj- had 
not been flowing for ages. The streams have also 
been observed to increase in size. Much specula- 
tion has been indulged in as to the cause of the in- 
crease of the rainfall, but it is believed that the 
principal cause is ' ' the great increase in the absorp- 
tive power of the soil, wrought by cultivation. 
01lser^'e now the change which cultivation makes. 
After the soil is broken, the rain as it falls is ab- 
sorbed by the soil like a hugh sponge. The soil 
gives this absorbed moisture back to the atmosphere 
by evaporation. Thus year by year as cultivation 
of the soil is extended, more of the rain that falls is 
absorbed and retained to be given off by evapora- 
tion, or to produce springs. This, of course, must 
give increasing moisture and rainfall." The plants 
ing of trees is also believed to be a helping cause 
for the increase of moisture. 

Nebraska, on account of its elevation and the 
non-existence of swamps and stagnant waters, which 
produce malaria, is decidedly healthful. The atmos- 
phere is pure and invigorating. The elevation in 
feet above sea level, at various points throughout 
the State, as shown in Prof. Aughey's sketches 
above refen'ed to, is as follows: 

Southeast corner of the State on the bottoms at 
the mouth of the Nemaha River, 878; Nebraska 
City, 964; Plattsmouth, 984; Omaha, Union Pacific 



Depot, 1,050; Blair, 1.111; Fremont. 1,220; Schuy- 
ler, 1,372; Columbus, 1,469; Grand Island, 1,887; 
Kearney, 2,143; North Platte, 2,825; Sidney, 4,108; 
Pine Bluffs, 5,061; Norfolk, 1,428; Beatrice, 1,278; 
Orleans, 2,150; head of the Republican in Colorado, 
4,050; Lincoln, 1,164: Fairmount, 1,657; Harvard, 
1,815; Juniata, 1,985; Kenesaw, 2,064; Lowell. 
2,086; Camp Sheridan, Old Spotted Tail Agency, 
3,490; Indian Creek, northwest corner of State, 
4,013; Scott's Bluffs, thirty miles north of Pine 
Bluffs, 6,051; White Man's Fork, on State line, 
south of Union Pacific Railroad, 3,188, It is esti- 
mated that the eastern half of the State along the 
line of the Union Pacific has an average elevation of 
1,700 feet; the western half, 3,525 feet. The aver- 
age elevation along the whole line would be 2,612 
feet. The average elevation of the whole State is 
estimated at 2,312 feet. 

While Nebraska does not claim to be a manufac- 
turing State, some of its leading cities are making 
gigantic strides in that direction. The Omaha Daily 
Bee of January 1, 1890, speaks of the manufactur- 
ing interests of that progressive city as follows: 

"Omaha is making great progress as an indus- 
trial center. Its silver refining and snielting works, 
machine shops, foundries, white lead works, chair 
factory, wire mills, linseed oil works, distillery, 
boot and shoe factory- and a score of other industrial 
concerns that have been established in this city 
within the past two years, give employment to an 
army of wage workers numbering fully 11,000. 

Omaha now contains several of the most exten- 
sive manufacturing establishments in all America. 
Its silver smelting works are the largest works of 
this class in the world; its linseed oil works rival 
in magnitude with the largest oil mills in America, 
and its distillery ranks as the fourth largest iu the 
United States. Its beef and hog product packing 
houses are only second in capacity to those of Chi- 
cago. 

The Paxton & Vierling Iron Works is one of the 
leading manufacturing enterprises of Omaha. In 
1889 $300,000 worth of goods were manufactured, 
employing 200 men with a weekly pay roll of 
$1,750. 

The Omaha Barb Wire Company, owing to con- 



IV 



100 



HISTORY' OF NEBRASKA. 



stantly increasing business, were (.'ompulleil to erect, 
a few years ago, more commodious worlds. Tlie 
product is sold all over the West and they have a 
capacity for turning out four car loads of Ijurljcd 
wire and 100 kegs of nails each day. They keep 
sixty men constantly employed, and have a weekly 
pay I'oU of $750. Of the other iron works the Acme 
Iron and Wire Works has 5 employes; Wilson & 
Becmer Iron Works, 40; Carter & Son Boiler Works. 
15; Wcarue Bros'. Foundry, 10; Western Cornice 
Works, 53; Acme Iron Works, 7; Omaha Coi-nice 
Works, 25; McBreen & Carter, (3; Eagle Cornice 
Works, 40; Davis & Cowgill, 30; Champion Iron and 
Wire Works, 12; Eureka Iron Foundry, 14; McLearie 
& Oehlrie Foundry, 15. Total number employes, 
including Barb Wire Works ami Paxton & Vierling, 
503; total weekly pay rolls, $6,495. 

The Omaha & Grant Smelting and Refining 
Works handle a large proportion of the ore produced 
in the mines of iloutana, Idaho, Colorado, Dakota 
and Arizona. The plant covers over twentj^-two 
acres of ground and represents an investment of 
$3,500,000. It is the largest silver smelting and 
refining institution in the world. During the year 
50,107 tons of ore were smelted. The average 
number of employes is GOO, who are paid $30,000 
monthly, or about $380,000 anuuallj-. The immen- 
sity of the annual business of this great industry is 
clearly shown bj- the following statement for the 
eleven months of 1889, ending November 30: 

Value. 

Lead, lb 74,742,713 $3,731,145.50 

Silvpr, OZ 11,957,977 10,840,059.87 

(Jnld, oz 112,531 2,389,370.03 

Sulphate of copper 5,886,500 294,000.00 

Mention is made on a previous page of the ex- 
tent of the Union Pacific Shops, employing the larg- 
est number of men in Omaha. 

The Willow Springs Distillery is the third largest 
in America. The buildings are substantially erected 
and cover an area of eight acres. The distillery did 
a business in 1889 of $3,300,000, and paid in sal- 
aries $93,360. Taxes were paid the government on 
the product amounting to $2,880,000. Four thous- 
and cattle were fed, 700,512 bushels of grain 
mashed and 4,000 tons of hay used. The coal con- 
sumption was 144,000 tons and 45,600 barrels were 



u.seil. One lunulrcil and twenty-five men are em- 
ployed at the distillery. The rectifying firm of 
Tier & Co., which is connected with the Willow 
Springs Distillery Company, has $500,000 invested 
in the enterprise, and occupies extensive premises 
on Harney Street, where a large wholesale liquor 
establishment is also carried on. 

Next in importance to Omaha in the line of man- 
ufacturing is the citj' of Lincoln, where a great 
many establishments have been erected and put into 
operation. All the other leading cities of the State 
and many of the smaller ones have their local man- 
ufactories, some mechanical interests being j-et in 
their infancy. The number of manufactories in the 
State, in 1880, was 1,403, with an invested capital 
of $4,881,150, increased in 1885 to 2,861, with an 
invested capital of $12,722,334. In the five years 
the number and invested capital more than doubled. 

From the report of the . secretary of State there 
has been obtained an official directory of Nebraska's 
public servants, which is here presented, with begin- 
ning of term of service: 

Governors: Francis Burt, October 16, 1854; 
Mark W. Izard, February 20, 1855; William A. 
Richardson, January 12, 1858; Samuel W. Black, 
May 2, 1858; Alvin Saunders, May 15, 18G1; 
David Butler, February 21, 1867; Robert W. Furnas, 
January 13, 1873; Silas Garber, January 11, 1875; 
Albinus Nance, January 9, 1879; James W. Dawes, 
January 4, 1883; John M. Thayer, January 6. 
1887. 

Lieutenant governors: Othman A. Abbot, Janu- 
ary 4, 1877; Edmund C. Cams, January 9, 1879; 
A. W. Agee, January 4, 1883; H. H. Shedd, Janu- 
ary 8, 1885; George D. Meiklejohn, January 3, 
1889. 

Secretaries: Thomas B. Cuming, August 3, 
1854; John B. Motley, March 23, 1858; J. Sterling 
Morton, July 12, 1858; Algernon S. Paddock, May 
6, 1861; Thomas P. Kennard, February 21, 1867; 
William H. James, January 10, 1871; John J. 
Gosper, January 13, 1873; Bruno Tzschuck, Janu- 
ary 11, 1875; S. J. Alexander, January 7, 1879; 
Edward P. Roggen, January 4, 1883; Gilbert L. 
Laws, January 6, 1887. 

Auditors: Charles B. Smith, March 16, 1855; 



\^ a 



l^ 



HISTORY OF .NEBRASKA. 



101 



Samuel L. Campbell, August 3, 1857; William E. 
Mooiv, June 1, 1858; Robert C. Jordan, August 2, 
1858; William E. Harvey, October 8, 1861; John 
Gillespie, October 10, 1865; Jefferson B. Weston, 
January 13, 1873; P. W. Liedtke, January 9, 1879; 
John Wallichs, November 12, 1880: H. A. Bab- 
cock, January 8, 1885; T. H. Benton, Januar3' 3, 
1889. 

Treasurers: B. P. Rankin, March 16. 1855; 
William W. Wj'man, November 6, 1855; Augustus 
Kountze, October 8, 1861; James Sweet, January 
11, 1869; Henry A. Koenig, January 10, 1871; J. 
U. McBride, January 11, 1875; George M. Bart- 
lett, January 9, 1879; Phelps D. Sturtevant, Janu- 
ary 4, 1883; Charles H. Willard, January 8, 1885; 
J. E. Hill, January 3, 1889. 

Librarians: James S. Izard, March 16, 1855; 
H. C. Anderson, November 6, 1855; John H. 
Kellum, August 3, 1857; Alonzo D. Luce, Novem- 
ber 7, 1859; Robert S. Knox, 1861; Thomas P. 
Kennard, June 22, 1867; William H. James. Janu- 
ary 10, 1871; Guy A. Brown, March 3, 1871. 

Attorney generals: Champion S. Case, 1867; 
Seth Robinson, 1869; George H. Roberts, January 
10, 1871; J. R. Webster, January 13, 1873; George 
H. Roberts, January 11, 1875; C. J. Dilworth, Jan- 
uary 9, 1879; Isaac Powers, Jr., January 4, 1883; 
William Leese, January 8, 1885. 

Superintendents of public instruction: Seth W. 
Reals, 1869; J. M. McKenzie, January 10, 1871; S. 
R. Thompson, January 4, 1877; W. W. W. Jones, 
January 6, 1881; George B. Lane, Januar}' 6, 1887. 

Commissioners of public lands and buildings: F. 
M. Davis, January 4, 1877; A. G. Kendall, Janu- 
ary 6, 1881; Joseph Scott, January 8, 1885; John 
Steen, January 3, 1889. 

Judges of supreme court — chief justices: Fen- 
ner Ferguson, October 12, 1854; Augustus Hall, 
March 15, 1858; William Pitt Kellogg, May 27, 
1861; William Kellogg, 3Iay 8, 1865; William A. 
Little, 1866; Oliver P. Mason, 1866; George B. 
Lake, January 16, 1873; Daniel Gantt, January 3, 
1878; Samuel Maxwell, May 29, 1878; George B. 
Lake, January 1, 1882; Amasa Cobb, Januarj^ 1, 
1884; Samuel Maxwell, January 1, 1886; M. B. 
Reese, Januarj- 1, 1888. 



Associate justices and judges: Edward R. Har- 
den, December 4, 1854; James Bradley, OctoluM- 
25, 1854; Samuel W. Black; Eleazer Wakeley, 
April 22, 1857; Joseph Miller, April 9, 1859; Wil- 
liam F. Lockwood, May 16, 1861; Joseph E. 
Streeter, November 18. 1861; Elmer S. Dundy, 
June 22, 1863; George B. Lake, February 21, 1867; 
Lorenzo Crounse, February 21, 1867; Daniel Gantt, 
January 16, 1873; Samuel Maxwell, January 16, 
1873; Amasa Cobb, May 29, 1878; M. B. Reese, 
January 1, 1884. 

Clerks of supreme court: H. C. Anderson, 1856; 
Charles L. Salisbury, 1858; E. B. Chandler, 1859; 
John H. Kellom, 1861; William Kellogg, Jr., 1865; 
George Armstrong, 1867; Guy A. Brown, August 
8, 1868. 

Reporters of supreme court: J. M. Woolworth. 
1870; Lorenzo Crounse, 1873; Guy A. Brown, 1875. 

Delegates and members of Congress: Napoleon 
B. Giddings, December 12, 1854; Bird B. Chapman, 
November 6, 1855; Fenner Ferguson, August 3, 
1857; Experience Estabrook, October 11, 1859; 
Samuel G. Daily, October 9, 1860; Phiueas W. 
Hitchcock, October 11, 1864; T. M. Marquette, 
March 2, 1866; John Taffe, October 9, 1S67; Lor- 
enzo Crounse, October 8, 1872; Frank Welch, No- 
vember 7, 1876; Thomas J. Majors, December, 
1877; E. K. Valentine, November 5, 1878; A. J. 
Weaver, March 4, 1883; James Laird, March 4, 
1883; George W. E. Dorsey, March 4, 1885; John 
A. MeShane, March 4, 1887. 

United States Senators: John M. Thayer, 1867- 
71; Thomas W. Tipton, 1867-75; Phineas W. Hitch- 
cock, 1871-77; Algernon S. Paddock, 1875-81; 
Alvin Saunders, 1877-83; C. H. VanWyck, 1881-87; 
Charles P. Manderson, 1883-89; Algernon S. Pad- 
dock, 1887-93. 

United States marshals: JIark W. Izard, Octo- 
ber 28, 1854: Eli R. Doyle, April 7, 1855; Ben- 
jamin P. Rankin, March 29, 1856; Phiueas W. 
Hitchcock, September 19, 1861; Casper E. Yost, 
April 1, 1865; J. T. Hoile, July 1, 1869; William 
Daily, 1871; Ellis Bierbower, 1880. 

The following abstract of votes cast for presi- 
dential candidates since Nebraska's admission into 
the Union will be of interest: 1868, Ulysses S. 



-^^ 



102 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Grant (R), 9,782; Horatio D. Seymour (D), 5,519; 
1872, Ulysses S. Grant (R), 17,702; Horace Greeley 
(D), 7.548; 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes (R), .31,8.33; 
Samuel J. Tikleu (D), 17,554; 1880, James A. Gar- 
field (R), 54.979; Winfield S. Hancock (D), 28,523; 
Gen. Weaver (Nat), 3,950; 1884, James G. Blaine 
(R), 70,912; Butler and Cleveland (Fusion-D), 
54,391; John P. St. John (P), 2,899; 1888, Ben- 
jamin Harrison (R), 108,425; Grover Cleveland (D). 
80,552; Fiske (P), 9,429; Streeter (U. L), 4,226. 

The popular vote for governor has been: 1866, 
David Butler, 4,093; J. Sterling Morton, 3.948; 
1868, David Butler, 8,576; J. R. Porter, 6,349; 
1870, David Butler, 11,126; John H. Croxton, 
8,64«; 1872, Robert W. Furnas, 16,543; Henry C. 
Lett, 11,227; 1874, Silas Garber, 21,568; Albert 
Tuxbury, 8,025; J. F. Gardner, 4,059; J. S. Church, 
1,346; 1876, Silas Garber, 31,947; Paren England, 
17,219; J. F.Gardner, 3,022; scattering, 36; 1878, 
Albinus Nance, 29,469; W. H. Webster, 13,473; 
Levi G. Todd, 9,475; 1880, Albinus Nance, 55,237; 
T. W. Tipton, 28,167; 0. T. B. Williams, 3,898; 
scattering, 43; 1882, James W. Daws, 43,495; J. 
Sterling Morton, 28,562; E. P. IngersoU, 16,991; 
scattering, 30; 1884, James W. Daws, 72,835; J. 
S. Morton, 57,634; J. G. Miller, 3,075; scattering, 
11; 1886, John M. Thayer, 75,956; James E. 
North, 52,656; H. H. Hardy, 8,175; J. Burrows, 
1,422; scattering, 30; 1888, John M. Thayer, 
103,983; John A. McShane, 85,420; George E. 
Bigelow. 9,511; David Butler, 3.941; scattering, 10. 

Congressional candidates in the several Congres- 
sional districts at the general elections in November, 
1882, 1884, 1886 and 1888, received the following 
votes. In the First district, composed of the coun- 
ties of Cass, Douglas, Gage, Johnson, Lancaster, 
Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Sarpy and 
Saunders: 1882, A. J. Weaver (R), 17,022; John 
L Redick (D), 12,690; W. S. Gilbert (P), 3,707; 
1S84, A. J. Weaver (R), 22,644; Charles H. Brown 
(D), 21,669; E. J. ONeil (P), 1,024; 1886, Church 
Howe (R), 16,373; John A. McShane (D), 23,396; 
George Bigelow (P), 2,876; 1888, W. J. Connell 
(R), 32.926; J. S. Morton (D), 29,519; Edwin B. 
Graham (P), 2,962; J. W. Edgei-ton (U. L), 650. 

In the Second district, composed of the counties 



of Adams, Butler, Chase, Clay, Dundy, Fillmore, 
Furnas, Franklin, Frontier, Gasper, Hamilton, Har- 
lan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Jefferson, Kearney, Nuck- 
olls, Phelps, Polk, Red Willow, Saline, Seward, 
Thayer, Webster and York, in 1882 James Laird 
(R) received 12,983 votes; V. S. Jloore (D), 10,012; 
F. A. Harmau (D), 3,060; 1884, James Laird (R), 
21,182; J. H. Stickel (D). 17,650; B. Crabb (P), 
1.176; 1886, James Laird (R), 21,373; W. A. Mc- 
Keighan (D), 16,315; C. S. Hamson (P), 3,789; 
1888, James Laird (R), 30,959; W. G. Hastings 
(D), 21,207; George Scott (P), 4,128; H. II. 
Rohr(U. L), 1,590. 

The Third district is composed of the counties 
of Antelope, Blaine, Boone, Box Butte, Brown, Buf- 
falo, Burt, Cedar, Cheyenne, Cherry, Colfax, Cum- 
ing, Custer, Dakota, Dawes, Dixon, Dodge, Dawson, 
Grant, Greeley, Garfield, Hall, Holt, Howard, 
Kej'a Paha, Keith, Knox, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, 
Madison, Merrick, Nance, Perkins, Pierce, Platte, 
Sioux, Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Thomas, Val- 
ley, Washington, Wayne and Wheeler. The votes 
cast in the district have been, in 1882, F. K. Valen- 
tine (R), 11.284; M. K. Turner (D), 7,342; W. H. 
Munger(D), 9,932; 1884, G. W. E. Dorsey (R), 
25,985; William Neville (D), 20,871; Albert Felch 
(P), 572; 1S86, G. W. E. Dorsey (R), 28,717; A. 
H. Webster (D), 20,943; W. J. Olinger (P), 2,583; 
1888, G. W. E. Dorsey (R). 42,288; E. P. Weath- 
erby (D), 31,128; A. M. AValliug (P), 2,995; F. O. 
Jones (U. L), 1,487. 

The population of the Territorj- and State of Ne- 
braska at the different years mentioned has been as 
follows: 1855, 4,494; 1856, 10,716; 1860, 28.841; 
1870, 122,993; 1874, 230,007; 1875, 246,280; 1876, 
257,747; 1878,313,748; 1880, 452,542; 1885, 740,- 
645. According to the rate of increase from 1880 
to 1885, the population of 1890 will be about 
1,200,000, though owing to the increased facilities 
for immigraion, it may exceed that estimate. 

As has been the case in all or nearly all newly 
settled portions of America , ministers of the Gospel 
accompanied the pioneer settlers to the Territory of 
Nebraska and began preaching the Word of God; 
and, in proportion as the Territory and State has in- 
creased in [Kipulation, religious organizations have 



f 



liL 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



103 



lieeii established and church edifices lia^e been 
erected. In several older States the Methodists and 
Baptists were, for some years, the pioneer Christian 
workers; luit this cannot l.)e said of Nebraska, for, 
with its settlement, side by side with the ministers 
of these denominations were the preachers of the 
Presl)yterian. Christian. Disciple, and other churches. 

It is prol)able that the United States garrison, 
stationed where Nel^raska City now stands, was 
favoretl with religious services by a chaplain several 
years l)efore the settlement of the Territory began. 
Early in the spring of 1854, Rev. William D. Gage, 
a Jlethodist missionary, began regular preaching in 
Nebraska Cit\'. A frame "meeting house" was 
erected soon thereafter. The following year the 
^Methodist and Baptist denominations each organized 
a church with several constituent members. The 
first was under the supervision of Rev. Gage, and 
the memliers were Rev. Gage himself and wife, 
flattie Gage, William Walker and wife, M. Ridden 
and Mrs. Rowena Craig. The second was under 
the supervision of Rev. J. C. Renfro, and the mem- 
bers were B. B. Belcher, Samuel Findley, Edward 
JIcHenry, Lucinda Nuckolls, Mary Ann Belcher, 
Lavisou Cook and Caroline Thomas. The same 
year, 1855, a church was organized in Nebraska 
City by the Presbyterians, under the supervision of 
Revs. H. M. Giltner, a missionary, and L. G.' Bell, 
of Sidney. Iowa. The constituent members were 
D. F. Jack.son and wife, W. B. Hall and wife, Mrs. 
Harriet Anderson, !Mrs. Mary Cowles, Jlrs. Cath- 
arine Cowles, Miss Maggie J. Martin, Solomon 
Martin, David Martin, W. S. Van Doren, Dr. J. C. 
Campliell. Miss Emil\- Lorton, Miss Nancy Pearman 
and Mrs. S. E. Giltner. 

The Christian Church, organized in Brownville in 
January, 1855, by Elder Joel M. Woods, is said to 
have been the first organized religious body in the 
Territory, except the Indian Mission. In 1858 the 
Jlethodist Episcopal, Congregational, Presbyterian 
and Baptist Churches each organized societies in 
Brownville. In 1855, the next year after the site 
of Omaha was settled, a religious awakening took 
place there under the preaching of Revs. Koulmer, 
Isaac F. Collins, William Leach, Moses F. Shiun 
and Reuben Gavlord. 



•■ The latter was one of the foremost and most 
influential of the holy men who came into the wil- 
derness and assisted in shaping the religious des- 
tiny, not alone of Omaha, Init of Nebraska and 
the West. He was Ijorn in the State of Connecticut, 
where a mother's instruction and prayers directed 
his opening powers and led to an early consecration 
to God. Upon his graduation, he passed twentj- 
years in Iowa, laying the foundations of his church 
in that State, whence he came to Omaha on a pros- 
pecting tour. At that time there was no church or- 
ganization of his denomination, nor house of wor- 
ship of any other religious association. He imme- 
diately entered upf)n his duties as a minister, and 
preached in the old eapitol building on Ninth Street. 
On the first Sabbath in May, 185G, he organized a 
Congregational Church with nine members, holding 
services in the dining-room of the Douglas House. 
He soon inaugurated measures for the erection of a 
church edifice, which was completed and dedicated 
in 1857, and after a service in the pastures of the 
Lord for nearly a third of a century, he passed 
away. He died in 1880, respected as a minister of 
the Gospel for his talents and Christian virtues, not 
more than for his work as a man in public and pri- 
vate life. " 

' ' Foremost also among those who came in the 
same cause during 1855, was the Rev. AV. PJmmonds. 
of Council BlutTs, who enjoys the distinction of 
having Ijeen the first Catholic clergyman in the Ter- 
ritory of Nebraska. He came for the purpose of 
attending to the wants of the Catholics in Omaha, 
but finding no accommodations for the performance 
of his sacred duties, he was compelled to return to 
Council Blufl's, whither at intervals devout Catholics 
on this side were forced to repair to attend mass 
and approach the sacraments. During the latter 
part of the \ear, it is claimed that mass was said in 
the Representative chamber of the old eapitol. while 
others insist that the services were held at the resi- 
dence of the Hon. T. B. Cuming, corner of Dodge 
and Eighteenth Streets. Be this as it may, no 
church was determined upon until June. 1S51I, when 
Thomas O'Connor, James Ferry and Vincent Burk- 
le}' were appointed a committee to solicit subscrip- 
tions." — [Andre is' History of Nebraska.] The 






104 



TIlSTOin" OF XEHT^ASKA. 



c-huic'h edifice, a small brick Iniilding, was erected 
before liie yi-ar cUised. 

In 1855 the Methodists held services at Archer, 
the original county seat of Richardson County, and 
the same year a class was organized at the home of 
Henry Shellhom on South Pork, in Pawnee County. 
Rev. l)a\id Hart was the pioneer Methodist preacher 
In tliis extreme southeastern part of the State. Also 
in 1855, a Presbyterian Cluirch was organized at 
Bellevue, in Sarpy County, by Rev. "William Ham- 
ilton. The following year Rev. I. E. Heaton, of 
the Congregational Church, commenced preaching 
at Fremont, and in 1857 a Congregational and a 
Metliodist Church were organized at that place. 

Prior to 1854 only a few points in the Territory 
now composing the State of Nebraska had been 
permanently settled, and not a sufficient number of 
indixiduals had settled at any particular place to 
organize a church. But during that and the follow- 
ing year there seems to have been a large immigra- 
tion to the Territory, and it is remarkable how 
rapidly religious denominations began to organize 
churclies. The denominati(^ns mentioned in the 
foregoing may be considered the pioneers in inaugu- 
rating Christian work in the new Territory. All of 
them have grown strong in numbers and in property, 
and it is to be hoped equally as strong in their zeal 
to advance the cause of Christianity. In 1857-58, 
especially in the latter year, many new churches 
mostly by the denominations mentioned were organ- 
ized. But few if any other denominations organ- 
ized societies in the Territory prior to 18G0. In this 
year, on August 3, Bishop Talbot, of the Episcopal 
Church, held services in Plattsmouth, and the society 
organized by him received its regular supply the 
following year in the person of Rev. Isaac A. Hager, 
who commenced his work June IG. The St. James 
Episcopal Church of Bellevue was organized in 1861, 
by Rev. I. A. Hager. Services were held at differ- 
ent points until 1867, when the name of the society 
was changed from St. James to Holy Trinity, and 
the work of erecting an edifice begun. In the fall 
of 1863, Episcopal services were held in Brown- 
ville, by Rt. Rev. J. C. Talbot, the second mission- 
ary bishop of the diocese, and a society still exist- 
ing was organized. Bishop Talbot and Rev. O. C. 



Pake held tiie first Episcopal service in Fremont, 
July 14, 1865, from which time Dr. Dake became 
the settled pastor. This denomination has since 
organized many societies throughout the State, and 
become prominent in religious work. In 1860 
Roman Catholic services were first held in Platts- 
mouth, and the following year a church edifice was 
erected. In 1868 Bishop O'Gorman organized a 
Roman Catholic Church in Lincoln, and in 1879 the 
church of St. Theresa, one of the largest and hand- 
somest structures in the city, was erected. Many 
Catholic churches, especially in the larger cities and 
towns of the State, now exist, the memberships con- 
sisting largely of citizens from the old country. 

In 1866 a society of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South, was organized at Nebraska City; but 
as there has only lieen a sprinkling of immigrants 
from the South, this denomination has not l)e- 
come prominent in the State. German Methodist 
Episcopal, German Presbyterian, Evangelical Luth- 
eran and United Brethren Churches have been or- 
ganized in some of the larger cities. The Univer- 
salist Church organized a society at Lincoln, Sep- 
tember 1, 1870. Rev. James Gorton was the first 
pastor. Their church building, completed in June, 
1872, was the first one erected in Nebraska by Uni- 
versalists. There are but few organizations of this 
denomination within the State. In a few cities of 
the State, where there is a considerable population 
of colored poeple, Colored Methodist, Colored 
Baptist and African Methodist Churches have been 
established. At a few points in the State the Sev- 
enth Day Adventists have colonized themselves and 
organized and established churches; but they are not 
numerically strong throughout this locality. Other 
denominations, not herein named, have also organ- 
ized religious societies. 

Numerically the Methodist Episcopal Cluirch is 
the strongest in Nebraska, having at this time 
(March, 1890) a membership of about 35,000. The 
original Nebraska conference of .this denomination, 
organized in 1860, embraced all that portion of the 
State lying east of the line lietween Ranges 1 2 and 
13 west. This line forms the western boundary of 
Webster, Adams, Hall, Howard, Greeley and 
Wheeler Counties. All that portion of the State 



V 



i) > 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



105 



lying west thereof was made a mission district. In 
1881 the Nebraska conference was divided by the 
Platte River from its mouth to the line dividing 
Townships 15 and 16 north; thence west on this 
lino to the point where it again crosses the river; 
thence up the river to the western boundary of the 
conference. All Ij'ing south of this line retained 
the original name "Nebraska Conference," and all 
lying north thereof was made to constitute a new 
conference by the name of the ' ' North Nebraska 
Conference. " Since that time the mission district, 
above descril)ed, has been erected into conference, 
and named ""West Nebraska Conference." The 
twenty-ninth session of the Nebraska Annual Con- 
ference was held at York, October 2, 3, 4 and 5, 
1889, Bishop John H. Vincent, presiding. The 
thirtieth annual session of this conference will be 
held at Hastings. 

A detailed history' of individual church organiza- 
tions will appear in the county histories. 

The best historj' of Nebraska is found in the 
columns of the newspapers which were founded with 
the first settlement of the Territory. The history of 
the newspapers of Nebraska would alone fill a vol- 
ume. The rapid development of the State is due 
largely to their efforts, and no State in the Union 
can boast of a better class of newspapers or a more 
intelligent and enterprising class of publishers. 
The first newspaper published in Nebraska was the 
Palladium and Platte \^alle3- Advocate, issued on 



November 14, 1854, by Thomas Morton, D. E. 
Reed & Co. It preceded the publication of the 
Arrow but a few days, the latter paper being issued 
at Omaha on November 28, 1854. The Nebraska 
City News was established in 1855, with J. Sterling 
Morton at the editorial helm. As the Territory in- 
creased in population the number of newspapers in- 
creased. Journalism has not only kept pace with 
progress in Nebraska, but has actually preceded it, 
and to-day nearly every village has its local publi- 
cation, while the larger towns and cities support 
from two to twenty and more papers. The leading 
daily papers of Omaha are the Bee, the World-Her- 
ald, the Republican and the Democrat. These 
papers will compare favorablj- with the best daily 
newspapers of the country, especially the Bee, which 
outranks all Western journalistic efforts. Lincoln 
has the Daily State Journal, Daily News and Daily 
Call. Fremont has two dailies, the Tribune and the 
Herald. The Express and Democrat, both dailies, 
are able exponents of Beatrice. Nebraska City has 
the Daily Press and the Daily News. Grand Island 
supports the Daily Independent, while Hastings is 
represented by the Dailj- Nebraskan. Kearnej- 
gives a liberal support to the Enterprise, the Hub 
and the Journal, all dailies. Plattsmouth supports 
two dailies, while Columbus, Yorlv, Broken Bow and 
Red Cloud each boast of enterprising dailj- publica- 
tions. The weekly publications of Nebraska num- 
1jer into the hundreds. 








9 ^* 



^1 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



107 



AlDAlS/IS OOUNXY. 



-)+•«- 



CHAPTER XII. 



An Historical Sketch— Location and Area— Population— Adaptability to Agbicultuee— Physical Fea- 
tures—Natural Gas— Climatic Features — Game — Fremont's Travels— Kit Carson — The 
Government Well — Indian Treaties — "Bill" Kress — Some Fikst Things- 
Pioneers — Original Tax Roll — Settlers' Associations. 



-the future ours; 
and teach. * * 
but they left us one." 

In 1873 the pioneer agriculturists were firmly 
estalalished and every township gave evidence of its 
possibilities. There were scarcely a thousand per- 
sons in the fields of Adams County at the time ; but 
the news of success of the fortunate ones soon 
spread abroad and, by the spring of 1874, over 
1,500 persons came to share in the fortunes of the 
pioneers. All became evangelists of faith in Ne- 
braska and, notwithstanding the difficulty of setting 
aside the ideas of the "Great American Desert," 
inculcated for 30 years, and based on the reports of 
the Pathfinder, Fremont, the teachings of the new 
doctrine were well received and answered by almost 
a thousand more in 1 874-75. Then the great truth 
spread out that Fremont's desert lay west of longi- 
tude 23 degrees, and his description, even then, was 
only applicable in part; for, when supplied with 
water to malte up for the limited rainfall, that por- 
tion of the State west of longitude 23 degrees is 
highly productive and its fecundity proverbial. For 
a thousand j-ears its natural grasses have insured to 
the great herds of buffalo a pasturage at once 
abundant and rich in such parts as support animal 
life, and, when the humid region of Nebrasiva is 



"The past is theirs— 

And we must learn 

H«, », , They liad no model, 

DAMS County is one of the 
divisions of Nebraska in 
the second tier of counties 
north of the Kansas line, 
120 miles west of the Mis- 
souri River. Its Congres- 
sional description is — 
Townships 5, 6, 7 and 8, in Ranges 9, 
10,11 and 12, west of the sixth princi- 
pal meridian, almost midway between 
40 and 41 degrees north latitude and 
21 degi'ees and 20 degrees west longi- 
tude. The area is 576 square miles 
or 308,640 acres. The elevation above 
sea level at Hansen is 1,949 feet, at 
Hastings 1,934, at Pauline 1,777, at Roseland 
1,969; Holstein 2,011 and Leroy 1,860. The pop- 
ulation in 1870 was 19; in 1874,2,694; in 1875, 
3,093; in 1876,3,940; in 1878,5,583; in 1879, 
8,162; in ISSO,* 10,239; in 1885,18,002; wliilc. 
in 1889, it was estimated at 25,000. 

♦In 1S80 .\dams County was divided into nine districts for 
the purpose of census enumeration, and the followinpr named 
citizens were ai)pointed enumerators: C. H. Paul, A. J. Oreu- 
dorf, I. W. Cranu'r. Kev. H. A. Guild. W. Darlins, H. N. Crone. 
R. L. Miles, A, C. Moore, and D. Sinclair. 




V 



^ 9 



>^. 



108 



HISTORY 01' NEBRASKA. 



filled lo overflowing, that section of the State and 
adjoining territory, comprising 100, 001). 000 acres 
of aritl lands, will become the home of industry. 

The Little Blue rises in Kearney Count}', but 
the greater number of its sources are found in 
Adams Count}\ Its course in Nebraska is about 
110 miles. It receives the Big Sandj' in Jefferson 
(Countj-, and flows into the Big Blue south of the 
State line. In its beautiful \ alley a few of the early 
settlements of the State were made, and in later 
years the sanguinary Sioux enacted many of their 
tragedies along its course. The head streams of the 
Little Blue give to the gretiter portion of Adams 
County many advantages — except in the neighbor- 
hood of Kenesaw, thej^give a stream to almost everj' 
section. Pawnee, Sandy, Thirty-two Mile and Cot^ 
tonwood Creeks are the principal feeders of this 
river. The northwestern townships of the county 
are drained by the Platte, the south channel of 
which occupies the extreme northwest corner. * The 
divide between the Republican and the Little Blue 
is almost on the line between Webster and Adams 
Counties. 

The Chamberlain well phenomena, the disturb- 
ances in the well on the Jones farm, north of the 
city, the escape of gas above the village of St. Paul, 
and the gas spring near Omaha, drew the attention 
of the people to the existence of natural gas under 
the prairies. 

One of the most thorough explorations of strata, 
made in Central Nebraska, was begun in August, 
1889, and completed to 1,040 feet on December 6, 
1889, when George Haller, who kept a record of 
strata, reported to the Tribune: From 125 feet to 
230 feet an extensive bed of sand and water was 
found. At 230 feet the great bed of yellow ochre 
was discovered. By a good many this was thought 
to be a glazier formation. At 260 to 270 feet the 
ochre began to have a gray color. At 280 feet a 
light colored shale was found with a few thin streaks 
of gray spar. This shale extends to a depth of 430 
feet, more or less darker at diflferent depths. Here 
a formation of gypsum and limestone was passed 

•In early years (18!)0) there was a small lake near the great 
trail, three miles nortliwest of Kenesaw. Tlie Germans wlio 
carried the mail from the Missouri to Colorado had a camping 
rancli six miles north of Kenesaw. round which grass was 
abundant. 



through, it beitig probalily a foot and a half thick. 
A small flow of water was then struck ; then the 
shale again. It continued to show small deposits 
of iron pyrites, and then thin stratas of limestone, 
with occasionally a small streak of gray spar. This 
formation continued until adepth of 805 was reached, 
but from 805 to 950 feet shale predominated. Then 
about seven feet of veiy thin limestone were passed 
through ; then about twenty feet of shale gypsum ; 
then about twenty feet of ■•gumbo" shale. At flOo 
feet from five to six feet of gypsum, then shale, dry 
spar and limestone until a depth of 925 was readied. 
Here a vein of water and a little sand were observed 
for the first time after leaving the large bed of sand. 
From 925 to 942^ feet, at which latter point the 
great salt bed was struck, a soft "gumbo" like 
shale, getting softer near the salt. From 942^ to 
987^ the salt bed. After leaving the salt; sand- 
stone was found. From 400 feet down the gas 
odor was stronger as the distance increased until the 
salt was struck. Another fact is that more or less 
small pieces of iron pyrites were found all the way 
from 300 to 930 feet. What future boring may 
develop is an unknown quantity — the enterprise of 
business men must find it out. — the scientific man 
can onlj- speculate. 

Joseph Horgan discoA'ered a large deposit of 
calcine on his farm in June, 1873. 

The seasons are delightful. No killing frosts 
in the spring are likelj' in Nebraska after April IG, 
and no frost after 3Iay 14 ; in the fall, during seven- 
teen years, the average date of killing frosts is 
October 7 ; slight frost, September 23. The hottest 
month is July, the coldest, February. Grass has 
started so as to change the aspect of the prairie by 
April 9, and by April 29 will yield cattle a full sui> 
port. The cold weather begins in January and con- 
tinues until April. On January 1, 1883, the ther- 
mometer registered 8 degrees below at Hastings ; on 
the 7th, 14th and ISth was at zero, while on the 
19th it was 30 degrees below; on the 20th, 2G de- 
grees, and 21st, 16 degrees below. On Jaiuuiiy 1, 
1884, it was 10 degrees below, and on the 5th and 
24th, 18 degrees below. It fell to 26 degrees on 
January 1, 1885, to 18 degrees on the 16th, and to 
22 degrees on the 19th and 20th. On January 8, 



^' 



^ 



ik^ 



ADAxMS COUNTY. 



109 



1886, 26 degrees below were registered; ou the 
16th, 23 degrees; on the 9th, 24 degrees, and on 
the 16th, 20 degrees below. The mercury showed 
12 degrees below on Januiuy 1, 1887; 15 degrees 
ou the Cth, and 20 degi'ees on the 8th and 0th. On 
January 1, 1881, the mercury was 6 degrees below; 
on the 8th, 12 degrees; on the 12th, a blizzard; on 
the 13th, l-t degrees; on the 14th, 20 degrees; on 
the loth, 24 degrees, and on the IGth, 12 degrees. 
February of 1888 was the most temperate of all 
Februaries during the six years given, the mercury 
ranging from 60 degrees to 66 degrees above for 
several days ; but March was the coldest March of 
all the years. Travelers may speak of the beautiful 
fall in Southern France and along the chain of the 
Pyrenees ; but it is very questionable if the sunshine 
is of longer duration there than in 'this section of 
Nebraska. The fall of 1889 was just simply a con- 
tinuation of the summer, and the sky a summer's 
skj^ When winter spreads her mantle over the 
prairies he comes to stay for three full months. He 
is grim, of course, and treacherous ; but withall, this 
Nebraska winter clarifies the soil, builds up the 
constitution of man, and carries with it health to all 
who come here healthy ; and, in some cases, causes 
the disappearance of even hereditary disease. 

The blizzard of April, 1873, came when the 
robes of winter had disappeared, and the pioneers of 
Adams were enjoying the first spring day of that 
year. Although a warm rain was falling, the farmers 
were busy in the fields, and the stock had been 
turned loose ampng the corn-stalks. Late in the 
afternoon the morcur}' fell, and toward the close of 
the day a cold breeze sprung up, w'hieh suddenl}- 
changed into a blizzard, filling the air with snow 
and corn-stalks. A Mrs. Brown, of the Independent, 
speaking of this storm in 1888, says: '• The tem- 
perature seemed to be falling at the rate of forty 
degrees in thirty-nine minutes; no one had time to do 
anything luit fly in doors, and l)efore midnight one 
of the worst blizzards that ever struck Nebraska was 
prevailing with a fury that was frightful to contem- 
plate. " The story was suggested bj* the blizzard of 
Januarj- 12, 1888, in which Mrs. Malinda Chapman 
and two children of Mrs. Faust, of Turtle Creek, 
were frozen to death. The cyclone of April, 1874, 



broke over Kenesaw, closing a beautiful afternoon, 
and scattering the homes of the people. One house, 
belonging to A. D. Williams, alone remained of the 
little town, and into this the frightened people ran 
for safety. It is related that E. G. Knapp, his 
wife, and W. V. Miller sought shelter in a sod 
hen-house (about fortj'-five cubical feet in size) and 
remained there for seventy-two hours, a can of 
peaches and two eggs, picked up from the debris, 
being their only provision for food. 

In May, 1874, a heavy rain storm swept over 
this section. The wide prairie was unable to absorb 
the volume of water, and so it spread out into a 
shallow lake, the depression in which Kenesaw is 
located being submerged to a depth of over three 
feet. During the thunder storm of April 17, 1880, 
the house belonging to Thomas Hughes, three miles 
northeast of Juniata, was destroj-ed by lightning. 
The wife of Eugene Parnum was killed and himself 
scorched by the fluid. The storm of June 25, 1881, 
created havoc among small buildings in and around 
Juniata, floral hall on the agricultural grounds 
being entirely destroyed. On July 11, 1882, a 
hail stoiTQ swept over the county from a point two 
miles west of Hastings. It broke nearly 2,000 
panes of glass in the city, and in its southerly 
course destroj-ed crops of all kinds. On July 12, 
1883, a similar storm swept a section of country, two 
miles north of Hastings, destroying a strip of crops 
twenty-four miles in length ly two in width, or 
fortj'-eight full sections. In view of such disasters 
the question of organizing a hail insurance company- 
was raised in January, 1884. The storm of July 
20, 1884, commenced north of Grand Island, and 
created havoc along its southwestern course at 
Juniata, Hansen and other places. 

The leg-bone of a mastodon was unearthed in 
October, 1883, on a farm belonging to the Nebraska 
Real Estate Company. How long since the giants 
of the wilderness roamed over the land ? What ani- 
mals did they crowd out ? Who were their hunters ? 
are all questions which history cannot answer. The 
buffalo, moose, the antelope are the only great ani- 
mals of this class known to exist on the prairies 
within this historic period. Since the settlement of 
Adams County, thej- have appeared at intervals 






.k 



110 



lilSTUKY OF NEBRASKA. 



williiii its lioumliirics and since its settlement the 
last great lienl of Imtlalo disappeared within a 
circle of lire and under sliowcrs of lead. In June, 
1873, two liutlalo visited the Plank farm near Hast- 
ings, both of which the owner killed. Prior to this 
time, as recorded in the history of Clay County, a 
young woman rode down and captured an antelope 
in the vicinity of Spring Ranche. During the latter 
|)art of January and early in February, 1S90, 
weekly wolf hunts formed the programme for the 
farmers in the northern part of the countj'. 

One of the first and largest white owls ever cap- 
tured in this country was captured by Frank Ternow, 
of Holstein, in December, 1889. It measured five 
feet and a half from tip to tip of wing. 

During the latter part of July and the first days 
of August, 1873, a plague of insects descended on 
the prairies, like a heavy cloud which obscured the 
sunlight. All vegetation, save the single prairie 
grasses, disappeared before the devouring myriads, 
an<l within two days the grain fields were laid waste. 
Through the efforts of the State Grange, the United 
States appropriated $150,000 for the relief of the 
sufferers, while the States and the cities contributed 
liberally. 

.\ local blacksmith, it is alleged, guarded his 
anvil to save it from the '-pesky things." He had 
little faith in the "hoppers." He saw them eat 
holes in axe handles, devour brooms and broom 
handles ; he witnessed the destruction of his fields, 
and now was determined to save his anvil. 

The plague of locusts falling upon this countrj-, 
at a time when the pioneers looked forward to a 
harvest of plonty, was a gi'eat disappointment in- 
deed. Such a disaster would result in an exodus in 
almost anj- other State ; but the sufferers had faith 
in tlieir rich prairie lands, and their faith has since 
been repeatedly rewarded by rich harvests and j'ears 
free from climatic or other disadvantages. It is 
true that, during the fall of 1880, the grain ware- 
house blockade and the utter lack of transportation 
facilities for the immense corn i)roduct of this sec- 
tion, caused some discontent and no small loss to 
the grain growers ; but under all this manifest dis- 
affection was the consolator}- conviction that how- 
ever much other parts of the world miglit suffer 



from short pioducts, there was grain enough for 
millions still in this prairie Egypt. 

The quietest year of the decade ending December 
,31, 1889, was the one just then closed. Summer 
mixed with fall continued up to December 28, and 
so disDrganized commercial circles a little ; but the 
interest in the lands of Adams County did not abate, 
for from January 2 to December 24, there were no 
less than 1,597 deeds to real estate recorded. 

The first recorded exploration of the Platte Val- 
ley dates back to 1739. During that and the fol- 
lowing year Messieurs PieiTe and Paul Mallet, 
Philip Roliitaille and others traveled up the valley, 
and in 1740 reported to the commandant at New 
Orleans. The Lewis and Clarke and the Long ex- 
peditions followed. 

The Fremont expedition of 1842 reached the 
Big Blue in longitude 19 degrees, 32 minutes, 35 
seconds west of Washington, D. C. , and latitude 39 
degrees, 45 minutes, 8 seconds, on June 20. On 
the evening of the 22d the command camped ou the 
Little Blue, twenty-four miles west of their first 
camp in Nebraska, and next day crossed Sandy 
Creek. Game appeared in large numbers, elk and 
antelope coming to the little hill tops to take obser- 
vation of the visitors. Col. Fremont describes his 
first experiences in a Nebraska rain storm. He 
says: "A hcav^- liank of black clouds in the west 
came on us in a storm, preceded by a violent wind. 
The rain fell in such torrents that it was difficult to 
Ijreathe facing the wind ; the thunder rolled inces- 
santlj-, and the whole sky was tremulous with lights 
ning, now and then illuminated b}' a blinding flash, 
succeeded by jjitchy darkness. " 

Kit Carson was one of the leading spirits of this 
expedition. On the third or fourth night out from 
the first camp in Nebraska, he had the watch from 
10 P. iM. to midnight with Brant and Benton, whose 
first night ou duty this was. The stories of Indian 
atrocity and cunning had already unnerved the afore- 
said pair of tenderfeet, and the two hours of duty 
imposed upon them was only preferable to a sentence 
to return home ; but necessity drove them to fulfil 
this duty, and afterward thej- accepted such duty 
like veterans. On the fifth morning while proceed- 
ing up the valley of the Little Blue, objects were 



^^ — ^ 







seen ou the opposite hills which disappeared in- 
stantl}-. One of the rear guard came up rapidl}-, call- 
ing, "Indians! Indians!" He reassured his fellow 
travelers that twent^'-seven red-skins were within 
view. The alarm drove ever}- man to prepare for a 
battle, and even Kit Carson placed some reliance on 
the statement ; for, mounting an unsaddled horse, he 
went forth into the rolling prairie to scout, and 
returning, reported that the twenty-seven Indians 
had resolved themselves into six elk. 

On the night of June 25, 1842, Fremont's part}- 
camped in longitude 21 degi-ees, 22 minutes, 12 
seconds west of Washington, in north latitude 40 
degrees, 26 minutes, 50 seconds, a point about four 
miles south of the present city of Hastings, and 
four miles east of the fork of the Blue where the 
old road left the river for the Platte. No water 
was found on the divide. Antelope appeared dur- 
ing the succeeding morning although an electric and 
rain storm was raging. In the Colonel's report of 
June 26 he states: "Crossing on the way several 
Pawnee roads to the Arkansas, we reached, in about 
twentj--one miles from our halt on the Blue, what is 
called the coast of the Nebraska or Platte River. 
This had seemed, in the distance, a range of high 
and broken hills ; but on a nearer approach was 
found to be elevations of forty to sixty feet, into 
which the wind had worked the sand. The}- were 
covered with the usual flue grasses of the countr}", 
and bordered the eastern side of the ridge on a 
breadth of about two miles. Change of soil and 
couutrj- appeared here to have produced a change in 
vegetatiou. Cacti were numerous, and all the plants 
of the region seemed to flourish among the warm 
hills. The Amorpha in full bloom was remarkable 
for its large and luxuriant purple clusters. From 
the foot of the coast, a distance of two miles across 
the level bottom brought us to our encampment on 
the shore of the river, about twenty miles below the 
head of Grand Island, which lay extended before 
us, covered with dense and heavy woods. " 

The Oregon trail of 1847-48, called the ."Cali- 
fornia Trail " in after years, was not a common 
roadwa}' as the modern settler understands a road- 
way. It was a wide avenue of man}^ tracks, widen- 
ing out to meet the requirements of fancy or neces- 



sitj- or confining itself to a narrow passage across 
some creek or swamp. This trail changed gradually 
from the height of land between the Big Sandy and 
the Little Blue to the Eighteen Mile Ridge and Lit- 
tle Blue Vallej-, which it followed for sixty miles, 
when a bee line for Fort Kearney was adopted. 
Over this trail the mud wagon trains of the Salt 
Lake express were established in 1858. This train 
was drawn by a locomotive in the shape of six mules, 
guided by a driver and goaded by a ichipper-uj), 
whose promotion depended upon the degree of 
cruelty which he could reach in his whipping trade. 
Fortunately for the mules the Pike's Peak stampede 
came up in 1859, and the Salt Lake express being too 
slow gave way to Ben Halladay's overland stage 
line and pon}' express between St. Joseph and Sacra- 
mento. Each department of this service was admin- 
istered in a business-like waj-. The pony express 
route — about 2,000 miles in length — was covered in 
eight da3-s. Each division was 100 miles in length, 
with a depot at every twenty-five mile point. Indian 
ponies and courageous riders, weighing about 120 
pounds, were emploj-ed. The depots of the Over- 
land Stage Line were arranged on the same principle ; 
but the heavy coaches precluded the possibility of 
making the time of the pom- express. 

The following facts related by H. G. Armitage 
are desei'ving of mention in this chapter : About 
two miles east of Keuesaw, on the farm of C. P. 
Mecham, can j-et be seen the remains of what is 
called the '• old government well.'' It was dug 100 
feet deep and curbed with logs hauled from the Lit- 
tle Blue. Although dug in the "daj-s of '49," it 
was still in good state of preservation when the first 
settlors came into the country. This well has a his- 
tory in connection with a " lone grave" three miles 
northwest of Kenesaw, where the old "overland" 
trail comes out of the bluffs into the Platte River 
Yalle}-. The grave is about a quarter of a mile 
east of the old trail on the north side of a little 
hillock. A marble headstone marks the spot, upon 
which is the following inscription, ' ' Sacred to the 
memory of Mrs. Susan C. Haile, of Lafayette Coun- 
ty, Mo., who died June — , 1852, aged ." 

The so-called " government well " was dug by a 
party for the purpose of selling water to thirsty trav- 



112 



lUSTUilY OF NEBRASKA. 



clers !is they were passing over this divide between 
tlie Little Blue and Platte llivei-s, a distance of 
about tweut}' miles. After leaviii"- tiie Little Blue, 
travelers usually made it to tliis well at about noon. 
From an old " 49er " it is learned that the proprie- 
tor of this well was massacred one niorniuii by the 
Indians, anil the well i)oisoned. .Mr. Haile and his 
wife passing along the trail a few days afterward 
used of the water and both bei'anie violently sick. 
They sueeeedetl, however, in getting as far on their 
way as where the "lone grave" is found. Mr. 
Haile recovered, but his wife died in the night. The 
next morning Haile took off his wagon-box, and 
making a coffin from it buried his wife. He then 
ilrove back to Omaha, {jroeured the marble head- 
stone, brought it back anil marked the long and 
lonely resting place of his departed companion. 

Indian treaties were made with the Otoes, Mis- 
souris, lowas and Pawnees, bj- the officers of the 
Missouri Fur Company, as early as 1809. On Jan- 
uary' 5, 1812, a treaty between the United States 
and the Pawnees was negotiated; on December 26, 
1815, the Mahas and lowas ratified a talk held dui- 
ing the year. Two j'ears later the Otoes ratified a 
treaty; while on Jauuar}- 7, 1819, a treaty with the. 
Grand Pawnees and Noisj- Pawnees was negotiated, 
and on January 17, 1819, the Republican Pawnees 
entered into treaties of peace with the young repub- 
lic. Benjamin O'Fallou was the prime agent of the 
United States in the negotiations. December 30, 
1823, the Kansas trilie ceded a large tract of terri- 
tory here, and on April 12, 1834, the Grand Paw- 
nees, Pawnee Loups, Republican Pawnees and 
Pawnee Tappaye (then residing on the Platte and 
Loup Fork) ceded all their territory south of the 
Platte River. The latter treaty was rendered easy 
of negotiation by the fact that, in 1832, the terrible 
epidemic, small-pox, carried away the Pawnees and 
other Indians of this section in large numbers, while 
the Delawares destroyed their town on the Republi- 
can River and killed hundreds of the residents. In 
1833 the remnant of this once gi-eat tribe moved 
north of the Platte, where they were founil when <he 
Congressional act of June 30, 1834, designated Ne- 
braska as Indian Territory. 

The Sioux. Cheyennes and Pawnees may be 



termed the original inhabitants of this section, 
within the historic period at least — the Sioux inhab- 
iting the plains at will. Through it passed the Fre- 
mont trail of later days ; but owing to the fact that 
Fort Kearney was only forty miles away, the sav- 
ages held aloof from this section when in war paint, 
except during the Civil War, and especially in 1864, 
when the general attack along the trail was caiTied 
out. Evidences of a massacre were observed four 
miles south of Juniata some years ago ; while in the 
fall of 1870, four of the five emigi-ants, forming a 
little party, were killed by the savages. In the his- 
tory of Clay County the storj- of the attack on 
Spring Ranche and other points bordering on the 
present count}' of Adams, is related at length from 
the reminiscences of James Bainter. 

Mr. Bainter relates the following anecdote: 
"Early in the spring of 1866 a man named Clino 
and myself were trapping near where Ajt now 
stands, in what is known as Fleming's gi'ove. One 
morning, while cooking breakfast, two Sioux ai> 
peared, and asked for something to eat. After 
finishing the meal they began packing our furs and, 
putting them on my pony, started off with our proj)- 
erty. I made up my mind not to submit to it, and. 
as I had just taken from the Dutch oven a hot cake, 
I concealed a knife therein and followed them. 
Near the camp was an icy place, and round it the 
Indian, leading my ponj-, went, while the other went 
straight across. Thus they lost sight of each other. 
I had nearlj- overtaken the one with the pony when 
I made a slight noise and he tui-ned and stopped. 
As I came up to him, I offered the bread, which, 
with a sardonic grin, he reached to take, and, as he 
did so, I drew my knife and struck him with it. 
As he fell I struck him across the throat and killed 
him without .attracting the attention of his com- 
panion. I followed Indian number two, and before 
he was aware of my presence shot him dead, and 
thus saved our furs and my pony. " 

For the purposes of this chapter the following 
memoir of Jlortimer N. Kress, the actual pioneer of 
the county, is given. The story is based on his own 
relation of names and events. 

Mortimer N. Kress, or Bill Kress, as he was 
sometimes called b}' companions or friends, in the 




<^wl>^ 




^lc^^^<^^^ ^rr^ 



® w^ 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



113 



earlj- days when the State of Nebraska was one vast 
wilderness — was born in Lycoming County, Pa., 
near Williamsport, in 1841. He was the youngest 
of thirteen children forming the famil^^ of George 
and Eliza (Dunlap) Kress. His father, a native of 
the United States, was born in 1799. He followed 
farming, and was a successful business man until 
his death in 1873. The senior Mrs. Kress died in 
1846, leaving Mortimer, the youngest son, who 
then was only five years old, an orphan. He had 
some schooling up to the age of eleven years, when 
he took a notion to see some of the world. He was 
thrown on his own resources mostly, and while still 
young saw a great deal of life. He enlisted in 
1861, in answer to the first call, in Company E, First 
Pennsylvania Cavalry, under Col. George Bayard, 
and served under Fremont in what was commonly 
known as the Army of Virginia. He was in all the 
battles after Bull Run fought by the eastern arm}'. 
His regiment traveled 4,500 miles while in the ser- 
vice, and he was all the way with Sheridan on his 
raid, and on June 9, 1863, was injured at Brandy 
Station, receiving a sabre wound in the shoulder. 
He remained with his company, and during the day 
was taken prisoner, and escaped three times. The 
sabre wound proved to be serious, but he still con- 
tinued with the company until he received his dis- 
charge, in December, 1864. He offered to remain 
with the reorganized company, but exposure and 
hard fighting had so militated against his health 
that he was not received. 

Returning to the place of his youth, the old 
home in Lycoming County, Pa. , he remained a few 
months, and in the spring of 1865, being of an 
active nature, moved westward and located at Den- 
ver, Col., where he stopped a short time. There 
his life as a plainsman and trapper commenced. 
Mr. Kress passed over what is now Adams County 
in 1865. The plains scemed to be his home; he 
loved them and they agi-eed with him, even as well 
as did most of his friends and acquaintances. Mr. 
Ki'ess was a jouug, active men — few men on the 
plains were his equal at anything he undertook to 
do. He had a good, strong constitution and a large 
amount of native pluck. In following the life of a 
trapper he traveled all over the western country'. In 



the spring of 1867 he was through this section of the 
State and at Thirty-two Mile Creek, the supposed site 
of the great Indian massacre, was told of a man be- 
ing found dead there, but states there is no reason 
to suppose any wholesale slaughter occuiTcd at that 
place, as is reported. Subsequently he went all 
over the State, and through Kansas, Colorado, In- 
dian Territory- and Texas. In these various locali- 
ties he mingled with the different tribes of Indians, 
and became' familiar with each language, and was 
engaged in ti-ading with them a great part of the 
time. Traffic with the Indians proved to be a busi- 
ness that had some profit, for at times he would 
accumulate a large amount of money, that was in- 
vested in some venture. During his wanderings he 
found the Republican River to be a good trapping- 
ground, and located there. While engaged at that 
business he became acquainted with 31. J. Fonts 
(California Joe), they later hunting and trapping 
together. In 1869, while looking for some stray 
mules he had lost, Mr. Ki-ess wandered into Adams 
County. He admired the country for several reasons ; 
it would give him a home near to his field of action, 
and as it was necessary to have a home somewhere 
for the summer months, he concluded to take up a 
claim in Adams County. He went back and in- 
formed his companion of the intention, and they in 
company came and located claims in Little Blue 
Township, the claim of Mr. Kress being on what is 
now Section 13, Township 5, Range 9. It is still 
owned by him. M. J. Fouts also settled on the 
same section. At the time of their location there 
were no settlers in what is now this county. The 
county took in half of what is now Hall County, and 
a few men had chosen sites up Thirty-two Mile 
Creek, in the latter county. After settling, 3Ir. 
Kress went to take out his papers for the claim, and 
found that, aside from Fouts' and his, only two en- 
tries had been made, his numbering the fourth in 
the county. In the winter of 1869 and spring of 
1870 Kress built a hewed log-house. He commenced 
to improve his claim, and in 1870 turned over fifty 
acres of sod, and had it well stocked. The summer 
of 1870 he remained on the claim and farmed. In 
the winter he engaged in trapping on the Republican 
River. He found it very profitable as well as eu- 



V 



114 



JIISTOKV OF NEBRASKA. 



jovjiliK' finployincnt, his voaHv iiK-oino fmiii wolf 
pells MiiKimiting to a large sum. In the winter, 
leaviiiii his ranch in charjie of a man employed to 
look aftt>r his stock, it was his custom to go to the 
l{cpul)ii<';ni Uivcr, there staying and hunting buffalo, 
deer, antelope, antl trap the wolves, otter, beaver 
and mink. Some of these trips took him a long 
wav from home. He led the life of a scout and 
hunter from his first settlement in the county until 
18SII, sometimes aljscnting himself from this region 
a numlicr of months. On one of these occasions he 
drove from Texas, and never a day passed that he 
did not see and talk with some of his former acquaint- 
ances or border friends. He was scouting on Big 
Piney Creek when Fort Kearney was built, and 
assisted in its construction. Mr. Kress acted as 
scout for (ien. Miles and Gen. McKeuzie in 1874. 
In the early spring of 1873 the country was 
aroused by the report that the Indians were coming 
down to take the life of Wild Bill, who was then at 
his claim in Little Blue Township, for the shoot- 
ing of Whistler, the chief of the Sioux. The in- 
lialiitants of the county were much alarmed, and 
some of them threatened to hang Bill if they could 
find liim. All this time Bill was on friendly terms 
witli tlie Indians, and was in no danger, although 
circum.stances did point rather strongly against him. 
The story in effect is as follows: In the spring of 
1873, Bill was camped on the Republican River 
trapping, when he fell in with one named Jack Ral- 
ston. The latter was a man of good education, and 
had been on the successful side of life at one time; 
but liecoming too familiar with the bottle, he had 
chosen to remove to the wild west to reform. Bill 
took liini in and shared his gains with him. One day 
alioul the latter part of March, Bill and his com- 
|)anion crossed the river, and while hunting in the 
timber came upon a dead mule. Shortly after two 
Indian ixmies were found, which thej^ took with 
them over the river to camp. A few days later, the 
weather being cold and wet and the two companions 
having just finished their evening meal, three In- 
ilians came into their camp, and asked for food and 
lodging. Bill offered them the remains of the sup- 
per, pancakes, cold meat and coffee. But Ralston 
licing of a somewhat kind nature, wanted to enter- 



tain them more royally and give them a hot suppei-. 
Bill knew that the suppl}' of coffee and sugar and 
salt would not last but a few days, and not wishing 
to run short, differed from him. The difficulty 
ended in Ralston being kicked out of the camp. He 
took one of the ponies and went to some of the small 
trading places in the upper part of the count}-, and 
there traded the ponj- for a plug of tobacco, a square 
meal and a half gallon of good old whisk}-, which 
was too freelj' imljibed, with the result that he told 
a very nice storj- about Bill and himself killing the 
three Indians who had come into their camp. At 
about this time Whistler was killed, and one of the 
ponies proved to be his. Suspicion was naturally 
attached to Mr. Kress. Ralston could not be found. 
Kress was not arrested, and the Indians did not 
make any attempt to kill him. In fact, Snow 
Flake, who took Whistler's place, thanked him for 
the favor he supposed he had done him. Mr. Kress 
was elected or appointed constable in the early daj's 
before the county was organized, and served in that 
capacity while at home. 

The first deaths that occurred in Adams County 
were two parties named Bobbins and Lumos, young 
men who settled in 1870 on the Blue, and the same 
year were killed bj- a man alleged to be Jake 
Haynes. There was no doubt of the fact that 
Haynes did the work, but he was cleared, and a few 
weeks later was hung for stealing a mule in Kansas. 

In 1873 the first load of grain was taken to 
Hastings to market — wheat raised by W. S. jMont. 
Kress had brought wheat into the countj- for seed, 
and raised the first crop, though this was not 
marketed. The first couple who were married after 
settling in the county were Eben Wright and Susan 
Gates. Mr. Kress took them to Grand Island on 
October 10, 1870, where the ceremony was per- 
formed. The first marriage in the county proper 
by a white man was Roderic Lomas and Lila War- 
wick, married liy her father, John Warwick, who 
also preached the first sermon in ^Ir. Kress' log 
house in 1870. 

The first liu-th was a child born to Frank Lucy 
and wife in the spring of 1870. A man by the 
name of Cecil started a small general supply store 
in 1871 on the Blue, in Little Blue Township. Mr. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



135 



Kress shot his last buffalo in Adams County in 1873, 
but up to 1880 continued to hunt in the Republican 
Valley. 

California Joe, or Jerome Fonts, and Mortimer 
Kress, settled in Adams County in 1864 and 1867, 
respectively, and on March 5, 1870, located claims 
in the southeast part of the county, where they re- 
mained for aliout three j'cars when they resumed 
scouting, but later returned to their lands. In the 
summer and fall of 1870 there came thither among 
others — Charles Mont, James Bainter, (referred to 
in the histor}- of Clay Count}-), Charles Bird, W. S. 
Mont, J. W. King, Charles and Volney Jones, S. 
L. Brass, Isaac Stark, the Ballous, and Titus Bab- 
cock and others, named in the history of Juniata. 

Mr. Fonts, who as stated homesteaded 160 acres 
on Section 11, of Little Blue Township, was born in 
Hancock County, 111., in 1848, the oldest of seven 
children of David and Emaline (Perry) Fouts, of 
Pennsylvania and Maine, respective!}-. The former 
when a J'oung man located in Illinois, but in 1852 
went to California, settling at Cloverdale, whence 
he removed to Sfeattle, Wash., his pre.sent home, his 
wife having died in California in 1877. In 1863 
Jerome enlisted in the First Nevada Cavahy, took 
part in the Indian warfare, and after two years and 
eight months of service was discharged at Camp 
Douglass, Utah. His subsequent history partakes 
largelj- of experiences on the plains; hunting, trap- 
ping, fighting the savages, frontier life in all its 
phases have combined to make him a sturdy son of 
the West. His wife, formerly Maria Wiswell, has 
borne six children. As one of Adams' first settlers 
Mr. Fouts is well and favorably known. 

F. M. Lucj-, who entered his homestead on the 
Little Blue, March 5, 1870, claims the honor of be- 
ing the first homesteader of Adams County. J. R. 
Carter, of Little Blue, was the third person to settle 
in Adams County, September, 1870, and his wife, 
Elizabeth, was the first white woman who ever made 
a home here. In Octolier tliey saw their first vis- 
itors — two men who stayed with them that night, 
next day went on their claim and next night were 
murdered by white murderers — as stated in the rem- 
iniscences of Jlr. Kress. On the authority of a 
statement made in Februarj-, 1884, bj- Rev. J. W, 



Warwick, it is said that William H. Kress, who 
resided on Section 10, Township 5, Range 9, was 
the first settler who died in Adams County and 
received Christian bui-ial. This occurred in the fall 
of 1871. Mrs. Eliza (Warwick) Knoll was the first 
person married here, Rev. Warwick officiating. The 
first deed recorded in Adams Countj- was that by 
Jolm and Margaret Stark, to Charles F. Jlorso, 
dated October 31, 1S71, conveying the northeast 
quarter of Section 12, Township 7, Range 11, in 
consideration of $500. 

The list of personal property owners and polls 
in the year 1872, with the amount of assessment 
in each case, is as follows: Edwin M. Allen;* E. 
N. Adams, $125; Pliny Allen, $150; Paul Abney, 
$175 ; Louis Abney, $140 ; Adna H. Bowen, as- 
sessed $1,800 for 120 lots at Juniata, and Titus 
Babcock, $15 for one lot, the tax per lot being 
$2.79; C. C. and R. D. Babcock, four lots and 
other property valued at $510; Titus Babcock, 
$200; Peter H. Babcock, $200; Austin Banker;* 
John W. Bradner;* William Bahl;* George Bea- 
man, $175; Stephen B. Bonfleld, $125; H. H. 
Ballou, $95 ; Judson Burwell, $130 ; G. W. Briggs, 
$350; Nathan L. Brass, $165; Samuel L. Brass 
(128 lots at Juniata were assessed $15 each, yield- 
ing a tax of $2.79), $75; Charles Bird, $125; 
James Beasley, $200 ; J. H. Bachman, $165 ; An- 
drew Clute, $150 ; John S. Chandler, $210 ; Charles 
M. Cranson;* John Clarkson, $125; George Carr, 
$50 ; James Carr, $5 ; W. W. Camp, $140 ; C. H. 
Chapman, $510; I. R. Carter, $246 ; John B. Cecil. 
$316; Jacob Calhoun, $228; H. A. DeAVolf;* H. 
A. Dean, $10; William Derrick, $5; Ira G. Dillon, 
$50 ; R. K. Daily, $601 ; James Donaldson, $5 ; P. 
Duncan, $390; F. Ernest, $255; G. Edgerton, 
$800; Thomas Fleming, $234; Wilkinson Farrar, 
$200 ; William Gardner, $5 ; A. T. Gales, $383 ; 
J. T. Gault,$210; S. P. Howland, $50; John Hur- 
son;* N. B. Harap, $110; Joseph Hopkins, $20; 
J. H. Hummel, $105 ; William A. Henderson & Co., 
$400; George Henderson, $150; Orland Hudson ; * 
John Huston, $240 ; Joseph Horgan, $20 ; Simeon 
Johnson, $105; William J. Jones & Co., $190; J. 
M. Jaeobson, $700, and one lot at Juniata ; Thomas 

♦Amount not known. 



V 



l](i 



HISTORY OF NKHRASKA 



Johnson ; * J. W. Keatley, $75 ; Charles Kilburn ; * 
K. S. Knapp, $120 ; W. L. Kemp, $155 ; William 
Kelley, $225; L. G. Kin^', $185; Lewis Keith, 
$320; M'illiam Kress, $280; George Kuder, $5; 
R. S. Langley, $135; M. C. Limlsey;* William 
Lawden, $125; F. Lenbye, $10; John G. Moore, 
$125; Waiter Meeicliu, $50; Isaac Mattie, $2G0; 
John M. Jleyer, $50 ; Clark S. Morrison ; * Henry 
McKelva, $20; D. Monroe, Jr.;* M. McKenzie;* 
Joseph Meelilin, $245; James McCIeary, $35; H. 
15. Munson, $445; W. S. Moote, $178; A. T. 
Malheson;* Charles Muntz, $20; Robert Mason, 
$110; John Avery, $288; H. J. Parkin, $145; 
John Plank, $140; N. G. Piatt;* C. Peters, $75; 
Albert D. Rust;* George Robbins, $175; Oliver C. 
Rogers, $180; J. W. Roby, $180; B. E. Swift, 
$20; Ezra Shaw;* Henry Skinner, $105 ; Jacob A. 
Swift, $130; D. E. Salsbury, $55; Frank Salsbury, 
$55; Isaac W. Stark; $140; John Stark, $95; 
Menzo Snj-der ; * John Skinner, $125 ; William Sten- 
house ; * James H. Sweeting, $75 ; Isaiah Sluyter, 
$25 ; Simeon Sinclair ; * James Sinclair ; * W. W. 
Sellick, $282; A. M. Sachem;* John F. Shafer, 
$423; Milton Scott, $722; Edmund Spelckner, 
$125; A. M. Suekett;* B. H. Scott;* Thomas 
Tisit, $50; Thomas B. Wilks;* George Wilks;* 
Robert Wright;* William White;* Thomas E. 
Watts, $125; Amos Wetherby, $5; E. Wyatt;* 
Ebeu Wright, $95; D. L. Winters, $206; C. W. 
Wilson, $260 ; W. M. West, $861 ; John Woods, 
$160; 31. Wilson, $35; William Wallace, $125; 
and John Yager, $150. 

Lots were assessed at $15 each, and a tax of 
$2.79 levied on each lot. A poll tax of $2.00 on 
each male inhabitant of legal age was also levied, 
and the dog tax amounted to $54, the total tax on 
personal property levied being $978.06. 

Charles F. Morse's 1,063 lots in Juniata village 
were assessed $15,945, and his 308 acres in Section 
12, Township 7, Range 11, $6,160, on which 
amounts a tax of $1,658.06 was levied. 

The acreage of Burlington & Missouri River Rail- 
road lands was 105,423, valued at $3,200 per 640 
acres, and assessed at $74.40 per section. The 
Union Pacific Company claimed 72,270 acres in this 

•Amount not known. 



county, valued and taxed the same as the Burlington 
& Missouri River Railroad lands. 

In 1873 the Eastern Land Association's lots at 
Juniata were assessed at $10 each and a levy of 
$4. 05i- cents made on each. The lots were assessed 
to Jlorse in 1872. The Association's lots at old In- 
land numbered 528, assessed at $3 each, on which a 
tax of $1.35 each was levied. At Kenesaw the 
same association had 334 lots, valued at $3 each , on 
which a tax of $1.24 each was levied. The Hastings 
Town Companj^'s lots were assessed for the first 
time in 1873. Their thirty-three blocks containing 
about 500 lots were assessed variously, also 16^ sec- 
tions in Township 5, Range 9, and 721 miles of rail- 
road in Denver precinct. 

Personal property was first assessed in Silver 
Lake, as a precinct, in 1874. Among the names of 
tax-payers that year are S. E. Blesh, J. M. Black- 
ledge, N. D. Blackley, E. M. Beach, J. R. Chap- 
man, M. V. Hatfield, A. and R. Hohlfeldt, W. S. 
Milner, Jacob Morgan, Benj. Morgan, J. B. Roscoe, 
W. W. Philleo, W. H. Shaw, J. D. Van Houten, H. 
A. Wilson, J. C. Wilson, John Wade, Henry Wade 
and Daniel Wilson. 

In Juuiata precinct in 1874 were the persons 
named in the list of 1872 with J. R. Royce, James 
Laird, A. H. Brown & Brother, AV. S. Bonebrake, 
J. P. Conger, Fred Cook, John Corven, T. N. Crit- 
tenden, James Clark, W. B. Cushing, William Cal- 
ler, William Doolittle. George Demster, William Der- 
rick, Hilbry Dean, D. L. Eagle, Peter Fowlie, Sam 
Fancher, W. H. Gardner, Harris, Freeman & Co., 
F. Henry, E. A. Haselton, F. H. Hall, D. H. 
Holmes, William and Ned Hodgson, Ransom House, 
T. I. Howard, George Henderson, Niles Johnson, 
C. R. Jones, M. B. Kelley, T. and W. L. Kemp, 
Peter Lawson, Larkin Brothers, J. G. Moore, C. B. 
and W. A. Moorehouse, James Norrish, William 
Norton, James Patterson, Orlando Stiver, J. H. and 
W. Skinner, S. J. Shuley, J. E. Smith, William 
Tivedale, Job Tanner, Myron Van Fleet, A. E. 
Wells, W. H. White, William Woolman, I. D. 
Wadsworth, Ezra Warren and R. Wood. 

The persons assessed in Kenesaw in 1874 were 
E. N. Adams, C. D. Bennett, James Cocklej-, L. 
Cline, S. M. and G. J. Holman, S. K. and H. C. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



117 



Ilumbert, Josiah Hodges, John S. Jewell. John 
Kent, Oscar Kent, M. W. Knapp, E. H. Maeklin, 
Samuel Miu, Miller & Knapp, W. Parmenter, C. 
Peters, J. T. Raglan, James H. Rockafellow, G. L. 
and J. W. Stine, O. W. and F. B. Spellman, David 
Shattuck, George Spiudler, G. B. Staples, William 
Shultz, F. R. Staples, W. L. Stark. John Vannen 
Kirk, E. J. Willis, W. T. Wright, A. D. Williams, 
T. G. Whiting and I. W. Worsle}-. 

On November 1, 1873, a party of four Indians 
visited L. G. King's house, at Kingston, and took 
formal possession. King went for help and return- 
ing found the red men in his bed. Ordering them to 
leave, they resisted, but King put Texas Jim out. 
Another Indian leveled his revolver at Abbott and 
Mason, but looking into the muzzles of their rifles 
did not caiTV the threat further. A party of settlers, 
headed by J. M. Bird, drove the few aborigines out 
of the conntj'. 

The first Fourth of July celebration at Juniata 
was held in 1873. Col. E. M. Allen presided. The 
\'ice-presidents were R. II. Crane (Rev. ), James 
Morrish, L. P. Hawley, of Juniata; Charles Clutz, F. 
S. Wells, V. S. James, of Denver; I. A. ilatlick, 
E. G. Knapp, E. J. Willis, of Kenesaw; W. W. 
Selleck, I. J. Draper and C. G. Wilson, of Little 
Blue; B. H. Scott, J. J. Hoyleman, R. K. Dailj-, 



of Silver Lake. Miss Rosa Kelley was reader ; R. 
S. Laugley, marshal ; Rev. A. D. Williams, chap- 
lain, and James Laird, orator. The fete at Hastings 
was attended by 1,500 people. 

The Adams County Old Settlers' Association was 
organized at A\t, August 1-1, 1886, with M. N. 
Kress, of Ajt, president; Gen. A. H. Bowen, of 
Hastings, vice-president; Isaac Le Doiyt, of Hast^ 
iugs, secretarj' and historian, and George F. Brown, 
of Juniata, treasurer. The assistant secretaries 
elected were R. S. Spicknall, of Silver Lake ; W. W. 
Philleo, of Zero; J. C. Woodworth, of Ayr ; W. P. 
Davis, of Roseland; S. L. Martin, of Cottonwood; 
John Shellhamer, of Logan ; John Overy, Little 
Blue; M. E. Palmer, West Blue; William Brown, 
Highland; B. J. Hanchett, Verona; L. A. Boley, 
Kenesaw ; Israel Spindler, Wanda ; A. H. Brown, 
Denver ; H. B. McGaw, Blaine ; John Jung, Han- 
over, and S. L. Brass, Juniata. A. H. Bowen, A. H. 
Brown and A. L. Wigton were appointed a commit- 
tee to prepare a constitution and set of b3--laws. 

The Poweshiek (Iowa) County Association was 
organized at Hastings in June, 1888, with M. K. 
Lewis, president ; C. F. Royce, secretary ; L. B. 
Palmer, treasurer; W. A. Chapman, L. A. Royce, 
A. L. Wigton, Mrs. L. B. Palmer and Mrs. Wigton, 
members of executive committee. 



^ 
^ 






118 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



H*l- 



ESTABLISHMEXT OF ColTNTY — BoUNnARIES — TkAXSACTIOXS OP COMMISSIONERS AND SUPERVISORS — CotTNTT SeAT 

\Vau — Court Affairs — Terms from Mat, 1873, to January, 1890 — Important Criminal 
Cases — Numerous Murders, Hasgings, Etc. — Defalcation. 



Laws do not put the least restraint 

Upon our freedom, but maintain "t. — Butler. 




*IIR county of Adams was 
established under the act 
approved Feliruary 16, 1867, 
within the following de- 
scribed Itoundaries: From 
the point where the east Hue 
of Range 9 west crosses the 
Platte; thence up the river chan- 
nel to the intersection of the west 
line of Range 12 ; thence south to 
southwest corner of Township 5, 
Range 12; thence east to south- 
east corner of Township 5, Range 
9, and north to place of begin- 
ning. It was a piece of legislation 
common to the times, as was that 
of Pennsylvania in the first decade 
Establishing a county where two 
or three persons resided was so strange in itself 
that the legislators themselves were willing to forget 
their acts, and in this instance the act of February 
16, 1867, "fell into innocuous desuetude," and the 
county within these boundaries was formed. 

On November 7, 1871, Acting Governor James, 
responding to a petition presented by the few resi- 
dents of Athims, ordered the county to be organized 
for judicial and executive purposes, fixing the day 
of election on December 12, following. As told in 
the political chapter, this election was held and the 
chosen officers duly (lualified. 



of the centurv. 



The first regular meeting of the county commis- 
sioners was called for Januarj- 2, 1872, but Commis- 
sioner W. W. Selleck being the only official present, 
an adjournment to January 16 was ordered. The 
record is signed by Titus Babcock, deputy count3' 
clerk. The adjourned meeting was duly held, W. 
W. Selleck and Samuel L. Brass being present. The 
county was divided into three commissioners' dis- 
tricts — the first of which comprised Township 5, in 
Ranges 9, 10, 11 and 12, and the two southern tiers 
of sections in Township 6. Wellington W. Selleck 
represented this district on the board. District No. 
2 comprised that portion of the county north of 
disti'ict No. 1 . and west of the line between Ranges 
10 and 11, with Edwin M. Allen representative on 
the board ; while district No. 3 comprised all the 
territory in Adams north of disti-ict No. 1 and east 
of the line between Ranges 10 and 11. Samuel L. 
Brass was representative. The county was sub- 
di^'ided into seven road districts. No. 1 being Town- 
ships 5 and 6 in Range 9, with Eben Wright, super- 
visor; No. 2, Townships 7 and 8 in Range 9, Volney 
Jones ; No. 3, Townships 5 and 6 in Range 1 , L. 
G. King; No. 4, Townships 7 and 8 in Range 10, 
John M. Mj'er; No. 5, Townships 5 and 6 in Range 
11, R. K. Dail}- ; No. 6, Townships 7 and 8 in Range 
11, Pliii}- Allen, and No. 7, Townships 5, 6, 7 and 8, 
in Range 12, with James H. Sweeting supervisor. 
Accounts aggregating $74 were allowed — JlcXally 
& Co. receivino; 812 for seats; A. H. Bowen $17 for 



-^ — ^t?-^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



119 



registration; T. Babcock $25.15 for rent and fuel 
and $4 for election expenses ; R. D. Babcock, $2 ; 
Simeon Johnson, $2, and Judson Burwell, $2 for 
election expenses. A da}- later $2 was allowed I. 
\\. Stark for election expenses. 

The salary of the county clerk (R. D. Babcock) 
was fixed at $150 per annum (raised on January 30, 
to $300) ; of county commissioners, $3 per day for 
time actually employed and legal mileage, and of 
probate Judge, $75. On January 17 a building for 
county offices was ordered to be erected within ten 
days, and the sheriff authorized to advertise for 
proposals for building a house 20 feet long, 16 feet 
wide and 8 'feet high between joists, with rafters 
coming down to upper joists, frame of pine lumber, 
boarded and battened on outside, shingle roof, four 
windows, one door, one matched floor and ceiled 
overhead with building paper. The building was to 
be finished ten days after the sale of contract, ma- 
terial was to be furnished by the commissioners, 
except door and window frames and case. The 
payment was to be made bj' count}- warrant, draw- 
ing 10 per cent until paid. Joseph Stuhl bought 
this contract for $30. S. L. Brass was building 
superintendent. 

The county treasurer was authorized to take pos- 
session of an}- books formerly obtained for Adams 
County, and give to the holder his receipt therefor. 
On the 18th C. C. Babcock was allowed for printing 
200 county orders the sum of $2. On January 29 
a meeting to approve treasurer's bond was held ; but 
owing to J. S. Chandler, the treasurer-elect, hand- 
ing in his resignation, the subject was postponed 
until the 30th when George Henderson was ap- 
pointed, but S. L. Brass was ordered to act as tem- 
porary treasurer. An order for blank books was 
given to Acres, Blackraan & Co. through C. L. 
Wundt. On January 31 Thomas C. Fleming was 
appointed county surveyor, owing to failure to elect 
such officer. On February 15, 1872, Deputy Sheriff 
Hummel produced H. H. Ballou, overseer of the 
poor, who stated he employed Dr. Laine to amputate 
the feet of a county charge. The Doctor presented 
a bill for $150, but the wily commissioners allowed 
only half that sum. H. H. Ballou resigned the of- 
fice of justice, and A. D. Rust was appointed. 



Treasurer Henderson qualified February 15, and 
received $94. 84 from temporary Treasurer Brass ; 
$872.50 bank certificate, and cancelled warrants for 
$255.15, or $1,222. R. K. Dailey resigned as road 
supervisor, and Charles Wilson appointed to that 
office. On the 16th the report of Commissioner 
Selleck on the indebtedness of other counties to 
Adams pointed out the sum of $3,370.11 collected 
by Hamilton County in Adams from 1867 to 1870 
inclusive, of which $927.90 was paid out for State 
taxes; $243.28 collection fees to attorney; SI 2. 50 
clerk's fees; $14.08, treasurer's fees, and $29.86 
assessor's charges, a total expenditure of $1,227.62; 
but owing to accounts in the hands of Attorney A. 
H. Bowen the actual amount could not be ascer- 
tained. This report was adopted. The sheriff was 
ordered to proceed to Hamilton County and notif}- 
said county that the funds belonging to Adams, paid 
to A. H. Bowen, was done without authority, and 
that Hamilton County would be held responsible for 
$883.43, which A. H. Bowen refused to pay. Com- 
missioner Selleck also reported on moneys due by 
Fillmore and Saline Counties, and obtained the tax 
lists of Adams and Kearney Counties. He expressed 
his belief in the statement that Saline County 
owed Adams County about $8,000 of back taxes. 
The board ordered the employment of an attorney to 
collect from Saline. The lists for Adams and 
Kearney for 1871 were placed in the hands of the 
treasurer. During this session the commissioners 
resolved themselves into a committee of the whole 
to select a site for poor farm and buildings, and S. 
L. Brass was specially appointed to confer with the 
owners of the town site of Juniata in the matter of 
obtaining a donation of twenty acres for such pur- 
pose. Jacobson's charge of malfeasance was read 
before the board February 17, 1872, and A. H. 
Bowen was cited to answer the charge. Accounts 
aggregating $259.01 were ordered to be paid. 

On February 27, 1872, a resolution by Com- 
missioner Brass gives to the money trouble of the 
period another complexion ; showing that Deputy 
Clerk Babcock issued to A. H. Bowen an order, duly 
sealed, to receive Adams County funds from Ham- 
ilton. His motion to concur in the transaction was 
adopted. Immediately after the adoption of this 



«0k 



:fz 



120 



IIIsTDUV OF .NEBRASKA. 



resolution O. A. Abbott, agent of Hull County, pre- 
sented the claims of that new county against Adams 
for tjixes collected in 1870 and prior j-ears ; but in 
i-csponse, heard the resolution of Commissioner 
Brass, asking for the employment of the best coun- 
sel in the State to consider Hall County's claim. 
C)n February 28, Isaac W. Stark, superintendent of 
schools, presented his complaint against A. H. 
Bowen. Jacobson's charge was withdrawn, and on 
February 29, the other charges against him were 
dismissed by the commissioners, owing to the fact 
that a cop}- of the complaint was not furnished to 
iiini with the citation. At this time Commissioner 
Allen mo^ed that a license fee of $200 per annum 
i)e adopted, while Selleck wanted it fixed at $300. 
The lower figures were adopted. The attack by A. 
II. Bowen, made in the Gazette, was denounced by 
tlu' board, and a resolution ordering the assessment 
of the Union Pacific lands in the county adopted. 
In March, 1872, Kearney County was set apart as a 
tlistinct precinct for revenue purposes only, and 
Adams County was divided into two precincts — 
No. 1 comprising all the county north of an east and 
west line from the southeast corner of Section 12, 
Township 6 north. Range 9 west, to the northwest 
corner of Section 7, Township 6, Range 12. Dis- 
trict \o. 2 comprised all the county south of such 
line. The first was named "Juniata Precinct," and 
the second '-Little Blue Precinct." 

The removal of the court house to lot 551, with- 
out expense to the county-, was ordered to be carried 
out under the direction of Commissioner Brass. 
Mr. Brass on this occasion proposed that the charge 
of embezzlement preferred by the State against 
Adna H. Bowen should not be further prosecuted. 
This proposition was adopted. Abbott and Thum- 
mel, attorneys for Hall County, were notified that 
the commissioners of Adams did not consider the 
county indebted to Hall County, and refused to paj- 
any of the money received from Hamilton County. 
In April, ten road districts were established. On 
April 4, the commissioners selected Section 2, Town- 
ship G, Range 11, for poor farm purposes, and its 
accjuisition by preemption or otherwise ordered. 
The commissioners appointed to locate roads were 
olfereil a compensation of $2 for every ten miles of 



road laid out liy them, and the salary of the probate 
judge was increased from $75 to $100 per annum. 
The request for $75,000 aid to the St. Joseph & 
Denver Railroad was presented April 17, b}- E. E. 
Brown, and a special election on the subject was 
ordered. On April 30, a proposition to buy some 
quarter sections from the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad was favorably received ; Commis- 
sioner Allen was authorized to move the court house 
at an expense of $10. He performed this work, 
and, with the original grant, $29.78 for repairs. 
The license for sale of liquor was increased to $300 
in Maj-, 1872. In July Treasurer Henderson re- 
signed and Ira G. Dillon was appointed to fill the 
vacancy. The amount of State taxes to he levied in 
1872 was 5f mills or $5,503.61 ; general fund, iu- 
cluding support of poor, $4,785.70 at 5 mills on 
the dollar; road and land fund, $4 on each quarter 
section; poll tax, $2 on each poll; sinking fund, 
2^ mills; bridge tax, 5 mills; school tax, $905.75 in 
district No. 1; $144 in No. 2; $300 in No. 9; $870 
in No. 12; $G50 in No. 16, and $175 in No. 17. 
The total valuation was $957,153. 

The valuation of Kearney County was $722,736, 
on which a State, general and poor, land, road and 
poll tax were collected, the rates being the same as 
in Adams County. No bridge or school tax is 
recorded. The south ^ of. Section 1, Township 6, 
Range 11, was piu'chased from the Burlington & 
Missouri Compau}- at this time for the purposes of 
a poor farm. A junketing expedition was subse- 
quently, in July, organized; when the commis- 
sioners proceeded in a body to locate a bridge over 
Thirty-two Mile Creek. The expense of this expe- 
dition, it is alleged, was much heavier than that of 
the bridge subsequently built. iVfterthis resolution 
was adopted the clerk presented thirty-two wolf 
scalps and one wild cat scalp, which were ordered 
to be destroyed. An election on the questiori of 
granting $6,000 aid toward the building of a steam 
gristmill, at Juniata, was ordered to be held at the 
time of holding general election. In July, 1872, 
the balance due by Adams and Kearney Counties to 
Fillmore was fixed at $45.25, and by Adams to 
Kearney at $934. 68. In August the l)oard adver- 
tised for proposals to build a poor house 16x24 feet, 



>y 



^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



121 



and one and one-half stories high, and appointed 
Peter Fowlie poor-master at $25 per mouth. Ira G. 
Dilloa's proposal to erect the poor house for $1 ,400 
was accepted. On October 9, 1872, Township 7 
and 8, Kange 12, the west tier of sections in Town- 
ships 7 and 8, Kange 11 ; the north tier of sections in 
Townships 6, Range 12, and Section C, Township 6, 
in Range 12, were set off to form the precinct of 
Kenesaw, while Townships 7 and 8, Range 9, the 
north tier of sections in Townsliip 6, Range 9, 
Sections 1 and 2 in Township 6, Range 10, and the 
two eastern tiers of sections in Townships 7 and 8, 
Range 10, set off under the title of Denver precinct. 

Silver Lake precinct was established October 9, 
1872, within the following described lines: The west 
half of Townships 5 and G, Range 10, except the 
north tier of sections in Townships 6 , all of Town- 
ship 5, in Ranges 11 and 12, and Township 6 
in the same ranges, except the north tier of sec- 
tions in Township 6, in each range. During 
the month of October H. L. Clark's proposition 
to erect Queen Truss wooden bridges over the 
Little Blue and Thirtj'-two Mile Creek for $1,795, 
was received and acquiesced in. Poor-master Fowlie 
reported six poor persons as charges on the county 
on November 1, 1872, and on the 4th took possession 
of the new poor house, b ut from December 5 to the 
close of the 3-ear there were none chargeable to the 
count}-. In January the board asked the representa- 
tives in House and Senate to introduce a bill, making 
all section lines in Adams Couuty public roads. The 
subject of purchasing artificial feet for Peter Fowlie 
was then discussed; but the opinion of the county 
attorne}' and the law set aside the good intentions of 
the commissioners toward him. 

In January, 1873, the State land commissioner 
was petitioned to place the school sections of the 
county on the market; the salary of the clerk was 
placed at $300; of the probate judge, $100; of the 
superintendent of schools, $4 per day while on 
dut}', and of the poor-master $25 per month, and in 
February R. S. Langiey was appointed sheriff, rice 
Haselton resigned. The question of increasing 
license fee was discussed in Blarch and the amount 
raised to $400. Charles Kohl was granted a license 
for Hastings village at this time. In April W. H. 



Martin, R. R. Crane and George, Kuder were ap- 
pointed commissioners to appraise the school lands 
of Adams County. A statement by Treasurer W. 
31. West per the deputy treasurer, Peter Fowlie, was 
presented to the board in May. This showed a 
balance of $534.78 on December 2, 1872, and 
$2,128.65 received from that period to May 5, 1873. 
Of this total ($2,663.43) there was $1,418.59 ex- 
pended. In July the Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad Company asked damages by reason of loss 
sustained through the act of the Legislature in set- 
ting off section lines for road purposes. The board 
appointed Ira G. Dillon, Eli B. Dailey and William 
L. Kemp assessors in the matter. D. S. Cole peti- 
tioned for the erection of a temporary jail. This was 
granted and the question of tax levy for 1873 con- 
sidered. The levy ordered for State tax was $6,- 
738. 90; for county tax, $29,238. 60 and for poll tax. 
$2 per poll. In Juniata, $600 interest on grist-mill 
bonds was authorized; while the direct school tax 
was as follows: District No. 1 , $1 ,300; Nos. 2 and 3, 
10 mills on the dollar and $400; No. 4, $340; No. 5, 
10 mills on the dollar; No. 19, 13 mills on the dollar; 
No. 10, 40 mills on the dollar; No. 12, $465; No. 13, 
$438; No. 14, $600; No. 16, 10 mills on the dollar 
and $170; No. 17, $2,900; No. 18, $2,000; No. 19, 
$370; No. 21, 25 mills on the dollar; No. 22, 15 
mills on the dollar; No. 23, $285; No. 24, $670; No. 
25, $600; No. 28, $200; No. 31, $945; No. 32, 
$350; No. 33, $500; No. 34, $200,andNo. 35, $300. 
Prof. A. D. Williams, the immigration agent for 
Adams Count}-, was granted the use of room in the 
court house at Juniata. A petition signed by Simon 
Rankins and 327 other citizens and a remonstrance 
signed by C. H. Chapman and 201 citizens, on the 
question of county seat removal, were received, but 
not granted. James Laird, agent of the Eastern 
Land Association , asked for the vacation of streets 
and alleys in the villages of Kenesaw and Inland, 
and commissioners were appointed to report upon the 
justice of the demand. Such reports were favorable 
to the petitioners in each case and the vacation was 
ordered. On January 5, 1874, A. H. Cramer signed 
the record as clerk and the salary was placed at $400. 
Charges against Peter Fowlie were not sustained by 
the board — the ill-treatment of a horse being the 









HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



only evidenoo of ;iiiy <';irclessness by the poor- 
master. 

In February A. II. Cramer was named as mem- 
ber of the Centennial Board for Adams County. 
Letters from James Beach, A. C. Wright, E. "W. 
Morse, N. D. Blakely, :M. B. Kelley, George Rob- 
bins, S. B. Webb and J. C. Woodwortli, asking to be 
appointed poor-master, vice Fowlie, were received, 
and Kelley appointed. An election ordered on the 
questions of granting $45,00(1 aid to the St. Joseph 
& Denver Railroad, and on issuing bonds to cover 
indeblcdness of the county on May 1, 1874, amount- 
ing to abont $22,120.98. In June a meeting held at 
I uniata adopted resolutions in favor of the erection 
of county buildings at that point, and the u.se of 
the sinking fund for that purpose. A. H. Bowen, 
E. M. Allen and B. F. Smith formed the committee 
appointed l\v this meeting to present the matter to 
the board. This body took prompt action and asked 
for plans and specifications for a building, the cost 
of which was not to exceed 815,000. On June 30, 
a remonstrance against such action was presented bj- 
Frank Seara and eighty-eight others; but it had not 
the power expected and the bid of D. H. Freeman 
($14,000) was accepted, but tlie authority of the 
commissioners in the matter was questioned and the 
subject referred to Judge Gantt. The contract was 
set aside later and again petition and remonstrance 
on the vexatious re-location subject claimed the 
attention of the board — a petition of 584 praying 
for re-location and a remonstrance of 349 against 
the proposition being the signals of war. A number 
of persons withdrew their names from the former 
petition, and the commissioners taking cognizance of 
the remonstrance denied an election on the subject. 
In February, 1875, C. C. and R. D. Babcock,of the 
(jazette, and R. A. Dague, of the Journal, projjosed 
to print the transactions of the commissioners, as 
oflicially reported l)y the county clerk, at fi\e cents 
per line for both papers or two and a half cents per 
line in fact A second proposition was $125 per 
atinuni to each newspaper for publishing the official 
report.s. 

On March 5, 1875, the "troublesome question" 
was resurrected. A petition Ijy J. L. Parrott and 
491 other citizens asking for an election "On Re- 



location of County Seat" was granted, and April 1, 
1875, fixed as the day of voting. Fifteen per 
centum of the amount of taxes recovered for this 
count}- /« re Union Pacific Company rs. jMcShane and 
others, was adjusted and settled as attorneys' fees 
and expenses due to Bowen, Laird, Briggs and 
Cowin as counsel fees as decreed li}' the court. In 
May, E. C. Shellhamer's charge of neglect of duty 
and partiality in office was preferred against A. H. 
Cramer. 

In -luly the assessed value of Adams County 
was fixed at $1,160,529, on which a State tax of 
7 7-20 mills was levied, and a county tax of 17 1-2 
mills. The $2 poll tax yielded $1,566, while the $1 
tax on dogs and $2 tax on female dogs was not 
estimated. The direct school tax by districts was 
$19,338. The road tax ranged from 5 to 25 mills 
on the dollar. Denver's bond interest tax was 
$2,660, and Juniata's interest and principal on 
bonds, $800. W. W. McDonald was poor-master 
in 1876, and N. F. Chamberlain builder of addition 
to house. In the fall of 1875 road and bridge con- 
struction assumed large proportions, and a few iron 
bridges were erected. In February, 1876, a petition 
was read from S. Alexander and other citizens ask- 
ing the board to employ Abbott & Batty to prosecute 
the case of Charles H. Paul ex. rd. vs. William B. 
Thoi'ne et ah, for the purpose of cancelling and de- 
stroying bonds of Denver Township ($33,250) issued 
in May, 1874, to aid in building the Hastings & 
Grand Island Railroad. The board granted this 
prayer. 

The valuation in 1876 was $1,048,913.60, on 
which 7 7-20 mills were levied for State tax, and IS 
mills for county tax, with a $2 poll tax and $1 and 
$2 dog tax. A 70-mill and 110-mill school tax 
marked school affairs in a few districts. 

In March, 1877, "the troublesome question" 
came again before the board, when a petition signetl 
by 635 citizens was considered, and an election or- 
dered to be held April 9, 1877. On that date 844 
votes were cast in favor of location at Hastings, and 
535 for Juniata; and on April 30 Commissioners A. 
D. Yocum, Moore and Ratcliflf declared Hastings the 
future seat of justice. In Oct<:)ber a petition asking 
for township organization was presented, and a 



s — 



^r^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



123 



vote on the question ordered to be taken in Novem- 
ber. In jNIarcli, 1878, the petition for the iucor- 
poration of Juniata was returned, as it bore the 
names of many non-residents. The issue of bonds 
to the Republican Valley Railroad Company was 
considered at this time, as related in the history of 
railroads and in the political chapter. In May, 1879, 
the commissioners met at Hastings. Dr. William 
II. Lynn, who acted as the first medical employe of 
the county in 1872, ofTered his services as county 
physician for $390 per annum. This offer was 
accepted by the commissioners. In July John M. 
Ragan was appointed count}' attorney at a salary of 
$400. The tax levy authorized on the assessed 
valuation of 81,734.848 was 6 mills for State, and 
20 5-8 mills for countj' purposes. A poll tax does 
not seem to have been levied this year; but the $1 
and $2 dogs did not escape justice. The special 
district and precinct taxes were light compared with 

1878, and the school taxes insignificant except in 
districts 35, 33 and 29, the rate being 50 mills in 
the first, and 30 mills in the two last numbered dis- 
tricts. The general statement of W. B. Thoi-ne of 
disbursements from January 1, 1874, to May 1, 

1879, was presented in July. This showed $173,- 
943.16 disbursed; $30,178 balance, and $67,930.36 
due by delinquents. The total receipts amounted to 
$203,583.62, and $537.86 balance in treasury 
January 1, 1874. 

The detailed statement points out liabilities in 
excess of assets amounting to $41,183.68, and 
aoout $13,000 doubtful tax, or total liabilities in 
excess of assets $54,183.68.* 

In September, 1879, township or precinct boun- 
daries were subjected to change in two instances. 
Little Blue was established within the lines of Town- 
ships 5 and 6, in Range 9. Pawnee was changed to 
Ayr, and established within the lines of Townships 
5 and 6, in Range 10. 

The funding debt proposition was made on Sep- 
tember 27, 1879, when the people were asked to vote 

* The question of the issue of 7 per cent bonds for $70,000 for 
funding the county indebtedness, and that relating to the sale 
of Lot W8 at Juniata, were submitted to a vote in November, 
1879. At this time county warrants were selling from sev- 
enty-five to eighty-five cents, so that the funding of the 
debt became imperative. The funding proposition was de- 
feated. 



for the issue of $70,000 bonds, paj-able in ten annual 
installments of $7,000 each, the last due on January 
1, 1900, and the first on January 1, 1891. 

The petition of H. A. iloreland, Joseph A. Rob- 
ertson and sixtj'-two others, for the incorporation of 
Juniata town, was presented June 15, 1880, and 
granted. Ira G. Dillon, S. L. Brass, H. E. Wells, 
E. M. Allen and L. F. Picard were named as trus- 
tees. 

In January, 1880, Timothy May was chosen su- 
perintendent of the Adams County Infirmary. In 
June Dr. Lynn was re-appointed physician; John 
M. Ragan, attornej', while the county printing was 
awarded to the Gazette, Journal, Herald and Ne- 
braskan, three months being the term for each in 
the order given. In December the examination of 
Treasurer Thome's account was carried on; but at 
the close a petition against the reception of his state- 
ment or warrants until the law would be fully com- 
plied with. Saxon & Moulton represented William 
Kerr, A. L. Clarke & Co. and C. N. Paine & Co., 
who signed petition No. 1; while petition No. 2 was 
signed by twenty-two citizens. 

On January 5, 1881, Treasurer Thome's state- 
ment of receipts and disbursements from Maj- 1, 
1879, to October 1, 1880, was presented by Peter 
Fowlie, then and for some time previous deputj' 
treasurer. He showed $30,123.37 on hands May 1, 
1879, and $106,313.08 colleeted within the time 
given, or a total of $136,436.45. The amount re- 
ported paid out was $100,530.55, and balance on 
hand $35,905, with $69,096.87 delinquent. The 
commissioners appeared to agree with this state- 
ment, but postponed final settlement until some 
vouchers in controversy were received or rejected. 
On January 25 the board assembled as a court of 
trial and investigation. B. F. Smith, 0. B. Hew- 
ett, A. T. Ash and John M. Abbott, of counsel for 
the treasurer; Messrs. Saxon, Moulton, R. H. Mills 
and R. A. Batty, of counsel for S. Alexander; A. 
L. Clarke and others, petitioners with John M. 
Ragan, for the county, were present. The treas- 
urer's counsel urged final settlement and the post- 
ponement of the inquiry into the charges of January 
25; but the motion was overruled, as were several 
other motions, between Januaiy 25, when the trial 



124 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



commenceil, and February 1, when counsel for the 
treasurer ilenied the authority of the commissioners 
to obtain a new or additional bond for $25,000 from 
the treasurer in addition to the $15,000 bond already 
given. On ^larch 10, however, this bond was ap- 
proved; on Marcli 12 he resifjned, and Emanuel 
Steinau was appointed treasurer, and on the 16th 
the ex-treasurer was ordered to turn over all prop- 
erty, moneys and amount of deficiencj- to the com- 
missioners. 

In Decenil)er, 1881, the clerk was instructed to 
receive from the trustees of the assets of Ex-Treasurer 
Thome, the full amount of county certificates and 
warrants drawn thereon, and credit same to the 
deficiency account of the several funds. On March 
28, 1881, the county clerk was ordered to advertise 
for rooms for county offices, and secure a lease for 
same. Propositions from C. N. Paine & Co. , to 
erect a brick building or provide a suitable building; 
from Farrell & Mowery to erect a stone building 
100x44; feet, and one from George W. jMowery to 
erect a similar building on Lots 7 and 8, Block 24, 
were received. Then follows the protest by A. B. 
Ideson; but it did not prevail, and Mowery's bid 
was accepted, which provided for a lease of five 
years at a consideration of $1,000 per annum. 

The Thorne assets as applied in 1881 show 
$87.42 to Denver precinct bond fund; $779.83 to 
State general fund; $08.35 to State sinking fund; 
$188.18 to State school fund; $72.91 to State Uni- 
versity fund; $3.34 to penitentiary fund; $21.84 to 
State asj-lum fund; $141.45 to county judgment 
fund; $2,108.41 to district school fund; |2,'165.09 
to school bond fund; $72G. 66 to school judgment 
fund; $1.51 to poll and labor tax; $40.39 to Juniata 
mill bond fund; $5.80 to Hastings City; $4.40 to 
Juniata village; and $130.27 to miscellaneous fund. 
The receipts from Ex-Treasurer Thome's assets up to 
January 11, 1882, amounted to $8,141.59, of which 
$8,082.05 were distributed as above. On October 
13, 1882, the commissioners agi-eed with C. R. 
Jones and A. L. Clarke, trustees of the Thorne 
assets, to paj" the latter 5 per cent on the moneys 
collected and paid to the count}' by said trustees 
including the audited claims. 

In January, 1882, William S. Crow qualified as 



treasurer. On June 2 the question oi issuing bonds 
for $65,000, to fund the indebtedness of the county, 
was received, and an election ordered to be held 
July 8. 

The collections and lialances for 1883 up to July 
9, amounted to $89,649.91, the balance on January 
1 being $18,710.69. 

In November, 1883, the vote on the question of 
township organization was taken, and a number of 
vouchers received in reduction of Thome's defi- 
ciency. The last meeting of the last board of 
county commissioners was held November 20, 1883, 
their final act being the granting of a contract for 
building the approaches to Silver Lake bridge, to 
W. D. Young. H. C. Armstrong was president at 
this time, with G. H. Edgerton and A. V. Cole 
associate commissioners, and R. B. Tussey, clerk. 
They adjourned sine die, the clerk closing the record 
book before the ink, used in writing his signature, 
was dry. 

The new era of government by township super- 
visors was introduced November 21, 1883, with 
H. C. Minnix,M. A. Hargleroad, W. G. Parmenter, 
J. H. Spicer, S. M. Frink, George Crane, W. R. 
McCully, Henry Stammer and E. G. Dyer present. 
Owing to the county judge not being present to 
approve bonds, the meeting was adjourned. Super- 
visor Dyer refused to serve and H. P. Rowe was 
appointed bj' the clerk to i-epresent Ayr. W. R. 
McCull}- was chosen firet president of the l)oard. 
On the 26th George Crane was present, with the 
officers named, the other supervisors, named in elec- 
tions of 1883, being absent. 

The petition of .Moses Van Buskirk and others, 
residents of Kenesaw village, for incorporation, 
was rejected for the reason that a majority' of 
the resident tax-payers of the village did not 
sign the document. On December 13 John M. 
Ragan resigned the office of county attorney, 
and 0, B, Hewett was appointed to fill the office 
until January, A petition signed bj- R, D. Bab- 
cock and 115 others asked that L, J, Capps be ap- 
pointed attorney for the count}-; but the petition 
was ordered to be placed on file. On January 9, 
1884, the salary of superintendent of schools was 
placed at $800, On this date the establishment of 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



125" 



townships was considered. West Blue was estab- 
lished within the territory of Township 8 in Ranges 
9 and 10; Denver, Township 7 in Ranges 9 and 10, 
except the city of Hastings; Little Blue, Townships 
5 and 6 in Range 9; Ayr, Townships 5 and 6 in 
Range 10; Silver Lake, Township 5 in Ranges 11 
and 12; Cottonwood, Townsiiip (3 in Ranges 11 and 
12; Juniata, Townships 7 and 8 in Range 11, and 
Kenesaw, Townships 7 and 8 in Range 12. 

The name of James Reed appears on the roll of 
supervisors in June, 1884, Supervisor Crane, of 
Denver, having previously resigned. The claim of 
SI, 000 against Juniata precinct by Batty & Ragan, 
who represented the precinct in the law affairs grow- 
ing out of the issue of $6,000 mill bonds in 1872, 
was mentioned at this session. Their petition prayed 
for the levy of a tax on the residents within the old 
precinct of 1872, sufficient to meet this indebtedness. 

In Januar}', 1885, J. H. Spieer, of Juniata; 
George Graff ord, of Zero, and E. L. Dutton, of 
Kenesaw, were appointed to fill vacancies on the 
Ijoard. H. C. Minnix was chosen president pro 
tern, and on the 13th J. H. Spieer was elected per- 
manent president. W. R. McCuUj' was admitted to 
A seat as supervisor of Hastings, L. J. Capps 
was appointed county attorney, and the salaries of 
clerk, deputy and assistant deputy were fixed, so as 
not to exceed the fees collected during the year 
1885. Amos Shattuck was elected pennanent presi- 
ilent for 1886. The transactions of the last few 
years are of the character of former years, but of 
much larger proportions. The memljers of the 
l)oard of supervisors are named in the political 
chapter, and all propositions submitted to the peo- 
l)le bj' them, and the vote on such propositions 
given in that chapter. The issue of court-house 
lionds was the most important transaction. The 
bonds sold for $77,500. Treasurer Paul received 
two-thirds of that sum, $51,666.50, and a certified 
cheek for the balance, $25,833.50, December 24, 

1889. It has been a good transaction all round, 
and the count}' officers taking part in it are entitled 
to commendation for their prudeni-e, caution and 
successful management of the affair. In Januarj-, 

1890, warrants were paid by Treasurer Paul on 
presentation, this being the first time in the county's 



history that such an agreeable state of financial 
affairs has existed. 

From that day in 1872 when 3Iessrs. Farrell & 
Co. dedicated a spot of the prairie to the uses of civ- 
ilization under the name of Hastings, the villagers 
looked longingly westward, coveting the honors of 
the seat of justice and inwardly determining to ha\e 
those honors. In May, 1873, when the first journal 
was established here, their modest thoughts found 
expression. On June 3, 1873, a meeting was held 
at Hastings, to take steps for the removal of the 
county seat. M. K. Lewis presided, with J. M. 
Abbott, secretary. On motion of Samuel Alexan- 
der a committee of ten was appointed to canvass 
each precinct in the county in the interest of Hastr 
ings. For Denver, Thomas E. Farrell and R. V. 
Stroekey were selected; for Little Blue, G. W. Don- 
ahey and A. Berg; for Silver Lake, C. K. Lawson 
and C. Kohl; for Kenesaw, A. D. Yocum and C. H. 
Paul, and for Juniata, B. H. Brown and S. S. Dow. 
The canvassers named were very active, so that all 
the measures, referred to in the former pages, were 
hurried forward. The opposition was not inactive. 
As hitherto told, a court-house was planned and the 
contract actually sold by the commissioners before 
the people stepped in to stop progress in the matter. 
In 1874-75, affidavit after affidavit flowed into the 
archives of the Legislature, pointing out an alleged 
irregularity in the organization of the countj-; also 
the fact that many of the election officials and a few 
of those elected were not citizens; that thirty legal 
voters were disfranchised because they would not 
vote for Juniata, and further, that the only notices 
of election, posted in the southern townships, was 
one at Spring Ranche, in Clay County. The election 
on this question was carried to the supreme court, 
where an order was issued compelling the board of 
canvassers to count the returns ft-om Cottonwood, it 
being held that the judges and clerks of that pre- 
cinct had dul}- qualified before the commissioners' 
board. Prior to the election the Hastings people 
gave material evidence of their good intentions in 
the matter. 

In March, 1875, the celebrated bond for $10,000 
was acknowledged before J. H. Darnell, a notary, 
by Thomas E. Fimell, J. L. Parrott, Charles H. 



12(1 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Paul, R. A. Batty and -M. K. Lewis, principals, and 
S. Alexander, J. G. B. Smith, Sam. Chaney, H. A. 
Forcht, J. M. Smith, A. J. Jlilk'tt, G. W. Mowery, 
R. W. Oliver, C. C. Ingalls, J. T. Ross, George H. 
I'niU, O. Whitson, W. S. Deisher, J. H. Vande- 
inark, J. Roll), II. Ilibeler, W. II. Stoek, Charles 
Kohl, D. S. Cole, (). Oliver, R. Morelcdgo, F. J. 
Uencdict and B. F. Brower, sureties. This bond 
was given to Adams County to insure the completion 
of a courthouse before November 1, 1S75, and the 
donation of such house and one city block to the 
county, in the event of the people voting to remove 
the scat of justice from Juniata to Hastings. Plans 
and specifications of the building were also made 
part of this agreement. The vote was taken in Jlay, 
but Juniata having more than two-fifths of the total 
vote cast held the seat of justice. 

In March, 1S77, the county seat war was opened 
in the newspapers, the Journal giving valid reasons 
for removal, and the Juniata papers valid reasons 
against removal. Even the local poets loaned their 
genius for the occasion. One poem by Anonymous 
contains sixty-eight lines, reviewing the former con- 
test and propliesying the result of the coming one in 
favor of Hastings. The last six lines of this poem 
are as follows: 

Tlipu like a monster from the deep. 
She will come forth more fierce and bold, 
To fight tlie battle o'er again — 
And still continue on to fight 
Until her enemies are slain 
And victory shall crown the right. 
On March 21, 1877, a bond was entered into l\y 
R. A. Batty, S. Alexander and C. K. Lawson, as 
principals, and C. H. Paul, R. R. Moreledge, James 
McWade, F. Forcht, J. W. Davis, Charles Cameron, 
0. Oliver, Mowery & Farrell, J. T. Ross, T. J. 
Benedict, A. W. Wheeler, Charles Kohl, Zehrung 
& Coy, M. K. Lewis and J. S. Melntyre as sureties 
for performance. This document pro\ided for the 
erection of a courthouse to cost $8,000, and the 
conveyance of building and lots to the county in 
(•ase tlie scat of justice should be located at Hast- 
ings. Plans and specifications were also made a 
part of this bond as in the former instance. The 
war of words preceding tlit; election on this question 
was only etiualed by the virulence of the language 



used by the press of the county on each side, and in 
the midst of this turmoil the religious controversy 
between Rev. John Rutherford and Rev. W. E. 
Copeland, on the inspiration of the Scriptures, was 
introduced. Without regard to this substantial offer, 
the war was carried on, as shown in the election re- 
turns, and Hastings, after several legal quibbles 
were resorted to, was declared to have won the bat- 
tle. The house in which the first term of the dis- 
trict court was held still stands at Juniata, a small 
frame building, now untenanted, the property- of 
Dr. Acklej\ The building is a one-story frame 
structure, and would hold not more than fifty people. 
The citizens of Jiuiiata will hold it as a relic, and as 
a reminder of the great county seat fight between 
that place and Hastings. 

The history of the removal of the offices to 
Hastings is given in detail in former pages. In 
November, 1888, the proposition to issue bonds, 
proceeds of which should be devoted to the erection 
of a court-house and jail, was carried by a vote of 
1,416 for, and 1,044 contra. The bonds were 
issued, but owing t(j delays in registration, and a 
controversy over the act providing for the invest- 
ment of the State school fund in bonds of this 
character, over a year elapsed from the date of elec- 
tion until Adams County received the first install- 
ment of moneys from this source. On December 
24, 1889, a draft from W. J. Hayes & Sons, of 
Cleveland, 0., for $51,666.50, and certified check 
for $25,833.50 were received b}- County Treasurer 
Paul. It is a singular fact that while other counties 
were trying the legality of their bonds and the con- 
stitutionality of the law under which the}' were 
issued, Adams County went right along with the 
work of building the court-house. Up to December 
24, 1889, the county had neither received nor paid 
out a dollar of the liond money. In the summer 
the contract for l)iiilding was sold to J. R. Sims, of 
Hastings, for $06,000, he being the lowest bidder. 
The cornerstone was placed September 4, 1889, and 
before the first rain storm of that fall (Decemlier 28) 
the walls were complete, the roof ready for the 
slaters, and the construction of the clock tower 
well advanced. This building is described in the 
history of Hastings. 



Ah — *- 



i^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



127 



The first term of the district court held in Adams 
County was that opened May 6, 1873, within the 
sehool-building at Juniata. Judge Daniel Gantt 
presided, with Russell S. Laugley, sheriff, and R. 
D. Baljcoek, clerk. The first grand jury comprised 
Ira G. Dillon, Harmon H. Ballon, W. H. Burr, R. 
D. Carrier, George Dade, John Huston, Clark S. 
Mon'ison, Edward Moore, C. B. Nelson, James 
Non-ish, John Plank, Abram Parks and C. W. 
Wilson. The first suit presented was that of Adna 
H. Bowen vx. The Challenge Mill Company. The 
replevin suit by William Skinner resulted in the 
amendment of petition. The question of the admis- 
sion of James Laird to the bar of this State was 
considered. Benjamin F. Smith, on presenting his 
credentials as a member of the Steuben County, Ind. , 
bar, and Titus Babcock, as a member of the Monroe 
County, Mich., bar, were also admitted to practice 
in the several district courts of Nebraska. A com- 
mittee, comprising C. J. Dilworth, John D. Hays 
and James Laird, was appointed to examine appli- 
cants for admission to the liar. On the certificate 
of this committee Harrison H. Blodgett, Guevera 
M. Blodgett and John M. Abbott were admitted. 
Dr. Charles A. Morgan and James Laird were ap- 
pointed commissioners of insanity for Adams 
County. The petition for divorce by John B. Silvis 
from Miranda Silvis was granted without delaj- ; the 
appeal of A. H. Bowen from the decision of the com- 
missioners' court, and the indictment for false 
imprisonment against A. H. Bowen and James 
Laird were quashed, for the reason that it was not 
endorsed by the prosecutor. 

The second term of court was opened May 25, 
1874. Indictments for keeping tippling houses on 
the Sabbath were returned; the petition of Levi 
Carkins for divorce from Christina Carkins was 
granted, and a number of civil cases presented. On 
Jlay 26, R. A. Batty and John M. Ragan were 
examined by a committee of lawyers comprising 
C. J. Dilworth, H. S. Kaley and L. S. Estele, and 
admitted to the bar on the certificate of this com- 
mittee. The first judgment against the county was 
rendered at this time to J. R. Laine. L. P. Hawley 
was foreman of the trial jury in this case. The 
first indictment for assault and Ijattery was returned 



against Peter Halverson, and for selling liquor with- 
out license against Nathan Piatt. 

The third term of court was opened May 24, 

1875. Four indictments for permitting games to 
be played in saloons were returned ; A. H. Bowen, 
James Laird, George Douahey, Titus Babcock and 
Eugene A. Haselton were indicted for false imprison- 
ment. Three petitions for divorce were entered. 
The injunction proceedings m re. Alex. D. Buck- 
worth vs. commissioners, clerk and D. H. Free- 
man, contractor, in re. erection of court-house at 
Juniata, resulted in the granting of a perpetual in- 
junction against further proceedings in the erection 
of county buildings as proposed. Mortgage fore- 
closures were authorized in several cases, and the 
divorce mill was reopened. 

The application of J. James, of the bar of 
Potter County, Pa. (admitted in 1873), for admis- 
sion to the bar was granted; that of Augustus T. 
Ash, of Linn County, Iowa, and also that of G. D. 
Pierce, of Michigan, were granted. 

The fourth term of court was opened April 3, 

1876. The first indictment for horse-stealing was 
returned against J. J. Williams and Milo Keech, 
and petitions for a divorce and embezzlement were 
entered. The petition for injunction against Treas- 
urer Thorne and the trustees of Denver precinct 
railroad bonds was entered by C. H. Paul, and 
granted by the court, with a further order that such 
bonds be "cancelled and held for naught." Ab- 
bott & Ragan were the attorneys in this proceeding. 
A few petitions for divorce were presented. John 
Miller was found guilty of assault with intent to 
kill, by a jury of whom E. M. Beach was foreman, 
and sentenced to a two jears' term in the peniten- 
tiary. The special term of May, 1876, considered 
the indictment for mmxler against John Williams of 
Harvey County, Neb. The prisoner was represented 
by Bowen & Laird and the State by C. J. Dilworth. 
The jury returned a verdict of "not guilty." In 
June George W. Stoeker was admitted on certificate 
of the examiners — A. H. Bowen, A. T. Ash and 
M. V. Mondy. A few divorce cases were presented 
at this time. During the special November term 
similar cases were presented and William Wallace, 
Sr. , and his son granted final papers in the matter 



12S 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



of tlu'ir citizenship. In Deeenibor the first indict- 
ment for perjury w;is entered against J. E. Suttie, 
nor did the hist month of Centennial year pass awaj* 
without a petition for divorce. 

On February 12, 1877, the indictment for mur- 
der was returned against Jordan P. Smith, Fred G. 
Copelaudand Bernurdine Roach, on change of venue 
from Kearney County. Smith was represented by 
Graj' & Laird and the State by C. J. Dilworth, 
Mondy, Abbott and Smith. On February' 22 a jury, 
of which E. M. Allen was foreman, found Smith 
guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to a ten 
years' tei-m in the penitentiary. In July, 1877, R. 
W. Beeson, of Jlontgomery County, Iowa, was ad- 
mitted a member of the bar, and in Februar}-, 1878, 
Benjamin H. Hayden and James F. Nelson were ex- 
amined by A. H. Bowen, R. A. Batty and T. D. 
Scofield and admitted on their certificate of examin- 
ers. There were only a few cases of criminal char- 
acter before the court from the close of the February- 
term of 1877 to the close of 1878. Civil cases 
growing out of debts due Cyrus H. McCormick, 
Deere & Co. and others, were numerous and may be 
said to have occupied the sole attention of the 
court. George Banks, of Winnebago, Wis. , Web- 
ster M. Pond, of Dane County, Wis., Joseph A. 
Vanatta, of Iowa, were admitted members of this 
bar. Lucius Junia Capps, admitted in Illinois in 
1875, became a member of the Nebraska bar on 
December 6, and also L. A. Royce, of Poweshiek 
County, Iowa. The suits of C. H. McCormick 
against several citizens occupied the attention of 
this terra almost exclusively. Judge Gaslin signed 
the record January 1, 1879. Thomas D. Scofield 
qualified as district attornej-. On February 15, the 
indictment for murder against John Brown, alias 
William John McElroy, was returned and John M. 
Ragan assigned for his defense. Attorneys Scofield 
and Brown prosecuted. A jury of which R. H. 
Vanatta was foreman found McElroj- guilty of mur- 
der in the first degree as charged in first count, and 
not guilty under the second count. Judge Gaslin 
sentenced him to be hanged May 29, 1879. 

On February 17, 1879, the murder of Ann W. 
Ketchum and Luther Mitchell on December 10, 
1878, in Custer County, was officially brought, by 



C. W. McNamor, before the notice of Judge Gaslin, 
Custer was then unorganizi'd; but for judicial pur- 
poses was attached to the Fifth and Sixth judicial 
districts, so that no district judge could exercise jur- 
isdiction over the whole territory. In view of this 
and further, considering that the crime was perpe- 
trated in territory belonging to the Fifth district, or 
west of Sherman Count}-, the judge ordered the trial 
of the murderers to be held in Adams Count}-, be- 
ginning February 26, 1879. John IM. Ljman was 
foreman of the special grand jury, who returned the 
indictment against the murderers. The case may be 
said to have occupied the attention of the court until 
April 17, when the jury returned a verdict of guilty 
of murder in the second degree, against Frederick 
Fisher and I.. P. Olive. Both received sentences for 
life terms in the penitentiary. 

R. S. Erwiu was admitted to the bar 3Iarch 31 ; 
A. D. Yocum, William C. Reilly, R. A. Dague and 
Samuel M. Brobst in April. On April 26 the jury 
disagreed on the question of the guilt of William H. 
Green and John Baldwin, who were indicted for mur- 
der witli Olive and Fisher. 

David P. Maryatt, of Iowa; F. H. Hepburn, of 
Iowa; L. D. Dent, of Illinois; C. D. Steele, of Illi- 
nois; William H. Lanning, of Illinois, and J. J. 
Lewis, of Ohio, were admitted to the bar in Novem- 
ber, 1879. John Brown McElroy, sentenced to lie 
hanged in 1879, survived the day; for on November 
26, 1879, he is on trial anew for the murder of 
Stutzman. On May 12, 1880, he plead guilty of 
murder in the second degree, and was sentenced to 
a life term in the penitentiary. 

On December 2 Miles J. Jacobs was examiniMl 
and admitted, and on the 6th George F. ^^'ork was 
admitted. In May, 1880, F. M. Hallowell appears 
as official reporter. B. F. Hilton was admitted to 
the bar at this time, and also Thomas H. Mattars, 
James W. Carver and Thomas J. Noll. The indict- 
ments of William B. Baldwin and Ralph 31. Tay- 
lor, for the murder of Allen J. Yocum, were pre- 
sented on Maj- 12. On the ISth Baldwin was found 
guilty of manslaughter on the first count. 

Roger H. Mills was admitted to the bar on June 
21, ISSO, anil Ambrose H. Gates in December. On 
the 17th of this month the suit of the Burlington & 



'y 



Aj m__ 



ik 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



129 



Missouri Ri\er Railroad Company against xVdams 
County, in tlie matter of taxes, was flnislied, and the 
county perpetually enjoined from the collection of 
taxes, except $308.50, and the cloud on the title to 
some of the railroad lands removed. 

During the 3ear judgments were rendered against 
the Protestant Episcopal and First German Evangeli- 
cal societies of Hastings. March 9, 1881, the first 
record of death among the legal circle is made in 
the case of Augustus F. Ash, who died Februarj' 25. 
March 1 7 the celebrated cases growing out of title 
to the town site of Hastings were decided bj- Judge 
Gaslin, as recorded in book 2, journal of district 
court, pages 571 to 582, and referred to in the his- 
tory of Hastings. Harrison Bostwick was admitted 
to the bar on March 19. On this day the following 
agreement in the case of Adams County vs. W. B. 
Thorne, as principal, and William E. Thorne, C. R. 
Jones & Co. , W. M. West, Weidler Grabill, Ira G. 
Dillon, James M. Sewell, J. S. Chandler, A. Yeazel 
and C. N. Paine & Co., as his sureties, was sub- 
mitted. 

'•In consideration of the conveyance to C. R. Jones 
and A. L. Clarke, trustees of assets of W. B. Thorne for 
use of Adams County, by Abraham Yeazel and William 
B. Thorne, of all property heretofore conveyed to A. 
Yeazel or transferred to him and now conveyed or trans- 
ferred by William B. Thorne to Jones & Clarke — the 
same being scheduled at $62,886.63, all of which having 
been heretofore conveyed to Abraham Yeazel for the in- 
demnificial of himself and other sureties on the bond of 
W. B. Tliorne, as treasurer of Adams County, it is here- 
by agreed that all the sureties of said Thorne shall be 
discharged from all liability at law or in equity." 

The names of Clarke and Jones were substituted 
as plaintiffs vice Thorne, in suits by the ex-treasurer. 

On June 21 the grand jury, of which Carlton 
Clarke was foreman, returned a true bill against 
William B. Thorne, ex-treasurer, for the embezzle- 
ment of $15,997.05 of county moneys; $5,570.34 
of the district school land fund; $8,479.03 of the 
district school fund, and $5,664.75 of the district 
school judgment fund. V. Bierbower was district 
attoniey. In June Mr. Thorne denied the charge, 
and the trial was postponed to December, 1881, the 
ex-treasurer being held in $5,000 bail, which was 
promptly furnished. In December the case was 
brought up, but the records do not show its disposal 



until mention is made in March, 1883. This term 
was opened in Mowery & Farrell's building at Hast- 
ings, on Deceml)er 12, and at its close Frank D. 
Taggart and John L. Finley were admitted to the 
bar. 

On October 23, 1882, court was opened by S. B. 
Pound under a previous order by Judge Gaslin. 
The grand jury returned an indictment against Peter 
Fowlie for embezzlement of .$50,000, which had 
come into his possession by virtue of his office as 
deputy treasurer. John N. Lyman was foreman. 
In March he was allowed out on $3,000 bail to 
appear for trial in June. On March 29, 1883, the 
indictment for murder against William B. Baldwin 
was disposed of (the supreme court reversing the 
judgment and ordering one according to the verdict) , 
and the prisoner sentenced to a one jear term in the 
penitentiary. The jury in the case — State of Ne- 
braska vs. William B. Thorne, finished work June 
18, and found the ex-treasurer guilty of emliezzling 
$22,000. Thomas Pearl was foreman of this body. 
A motion for a new trial was overruled and he was 
sentenced to a one year term in the penitentiary 
without solitarj' confinement, by Judge William H. 
Morris. On June 25, a writ of error was filed in the 
clerk's office, issued hj the clerk of the supreme 
court, asking for a transcript of the Thorne case. 
John A. Casto and W. S. McKinney were admitted 
to the bar in October, 1883. 3Iorriss Cliggett and 
Melville C. Hester were admitted March 19. 1884. 
An indictment for arson against William B. Bald- 
win was nolle prossed at the request of the district 
attorney. Edwin A. Hogg, formerly of Jlichigau, 
was admitted to practice here in November, also 
Lewis W. Hague, of Illinois. The indictments 
against Frederick Young, John Blivernicht. Oscar 
Winkler, Louis Hoffman and Henrj- Winkler were 
presented in June, 1885; but the trial jury could 
not agree, and (justave Vosberg was sentenced to a 
year's term in the penitentiary. The Thorne case 
came up in another form on June 3, when Thoi-ne's 
indebtedness was shown to be $47,187.86, but in 
December, 1886, the sum of $11,355.72 was ordered 
to be paid to the treasurer and Clarke & Jones 
discharged from liability. Charles D. Taylor, for- 
merly' of Iowa, was admitted to the bar in November, 



■ f^ * 



-5) L> 



130 



HISTOl'iV (»F NEBRASKA. 



also A. M. Cunniughain, formerly of Pennsylvania, 
and Jaint's II. II. Howett. In May J. B. Cessna* 
was admitted to pr:ieliee here on formal application 
and on presentation of his Pennsylvania certificate. 

On June 19, 1880, the refusal of Treasurer Mc- 
Oleery to accept moneys from A. L. Clarke (pre- 
sumably moneys held l)y him as one of the trus- 
tees of the Thorne assets) was l)rou<iht before the 
court, and Henry Bostwick named as receiver, or, 
in case of his refusal, S. A. Searle was ordered to 
receive tlie amount and place it in the safety vaults 
at Omaha. 

AN'illiMni \\. Burton was admitted in June, 1886, 
and in July, B. F. McLoney. In June, 1887, the 
case of Anna Boeder vs. Henry and Oscar Winkler; 
John nicvend and Fred Young were ti'ied before a 
jury, of which D. H. Dean was foreman. In 1884 
the State proceeded against the parties, but the jury 
disagreed; on this occasion, however, the damages 
were assessed against the defendants in the sum of 
$200 and $100 attornej-s' fees. George D. Browne, 
of Utica, N. Y. , and John C. Stephens, were admit- 
ted to the bar in June. In September, 1888, Charles 
Edmundson was admitted, and in December, Wil- 
liam F. Peck. The trial of Lish Nelson was con- 
cluded during the December term, when a jury, of 
which D. W. Ripley was foreman, found him guilty 
of murder in the second degree. Judge Gaslin sen- 
tenced him to a life term in the penitentiary. His 
crime was the killing of C. J. Balcom, August 5, 
1881, D. W. King, a burglar, was sentenced to a 
the years' term in the penitentiar}' Elmer E. Ferris 
was admitted to the bar December 14, 1888. The 
information against David Crinkalau for the murder 
(if Frank Fansler, November 2, 1888, was presented 
liy District Attornej- Tanner, in January, 1889, but 
the jury acquitted the prisoner. Joseph H. Ed- 
mundson was admitted to the bar in February, 
1889. The information against Lizzie Aldridge for 

•J. B. Cessna was admitted before the court of common 
l)Ieas of Bedford County, Pa., February 15, 1865, Alex. King, 
present judge. In Maj-, 18?2, he was admitted to practice be- 
fore tlio Pennsylvania supreme court; in June, 18T3, to the 
common pleas court of Erie County, Pa., and January 20, 
1876, on nomination of Jeremiah S. Blacli, to the supreme 
court of the United States. Letters from Judge W. J. Baer, of 
the Somerset and Bedford court of common pleas, and from 
Ulysses Mercer, chief justice of Pennsylvania, were tendered 
to Mr, Cessna on his leaving for Nebraska in 1885. 



the murder of (poisoning) John Aldridge, was pre- 
sented May 20, 1889; but the evidence was of too 
genersil a chaiacter to convict her. 

John V. Stevens was admitted to the Nebraska 
bar in June, 1887; John Snider in September, 
1887, and Hugh Clemans in November, 1887, and 
John C. Ilartigan, Benjamin F. Hawalt and Hany 
S. Dingan in May, 1889. In 1890 S. R. Brass, 
of Juniata, was admitted to the bar. 

In former pages a memoranda of many cases 
brought before the courts of Adams County is given. 
The murder of the two settlers mentioned in the 
pioneer chapter may be taken as the beginning of 
the criminal calendar of this district. Some of 
these cases presented here deserve a more extended 
notice, because the plan of crime should be exposed 
in every case, and the incidents connected with the 
detection and punishment of the criminals given. 
In one instance the enormity of crime led some of 
the best citizens of the county to organize as a Secret 
Tribunal. This organization was perfected in a 
moment, and its edict earned into execution with 
admirable promptitude and regularity. In another 
case a specialist in rascality, named Randall, was 
shot dovvu (it is alleged) in the court room by the 
brother of an outraged child, this doing away with 
the farce of trial, and saving to the count}- the 
moneys which would otherwise be expended in hold- 
ing the farce on the stage of the district court. 

In the case of the State vs. A. D. Rust for vio- 
lating order of injunction t'li re. the school bonds, 
Titus Babcock, who was then county judge, had to 
testify, and so sent for Justice Jones that he 
might testify before him. En route the justice be- 
came gloriously drunk, and though called did not 
answer. Attorney- Bowen ventured the statement 
that he was notary public, and could administer the 
oath to his honor; but Judge Balicock declined this 
kind offer, saying he would administer the oath to 
himself. Standing up, with folded hands and closed 
eyes, he said: "I, Titus Babcock, probate judge 
of Adams Count}', Neb., the evidence that I shall 
give, wherein the State of Nebraska is plaintiff and 
A. D. Rust defendant, shall be the whole truth, etc. " 
After this he testified in the case. Opposition was 
of no use, and Rust was sent to jail at Omaha. 



J^^ 



_s k> 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



131 



In 1875 a partj' of thirteen herders or cowbo3's 
killed Milton Collins, of Bufifalo County, and fled up 
the Platte Valley. Deputy United States Marshal 
Ball and nineteen citizens went in pursuit and cap- 
tured eleven of the party immediately; but the next 
day Jordan P. Smith, the actual murderer, and the 
thirteenth associate were captured on an island in 
the Platte. Several times the captors were on the 
point of executing the first batch of eleven cowboys; 
but the absence of the principal criminal led to post^ 
ponement, and ultimately the leading prisoner was 
allowed to be brought to trial. Smith was tried, 
found guilt}^ and sentenced to be hanged at 
Kearney; but a new trial was granted, and the case 
heard before Judge Gaslin, Jr. , at Juniata. Smith 
was found guilty of murder in the second degi-ee, 
and sentenced to a ten years' term in the peniten- 
tiary. 

The killing of Henrj- Stutzman was the first 
proven deliberate murder which oecuiTed in Adams 
County. This murder was committed bj' William 
John McElroy, on the morning of February 8, 1879. 
MeElroy, alias John Brown, was a young man who 
had been making his home at Red Cloud with a 
relative, and at various places in Adams County. 
He had worked for diflferent farmers during the fall 
and winter of 1878-79. On the evening of the 
day preceding the murder he started afoot from 
Hastings, armed with a revolver and rifle, and was 
presumedly on his way to Red Cloud. About four 
miles southwest of Hastings coming to the home- 
stead of Henry Stutzman, he requested permission 
to remain all night. Stutzman consented, the two 
men had supper, and after a short time, as McElroy 
stated, retired to rest. The next morning as Cam- 
eron Belliel, a neighbor of Stutzman, was passing 
by the latter's house, he noticed that the mules 
were gone. Calling to Stutzman and receiving no 
answer, he suspected something wrong, and in com- 
pany with another neighbor, Joseph Wolf, they en- 
tered Stutzman's house. Then their suspicions of 
foul play were at once proven true, for Henry Stutz- 
man was lying across a chair dead, having a wound 
in his head from both a rifle and revolver. 

Tlie people of the vicinity at once started in 
pursuit of the murderer and McElroj' was soon 



caught with the mules in his possession.* He 
made no attempt to escape, but said he killed 
Stutzman in self defense. He was taken to Ayr, 
a few minutes before the train arrived with Sheriff 
Martin and other oflScers, and was immediately 
conveyed to Hastings. Later on the same day an 
inquest was held by County Coroner W. Ackley, 
and the verdict of the jury was that Stutzman was 
killed by John Brown. 

Excitement among the people when it was known 
that a murder had been committed in their midst, 
and that the murderer was in the hands of the 
sheriff, ran high. Some talk of lynching was in- 
dulged in, and Sheriff Martin, fearing he might l)e 
overpowered and his prisoner taken from him, had 
him adroitly conveyed to the railroad station and 
removed to the jail at Kearney. 

Tlie prisoner was soon indicted on two counts, 
first, murder in the first degree by shooting Stutz- 
man with a gun. The second count was an indict- 
ment for the same offence, bj- shooting with a pistol. 
Court was then convened by Judge Gaslin, when 
McElroy was arraigned and pleaded ' ' not guilty," 
whereupon the following jurors were empaneled to 
tiy the case: A. J. Adams, R. H. Vanatta, C. A. 
Lane, E. W. Hall, T. L. Orton, M. L. Cook, J. W. 
Sheffield, W. T. Pomeroy, J. H. Spencer, D. W. 
Biglow, S. Gr. Johnson and George Beatte. T. D. 
Scofield, district attorney, assisted by A. H. Bowen 
conducted the case for the State. John M. Ragan 
and A. T. Ash were the attorneys for the defendant. 
The evidence elicited that some time during the 
night of the tragedy McElroy, while still in bed, 
reached over to the table where his pistol was lying 
and shot Stutzman while he was still asleep. The 
first shot onlj- stunning or dazing him, he arose 
from the bed and staggered to a chair, and while 
sitting on the chair, McElroy shot him a second 
time with the rifle, which resulted in his instant 
death. 

The ti-ial occupied one day, and at 10 o'clock 
the next morning the jury brought in a verdict of 
murder in the first degree, whereupon Judge Gaslin 



•Engineer Clark saw the mules on his way up from Ked 
Cloud. Hearing of the murder on his arrival, he reported the 
matter and took a posse at once to capture the murderer. 



1^ 



:f: 



132 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



sentenced the prisoner to tleath. aixl May 2ft, 1879, 
was fixed as the day of execution. 

The speedy capture and trial of McEh'oy is 
probably the most summary transaction of the kind 
on record in the State of Nebraska, for in less than 
eijiht days after the commission of the crime the 
murderer received his sentence to expiate his guilt 
by the extreme penalty of the law. He was not 
hanjied. however, for his attorneys secured a new 
trial, and he was allowed to plead guilty of murder 
in the second tlegree, and was then sentenced to the 
State's prison for life. In 1889 Gov. Thayer par- 
doned him. 

The celebrated Olive case in point of general 
interest was the most important ever tried in Ne- 
braska, or, perhaps, west of the Missouri River 
This was the trial in Hastings, in 1879, of I. P. Olive 
and others for tlie lynching and murder of Luther 
Mitchell ami Ami W. Ketchum. From the most 
relial)le sources of information it is learned that on 
November 27, 1878, a party of men rode up to the 
house of Mitchell, on Clear Creek, for the purpose, 
they claimed, of arresting Ketchum, who was living 
with Jlitchell, for cattle stealing. Instead of quietly 
ilcnianding his surrender they began shooting at 
liiui. He was soon wounded in the arm, but re- 
turned the shot and killed a dejjuty sheriff known 
liy the name of Stevens, but whose right name was 
Olive. I. P. Olive, a wealthy cattle man of the 
South Loup, and brother of the man '-Stevens" or 
Olive, killed by Ketchum, at once offered a reward 
of $1,000 for the capture, dead or alive, of both 
Mitchell and Ketchum. These men were both will- 
ing to surrender to the proper authorities, but ex- 
pressed fear of the cowboys of Custer County. They 
were, however, soon aiTcsted, and several sheriffs 
and deputy sheriffs of adjoining counties received 
their share of the reward. Then as they were being 
taken from Kearney County to Custer County for 
preliminary examination, by Sheriff Gillan, of Keith 
County, and Phil Dufrand, of Custer County, they 
were taken from these officers by a party of armed 
men, and at a point aliout one mile south of the 
South Loup River, in Custer County, were hanged 
and burned. 

Thev were found the next afternoon. Ketchum 



was still hanging. Imt the rope suspending Mitchell 
had broken, and he was lying in the ashes of the 
still smoldering fire partly supported liy the left 
arm, which was fastened to Ketchum's right by a 
pair of handcuffs. 

The brutality surrounding the circumstances of 
these men's death, being hung, shot and burned, 
perhaps alive, was such as to cause the greatest 
excitement, and a strong demand from the people of 
Nebraska that those guilty of this crime be hunted 
down and punished, caused the State to offer a re- 
ward of §10,000, and a further reward of S200 each 
from the governor for all proven to be implicated in 
the sad affair. 

Suspicion at once pointed to I. P. Olive, who 
with John Baldwin, Myron Brown, Barney Arm- 
strong, John Gaslin, Fisher Gillan, Dufrain and a 
few more, were soon an-ested and placed in jail at 
Kearney. 

As Custer County, the county where the crime 
was committed, had not at this time been attached 
to any judicial disti-ict. Judge Gaslin concluded to 
have these men indicted and tried in Adams County. 
This was done, and, after a protracted trial, in 
which the State was al)ly represented by Attorney- 
General C. J. Dilworth, District Attorney C. D. 
Scofield, and C. M. Thurston, of Omaha, and the 
defendants by the late Hon. James Laird. Judge 
Homer, now judge of the Tenth district and others, 
the jury lirought in a verdict of guiltj" against I. P. 
Olive and one of the others, toward whom suspicion 
pointed, who were at once sentenced to the peniten- 
tiary for life, while the remainder of the indicted 
men were released. 

From the fact that the State appropriated 
$10,000 for the prosecution of this case, the num- 
ber of men under indictment, the ability and Ijril- 
liancy of the lawyers arraigned on both sides, and 
the heinousness of the crime charged, made it the 
most inn)ortant in point of interest of any case 
tried in Nebraska, before or since. The proceedings 
were reported by the Associated Press all over the 
United States, while some papers had special corres- 
pondents located at Hastings during the trial. 

After Olive had been in prison aljout one year 
his lawvers succeeded in having his case brought 



*$1^=^ 



r 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



133 



before the superior court of the State, and there it 
was held that the iudietment and trial in Adams 
County was an eiTor, that the proceedings against 
him should have been brought in Custer County; 
on account of this eiTor the prisoners were released 
on their own recognizance. The grand jury of Cus- 
ter County never having taken any action In the 
case, thej^ were not brought to trial again. 

The inquisition upon the bod}' of the murciereo 
^lartin HoUeriek was held at the house in Cotton- 
wood, where the deceased resided, August 28, 1880. 
The jar}' found Nicholas Rickinger (his brother-in- 
law) guilty of striking the fatal blow. As hitherto 
related, Rickinger escaped punishment. 

Matt Siramerman, who on October 16, 1882, 
with Dick Belmont, shot and killed Sheriff Woods 
in the dining-room of the hotel at Minden, was cap- 
tured, tried, convicted. He was sentenced by Judge 
Gaslin to be hanged on April 21, 1883. On the 
18th of that month a writ of error was sued out in 
the State supreme court, and in July the judgment 
was reversed. On October 13, his second trial be- 
gan, and, on the 25th, he was sentenced to be 
hanged. February 4, 1884, another appeal to the 
supreme court failed him, and the sentence was 
ordered to be carried out on March 17, 1885. A 
few daj-s prior to this Lawyer Burr sued out a writ of 
error to the United States supreme court, and for 
the first time in the legal history of the country a 
criminal under the death sentence was allowed out 
on bail. 

The murder of Cassius M. Millett was another 
unfortunate affair. Notary Public Le Dioyt took 
the statement of Mr. Millett, March 27, 1883. This 
pointed out the sidewalk between Pickens' house 
and the mill where the three murderers held him up, 
telling him to give up his money. They then or- 
dered him west, and at Maj-'s gate he made an effort 
to escape, and was nearly inside the gate when he 
was shot, after which he climbed the line fence be- 
tween [May's ground and his own. On March 28 a 
meeting was held at Liberal Hall, over which Mayor 
Lanning presided, to consider the question of rais- 
ing moneys to be expended in the capture of the 
murderers. S. J. Weigle was chosen secretary , and 
S. Alexander, A. L. Clarke, L. H. Tower, D. M. 



McElHinney and A. H. Cramer were appointed a 
committee on collections, and Thomas E. Farrell, R. 
A. Batty and C. K. Lawson members of the execu- 
tive committee. Mr. Millett died on March 27, 
and was buried on April 1 by the G. A. R. , of 
which body he was a member. The coroner's in- 
quest was held on March 30 liy Winfield Ackley, 
coroner, John N. Lj-man, Charles Cameron, D. M. 
McElHinney, J. B. Heartweli, W. 0. Hall and A. 
L. Wigton, jurors; and Messrs. Sowers, Lynn, 
Urquhart, Cook, Naulteus and Royce, physicians. 
Prior to this Deputj' Sheriff Stock, Stoelting and 
others collected some evidence which led to the 
arrest of James Green, John Babcock and Fred 
Inghram. A Mrs. Davis found a mask of curtain 
calico near the scene of the murder, which was recog- 
nized as a part of the wash-stand cover used by Green 
in his room at the Central House. This, with the 
fact that the three criminals were seen in consulta- 
tion, led to their arrest at Kohl's farm. On seeing 
the mask and other evidences of their guilt the}- 
were amazed. After a preliminary examination be- 
fore Judge Work, two of the prisoners, Inghram 
and Babcock, turned State's evidence, and each told 
the story of the crime precisely as it was planned 
and perpetrated. On the day of their victim's 
funeral the prisoners were taken to Lincoln by Sheriff' 
Hutchinson; but on the day after were taken back 
as far as Howard, where the coroner's jury visited 
them. On April 3 they were removed to Hastings 
and arraigned before Judge Work. Babcock alone 
of the trio plead guilty. They were guarded by 
special deputies — C. H. Deitrich, W. Cutter, Z. E. 
Hutchinson, Edward Burton and J. P. Farr, in the 
jury room off the court room in the " Stone Block. " 
and to all intents the law was to take its slow course. 
At about 10 o'clock that night a squad of thirt\- 
men entered the court room, breaking in the door, 
whence they proceeded to the room where the prison- 
ers were guarded, which they entered in the same 
manner, and placing revolvers at the head of each 
guard, abducted the self-confessed criminals, taking 
them from their beds. Placing ropes around their 
necks, they were marched down stairs, when Green 
and Inghi-am were placed in a buggy, and Babcock 
led to the place of execution — a bridge on the Grand 



134 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Island Railroad about one mile north of the city. 
There the ends of the ropes attached to the three 
condemned men were fastened to the rails and the 
trio pushed off the bridge. Mr. Deitrieh, one of 
the guards who was pressed hito tiie service of 
leading Babcock to execution, cut the rope and thus 
saved the fellow for trial. An inquisition on the 
executed criminals was held by Sheriff Hutchinson 
with Lyman II. Tower, Charles L. Stone, A. H. 
Sowers, G. E. Douglass, George Marks and G. E. 
Kimball, jurors, who returned a ver lict of death 
from strangulation. — [Jlr. LeDioyt's report in Ga- 
zette-Journal. ] 

In July. 18.33, ghostly visitants were observed 
at the St. Joseph & Western Railroad bridge, north- 
east of the city. It appears that a few persons while 
passing the place where Inghram and Green were so 
summarilj- executed, saw the dead criminals approach 
the bridge and begin an inspection of it. Other 
parties visited the spot, always reporting the pres- 
ence of au unapproachable ghost. In 1883 and 1884 
the Inviucibles took a part in administering justice. 

The Aldrich mysterj' for a long time occupied 
public attention.. John Aldi'ich was a quiet, highly 
respected farmer living near Blue Point in the south- 
ern part of Adams County. He died suddenly on 
December 5, 1885, under quite suspicious circum- 
stances. A few days after his burial the citizens 
concluded that au investigation was necessar}', and 
his body was exhumed, and the contents of the 
stomach sent to Prof. Haines, of the Rush Medical 
College at Chicago. The chemical analysis revealed 
a large quantity of arsenic. Suspicion pointed to 
his wife, Lizzie Aldrich, as the criminal, and she 
was arrested, indicted and brought to trial at the 
May term of the district court in 1889, but owing to 
insufficient evidence was acquitted. 

The theory of self-muriier was advanced and 
believed in by some, as he had threatened to com- 
mit suicide on several occasions, and about one half 
hour before his death he took a drink of whisky 
from a bottle; as he did so, it is reported that he 
said, " here goes the last." The whisky remaining 
in this l)ottle was analyzeil and revealed arsenic, but 
whether placed there by himself or some one else, 
was never known. 



The body of James Quinn was found September 
28, 1880, partially devoured by hogs. His mur- 
derers placed the body in a shallow grave, from 
which the hogs removed the clay covering and began 
devouring the body. A German named Sproetz was 
arrested and charged with the crime, but Lawyer 
Tanner urged his discharge so eloquently that the 
justice acquiesced. Later he was held to give evi- 
dence before the coroner, but after the adjournment 
of the inquest, he escaped. Mayor Alexander 
called a meeting to consider the question of offering 
a reward for the capture of the murderer. C. F. 
Royce was appointed secretary. The efforts to cap- 
ture the criminal failed and after waiting until 
December 7, the coroner's jury found Wilhelm 
Sproetz guilty of wilful murder. 

G. W. Randall was arrested March 16, 1887, 
charged with criminal assault upon Lora May Hart, 
the eleven year old daughter of Marion Hart, of 
Edgar. On March 17 he was taken before Judge 
Fleming, but the hearing was postponed until the 
18th; it being St. Patrick's day, and a number of 
people in the city, the authorities sent the rufflaii 
under guard of Deputy Hammond to Grand Island 
for safety. Next morning he was brought back for 
trial. He was defended by Batty & Casto, while 
Searl, of Edgar, and C. H. Tanner prosecuted. (On 
Friday Sirs. Randall arrived from Forest City, Mo. , 
and was at once arrested on the charge of abetting 
her husband in his designs upon the child.) Ran- 
dall pleaded not guilty. The evidence, then taken, 
points out that in Februarj- Dr. Randall visited his 
several patients at Edgar, among whom was Mrs. 
Hazelbaker, who was the first to discover the Doc- 
tor's (?) doings. Randall, learning that Lora Hart 
was suffering from sore ej'es, prevailed upon Jlr. 
Hart to allow his daughter to be treated b}- him. 
The girl boarded at the New England House for two 
days, after which Mrs. Randall and the Doctor com- 
pelled her to stay with them and even sleep with 
them. All would go to bed together, but in the 
morning the child would find herself alone with the 
demon who was her physician. The child protested 
against his assaults and removed to the Commercial 
Hotel, where he placed her under the influence of 
opiates and assaulted her repeatedly. By threats 



la 



^. 




the couple compelled her to return to their room, and 
then their treatment became too terrible to bear, 
Mrs. Randall assisting the Doctor. On March 12 
the girl returned, and her actions were of such a 
character as to occasion suspicion. Her parents 
questioned her, and breaking into tears she told the 
whole story. The evidence was so strong that 
•Judge Fleming held the leech in $5,000 bonds to 
appear for trial. While the papers in the case were 
being made out a shot was heard and Randall fell 
dead. A coroner's jury, presided over by F. L. 
Brown, comprising C. H. Dietrich, G. J. Evans, J. 
E. Gant, Thomas E. Farrell. J. F. Ballinger and 
H. C. Haverly, found that death ensued ''from a 
gun shot wound at the hand of some party to us un- 
known." Mrs. RandaU claimed the bodj-, but being 
short of funds, it was interred in the potter's field. 
Mrs. Randall was held for trial in bonds of $1,000, 
by Justice Vineyard. She was taken to her board- 
ing house and later that night remo\-ed to a safer 
place, lest the angry people should execute her. 
The avenger of the wrongs of his little sister shot 
well and truly, sending one of the blackest hearted 
wretches of the country before a higher tribunal 
than the district court, and saving the county the ex- 
pense of a prosecution. 

The celebrated case growing out of the defalca- 
tion of W. B. Thornewas closed in December, 1886. 
He came to Adams County with moderate means in 
1872, but later was found to be in straitened cir- 
cumstances. In the fall of 1873 he was elected 
treasurer of the county, re-elected in 1875, again in 
1876, and lastly in 1879. Up to within a year prior 
to November, 1879, there was not a word uttered 



against his integrity as treasurer. Did hail or grass- 
hoppers destroy the crops, Thorne would advance the 
farmers' tax, taking a note in payment. He was lib- 
eral in other directions; but the whisperings of 
1878 won some believers, for it was apparent that 
' ' Papa " Thorne could not go so deeply into specu- 
lative deals and pui'chase so much lands, or fix his 
sons in business so solidly, without using the county 
funds. In 1879 the daj- of reckoning was seen ap- 
proaching. Commissioners Moore, Yocum and Wil- 
son examined the treasurer's accounts and found 
his balances of $30,178.32 fully accounted for. 
This action disarmed suspicion for a time; but dur- 
ing the year 1880 another examination of forty days' 
duration disclosed a storage of about $50,000. Mr. 
Thorne turned his property over to A. L. Clarke 
and Charles R. Jones as trustees, who in December, 
1886, received the acknowledgments of Judge Mor- 
ris for the manner in which they canied out the 
trust. When the defalcation was known to exist, 
criminal proceedings were taken and after two jears 
of law's delays, he was sentenced to a one j'ear's 
term in the penitentiarj'; but the sentence was sus- 
pended and remains suspended. 

On January 10, 1890, Judge Gaslin handed down 
his decision in the case of Adams County vs. 
R. B. Tusse}', ex clerk of the county-, to recover a 
defalcation. Judgment against Tusse}' and his fif- 
teen sureties was given for $1,774.62 and $150 
costs. The Nebraskan in noticing this case says: 
'■ The original deflciencj- was about $3,000, after- 
ward reduced, principally by Jlrs. Tussey, who 
worked for months in the office writing up the record 
that her husband had neglected to attend to. 



(s" 



"s "V 



? fc^ 



i:{« 



HISTORY OF NKBKA8KA. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Rf.couh of Elf.ctions — Vahioi;« Officials Chosen — Considf.kation of Questions of Local Importance- 
Undeh Township Organization Laws — Proposition for Funding Bonds — Journalists and Journal- 
ism — The Newspaper as a Powerful Moral Agent — Sketches of Press Enterprises — 
First Issues of Sundry Publications — Their Development and Influence. 



Serious in aspect, earnest in tlieir talk. — Dryden. 




>IIE tiist general election for 
Adams County was held De- 
cember 12, 1871, when 29 
votes were cast, the total 
vote being recorded onlj^ on 
the question of locating the 
county seat on Section 12, 
Township 7, Range 11, west of the 
sixth principal meridian, there 
] icing 28 votes for and 1 against 
the proposition. Samuel L. Brass, 
Edwin M. Allen and Wellington 
W. Selleck received 28 votes each 
for county commissioners, for 
three, two and one j-ear terms re- 
spectively, one vote being recorded 
against each of the two first named. 
Hussi'li It. Babcock received 27 votes for clerk; 
John S. Chandler, 26 for treasurer; Isaac W. 
Stark, 26 for shcrifl': Titus Babcock, 26 for pro- 
bate judge; George Henderson, 27 for surveyor; 
Adna II. Bowen, 26 for school superintendent; 
Isaiah Sluyter, 28 for coroner; William W. Camp, 
L'T for assessor; W. W. Selleck, 28 and Harmon 
11. Ballou, 27 for justices of the peace; Simeon 
•Johnson and Robert Mason, 28 each for consta- 
bles; Judson Btirwell, Thomas J. Kemp and Ed- 
gar A. Adams, 27, 28 and 27, respectively, for 
judges of election; Samuel P. Ilowland and William 






'^^^ 



J. Janes, 28 votes each for clerks of election. One 
voter appears to have opposed this ticket, which was 
known as the Adams County ticket throughout, ex- 
cept in the case of Commissioner Selleck, against 
whom not one vote was cast, although one of his 
friends evidently did not vote for him. 

The election for Juniata precinct in October, 
1873, resulted in the choie of Samuel J. Shirley and 
William B. Cushing, justices, over Charles Kilburn 
and Joseph A. Robertson, the winners' vote being 
95 and the defeated candidates' 41. George Kuder. 
Charles R. Jones and James Norrish were elected 
judges of election; John M. Cole and Enos J. Han- 
chett, clerks of election; William J. Derrick and 
William H. Gardner, constables; William L. Kcmii 
received 134 votes for assessor. 

The elections of October, 1873, in Little Blue 
precinct gave a majority vote to R. M. Jones for 
justice, he receiving 60 against 56 recorded for 
C. G. Wilson and 21 for W\ S.Mote; C. Bird, R. D. 
Carrier and S. M. West were chosen election judges; 
J. L. Johnson and J. A. Waldeck, clerks of elec- 
tion; Robert Mason and William Vastine, constables; 
Moses Livingstone, assessor. 

The elections of October, 1873, in Denver pre- 
cinct resulted as follows: G. J. Jlilliard received 
100, L. C. Gould 86, and F. S. Wells 15 for justices 
of the peace, the first named being chosen. M. K. 
Lewis. S. S. Dow and A. W. Wheeler were chosen 



ik 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



137 



judges of election over C. K. Lawson, A. Andrus 
and L. C. Gould; E. Steinau and T>. S. Cole were 
fhoseu clerks of election; G. W. Mower^- and F. 
Hudson, constables; Charles H. Paul received 107 
votes for assessor and was unopposed. In April, 
1874, there were 7 votes cast in favor of giving 
aid to the St. Joe & Grand Island Railroad Com- 
pany, and 171 votes against such aid. In May 134 
votes were recorded for and 87 contra. 

The elections of October, 1873, in Silver Lake 
precinct show 46 votes for Isaac Vanderwort and 45 
for Charles W. Wilson, who were elected justices; 
B. H. Scott, R. K. Dailey and M. B. Kelly, judges 
of election; H. B. Munson and J. J. Hoj-leman, 
clerks of election; J. W. Yeager, who received 47 
votes and John P. Duncan 38 votes, were chosen 
constables, and A. C. Moore received 48 votes for 
assessor and was elected. 

The fall elections of 1873 were held October 17. 
Alexander H. Cramer received 374 votes and "Wil- 
liam H. Gardner 1 vote for clerk; William B. 
Thorne 289, and Peter Fowie 87, for treasurer; 
Benjamin F. Smith 238, and A. W. Wheeler 137 
votes for probate judge; James B. McCleery 277, 
and W. H. Gardner 93 for sheriff; Hiram C. Hum- 
bert 376 for coroner; William Scott 274. and Joseph 
Horgan 97 for surveyor; Russell S. Langley 273, 
and Dr. George Kuder 99 for commissioner of 
the Second district; A. H. Bowen 374 for school 
superintendent. The question of issuing bonds to 
fund count}' indebtedness received 172 votes, while 
against the proposition 295 votes were recorded. 

In June, 1874, Juniata gave 78, Kenesaw 3, 
Denver 4, Ovid or Silver Lake 17, and Little Blue 
2, or a total of 104 votes in favor of issuing bonds 
to pay outstanding warrants. The vote against this 
proposition, in the precinct order given, was 36, 22, 
156, 23 and 55, or a total of 292. 

The elections of October, 1874, show 480 votes 
for Lorenzo Crouse and 47 for J. W. Savage, can- 
didates for Congress. Under this heading, with 
aintg't written after title of office on record, Pat- 
rick O. Hawes is credited with 487 votes; Silas 
Garber, candidate for governor received 485 votes, 
and A. Tuckbury 42 votes; W. J. Council received 
243 votes for the office of district attorney in the 



Second and JI. B. Hoxie in the Third judicial dis- 
trict; N. K. Griggs received 457, and R. P. Stein 
75 votes for Senator of the Twelfth district; A. 
Nance 457, and George H. Peebles 74, for represen- 
tative of the Thirteenth district. There were 527 
votes cast for holding constitutional convention, 
and three cast against the proposition; A. D. Yocum 
received 341, and J. H. Vandemark 182 votes for 
commissioner of the Third district. 

W. D. Willoughby was elected justice of Little 
Blue, and Moses Livingstone assessor; J. B. Roscoe, 
assessor of Silver Lake; McD. Martin and William 
Martin, justices of Cottonwood, and Richard Spick- 
nail, as.sessor; A. L. Wigton, justice of Denver; B. 
E. Boyer, assessor, and C. E. Forg}- and John 
Gould, constables; Peter Fowlie, justice of Juniata; 
W. L. Kemp, assessor; Edward Jloore and John 
W. Sherffleld, justices of Kenesaw, and L. Darling, 
assessor. 

In Maj', 1875, delegates to the constitutional 
convention from the district composed of Weljster, 
Kearney and Adams, were voted for. James Laird 
received 399, Legrand B. Thorne, 375, M. V. 
Mondy, 564, and Jacob C. Wilson, 528. 

The question of re-locating the county seat was 
also submitted at this time, the vote for Juniata be- 
ing 381, made up as follows: Juniata precinct, 201; 
Kenesaw, 66; Denver, 7; Silver Lake, 68; Little 
Blue, 11, and Cottonwood, 28. The vote in favor of 
Hastings was 559, Juniata giving 53; Kenesaw, 9; 
Denver, 295; Silver Lake, 48; Little Blue, 114. and 
Cottonwood, 10. The canvassing board comprised 
County Clerk A. H. Cramer, George W. Wolcott 
and W. H. Burr, who declared that Juniata, having 
more than two-fifths of all the votes cast, should 
continue to be the county seat. Some wag in the 
midst of the serious contest cast his vote for some 
place which he named Liaiiata. 

The elections of October 15, 1875, show 729 
votes for and 21 against the adoption of the new 
constitution; 650 for the article relating to seat of 
government, and 32 against; 673 for article allow- 
ing electors to express their preference for United 
States Senators, and 46 against; 444 votes for 
William Gaslin, Jr. , 390 for C. J. Dilworth, and 46 
for B. I. Hinmau, judge of the Fifth district; 509 



L^ 



138 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



for John R. Ratcliff, and :573 for John B. Roscoe, 
candidalos for commissioners of First district; 868 
for B. F. Smith, probate judge; 481) for William B. 
Thornc, and 301 for S. Sadler, candidates for 
treasurer; 457 for A. L. Wigton, and 309 for L. 
Darling, candidates for school superintendent; 590 
for James B. McCleery, and 2G9 for H. B. Strout 
for sheriff; 8G4 for William Van Allen, survej-or; 
485 for Dr. C. M. Wright, and 380 for Col. W. L. 
Smith, candidates for coroner; 542 for A. H. 
Cramer, and 347 for Wesley jM. White, candidates 
for clerk. Samuel J. Shirley and l\'ter Fowlie were 
elected justices, and George T. Brown assessor of 
.hiniata; II. W. Krone and John Kent justices, and 
li. A. Boley assessor of Kenesaw; George F. Work 
and L. C. Gould justices, and J. A. Innis assesor 
of Den\er; C. W. Wilson and Isaac Yanderwort 
justices, and A. C, Moore assessor of Silver Lake; 
S. F. Reed and W. S. Moote justices, and M. Liv- 
ingstone assessor of Little Blue; E. C. Clewitt and 
Charles Morse justices, and R. S. Spieknall assessor 
of Cottonwood. 

The November elections were introduced in Cen- 
tennial year. The vote for A. H. Connor and other 
electors was 767; for D. A. Wheeler and other elec- 
tors, 401. For Congress, Frank Welch received 
627; Marvin Warren, 111, and Joseph HoUman, 
207; for Congress contingent, Thomas J. Majors, 
746, and William H. Deck, 19; for governor, Silas 
Garber, 76C, and Paren F]igland, 205; for district 
attorney, C. J. Dilworth, 965; for Senator, Twenty- 
fourth district, J. S. Melntyre, 567, J. S. Gilham, 
300, and R. M. Simonton, 101; for representative, 
Second district, S. Sadler, 593; L. P. Hawley, 331, 
and George T. Hutchinson, 125; for commissioner. 
Second district, Edward Moore, 498; Thomas 
Faribee, 282, and E. M. Allen, 157. 

Tiie justices and assessors then elected were: 
William L. Kemp justice, and G.*T. Brown assessor 
of Juniata; E. B. Moore and 0. II. Wright justices, 
and John Fruraan assessor of Kenesaw; D. L. Bar- 
lass assessor of Denver; J. P. Duncan justice, and 
R. S. Spieknall assessor of Silver Lake; A. C. 
Moore assessor of Little Blue; J. A. Nichols justice, 
and J. Holman assessor of Cott<jnwood; John Dyer 
and A. G. Hall justices, and S. M. West assessor of 



Pawnee; A. F. Powers and L. P. Hawley justices, 
and D. iM. Barlass assessor of West Blue. 

In April, 1877, the question of locating the 
county seat was again submitted. Five hundred 
and thirty-five votes were cast for Juniata, and 844 
for Hastings. Jtmiata precinct gave 231; Kenesaw, 
65; Denver, 26; Silver Lake, 46; Little Blue, 32; 
Cottonwood, 90; Pawnee. 27, and West Blue, 18, in 
favor of old Juniata; while Juniata gave 4; Kene- 
saw, 13; Denver, 491; Silver Lake, 15; Little Blue, 
82, Cottonwood, 7; Pawnee. 130. and West Blue, 
102, in favor of Hastings. The canvassing board 
comprised County Clerk A. H. Cramer, Thomas R. 
Lee, and Thomas D. Scofleld, who declared Hast^ 
ings the new county seat in virtue of having received 
over three-fifths of the entire vote cast. In No- 
vember A. D. Yocum received 873 votes for com- 
missioner, the other thirteen candidates receiving 
only 50 votes in toto; A. H. Cramer received 970 
votes against 14 given to the other six candidates; 
W. B. Thorne received 645 votes, and Charles S. 
Powers 405 for treasurer; S. L. Martin, 315, Ben- 
jamin Yastine, 272; C. Kilburn, 167; W. S. Hubble, 
168, and J. H. Robertson, 114 votes for sheriff; B. 
F. Smith, 600; J. C. Wilson, 357, and A. II. Bowen 
86 for probate judge; William Yan Allen, 1,004 for 
surveyor; A. L. Wigton, 755, and A. D. Williams, 
260 for school superintendent; W.Ackley, 537, and 
F. E. Dalrymple 496 for coroner. 

The question of township organization was sub- 
mitted in November, 1877. The project received 
732 votes and was opposed b_v 56. 

Orlando Stever and Robert Ash were elected jus- 
tices of Juniata, and John L. Kent, assessor; J. M. 
Strohl and J. W. Stincheomb, justices of Kenesaw, 
and John Truman assessor; George F. Work, justice 
of Denver, and D. L. Barlass, assessor; J. J. Hoyle- 
man, justice of Silver Lake, and R. S. Spieknall, 
assessor; D. C. Olmsted, justice of Little Blue, and 
M. Livingstone, assessor; A. N. Hall, justice of 
Pawnee, and S. 51. West, assessor; A. F. Powers, 
justice of West Blue, and D. M. Barlass, assessor; 
W. P. Davis and Joseph Basye, justices of Cotton- 
wood, and G. J. Holraan, assessor. 

The elections of May 4, 1878, on the question of 
voting bonds in aid of the construction of the Re- 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



139 



publicrtu Valley Railroad, show 48 for and 11 contra 
in Silver Lake; 82 for and 21 contra in Cottonwood; 
199 for and 2 contra in Juniata; 323 for and 110 
contra in Denver; 72 for, 59 contra and 12 neutral 
in Pawnee; 55 for, 25 contra and 27 against anj- 
issue of bonds in Little Blue. 

In November, 1878, Edward K. Valentine re- 
ceived 773 and J. W. Davis 266 votes for Congress- 
man; Thomas J. Majors 775 and Thomas B. Parlier 
260 for Congressman, contingent (later Majors re- 
ceived 776 and Alex. Bear, 264 to fill vacancy); 
768 for Albinus Nance and 263 for W. H. Webster, 
candidates for governor; 782 for C. J. Dilworth and 
260 for S. n. Calhoun, candidates for attorney-gen- 
eral; 723 for T. D. Scofield and 292 for William 
Neville, candidates for district attorney; 773 for S. 
R. Thompson, and 269 for S. L. Barrett, candidates 
for superintendent of schools; 461 for Charles L. 
Antram, for surveyor; A. L. Wigton, 480, J. M. 
Abbott, 213, and Charles Kilburn, 329, candidates 
for Senator; 491 for A. P. Powers, and 527 for R. 
A. Batt}", candidates for representative; 570 for C. 
G. Wilson, and 412 for John Duncan, candidates 
for commissioner of First district; 398 for bonds, 
and 616 contra, Juniata precinct giving 15; Kene- 
saw, 42; Denver, 259; Silver Lake, 1; Little Blue, 
10; Pawnee, 27; West Blue, 32, and Cottonwood, 
12 for; while 155, 18, 178, 50, 62, 55, 54 and 44 
were recorded against in the respective precincts. 

In 1878 Charles Kilburn was elected justice, and 
John L. Kent, assessor, of Juniata; S. M. Roberts 
and J. G. Haj-zlett, justices of Kenesaw, and John 
Truman, assessor; Isaac Le Dioj-t, assessor of Den- 
ver; S. L. Parks and B. F. Munson, justices, and 
R. S. Spicknall, assessor of Silver Lake; E. M. 
Beach, justice, and M. Livingstone, assessor of Lit- 
tle Blue; D. M. Barlass, of West Blue; C. C. Clew- 
itt and R. JI. Bojd, justices of Cottonwood, and C. 
Hohlfeld, assessor; John Dyer, justice of Pawnee, 
and A. W. Waldeck, assessor. 

The elections of November, 1879, show 1,843 
votes for William Gasliu for judge of the Fifth dis- 
trict. For commissioner, Albert V. Cole received 
1,147, and George T. Hutchinson, 693; for county 
clerk, John A. Waldeck received 565, Robert T. 
McGrew, 523, and Robert B. Tussey, 752; for clerk 



of the district court, A. H. Cramer received 1,319, 
and George H. Hartsough, 513; for treasurer, Will- 
iam B. Thorne received 1,000, and Charles K. Law- 
son, 852 votes; S. Lewis Martin received 1,204 
votes, J. H. Robertson, 213, and T. M. Abbott, 313 
for sheriff; Benjamin F. Smith, 976, Charles Kil- 
burn, 396, and G. D. Pierce, 347 votes for county 
judge; Jasper N. Smith, 1 .627 for surveyor; Lucy 
A. McFadden, 1,360, and L. Darling, 451 votes for 
superintendent of schools; Dr. William H. Lj'nu, 
1,267, and Dr. J. J. Hoyleman, 526 for coroner. 

The justices and assessors elected in Juniata pre- 
cinct were W. H. Beal, justice, and John L. Kent, 
assessor; in Kenesaw, J. G. Hayzlett, justice, and 
George W. Wolcott, assessor; in Denver, J. A. 
Vanatta, justice, and A. J. Orendorf, assessor; in 
Ayr, O. D. Barrass received 83, James Winney, 16, 
and four other candidates 18 votes in foto for justice, 
while A. C. Moore received 106, E. J. Oldham, 36, 
and S. Ellis, 30 votes for assessor; in Little Blue, 
J. K. Dean was elected justice, and M. Livingstone, 
assessor; in Cottonwood Solomon Holman was chosen 
justice, and C. Hohlfeld, assessor; in West Blue, 
A. F. Powers was elected justice, and George Bran- 
nan, assessor, and in Silver Lake, B. F. Munson was 
chosen justice, and R. L. Spicknall, assessor. 

The votes on the funding bond proposition and 
the sale of county lot submitted in 1879 were as 
follows: For funding bonds, 284, against 865; for 
selling lot, 1,174, against, 35. 

The elections of November, 1880, show 1,444 
votes for James Laird, 550 for James E. Boyd and 
51 for W. M. Connor, presidential electors; 1,448 
for Albinus Nance and 547 for T. W. Tipton, candi- 
dates for governor; 1 ,440 for C. J. Dilworth and 
544 for George E. Pritchett, candidates for attor- 
ney-general; 1,431 for E. K. Valentine and 542 for 
James E. North, for Congress; 1,437 for W. W. W. 
Jones, superintendent of schools, and 547 for Alex, 
Bear; 1 ,477 for A. T. Ash and 526 for L. D. Dent, 
candidates for district attorney; 1,371 for C. R. 
Jones and 640 for Charles Cameron, candidates for 
representative; 1,363 for C. B. Coon and 649 for E. 
M. Allen, candidates for Senator of the Twenty- 
fourth district; 1,389 for W. W. Hopper and 627 for 
J. H. Vandermark, for commissioner. There were 



^r^ 



140 



HISTOKV OF NKHKASKA. 



only 1 73 votes cast as preference votes for United 
States Senator — James Laird receiving 169. The 
assessors elected were John L. Kent, Juniata; M. 
Higgins, Kenesaw; D. L. Bariass, Denver; A. C. 
Moore, Ayr; William Colton, Little Blue; E. Dom- 
inv. West Blue; C. Hohlfeld, Cottonwood, and R. 
S. Spicknall, Silver Lake. Isaac Vanderwort was 
elected justice of Ayr, C. P. Horcletoad of Cotton- 
wood. 

In November, 1881, Victor Bierbower received 
1.106 votes for district attorney; Samuel L. Brass 
was candidate for university regent; S. L. JIartin 
reeei\ed 642, C. G. Wieson, 424. and George T. 
Hutchinson, 6G9 votes for sheritf; W. S. Crow, 1,346 
antl Kinanuel Stienau, 475 votes for treasurer; George 
F. Work, 978. and Ben. F. Smith, 830 votes for 
county judge; Lucy A. JMcFadden, 1,789, and Lucy 
A. Darling. 3 votes for superintendent of schools; 
Gordon li. Edgerson, 1 ,567, and C. W. Wilson. 238 
votes for commissioner; Thomas E. Farrell, 1,087, 
and E. N. Woodford, 718 votes for surveyor; Jose- 
phus WiUiams, 978, and William H. Lynn, 822 
votes for coroner; Robert B. Tusse}-. 1,037, and L. 
M. Sevenford 777 votes for county clerk. 

The assessors elected were R. Ash, A. C. Snoe- 
berger, D. L. Bariass, A. C. iloore. John Jung, 
Isaac Boyd, J. G, Holman, C. H. Chapman and G. 
W. Spicknall. 

The justices of the peace elected this j-ear were 
J. W. Liveringhouse, J. G. Hajzlett, J. H. Fleming, 
W. W. Philleo, James K. Dean, Solomon Favinger, 
Aaron Powers and F. McDonald, the order of 
location being Juniata, Kenesaw, Denver, Ayr, Lit 
tie Blue, Cottonwood. West Blue and Silver Lake. 

In February, 1882, the funding proposition was 
submitted. There were 406 votes cast against this 
measure and 46 in favor of it. 

The fall elections of 1882 show James W. Dawes 
to have received 712 votes; E. P. IngersoU, 782, 
and J. Sterling Jlorton, 440; for the office of com- 
missioner of public lands and bonds, C. H. Madely, 
865 votes, and A. G. Kendall, 765 votes; for Con- 
gress, James Laird received 1,005, and S. V. Moore, 
806 votes; for district attorney, J. M. Abbott re- 
ceived 1,427 votes, and W. S. Morlan, 511 votes; 
for Senator, A. H. Sowers was given 1,011 and A. 



T. Powers. 840 votes; for representative. H. G. Ar- 
mitage received 784, L. H. Trower, 747. ^^'. C. 
Weaver, 719, C. W. Wilson, 688, J. G. Hayzlett. 
439, and E. Koekler, 398; A. V. Cole received 
1,135, and J. W. Harris 666 votes for commis- 
sioner of Second district, while H. Armstrong re- 
ceived 713, J. Wooster, 667, and 0. C. Brown. 521; 
for commissioner of the Third district, W. Acklej- 
received 490, and W. H. Lynn. 333 votes for 
coroner. The assessors elected were Robert Ash, L. 
A. Boley, D. L. Bariass, A. C. Moore, C. H. Chap- 
man and R. S. Spicknall. The justice elected was 
John Merrill, of Cottonwood. 

The proposed constitutional amendment received 
643 votes, while 952 were cast against it. 

The elections of 1883 show 1,188 votes for W. 
H. Morris, and 785 for R. A. Battj-, candidates for 
district judge; 1,229 for G. W. Bemis, and 739 for 
J. W. Eller, candidates for district attorney; 1,203 
for R. B. Tussey, and 767 for L. H. Felt for clerk 
of district court; 1,122 for George Spicknall. 639 
for E. J. Hanchett, and 265 for Isaac Le Diojt, 
candidates for county clerk; 1,163 for J, B. Mc- 
Cleary, and 816 for W. S. Crow for treasurer; 711 
for J. M. Abbott, and J. H. Fleming, 1,260, candi- 
dates for probate judge; 711 for George T. Hutchin- 
son, and 1,266 for D. L. Bariass for sheriflf; 841 
for W. S. Hall, and 1,136 for A. E. AUyn for 
superintendent of schools; 657 for E. N. Woodford, 
and 1 ,353 for Thomas E. Farrell for surveyor; 1,988 
for George B. Lloj-d for coroner; 636 for H. C. 
Armstrong, and 1,350 for George Crane for county 
commissioner; 1,523 for township organization, and 
146 against such organization. 

The assessors elected were J. L. Kent, L. .\. 
Boley, C. E. Hill, A. C. Moore, J. G. Holman. 
John Jung, R. S. Spicknall and J. A. Snyder. 

The justices of the peace chosen were S. L. Brass. 
W. D. Prindle, L. A. Royce, W. W. McDonald and 
George McJIillan (tie), George Colling, J. Miller 
and A. F. Powers. 

Under the law of township organization as 
adopted in 1883 bj' a vote of 1.523 against 146. the 
offices of supervisor, treasurer and clerk were 
created, who, with the other township officers, 
formed the township boards, while the supervisor 



"~a) 



® 



ik 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



141 



was a member of the county board. Juniata gave 
289 votes for this system; Kenesaw, 120; Denver, 
509; Aj-r, 169; Little Blue, 96; Cottonwood, 121; 
Silver Lake, 71, and West Blue, 148. Juniata op- 
posed by 3 votes, Denver by 124, Ayr by 6, Lit^ 
tie Blue by 4, Silver Lake by 8, and West Blue 
l)y 1. 

The first board of supervisors, elected in No- 
vember, 1883, comprised J. H. Spicer, of Juniata; 
W. Parmenter, of Kenesaw; W. K. McCuUy, George 
Crane and James E. Reed, of Denver; E. G. Dyer, 
of Ajt: H. Stammer, of Little Blue; M. A. Hargle- 
road, of Cottonwood; H. C. Munnix, of Silver Lake, 
and S. M. Frink, of West Blue. 

The clerks elected in 1883 were S. L. Salsbury, 
D. D. Norton, F. C. Mastin, J. E. Bovard, I. M. 
Dean, Isaac Boyd, John P. Duncan and T. L. 
Monaghau, for the townships in order as given in 
the list of supenisors. 

The treasurers chosen in 1883 for the respective 
townships in this order were W. D. Sewell, E. Bud}', 

F. J. Benedict, T. J. Edgington, A. W. Waldeck, 
Jacob Silvers, P. H. Sailor and H. M. Palmer. 

The elections of 1884* show 1,853 votes for 
Robert B. Harrington, 1,109 for Patrick Hines, and 
114 votes for L. B. Boggs, candidates for elector 
on the three respective presidential tickets. James 
Laird received 1,796; J. H. Stickel, 1,057, and 
Benjamin Crab, 109 votes for Congress; James W^. 
Dawes received 1,789; J. S. Morton, 1,171, and J. 

G. Miller, 114 for governor; H. H. Shedd, 1,943, 
and L. C. Pace, 1,121 for lieutenant governor; D. D. 
Norton received the third party's vote (114) for 
Stat« auditor; A. H. Sowers, 1,502, H. G. Armitage, 
1,398, and A. M. Hall, 143 votes for Senator of 
Twenty-eighth district; F. R. Olmsted, 1,665; A. V. 
Cole, 1,664; H. B. McGaw, 1,227; E. M. Allen, 
1,253, Robert Ash, 149, and W. Woolman, 112 
for representatives of Forty-seventh district. For 
amendment of constitution, legal department, 2,762, 

* The Free Trade League was organized in May, 1884, at a 
meetins called by S. M. Brobst, M. F. Wallace, Moses Sadler, 
J. E. McLaughlin. F L. Brown. T. F. Coy, W. Sanders. C. E. 
Hill. A. May. E. H. Keed. A. Woolman. M. C. Ross. C. Frahm. J. 
Lahr. N. Villmer. E. P. Jansreau. E. Foster, Griff Evans, T. W. 
Hoffman. W. Woolman. W. Dale. O. H. McNeil. M. Sohella. 
John Jones. J. N. Showen. L. Showen. Joseph Flick. A. H. 
Browne and G. De Laguecau. 



contra, 92; for amendment of Section 1, executive 
department, 1,839; contra, 1,907. 

The justices of the peace elected in 1884 are 
named as follows: S. M. Roberts, Ed Heine, J. 
M. Slater and Ed Forne}-, a tie vote of 93 in Denver; 
A. N. Hall, Joel Carter, George Colling, John 
Honeywell, L. Williams, W. Patterson, W. W. 
Philleo and I. Johnson, a tie vote in Zero, W. Still- 
well, J. Fleming, B. F. Nunson, L. A. Kirk, J. B. 
Elrod and James Cooper. 

The first regular Prohibition convention of 
Adams County was held September 9, 1884, with 
Dr. H. P. Pitch, president, and D. D. Norton, sec- 
retary. The delegates to the State convention 
chosen were N. L. Brass, W. H. Burr and I. Evans, 
of Juniata; William Woolman and Dr. Fitch, of 
Hastings; A. C. Williams and C. H. Madely, of 
West Blue; Robert Ash, of Kenesaw; C. N. Rawalt, 
of Denver; W. H. Winters, of Cottonwood; D. D. 
Norton, of Kenesaw, and A. N. Hall, of Ayr. 
Messrs. Henry Shedd, W. Woolman, W. H. Burr, 
C. H. Madely and Rev. J. Fleming were elected 
members of the county committee. 

The supervisors elected in 1884 are named as 
follows: Howard Spieer, Juniata; B. F. Schlegel, 
Kenesaw; Warren N. Waldron, Denver; H. P. 
Rowe, Ayr; Samuel Arnold, Little Blue; Henry 
Schnelle, Hanover; S. M. Frink, West Blue; J. E. 
Reed, Blaine; Walter Stebbins, Highland; D. Low- 
man, W. R. McCuUy, A. H. Cramer, D. S. Fowler 
and C. K. Lawson, Hastings; George Crawford, 
Zero; A. T. Shattuck, Verona; R. M. Boyd, Rose- 
land; J. P. Dunton, Silver Lake; L. L. Mills, Cot- 
tonwood; Amos Shattuck, Wanda, and H. C. Min- 
nix, Logan. 

The township clerks chosen for townships, in 
order as given above, were James Newell, L. B. 
Parti-idge, G. W. Hill, William A. Garrison, Charles 
Spaldron, W. H. Colti-on, Elmer Simer, John 
Forner, Fred Johnson, F. C. Maston, R. K. Dailey, 
C. B. Bigelow (Frank E. Crosier and Raus. Wil- 
liams received each 61 votes in Roseland), C. F. 
Orvis, H. H. Crone, Levi Spindler and Charles Fer- 
now. 

The township treasurers elected in 1884 were B. 
F. Kellogg, E. P. Gillette, T. M. White, E. M. 






;4<5 



142 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Buitoii, Frank McConnic'k, A. ^\'. Wakleck, Lafay- 
ette Dominy, 0. A. Dungaii, B. L. Kenion, W. M. 
Cline, Charles Jessie, B. R. Bigelow, Amos Wilson, 
P. IT. Sailor, L. W. Swinford, E. Budy and D. F. 
Nicholas. 

The assessors elected were J. Burwell, L. A. 
Boley, C. E. Hill, F. Rudley, Griff Evans, W. 
Binderup, John Wilson, 0. P. Alford, Michael 
McKenney, D. II. Ballard, Adam lleeder, W. Wil- 
lards. I. Boyd, R. S. Spicknall, C. P. Hargleroad, 
C. Wilson and D. F. Wilkinson. 

The elections of 1885 give 1,829 votes to F. C. 
.Mastin, 676 to A. Showan, and 212 to J. W. Brew- 
ster, for register of deeds; 1 ,409 to J. B. McCleary, 
1,043 to M. M. McGrrew, and 267 to Henry Shedd, 
for treasurer; 1,887 to George Spicknall, 377 to L. 
W, Swinford, and 212 to D. D. Norton, for count}- 
clerk; 1.705 to J. H. Fleming, 202 to A. T. Shat. 
tuck, 637 to W. S. McKinney, 220 to O. B. Hewett, 
for county judge; 1,594 to D. L. Barlass, 734 to N. 
J. Hengen, and 317 to J. F. Merrill, for sheriff; 
1,742 to A. E. AUyn, and 1,003 to Nettie Winters, 
for superintendent of schools; 1,911 to Thomas E. 
Farrell, 219 to Soloman Favinger, and 216 to Titus 
Bahcock, for survej-or; 1,636 to F. L. Brown, 
657 to K. R. Chaffee, 216 to L. R. Markley, and 
212 to J. W. Wood, for coroner. There were 744 
votes cast for selling the poor farm, and 705 against 
its sale; 712 votes were cast for purchasing build- 
ing and 539 against purchasing building. 

The elections of 1886 show 1,790 votes for 
James Laird, 1.233 for William A. jMcKeighan, and 
229 for C. S. Harrison, Congressional candidates in 
the Second district; 1 ,845 votes for John M. 
Thayer, 990 for James E. North, 239 for H. W. 
Hard}-, and 218 for G. Burrows, candidates for gov- 
ernor; 1,808 for H. H. Shedd, and 243 for M. K. 
Lewis, candidates for lieutenant-governor; 1,691 for 
Gilbert L. Lewis, for State secretarj-, and 471 for 
E. J. O'Neil for same office. 

For Senator James B. Ileartwell received 1,582 
votes, M. Cleggitt, 1,006, and H. P. Fitch, 688. 
For representative, A. Y. Cole received 1,675; Hugh 
C. Minnix, 1,670; C. Hohlfeld, 866; M. J. Sadler, 
814; H. M. Palmer, 793, and H. G. Armitage, 750. 

The candidates for county attornev were C. H. 



Tanner, who received 1,593 votes; C. Kill)urn, 651. 
and O. B. Ilewett, 922. The vote on preference of 
United States Senator gave 567 to C. H. Yan Wj-ck; 
3 to James Laird; 7 to J. S. Morton. 

Tlicre were 1,818 votes cast for constitutional 
amendment, and 399 against it. 

The township elections of 1886* resulted in the 
return of the following named citizens to the county 
board of supervisors: A. S. Thompson, from Ken- 
esaw; A. T. Shattuck, Verona; W. B. Brown, High- 
land; S. M. Funk, West Blue; Amos Shattuck, 
\Yanda; James JMcKelog, Juniata; Vi'. II. Waldron. 
Denver; W. W. Miles, F. J. Benedict, Jacob Woos- 
ter, M. Yan Fleet, L. Hahn and Edward Jones, 
from Hastings; H. B. McGaw, Blaine; T. B. Burns. 
Cottonwood; Thomas Carter, Roseland; J. S. 
Way, Ayr; W. Theissen. Hanover; E. L. Button. 
Logan; J. P. Duncan, Silver Lake; Louis Bloom- 
i-jgthal. Zero, and F. C. McCormick, Little Blue. 

Tile justices elected for the respective townships 
were II. Bigelow and G. W. Pratt, Ira Ford, IJ. S. 
Holderman, C. F. Keitzer, 0. R. Palmer, John 
Plank, of Denver; W. S. McKenney, W. A. Dil- 
worth, I. W. Cramer, J. E. Gant, Charles Doyen 
and D. M. McElHinney, of Hastings; E. T. Win- 
ters, L. W. Swinford, Frank Coilmann, A. N. Hall, 
W. Binderup; G. W. Parks and J. W. Smith had a 
tie vote in Logan; S. W. Conkle, Silver Lake; W. W. 
Philleo and C. F. Warner. 

The assessors elected iu 1886 were G. W. Plum- 
iner, William Willars, M. McKenua, A. C. Tompkins, 
of West Blue; J. T. Ragland and I. Spindler. tie iu 
Wanda; J. Burwell, E. A. Waldron, N. B. vine- 
yard, S. M. Hoagland, C. F. Kidd, George Mizen. 
J. C. Woodworth, W. Binderup, E. S. Minnix, R. 
S. Spicknall, J. W. Isaac and Griff Evans. 

The question of issuing bonds in aid of the Kan- 
sas City & Omaha Railroad Company w-as submitted 
in March, 1887. Little Blue gave 83 for and 24 
contra; Roseland, 58 for and 52 contra; Cottonwood. 
32 for and 48 contra. 



*The Hastings non Political No License League was organ- 
ized in Fel)iuaiy, ItWIi. willi O. F. Heaitwell, president; C. F. 
Rawalt, secretary; D. M. Leland, treasurer; W. K. JlcCully. 
Prof. J. V. Collins, C. S. Jones, R. Cory. E, M. Coover, C. 
L. Kirlv and O. B. Hewett, executive committee. This league 
was supported by the W. C. T. U. of the city 



k 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



143 



The vote in May, 1887, on issuing lionds for 
§30.000, tlie proceeds to be devoted to building a 
county jail, was 758, and against tlie proposition, 
405, tlie returns from Little Blue not being in at 
time of canvassing. 

The vote in 'June, 1887, on the proposition to 
issue bonds to aid in the construction of the Pacific 
Railroad in Nebraska, and to provide for principal 
and interest by direct tax, was 3,272 for and 4,120 
against. 

The elections of Novemlier, 1887, show 2,028 
votes for William Gaslin, Jr., and 310 for O. B. 
Hewett, candidates for judge of Eighth district; 1 , 794 
for J. H. Spicer, 977 for E. B. Tussey, and 328 
for Mrs. Jennie B. Holland, candidates for clerk of 
the district court; 1,969 for David L. Barlass, 959 
for Thomas Carter, and 201 for W. B. Hamilton, 
for sheriflf; 1,756 for Charles H. Paul, 1,237 for 
M. M. McGrew, and 158 for Peter Griffith, candi- 
dates for treasurer; 1,947 for L. B. Partridge, 1,001 
for J. P. Duncan, and 197 for D. D. Norton, candi- 
dates for county clerk; 1,739 for F. C. Martin, 313 
for V. Edwards, 173 for J. W. Brewster, and 886 
for J. N. Smith, candidates for i-egister of deeds; 
1,965 for J. H. Fleming, 1,001 for Chris Hoepner 
and 196 for William L. Parmenter, for county judge; 
1,864 for A. E. Allyn, 1,049 for John Stevens, 219 
for Nettie Winter, candidates for superintendent of 
schools; Thomas E. Farrell was elected surveyor 
without opposition; F. L. Browne received 1,961, C. 
M. William, 944, and L. L. Ames, 248 for coroner. 
The supervisors elected were S. A. Sajre, of 
Kenesaw; S. G. Johnson, Ycrona; William B. 
Brown, Highland; A. F. Powers, West Blue; Fran- 
cis Phillipi, Wanda; James McKelvey and Ed Kroe- 
ger received 116 votes each in Juniata; W. H. 
Waldron, Denver; L. Hahn received 160; C. E. Ap- 
gar, 142; "W. M. Breed, 139; W^ M. Paine, 137, and 
Chris Hansen, 135 in Hastings City; D. B. Snod- 
grass, Blaine; H. P. Johnson, Cottonwood; T. W. 
Carter, Roseland; J. E. Woodworth, Ayr; Henry 
Stammei-, Hanover; J. F. Fernon, Logan; B. F. 
Munson, Silver Lake; Adam Reader, Zero; F. P. 
Harrison, Little Blue. 

The assessors elected in 1887, in the order of 
townships as given in list of supei-visors , are named 



as follows: A. C- Moore, William Willers, M. Mc- 
Kinney, A. C. Tompkins, J. M. Sandford, John 
Burwell, F. M. White, W. W. Miles, S. M. Hoag- 
land, H. W. Crone, George E. Mizen, W. Houston, 
W. Binderup, E. S. Minnix, R. S. Spicknall, S. F. 
Reed, Griffith Evans. 

The justices of the peace elected in 1887, in the 
same order of townships were: J. G. Hayzlett, R. 
Bigelow, V. Kernon, A. F. Powers, M. McQuinlan, 
A. R. Palmer; H. H. Ballon and W. S. Miles re- 
ceived 67 votes each in Denver; D. M. McElHinney, 
J. Forner, G. J. Holman, M. J. Stoetzel, G. M. 
Bechtelheimer. L. Calhoun, James Cooper, H. J. 
Miller, W. W. Philleo, J. K. Deane; J. E. Pierce 
was chosen justice in the Second ward of Hastings; 
N. B. Vinyard and L. A. Royce received 307 votes 
each in the Third ward, and R. V. Shirley was chosen 
in the Fourth ward. 

The vote for presidential electors in 1888 was 
1,282 for C. W. Allen and four others; 1.029 for 
George H. Hastings and four others; 375 for 
James R. Carey and four others, and 230 for C. W. 
Wheeler and four others. For Congress, James 
Laird received 1,800; WiUiam G. Hastings, 1,315; 
George Scott, 435, and R. H. Rohr, 211. For gov- 
ernor, John M. Thajer received 1,887; John A. 
McShane, 1,339; George E. Bigelow, 376, and 
David Butler, 209. For Senator, Frank D. Tag- 
gart received 1,529; W. A. Jones, 1,218; Samuel 
Alexander, 665, and Francis Phillips, 311. For 
representative Forty-fifth district, Fred P. Olmsted 
received 1,737; Herman D. Einspahr, 1,280; D. 
D. Norton, 466, and J. B. Koch, 268. For repre- 
sentative Fortj'-sixth district, Leopold Hahn, 1,708; 
Frank C. Buschow, 1,236; J. B. Ekod, 471, and 
J. F. Merrill, 289. For county attorney, John A. 
Casto received 1,889; George W. Tibbits, 1,296; 
John Snider, 372, and George Lynn, 235. 

The vote on the issue of bonds for the pm-posc 
of building a court-house and jail, and the levy of a 
tax to pay principal and interest of such bonds, was 
1,416 for, and 1,044 conti-a. Kenesaw gave 11; 
Highland, 10; West Blue, 22; Juniata, 5; Denver, 
14; Blaine, 20; Roseland, 8; Ajt, 6; Hanover, 8; 
Logan, 2; Zero, 9; Little Blue, 7, and Hastings, 
1,301 votes for the proposition. Kenesaw gave 



rr 



a_ . 



< 



144 



HISTORY-- OF NEBRASKA. 



108; Verona, GG; Highland, 51; West Blue, 20; 
Wanda, 73; Juniata, 230; Denver, 35; Blaine. 12; 
Cottonwood, 69; lloscland, 04; Ayr, 73; Hanover, 
34; Logan, 54; Silver Lake, 33; Zero, 27; Little 
Blue, 49,- and Hastings Citj', 7 against tlie proposi- 
tion. 

The supervisors elected in 18S8 were the fol- 
lowing : 8. A. Sayre, Keuesaw (IGl votes cast); 
William Willars, Verona (122); M. McKenna, 
Highland (158); A. F. Powers, West Blue (142); 
Fred. Einspahr, Wanda (126); Ed. F. Gettle, Juni- 
ata (281); D. C. Kerr, Denver (140); D. B. Snod- 
grass, Blaine (123); C. R. Hohlfeld, Cottonwood 
(91); Charles Grebe, Roseland (122); W. C. Hodges, 
Ayr (168); John Clute, Hanover (122); J. F. 
Fernon, Logan (83); W. E. Huslin, Silver Lake 
(05); A. Reeder. Zero (91); T. T. Jones, Little 
Blue (114). Warren Letson, F. J. Benedict, 
James Strickland, D. W. Palmer, received the high- 
est number of votes in their respective wards of 
Hastings. 

The assessors elected in 1888, in the order of 
townships, as observed in list of supervisors, were: 
J. Coulter, E. J. Hanchett, A. C. Tompkins, G. 
W. Wolcott, W. E. Shaver, C. E. Hill, S. M. Hoag- 
land, Mark Schroeder, W. E. Stoetzel, William 
Huston, W. Binderup, G. W. Maxwell. R. S. Spick- 
nail, J. W. Isaac, W. Washbourn and E. P. Nellis. 

The justices elected in 1888, for the respective 
townships, were: J. G. Hajzlett, H. J. Strait, L. 
Shepherd, E. Hemenover, Jacob J. Lauerman, D. 
R. Ball. J. R. Lefever (no election for this ofHce 
reported in Blaine), Gay lord Wright, John Young, 
A. N. Hall (no election for this office in Hanover), 
l>. F. Nicholas, Logan; R. N. Kinsej^ Silver Lake; 
II. Weathwax, Zero (no election for this office in 
Little Blue); George W. Splcknall received a major- 
ity of votes in First ward, Poljert Morledge in Second 
ward, and E. E. Sawyer in Fourth ward, of Hast- 
ings. 

The supervisors elected in 1889 were John L. 
Stoner (70),* Kenesaw; W. J. Willars (111), Ver- 
ona; M. McKenna (87), Highland; A. F. Powers 
(113), West Blue; H. Fred Einspahr (75), Wanda; 
Ed F. Gettle (245), Juniata; John T. Barr (113), 

* The vote given for the townships is the total vote. 



Denver; B. B. Snodgrass (76), Blaine; C. R. Hohl- 
feld (48), Cottonwood; J. P. Duncan (121), Rose- 
land; J. Hill (94). Ayr; John Gordon (100), Han- 
over; H. C. Minni.x (79), Logan; W. P. Clawsou 
(84), Silver Lake; Lester Warmuth (121), Zero; T. T. 
Jones (97), Little Blue. D. H. Eallard received 
818 votes; W. M. Vastine, 814; F. J. Benedict. 
811; D. M. McElHinney. 811; W. A. Dilworth. 801, 
R. V. Shockey, 803, and Ed Burton, G81. 

The assessors elected in 1889, in the order above 
given, are named as follows: A. C. ^Moore, E. J. 
Hanchett, J. C. Millikin, A. C. Tompkins, George 
W. Wolcott, W. E. Shaver, T. J. Taylor, S. M. 
Hoagland, George Slay, A. E. Stoetzel, M. N. Kress. 
J. Madson, G. W. Maxwell, R. S. Spicknall, W. 
Blumenthall, William Washbourne, and E. P. Nel- 
lis re-elected in Hastings. 

The justices of the peace elected in 1889 were 
W. E. Latta, B. F. Barr, A. R. Pearson, J. Wilson, 
J. J. Lauerman (0. R. Palmer and D. R. Ball re- 
ceived 149 votes each in Juniata), S. W. Niles, H. 

B. McGaw, C. Larson, T. W. Carter, W. S. Wil- 
loughby, G. Collings, N. B. Clark, C. F. Orvis, W. 
W. Philleo; S. Bechtelheimer, in the townships. A. 

C. Moore (R. R. Morledge and N. S. Rohrer re- 
ceived each 201 votes), N. B. Vinyard and J. C. 
Williams received the majority votes in their respec- 
tive wards at Hastings. 

The township clerks elected in 1889 are P. E. 
Hatch, Kenesaw; Frank Sutter, Verona; Thomas 
Wynne, Highland; W. J. Huxtable, West Blue; 
Leo Portz, Wanda; F. E. Kelly, Juniata; William 
Brodley, Denver; F. V. Nash, Blaine; W. T. Car- 
son, Cottonwood; Charles Hohlfeld, Roseland; Dan 
Bituer, Ayr; J. M. Dean, Hanover; Eli Jenkins. 
Logan; Frank McDonald, Silver Lake; R. Ratclitt', 
Zero, and Griffith Evans, Little Blue. 

The township treasurers elected in 1889 were J. 

B. Cook, Kenesaw; D. R. Bigelow. Verona; Herman 
Bertert, Highland; H. M. Palmer, West Blue; Peter 

C. Einspahr. Wanda; Gilliert Faber. Juniata; S. A. 
Nash, Denver; John Forner, Blaine; C. B. Powers, 
Cottonwood; W^. F. Duncan, Roseland; W. J. Clark, 
S. Bander, W. E. 3[unson, Logan; H. M. JlcClure, 
Silver Lake; Chris Kork, Zero, and B. K. West, 
Little Blue. 



\ 



') l^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



145 



The elections of November, 1889, show 1,668 
votes for Norval (R); 1,170 for Ames (D). and 221 
for Wigton (P), candidates for supreme judge; 
1,691 for Laws (R), 1,151 for Casper (D), and 190 
for Bentley (P). candidates for Congress; 1,760 for C. 
H. Paul (R), 1,057 for Phillips (D), and 198 for 
Waldron (P), candidates for county treasurer; 1,756 
for Patridge (R), 1,088 for Breed (D), and 196 for 
Hoagland (P), candidates for county clerk; 1,641 
for Wilson (R); 1,207 for Brown (D), and 204 for 
Norton (P), candidates for recorder; 1,687 for 
Cramer (R); 1,159 for Kelly (D) and 191 for Arm- 
strong (P), candidates for sheriff; 1,759 for Burton 
(R), 1,117 for Lynn (D), and 164 for Hewitt (P), 
candidates for county judge; 1 ,860 for Betteys (R), 
and 298 for Jones (P), candidates for superintendent 
of schools; 1,738 "for Irwin (R), 1.111 for Mc- 
Kenney (D), and 219 for Putt (P), candidates for 
office of coroner; 1,758 for Woodward (R), and 197 
for Orvis (P), candidates for surveyor. 

The pioneer journal of Adams Count}' was the 
Gazette, issued at Juniata in 1872. It was estab- 
lished solely to defend the old county seat against 
all assailants, and to cry down all opposition to the 
little village of the prairie. In 1873 the Journal 
was founded at Hastings. It was superior to the 
Gazette as a local newspaper; but, lilie the pioneer 
paper, defended its new town of Hastings against 
all the assaults of the press and people of Juniata. 
In 1876 the Times was issued at Kenesaw and there 
were three Richmonds in the field. As newspapers 
the publishers overlooked thousands of interesting 
incidents, while singing the praises of their respect- 
ive districts. They were expert songsters, each 
having his own scale. They never sung in harmony. 
After the second paper was established the counts- 
seat war was begun, and the third paper presented 
itself in time to act the part of home guard. A few 
years later the Bohemians, with all their faults and 
their many virtues, came, and the little newspaper 
world of Adams County extended its dominion. 
The adopted sons of Bohemia, following fancy's 
bright stream, ignoring the honors of thrift and 
trade, condemning the iced charity given in the 
name of a busmess-like statistical God, helping a 
lirother in want, and always hoping to live and die 



in Bohemia, came hither to preach then- theories. 
Some of them failed in the Bohemian land, some 
prospered and are here to-day. The Gazette deserted 
the waning cause of Juniata, and the Times came 
all the way from distant Kenesaw. The latter was 
merged into the Nebraskan and the former into the 
Journal. 

The consolidation of the warring journals was 
effected in January, 1880, by A. L, and J. W. Wig- 
ton, who conducted the Gazette-Journal until the 
organization of the stock company in the fall of 
1882, when work on a new office building was com- 
menced. In the spring of 1883 the building was 
completed and taken possession of, and in August 
of that year the Daily Gazette-Journal was issued. 
The Gazette-Journal Publishing Company was rc-or- 
ganized in September, 1885, with E. C. Webster, 
president; J. V. Heartwell, vice-president; C. P. 
Webster, treasurer; Samuel Alexander, secretary, 
and J. 0. Fisher, manager. A. L. Wigton con- 
tinued on the directors' board, and C. F. Royce, edi- 
tor. The office was improved in manj' departments, 
new type, presses and bindery machinery introduced , 
and the stock of paper and printing material in- 
creased. In October the Daily Gazette-Journal was 
enlarged to a twenty-eight column paper, and a reg- 
ular system of delivery adopted. 

In 1886 an addition of fortj--four feet was made 
to the building of 1882-83, and the present aiTange- 
ment of departments adopted by J. 0. Fisher, the 
manager. 

C. F. Royce came to Hastings from Iowa in 
1878. He purchased the Sunday Gazette-Journal 
in 1889, and is still managing editor of that paper. 

Miles K. Lewis, born in Genesee County, N. Y. , 
in 1825, located 400 acres of land near Hastings in 
1873, and the same year entered the field of journal- 
ism with A. L. Wigton in the publication of the 
Journal. Early in 1875 he determined to give at- 
tention to his lands, but in 1878 returned to the city 
and established the Lewis Patent Grain Header fac- 
tory. A reference to the several chapters on Adams 
County history will give the details of Mr. Lewis' 
connection with this section of the State. On July 
30, 1874, R. A. Daguc issued his greeting as part- 
ner of Mr. Wigton in the publication of the Journal, 



«<" <£ 



140 



UlSTOltV OF M-: BR ASK A. 



tlie IrttU-r l)eing alone in the inaiiagcment since Feb- 
ruary 21), 1874. Lak'i- tliat year Jolin and Emma 
Leonard, employes of the office since its beginuing, 
left for Texas. On January 7, 1875, Mr. Wigton 
sold his half interest to Dague, l)Ut on Octolier 14, 
1875, tlie pioneer editor resumed sole ownership, 
when ^\'. F. J. Comly was appointed associate editor. 

Dining the j-ear 1875 the county scat war was 
confined for a time to the pages of this Journal and 
the Gazette. 

The destruction of the Gazette office and contents 
occurred Jul}- 29, 1889. Insurance on building and 
stock, although heavy, did not cover the total loss. 
Owing to the ctficienc}" of the fire department the 
Oliver building was saved, although at one time in 
possession of the fire fiend. 

The Central Nel)raskan was issued February 8, 
1878, by A. D. Williams and M. J. Abbott. In 
their salutatory they speak of the success which at> 
tended the Kenesaw Times during its existence for 
the eighteen months prior to "February 8, 1878, when 
the Nebraskan succeeded it. The publishers further 
state: "The Times was a sort of by-play with us. 
We expect to give more time and energy to the Ne- 
braskan. * * * It will be Republican in pol- 
ities. * * * 'We desire both specie payment 
and the remonetizing of silver; not because we 
deem either gold or silver a desirable currency, but 
for the purpose of making the greenback equal to 
the gold dollar or any other." Some days after 
Abbott called on Mr. Clarke at the bank for pro- 
ceeds of note left for collection, and was handed 
8eventj--five silver dollars. He scratched his head a 
little, but without further comment took away the 
load of metal. In March, 1878, A. D. Williams' 
name appears as sole owner, and on November 8, 
I. D. Evans became associated with him. With 
No. 1 of Volume II of the Central Nebraskan, Feb- 
ruary 4, 1879, was ushered in the era of semi-weekly 
journals hei-e. 

No. 1, Vol. I, Daily Nebraskan, was issued May 
3, 1880, In- A. D. Williams, who in his salutatory 
says: "Well! here we are — the Hastings Daily 
Nebraskan — and with associated press dispatches 
several hours ahead of any other source. An-ange- 
ments have been made by which we shall, in anv 



event, run tlie Daily during the presidential cam- 
paign. It is for the citizens, and especially the bus- 
iness men of Hastings, to say whether it shall con- 
tinue as a permanent institution of the city. This 
arrangement will do away with the semi-weekl}' 
edition, and the weekly will assume its old quarto or 
double fonn." 

The salutatory of A. T. Bratton, as publisher of 
the Nebraskan (weekly), appeared June 21, 1883. 
In this he says: " Politically we have alwaj'S lent 
allegiance to the Rei)ublican party. * * * Our 
doctrine is ' live and let live. ' There are substantial 
rights which labor is demanding, and which, when 
properly formulated and understood, must and will 
be recognized, simply- because the}' are founded in 
eternal justice." In this issue the verdict of guilty, 
returned by the jury in the trial of William B. 
Thorne, for embezzling $22,000, is given. In the 
local columns is a report of the first annual literary 
entertainment by the students of Hastings' College, 
and a programme of the Fourth of July festivities 
at A3T. 

The Adams County Democrat was issued Julj- 
10, 1880, b}^ Richard Thompson, who in his salu- 
tatory says: " The question of establishing a Demo- 
cratic newspaper in Adams County is a question that 
has been agitated for some time. The enterprise in 
all its bearings has been thoroughly discussed. The 
question as to whether there was a demand for such 
a paper, and whether it would pay, were the princi- 
pal points. These having been settled the Demo- 
crat makes its appearance as a Democratic journal. 
Its mission is not to pull down and destroy, but to 
build up — to represent the real interests of the party 
and this great country. " The Wahlquist Brothers 
(R. B. and G. L.) are the present owners of this 
journal. Mr. Le Doiyt, for many years connected 
with the press, and one of the old settlers of Hast- 
ings, is a member of the staff of the Democrat. 

The Nebraska Volksfreund dates back to 1883. 
On April 13, 188G, the office was purchased by 
William Breed, who settled at Hastings in 1874, and 
in November, 1889, by P. N. Carson, who issued No. 
26 of Vol. VII, December 19, 1889. At the close 
of January, 1890, this journal suspended publica- 
tion. 



i±^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



147 



The Hastings College Review for December, 
1883, was edited by F. R. Dungan, assisted by Prof. 
G. E. White, J. H. H. Hewitt, A. D. Raney. Alice 
Yocum, 0. A. Farnham. T. J. ^MfCully and G. A. 
Birdsall. Miss Ada F. Nowlan contributed a paper 
on Beethoven. 

The Yidette is the college journal of the students. 
It was first issued in 1885. 

The Hastings Independent was issued July 3, 
1886, bj' Frank Taggart, manager, and Isaac Le 
Doiyt, editor. In the salutatorj- the editor saj-s: 
' ' The Independent comes before you as an inde- 
pendent family newspaper. Politically we shall hold 
that measures are above men, and shall support such 
men only as we think will liest subserve the com- 
mon good. On March 12, 1887, the office was pur- 
chased b3- A. L. Wigton and A. H. Brown, and 
this journal entered the Republican ranks. 

The Nebraska Newspaper Union was established 
at Hastings in March, 1888, with the view of sup- 
plying to the local press ready printed matter or 
whole editions of weekly newspapers. Beyond the 
organization little was accomplished, although the 
field is here and Hastings has railroad communica- 
tion with it in all its parts. 

The Hastings Republican was issued January 12, 
1889, by C. L. and F. A. Watkins. In their salu- 
tatorj- the}' outline their politics in the following 
paragi'aph: '-The Hastings Republican as a name 
mirrors a true image of the political features of this 
journal. The Republican expects to have the cour- 
age of its convictions. When an opinion is urged 
by the stress of demand it will be given without 
fear or favor, but given with due defference to the 
honest judgment and motives of its readers. " This 
modest little paragraph was well received and the 
Republican won its waj' into favor. The issue aver- 
ages about 1,200 weekly. The whole paper is 
printed at Hastings. 

Hastings Tribune, No. 1 , Yol. I. , was issued 
November 16, 1889, by R. Thompson, who estab- 
lished the Democrat in 1880, and Allen P. Brown, 
of Clay County. Within a month the Tribune 
established itself as a journal full of news, and one 
capable of drawing a very fine line between the 
sacred and profane. The Christmas of 1889 ap- 



pears to have made a fa\orable impression on 
Brother Dick, for, on December 27, he makes on his 
editorial page, the following modest proposition: 
' ' The Tribune office is greatlj' in need of a popular 
book, written bj' several well-known authors. The 
work is one of mutual interest and has been read, 
•more or less, by thousands of people. It is famil- 
iarly known as the Bible, or word of God. We 
were, at one time, the owner of this valuable work, 
but it was pilfered by some unknown wretch. To 
anj' one who will kindlj' furnish us with a volume 
of this valuable work we will send them a copy of 
this great moral and family newspaper. This prop- 
osition will ])e open until January first only. An 
illustrated edition preferred ! " 

The Dailj' Press was issued November 24, 1889, 
by the Press Pulilishing Company — J. W. Kinsella, 
president and manager; W. B. Palmer, secretarj- 
and treasurer, and Walt Mason, editor. 

The Press was a most aggressive morning jour- 
nal and made enemies daily. The old Nebraskau 
was even driven to oppose it determinedly; so that, 
notwithstanding its newsy character, it had to col- 
lapse, the last copy being issued December 12, 1889. 

The Trade Book, a periodical devoted to the in- 
terests of real estate agents and property owners, is 
issued by F. E. Garratt in January, April, July and 
October each year, No. 29 being issued in October. 

In January, 1890, a report was cuiTent that a 
new weeklj- journal was to be established in the 
interest of the Union Labor movement. 

The Adams County Gazette made its appearance 
at Juniata, in January, 1872, by C. C. and R. D. 
Babcock. In 1876 the office was removed to Hast 
ings. In November, 1880, Charles Kelley and J. 
W. Short purchased the office, and they, in Decem- 
ber of that year, sold to W. L. Wigton & Brother, 
who consolidated it with the Journal under the 
name Gazette-Journal. During its career of four 
years at Juniata it espoused the claims of that town 
against all opposition, Ijut deserted when the enemj- 
attacked in force, and moved into their headquarters. 

R. D. Babcock, born in Monroe County, Mich., 
in 1846, served from 1863 to 1865 with the Eleventh 
Michigan Cavalry and Sixth United States Colored 
Cavaliy, and, in 1871, settled in Juniata precinct, 



5 V 



4. 



148 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



wlicro he entered :i quarter-section. In December 
lie was elected county clerk, studied law, and was 
admitted to the bar in July, 1870. In January, 
1872, he and C. C. Baheock esUxblished the Adams 
County Gazette, which they continued to publish at 
Juniata until the fall of 187C, when the office was 
moved to Hastings. On Mr. Babcock's removal to 
Hastings he resumed the practice of law, making 
land laws a specialty. 

The Juniata Herald was issued October 25, 
lS7(i. by the Citizens Company, with A. H. Brown, 
editor. The office was sold to G. S. Guild, Septem- 
ber 15, 1877. William Knickerbocker purchased the 
office July 23, 1880. He was followed by J. W. 
Livcringhouse and F. W. Francis. On the latter's 
death in March, 1884, I. H. Rickel, the present 
pulilisher, purchased the paper. 

The Ayr Times was established January 14, 
1882, by C. L., G. M., and F. A. Watkins. 

A. H. Brown, who in 1868 established the 
People's Journal at Vinton, Iowa, settled in Juniata 
[irecinct, August 16, 1872, where he resided on his 
160-acre homestead for a year, when he was elected 
county superintendent of schools. From 1873 to 



1876 he was editor of the Gazette, and when the 
Herald was estiiblished by the citizens, in the fall of 
1876, he was appointed editor. 

The Kenesaw Times was founded June 8, 1876, 
by A. D. Williams, and continued pul)lication there 
until 1878, when it was merged into the Central Ne- 
braskan of Hastings. It appears, however, that a 
second paper of the same name was established in 
1883. 

The Holstein Record was issued April 13, 1889, 
by the Holstein Publishing Company. This journal 
is devoted to the interests of the village and neigh- 
borhood and is considered a good advertising medium 
for the locality. 

The Holstein Nonpareil is the name of a little 
paper started in January, 1890, at the place named. 
W. T. Carson is the manager. 

The third newspaper office ever built in Adams 
County, the Central Nebraskan, in 1877-78, on Third 
Street, was torn down in May, 1885, to make way for 
the new block at the corner of that street and Lincoln 
Avenue. The first printing office was erected for the 
Juniata Gazette in 1872, and the third for the Hast- 
tings Journal in 1873. 







CHAPTER XY. 



I*H 



MiLiTARY History — Survivors of the Civir, War — Roster of Soldiers — Strickland Post — Juxiata Post- 
Hansen Post — Kenesaw Post — Company F — Associations and Societies — Reunions, Etc. 




The mighty rivals, whose destructive rage 
Did the whole world in civil arms engage, 
Are now agreed. — Roscommon. 



HILE the Kebellion occu- 
pied the attention of a 
number of the present 
citizens of Adams Coun- 
ty, none of its native 
white residents have been 
engaged in warfare. Dur- 
ing the terrible j-ears of civil strife only 
two settlers were within its boundaries 
and the date of their location was then 
recent. Again, the tide of Civil War 
ebljod and flowed far away from this 
prairie land, so it may be truly said of 
Adams County that it was outside the 
war belt, for the reason that there was 
nothing here to antagonize. The Sioux 
in their attack on the California Trail carried their 
war to the very lines of the eouut3-, south and 
east, destroj'ing the property of the settlers, kill- 
ing some and carrying others to- a captivity far 
worse than death. A few years more and the 
county is filled with veterans of the greatest war 
known in history. Round the summer camps of the 
pioneers, stories of Gettysburg, South Jlountain, 
Shiloh, the march to the sea, Wilderness, Pea Ridge, 
Vicksburg and a hundred other well-fought fields are 
told; but there is no war. The soldiers have laid 
aside the rifle antl sword and taken up the plow-share. 
They are the harbingers of peace — the pioneers of 
progress. The storj- of the war has been told in 



thousands of volumes and in tens of thousands of 
written reminiscences. The results of that war are 
accepted forever. Here may be given the names of 
participants in the struggle for preserving the Union, 
onl}- so far as local records permit. It is a list of sol- 
diers associated together in the ranks of the Grand 
Army of the Republic. A few decades and such 
names will be searched for in vain, like those of the 
Revolution and other wars marking the first century 
of the Repuljlic. 

The question of organizing a post of the G. A. 
R. was considered at a soldiers' meeting held at Mil- 
lett's Hall, April 18, 1878. C. H. Paul presided, 
with E. Steinau, secretary; a committee, comprising 
J. N. L^-man, F. S. Wells and the officers named, 
was appointed to obtain a charter. The charter was 
duly granted, and on May 13, 1878, Strickland Post 
No. 19 was organized with T. D. Scofield, com- 
mander; C. H. Paul, S. V. C. ; W. H. Brown, J. 
V. C. ; J. N. L3'man, Q. M. ; A. H. Sowers, surgeon; 
F. S. Wells, chaplain; L. C. Palmer, adjutant; 
John D. Crane, S. M.; E. Steinau, Q. M. S. 

Post No. 13, G. A. R , met October 5, 1880, for 
re-organization. A. C. Yocum was elected P. C. ; 
A. H. Bowen, S. Y. C; James Walling, J. V. C. ; 
A. H. Sowers, surgeon; W. H. Stock, Q. M.; L. B. 
Palmer, adjutant; George F. Work, chaplain; A. 
Poole, 0. G. ; W. W. Dungan, 0. D. ; R. R. Mor- 
ledge, Q. M. S. ; A. S. Hill, S. M., and A. L. Wig- 
ton, A. A. M. 0. , and four unofficial members. 



\^ 



150 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



The roster of the post is as follows, the eighteen 
first nuineil being charter members: 

S. Aloxiuidcr, 1st Neb. Inf. 
A. I,. \Vi;,'liiii. .sstli O. Inf. 
\V. \V. l)iiii,i;iui. Tilli la. liif. 
(ii'd. K. Wink, .Mil lii. Inf. 
Iv IM. AI)bott, 84tli III. Inf. 
A. 1). Yociim, ITth O. Inf. 



Cm. Miller, l.'itli U. S. Inf. 
.1. n. Ci-iino, 5tli N. Y. Art. 
L-I!. ralmer, G2(l III. Inf. 
A. r. I!(Mijainin, loTth N. Y 

Inf. 
W. S. Martin, 8.3(1 O. Inf. 
Alex. Rosors, 54tli III. Inf. 
A. H. Sowors, 14th O. Inf. 
David Koch, 23(1 Mo. Inf. 
.1. N. Lvnian. 
J. F. Ik'ilpr, 2(;th III. Inf. 
.1. F. Ross, U. vS. Navv. 
F. S. Wells. IT. S. Navy. 
T. D. Seolield, 27th M. S. S. 
C. L. Ston'e.Chieaffo M. IJat. 
II. Shedd, 117th N. Y. Inf. 
A. Poole, nth Wis. Vol. 
James Walling, 149th N. Y'. 

Inf. 
.1. Wooster, 36th O. Inf. 
H. B. Tanner, 17th Mo. Inf. 
Uenrv Williams, 78th N. Y. 

Inf. 
II. A. ForcIit.Merrill's Horse. 
J. E. Hutchinson, 4th la. 

Batt. 
W. H. Stock, 17th Til. Cav. 
R. R. Morledge. 4th la. Inf. 
A. H. Bowen, 4th Mich. Inf. 
A. S. Mill, 3(1 Wi.s. Inf. 
Carl ClarU. 8.3d III. Inf. 
K. II. Burtlett. 1st la. Cav. 
.1. T. Ross, 14th Ind. Inf. 
W. H. H. Coulter, 8th Mo. 

Inf. 
J. Stebbler. 

N. C. Barlow, !l5tli III. Inf. 
A. (i. Williss, 2d la. Cav. 
C. L. Kinkaid, 1st la. Cav. 
.1. H. Hiirsh, l!)r>ih Pa. Inf. 
S. IthinlKirdt, 2d Mich. Inf. 
II. H. Mc(;aw, ',i7th O. Inf. 
A. .1. Millet, 12th la. Inf. 
Wm. Callahan, 28th Pa. Inf. 
John M. Bovd, 61st Pa. Inf. 
Chas. II. Paul. 
F. M.Clark, Sth O. Inf. 
W. C. Beal, !Hh Micdi. Inf. 
J. A. Snyder, 7th Wis. Inf. 
S. H. Henderson, 24th la. 

Inf. 
C. B. Sperrv, 4th Wis. Art. 
J. L. Cline, .'ith Pa. II. A. 
Jos. S. Land. HUli Mich. Inf. 
J. P. lioaRland, 132d Pa. Inf. 
R. I). IJabcock, llth Mich. 

Cav. 
W. H Grimth, 1st Mich. 

Inf. 
Edward Orton, 7tli III. Inf. 



Farrci-, 10th la. 
101st N. Y. 



James T. 

Inf. 
Isaac A. Hall, 

Inf. 
Henry Jewett, 47th 111. Inf. 
II. 10. Iloughtaling, loth 

Wis. Inf. 
.lames Ross, 2d la. Inf. 
Alfred Martinis, 203d Pa. 

Inf. 
Wm. ".Monroe, 13th Wis.Inf. 
W. It. Saine, 17th O. Inf. 
I). H. Holmes, Merrill's Horse 
H. Bromley, n2d N. Y. Inf. 
H. G. Wetherill, OOth N. Y. 

Inf. 
II. G. Nights. 3fith la. Inf. 

0. B. Wirt. 4Gtli Ind. Inf. 
Geo. H. Hiird, 37tli III. Inf. 
J. W. Coulter. 33d III. Inf. 
W. H. Scott, 60th O. Inf. 
W. A. Smith, 16th Ky. Inf. 
S. 15. Whitman, 2d U. S. S. 
.1. I). Van Ilouten, 5th III. 

Cav. 
W. II. Marshall, 140th 111. 

Inf. 
J. R. Sims, 203d Pa. Inf. 
Samuel Long, 20th Wis. Inf. 
Peter Zobel, 32d Ind. Inf. 
John R. Winter, lS6th O. 

Inf. 
O. Garmon, 19th Mich. 

Inf. 

J. P. Sackrison. 40th III. Inf. 
A. A. Adams, 22d V. R. C. 
Milton C. Ross, 3a la. Inf. 
S. C. Dilley, U. S. Art. 
Griffin Y'eatman, 1st Del. 

Inf. 
Richard Conquest, 1st Col. 

Cav. 
Wm. H. Reed, 30th 111. Inf. 

A. M. Eager, 124 th X. Y. 
Inf. 

B. F. Noll, 20th III. Inf. 
Peter Ncwcomb, 129th Ind. 

Inf. 
Anson Forbes, 1st Mich. 

Eng. 
F. M. Alexander, 26th Ind. 

Inf. 

A. II. Brown, 13th la. Inf. 
Win. Willi inc. 
.lames Stclliiis. l.-,th 111. Inf. 
Lewis 1). Kevnolds. 
Henry P. Iviinger, 47th 111. 

Inf. 

Robt. B. Williams. 
Frank Dalbry, 2d O. Inf. 

1. T. Briggs, 77th III. Inf. 
Stephen Mason, 104th 111. 

Inf. 
John G. Burgeroff, 4'Jth 111. 

Inf. 
Wm, C, Hodges, 41st O, Inf. 



L. S. Gould, 73d III. Inf. 
W. H. Coltoii, 4.%th III. Inf. 
I. W. Cramer, 3()th Wis. Inf. 
Hart Livingstone, 99th lud. 

Inf. 
J. Hodges, 14th O. Inf. 

F. C. Mastin, l,'i3d 111. Inf. 
Geo. M. Rogers, 18th Wis. 

Inf. 
Fred Riiiker, 64th 111. Inf. 
P. S. Browning, 1st 111. Art. 
L. II. Tate, 8tli Mass. Art. 
Jonathan Carter, 17th Mich. 

Inf. 
J. B. McCleary, 1st Col. Cav. 
W. C. Ridley, 118th O. Inf. 
i"Iicholas Corbin, 7th Mo. 

Cav. 
N. A. Nash, 42d Wis. Inf. 

G. A. Whitman, 72d 111. Inf. 
P. Alleiider, .58th III. Inf. 
C. M. Millett, 65th N. Y. 

Inf. 
G. W. Dade, 19th Mass. Inf. 
C. H. Ilurd, 2d Pa. Inf. 
Henry Van Fleet, 27th Mich. 

Inf. 
James Corliss, 42d Mo. Inf. ' 

F. L. Stock, 142d 111. Inf. | 

C. B. Nelson, 1st N. Y. Eng.' 
Geo. V. Cope, 10th Mich. 

Inf. 

D. M. Leland, 24th la. Inf. 
T. F. Pearl, 21st N. Y'. Cav. 
George P. Alford, 27th O. 

Inf. 
Myron Van Fleet, 30th Mich. 

Inf. 
Byron S. Morrell, 64th N. Y'. 

Inf. 
Thomas F. Coy, 26th Ky. Inf. 
Wm. Hoiloks. 20th Wis. Inf. 
Edwin Burroughs, 42d 111. 

Inf. 

C. J. Delnitt, 35th 111. Inf. 
M. H. Batty. 3d N. Y. H.A. 
M. W. Peters, 1st Wis. Inf. 
Fred Stoelting, 20th Wis. 

Inf. 
O. B. llewett, 2d Neb. Cav. 
J. J. Bassett, 160th N. Y'. 

Inf. 
Wm. Croft, 6tli Mich Inf. 
Nick Zinner, 36th 111. Inf. 
John Y"eager, 12th III. Inf. 
H. L. Grisell, 75th Ind. Inf. 
J. H. Darnell. 48th 111. Inf. 
L. U. Albershardt, 72d O. 

Inf. 
John Weytmaii. 13th Kan. 

Inf. 
T. J. Dowd, 3d Wis. Inf. 

D. S. Wilkinson, 7th Wis. Inf. 

G. E. Douglass, 157th N. Y. 

Inf. 



[Cliarles Dominic, 20th Pa. 

Cav. 
r. K. Brown, 53d Pa. Inf. 
U. M. Carpenter, 15th Mass. 

Inf. 
Joseph A. Palmer, 54th Mass. 

Inf. 
West Montgomery, 1st Neb. 

Inf. 
J. O. Beebe, 1st R. I. L. A. 
II. .S. Rogers, 14th la. Inf. 
.lohn D. Hayos,Berdine's S. 

S. 
J. J. Buchanan, 3d Mo. Cav. 
John Stabler. 
.Sanies K. Sample. 
IsaactE. Dorsey, 30th O. Inf. 
Albert S. Pierce, 17th V. R. 

C, 
S. II. Snively, 1st Pa. Cav. 
A. C. Miiore, 5th la. Inf. 
J. H. Knight, 3d Ind Cav. 
H. G. Mills, 102d III. Inf. 
Seth Lewis, 6lh N. Y'. H.D. 
Joseph Marion, 46th 111. Inf. 
N. R. Burton. 

A. Benedict, 65th 111. Inf. 
James Meadows, 51st Mo. 

Inf. 

B. F. Ranall, 8th Minn. Inf. 
G. .S. Morgan, 2d Kv. Cav. 
Geo. N.Waller, 61st III. Inf. 
James E. Bence.67thO. Inf. 
Alfred Burge, 42d 111. Inf. 
Geo. Stratton, 3d N. Y. Inf. 
Josiah Lee, 4()th la. Inf. 
Jacob B. Boyer,84th III. Inf. 
Frank Kearney, 106th N. Y. 

Inf. 

F. M. Ilickok, llth la. Inf. 
James (!ibson. Art. 

Jesse Doty, 54tli O. Inf. 
Calvin Sowers, 6th O. Inf. 
Frank Harlman. 1st III Art. 
Chas. Niite, 2d I). C. Inf. 
W. H. Chadwick, 20th Mich. 
Eng. 

C. B. Kemple, 86tli 111. Inf. 
C. W. DeRochcr.3d Me. Inf. 
W. S. Ree.ser, 151st O. Inf. 
W. C. Beale, 9th N. Y. Inf. 

G. W. Spav, 38th 111. Inf. 
Geo. R. Wolf, 175th O. Inf. 
W. H. Akeniim, 186th N. Y. 
L. C. Shields, 2d Kan. Inf. 
H. E. W. Dercraus. 2d Col. 

Cav. 
J. W. Forbs, 142d 111. In.f 
.lames ■\Iilman,5tli Wis. Inf. 
James T. Johnson, 17th III. 

Inf. 
James T. Routher, Sth 111. 

Inf. 
Oliver Wright, lOGth N. Y. 

Inf. 



A list of sulilicrs liiiried in Hastings Cemetery, given 
in the record of this post, is as follows: G. W. Howe, 
Col. Burke, OtlQ Arnoux, — Keating, Levi W. Miller, — 



■^ 



<5_ w_ 



-< s 



l^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



151 



Eiggs, — Alexander, Stephen Carson, C. M. Millet, N. A. 
"Nash, J. W. Hansel. James McCleary, James Riley, J. H. 
Sc(]tt, Aug. Poole, Capt. Wicks, George Brennan. — 
I'almer, — Cope, — • Pearson, Joseph Howe and Willis 
Campbell. 

Ill January, 1888, James Gibson was adjutant 
and W. 11. Burton, commander. In December of 
that year H. G-. Knight was elected commander; H. 
M. Carpenter, S. V. C. ; Frank Kearney, J. V. C. ; 
Jacob Wooster, Q. M. ; I. W. Cramer, 0. of D. ; 
Byron S. Morrell, surgeon; W. S. Beale, I. G. ; S. 
H. Snively, 0. G. ; T. F. Pearl and J. R. Hursh, 
delegates, with J. L. Kline and J. E. Bruce, alter- 
nates; John Winters, O. of G. Byron S. Morrell 
was subsequently appointed adjutant, and Dr. Pierce 
appointed surgeon to fill vacancy; J. R. Wright, 
chaplain; George Stratton, S. M. ; J. M. Boyd, Q. 
M. S., and W. C. Beale, sentinel, 

The followhig officers were elected in December, 
1889: A. H. Brown, B. S. Morrell, G. M. Rogers, 
W. R. Burton, D. M. Leland, F. M. Alexander. Mr. 
Snively, J. M. Boyd, Mr. Beal, John Winter, T. F. 
Pearl and J. R. Hursh, delegates, and A. C. Moore 
and I. W. Cramer, alternates. George Stratton was 
appointed adjutant. 

Strickland Post elected A. Poole, captain; I. AV. 
Cramer, first and J. Hursh, second lieutenant of tiie 
drill companj^ of tvventj'-four, who proposed to com- 
pete for the prize tent offered by the department. 

Juniata Post of the G. A. R. was instituted Oc- 
tober 24, 1881, under the title of Geary Post No. 82, 
with B. F. Smith, commander; S. L. Salsbury, S-. 
V. C. ; A. H. Brown, J. V. C. ; J. W. Livering- 
house, adjutant; G. T. Brown, Q. M. ; 0. Steever, 
surgeon; W. Spade, chaplain; A. V. Cole, 0. of D. ; 
H. H. Ballon, O. of G. ; G. S. Guild, S. M. , and 
M. Van Buskirk, Q. M. S. Philip Hoover, R. H. 
Nolan, S. J. Shirley, S. L. Brass, G. Avery, F. jM. 
Thompson, B. W. Hammond, G. T. Brown, W. 
Twidale and James Newell unofficial members. 
The position of commander has been filled by the 
following named members: B. F. Smith, A. V. 
Cole, S. L. Brass, James Newell, J. Burwell, O. 
Steever, James L. Kelvey and I. R. Ball. S. L. 
Brass is the present adjutant. 

The roll of members comprises the following 
names : 



B. F. Smith, 1st Mich. S. S. 
A. H. Brown, 13th O. Inf. 
O. Stevers, ;)6th N. Y. Inf. 
G. S. Guild, Mass. Inf. 
Wm. Spade, 147th Pa. Inf. 
8. L. Salisbury, 13Uth Pa. 
Inf. 

A. V. Cole, 4th Mich. Inf. 
P. Hoover, 104th O. Inf. 

H. H. Ballou, 1.3th Vt. Inf. 
S. L. Brass, 1st Mich. Cav. 
R. H. Nolan, U. S. Navy. 
S. J. Shirley. 83d 111. Inf. 
G. Avery, 23d Mich. Inf. 

F. M. Thompson, 6th P. R. 

V. C. 

B. W. Hammond. 

M. Van Buskirk,109th N. Y. 

Inf. 
Wm. Twidale, 9th Mich. 

Cav. 

G. T. Brown, 47th la. Inf. 
J. W. Liveringhouse, 30th 

Ind. Inf. 
J. Newell, 30th Ind. Inf. 
D. H. Freeman, 13th Mich. 

Inf. 
J. Burwell, 14th O. Inf. 
M. K. Hutchinson, 47th 0. 

Inf. 
R. S. Langley, 122d 111. 

Inf. 
*G. G. Vreeland, 3Gth 111. 

Inf. 

A. Borden. 

H. Schick. 3d Pa. Art. 

John S. Price. 

James McKelvey, 16th N. 

Y. Inf. 
G. P. Alford. 
Jacob Swift, N. Y. Inf. 
Alvin Wells, 1st Mich. Cav. 

C. H. Chapman, 18th Mich. 

Inf. 
W. P. Davis, 111. Inf. 
Henry Vinear, 12th Md. 

Inf. 
G. S. Dwight. 

D. Morgan, 13th Wis. Inf. 
Gottleib Laher, 68th O. Inf. 
O. A. Buzzell, 33d Mass. 
f.Iohn Young, Mexican War. 
John E. Adams, 30th Ind. 

Inf. 

E. J. Hanchett, N. Y. Cav. 
James Beach, 2d Mich. Art. 
C. F. Orvis, 145th 111. Inf. 
N. L. Brass, 1st Mich. Cav. 
Amos Wilson, 36th O. Cav. 
Alex. Rogers, 1st and 54th 

111. Cav. 

B. E. Swift, 117th N. Y. 
Cav. 

Adam Land, 123d 111. Cav. 
H. E. Drake, 30th Ind. Cav. 



Benj. Davis, 38th la. Cav. 
J. G. Mahler, 30th Ind. Cav. 
Jacob Silvers, 15th U. S. 

Cav. 
James M. Miller, 1st Ind. 

Art. 
F. Kieser, 34th Ind. Inf. 
Nick Gordon. 2d la. Inf. 
Wilson S. Richards, 68th O. 

Inf. 

0. F. Foote, 7th Pa. Cav. 
Jacob Hammer, 47th Ind. 

Inf. 
W. F. Kellar. 

1. Vanderwort, 140th 111. 

Inf. 
D. R. Ball, 46th Ind. Inf. 
Jacob Morgan, 31st O. Inf. 
Richard Van Buskirk, 21st 

N. J. Inf. 
Peter Anderson, 2d U. S. 

Art. 
Henry Winkley, 27th Wis. 

Inf. 
Riley D. Burton, 67th Ind. 

Inf. 
Joseph Lilly, 172d Pa. Inf. 
Simeon Johnson, 14th Pa. 

Cav. 
Lewis Alvers, 58th 111. Inf. 
Joseph Basey, 1st O. H. Art. 

B. F. Baker. 

Absalom O. Overman, 95th 

Ind. Inf. 
Wm. Martin. 83d O. Inf. 
IJohn F. Merrill. 
Charles Collins. 7th Mo. Inf. 
James McFerren. 21st Pa. 

Cav. 
Darius C. Kerr, 14th Ind. 

Inf. 
Wm. Champlin, 1st Mich. 

Inf. 
W. J. Barger, 15th la. Inf. 
Geo. Jlizen, Sr., 42d Wis. 

Inf. 
Satnuel Wright, 5th Mass. 

Inf. 
Jesse Millikar, 139th Ind. 

Inf. 
Isaac Smith, 128th Pa. Inf. 

C. Hohlfelt, 9th Wis. Inf. 
M. D. Ovitt, 17th Vt. Inf. 
Elias Knowles. 20th III. Inf. 
Wm. H. Stephens, 11th Ind. 

Cav. 
Norman G. Gibson. 29th 
Ind. Inf. 

D. V. Stevens, 118th Ind. 

Inf. 
W. B. Hamilton, 53d III. 

Inf. 
N. H. Kathorn, 12th III. 

Cav. 
Henry Jewett, 47th 111. Inf. 



*A11 the above named mustered in October 24, 1881. 

+Mustei-ed in 1882. 
»Iustered in 1883. 



^ 



fk^ 



ir)2 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



18th II 



Samuel Nicholas, 

Inf. 
D. M. Criswold, 139th 111. 

Inf. 
James Powell, 87th Ind. Inf. 



John R. ViiuHouten, 151st 

III. Inf. 
John Konkiight, 155th Ind. 

Inf. 
Calvin Ball, 26th Ind. Inf. 
John I). 15all, 2d Mo. Cav.jAl. M. Clay, 97th Ind Inf. 
Geo. S. Parks, 26th 111. Inf.jC. B. Booth, 7th Ind. Inf. 
Chas. S. James, 27th Mich. Logan Sairison, 17th Ind. 

Inf. Inf. 

\V. D. Burroughs, 0th Mich. Edward Morgan, 1st Ill.Cav. 



Inf. 
L. D. Sergeant, 32d Wis. 

Inf. 
T. M. Battrell, 26th 111. Inf. 
Jacob II. Gales, 40th Wis. 

Inf. 
Lafavctte L. Anger, 1st N. 

V. 
I!. .1. Worthington, 13th 

Mich. Inf. 
llcnrv W. Crone, 13th Ind. 

Inf. 
O. E. Woods, 21st N. y. Cav. 



David Bruckman, 99th Ind. 

Inf. 
J. S. Robosy, 1st Md. Cav. 
N. K. Metser, 9th Wis. Inf. 
Peter Griffith, 102d 111. Inf. 
Samuel P. Rowland, 4th 

Mich. Inf. 
John W. McCracken, SSth 

Wis. Inf. 
W. S. Webster. 8th Mich. 

Cav. 
Sanford Webster, 2d Minn. 

Cav. 



One hundred and twenty-three members have been 
iMirolIed, and of this total Amos Wilson, C. S. Jones and 
Mo.ses Van Buskirk are the only members who died since 
organization. Other soldiers buried in the cemetery 
were named: G. G. Holzwortli, K. Shaw, Findley, 
Dwight, Liudsey and a veteran of the Mexican War. 

On May 21, 1880, Compan}- K, now F, was re- 
organized and the following officers were elected: 
A. V. Cole, captain; S. J. Shirle}-, first lieutenant; 
E. L. Button, second lieutenant. The members 
presented a list of names for non-commissioned offi- 
cers, from which Capt. Cole selected the following: 
Sergeants, William Spade, James Kent, M. K. 
Hutchinson, Josiah Hodges and George Watkins; 
corporals, F. C. Brosins, D. Conger, P. Nash, R. 
Crawford, George Mizen, 0. Button, W. Babcock 
and W. Winter. 

In 1882 the company was represented in the 
Slate encampment at Omaha by the following named 
raemliers: A. V. Cole, E. L. Button, J. M. Kent, 
M. K. Hutchinson, S. J. Shirlej-, William Spade, 
Josiah Hxlges, George W^atkins, Bamon Conger, A. 
Bord(jn, "Wayland Babcock, Robert Crawford, Mar- 
slial Ash, W. G. Beal, H. G. Armitage, G. S. Guild, 
W. II. Payne. William A. Ballon, E. R. Farrabee, 
Byron H. Button, William Ellington, Bavid Ilouts, 
R. W. Crone, Irwin Farrabee, William Knicker- 
bocker, Francis Ballou, J. J. Flcmming, E. F. 
Walker, J. B. Osier, Charles Signor, Henry Homan, 
Charles F, Doty, William Winter, Ed. A. Buzzell, 
C. R. Bigclow, Frampt Brosius, Frank Rosencrans, 
II. W. Mitchell. 



The conip;iny under the command of A. Y. Cole 
took the governor's challenge cup at the encamp- 
ment at Crete, in 1883. • They held the cup until 
1885, when Company C, of Beatrice, took it. Tiie 
present strength is about 41. The commissioucd 
officers are: L. A. Ballou, captain; W. A. Ballou, 
lirst lieutenant; T. II. Ellis, second lieutenant, with 
four sergeants, three corporals, one musician, and 
twenty privates. 

Hansen Post, G. A. R. , was instituted June 2!!, 
1883, with A. F. Powers, commander; J. M. Bearse, 
S. V. C. ; J. F. Nyce, J. V. C. ; M. B. Holley, sur- 
geon; F. H. Calder, chaplain; Fred. Albright, Q. 
M. ; J. Countryman, 0. of B. ; J. G. Honeywell, (). 
of G. ; J. Smith, Adjt. ; T. M. Beatreall, S. M. ; 
and George Mills, sergeant. The post is not now 
in active work. In fact it is alleged that beyond 
the formal organization nothing was accomplished. 

The Posts at Kenesaw, Ayr, and near Prosser, 
are referred to in local sketches elsewhere to be 
found. 

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Association of Adams 
County was presided over in 1884 by A, V, Cole, 
with L. B. Palmer, adjutant. The vice-presidents 
were: A. F. Benjamin, of Benver; H. M. Spencer, 
of Little Blue; S. C. Moore, of Ayr; W. P. Bavis, 
of Cottonwood; J. G. Haj'zlett, of Kenesaw; R. 
Spicknall, of Silver Lake; S. L. Brass, of Juniata, 
and J. A. Snyder, of AVest Blue. The soldiers' and 
sailors' reunion of July, 1883, was held at Ayr, and 
the encampment named '-Camp Heron." A. Y. 
Cole was elected camp commander. 

The County Veteran Society was organizea in 
May, 1889, with A. Y. Cole, president; Joseph 
Meyers, vice-president, and W. R. Kilburn, secre- 
taiy. In Becember, 1880, this association elected 
the following named officers: President, A. B. 
Yocum; vice-president, A. H. Brown; secretaiy and 
treasurer, W. R. Burton. Br. J. N. Lyman was 
appointed a committee to prepare a programme for 
reunion. 

Sixty-five Posts of the G. A. R. were represented 
at the Camp Sheridan reunion, near Hastings, in 
September, 1883. A convention of the Nebraska 
Woman's Suffrage Association was opened in the 
head-quarters tent at Camp Sheridan on September 



r^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



153 



13, 1883, when Mrs. M. L. Brass, of Juniata, 
was elected president. Tiiis society decided to 
continue the publication of The Woman's Trib- 
une, of which Mrs. Chira B. Colby, of Beatrice, 
was editress. 

The G. A. R. fair of Januar}- and February, 



1886, was held to raise funds for building a hall. 
Over $1,000 In cash, together with other propert}-, 
was obtained. 

Mrs. Green, a widow of a soldier of 1812, died 
at Hastings, in January, 1879, aged eighty-three 
years. The veteran of that war died in 1868. 






>?-. 



^. — - 



''i sL. 



ikv 



154 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XYI. 



-\iih- 



SociETiES, Associations, Etc., of Local Importance — Agricultural Society — Hastings Fair Ground Associ- 
ation — District and Central Agricultural Societies — Patrons of Husbandry, Grange, Etc. — Aid 
SociF,TY — Farmers' Alliance — Medical Associations — Associations of Teachers — Temperance 
Societies and Movements— Sunday School Conventions — Woman's Suffrage Associa- 
tion — Railroad History — Education — School System, Etc. 




Heaven forming each 
A master, or a servan 



S the first agricultural soei- 
et}' of Adams County may 
1)0 mentioned that organ- 
ized at Kingston, Maj' 6, 
1872, with W. W. Selleck, 
,—-^—^^^^^ president; Charles Bird and 
.■^ ^1^ Walter West, vice-presi- 

*i^V dents; John H. Bauchman, secretary; 
-i ;\ G. Edgcrton, treasurer; G. I. Selleck, 
•- L. G. King, W. F. Selleck, J. L. 
Johnson and H. B. Munson, directors. 
*:->:.' There were thirty-nine members with 
", j the officers named. The first fair of 
this society of which there is a record 
was held October 10 and 11, 1873, 
at Kingston. No less than eighty-two prizes were 
offered. This meeting was so great a success that 
the officers of the society advertised their vote of 
thanks to the people, while M. W. Bird, the secre- 
tary, mailed copies of the report to many points 
in the east. The list of first and second prize 
winners is given as follows: 

r.iood mares, A. W. WaUleck, Isf. B. H. Scott, 2d. 
Draft horses, E. T. Wright, 1st; Tliomas Flemming, 

3d. 
Carriage horses, Marion Van Fleet, 1st; G. W Don- 

ahcy, l.'d. 
.Saddle liurses, C. R. Jones, 1st; A. West, 2d. 



on other to depend, 
t, or a friend. — Pope. 



Trotting horses, E. J. Wheeler, 1st; George Brown, 
3d. 

Ladv equestrianism, Mrs. William Van Alstyne, 1st; 
"Mrs. W. B. Cushion, 3d. 

Best management of horses in harness, liy lady, Mrs. 
W. B. Cushion, 1st; Mrs. William Van Alstyne, 
2d. 

Mules, J. H. Vandemark. 2d. 

Draft mules, J. H. Vandemark. 2d. 

Four-year-old bull, S. J. Sliirley, 2d. 

One-year-old bull, N. R. Pratt, 1st; A. W. Waldeck. 
2d. 

Cow, John Shafer, 1st. 

Two-year-old heifer, Jacob Calhoun, 2d. 

Heifer calf, N. R. Pratt, 2d. 

Herd cattle, A. W. Waldeck. 3d. 

Sweepstakes, bull. N. R. Pratt. 1st. 

Sweepstakes, heifer, A. W. Waldeck, 1st. 

Work cattle, J. R. Carter, 3d. 

Fat ox, J. R. Carter, 2d. 

Fat cow, J. H. Vandemark, 2d. 

Berkshire boar, A. W. Waldeck, 2d. 

Berkshire sow, A. W. Waldeck, 2d. 

Berkshire sow and pigs, A. W. Waldeck. 2d. 

Poland Cliina boar, 1-year-old, A. D. Williams. 2d. 

Poland China sow, 1-year-old. A. D. Williams. 2d. 

Hogs. John Muriihy, 1st: A. D. Williams. 2d. 

Chester White boar pig, C. (!. Wilson, 2d. 

Chester White boar, l-ycar-old, B. H. Scott, 2d. 

Chester White sow pig, S. M. West, 2d. 

Sweepstakes, boars, B. II. Scott, 1st. 

Sweepstakes, sows, A. D. Williams, 1st. 

Poultry, lloiulans, A. D. ^Vi^lams, 1st. 

Poultry, liraliMuis, W. B. Cushion, 1st. 

Red spring wheat, R. M. Jones, 1st. 

Yellow corn, T. E. Davis, 1st; B. H. Scott, 2d. 

White corn, T. E. Davis, 1st. 

Early ixitatocs, W. B. Cushion, 1st; .1. II. Vande- 
mark, 2d. 



<S. k_ 



"JX. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



155 



Winter potatoes, J. II. Vaiuleiuaik, 1st; C. R. Jones, 

2d. 
Sweet potatoes, A. D. Williams, 1st. 
Beets, Mrs. W. S. Martin. 1st. 
Turnips, J. H. Vandcniarl;, 1st; B. H. Scott, 2d. 
Carrotts, A. D. Williams, 1st. 
Squashes, T. E. Davis, 1st: R. S. Langley, 2d. 
Eg;g plant, Mrs. M S. Norton, 1st. 
Peanuts, George and Katie Williams, 1st. 
Two-liorse wagon, C. R. Jones, 1st. 
Open buggy, W. R. Linton, 1st. 
Plows, C. R. Jones, 1st. 
Silk patchwork, quilt, Mrs. G. Kruder, 1st; J. F. 

Jennett. 2d. 
Calico quilt, Mrs. J. H. Vandemark, 1st; Mrs. O. 

Stevers, 2d. 
Worsted quilt, Mrs. O. Stevers, 1st; Mrs. George 

Kruder, 2d. 
Rag carpet, Mrs. O. Stevers, 1st: Mrs. R.H.Crane,3d. 
Counterpane, Jlrs. J. A. Rust, 2d. 
Gents' slippers, jNIiss Sadie Biglow, 2d. 
Pin cushion. Miss Jlay Jones, 2d. 
Worsted work. Miss Sadie Biglow, 2d. 
Bead work. Miss Sadie Biglow, 2d. 
Afghan work. Miss Sadie Biglow, 3d. 
Lamp mat, Mary Saintclair, 2d. 
Crochet, Mrs. Francis Dwight, 2d. 
Silk embroidery, Mrs. H. F. Jennett, 3d. 
Tidy, Mrs. J. 11. Vandemark, 2d. 
Best display of millinei-y, Mrs. Forgy. 
Butter, Mrs. Jennie Jones, 1st. 

The Adams County Agricultural Society perfected 
organization at Juniata, March 9, 1874, with E. M. 
Allen, president; H. C. Humbert and W. W. Selleck, 
vice-presidents; D. H. Freeman <ind Dr. A. D. Buck- 
worth, secretaries; W. B. Tliorne, treasurer; Samuel 
J. Shirly, E. N. Noyce, A. D. Williams, D. S. Cole 
and C. G. Wilson, directors. Tlie unofficial mem- 
Adna H. Bowen, Nathan Platte, A. H. 
M. Jacobson, James Laird, Charles R. 
S. Chandler, B. F. Smith, Nathan L. 
Clute, William B. Kelly, A. V. Cole, J. 
R. S. Langley, Charles Kilbourn, 



bers were 
Brown, J. 
Jones, J. 
Brass, A. 
W. Stark 

William Caller, C. C. Babcock, John Stark, 
W. H. Burr, H. J. Savery, E. Warn, W. H. 
Gardner, W. B. Cushing, T. Babcock, W. L. 
Van Alstyne, Pliny Allen, H. H. Ballou, C. Mor- 
rison, C. H. Chapman, N. J. Smith, R. D. Bab- 
cock, Joseph Carr, A. C. Wright, J. McKelvey, Jud- 
son Burwell, George Brown, John Duncan, A. C. 
Jlooro, George Kuder, D. II. Bal)cock, George W. 
Wolcott, Abram Park, Ira G. Dillery, S. L. Brass, 
Louis Keeth, Robert Ash, Peter Fowlie, William L. 
Kemp, M. C. Lindsey, John JI. Cole, M. B. Kelley, 
Henry Shedd and Conrad House. On the completion 
of this organization the sum of 150 was subscribed. 



In June, 1874, C. G. Wilson was elected presi- 
dent. Five vice-presidents were chosen, one from 
each precinct, the first elected to have seniority in 
office. First vice-president, M. K. Lewis, of Hast- 
ings; second vice-president, Robert Ash, of Juniata; 
third, A. C. Moore, of Silver Lake; fourth, G. H. 
Edgerton, of Little Blue; fifth, V. Darling, of Kene- 
saw. D. II. Freeman, of Juniata, was elected re- 
cording and financial secretaiy, and W. A. Smith, of 
Hastings, corresponding secretary. W. B. Thorne, 
of Silver Lake, was elected treasurer; 0. H. Wright, 
of Kenesaw, was elected general superintendent. It 
was voted to have a board of directors of sixteen, 
one from each Congressional township. The follow- 
ing were recommended by a committee appointed to 
select persons for these offices, and were unanimouslv 
elected: W. S. 3Ioote, William Willoughby, J. H. 
Vandemark, L. B. Palmer, John Waldeck, W. M. 
West, William B. Cushing, Henry Shedd, J. P. 
Duncan, 51. B. Kelley, William L. Kemp, E. J. 
Hanchett, E. C. Shellhammer, Jacob Spindler, F. 
Phillips, W. V. Miller; S. J. Marshall was ap- 
pointed marshal. 

From the minutes of the meeting the following- 
extract is made : 

On motion it was voted that the county commis- 
sioners purchase the grounds selected by the society for 
holding tills fair. 

On motion it was voted that all members of both 
the old societies shall be considered members of this 
society, and all persons living in Adams County, by pay- 
ing the sura of SI, may become members. 

On motion of Elder Crane, three rousing cheers 
were given, uno animo, for the consolidation of the two 
societies, and the dissipation of all sectional jealousies. 

The Hastings Fair Ground Association entered 
articles of agreement August 6, 1878, signed by R. 
A. Batt^-, A. D. Yocum, A. L. Clarke, S. Alex- 
ander, 0. Oliver, J. D. Crane, A. L. Wigton, A. J. 
Millett, J. N. Smith, C. H. Paul, B. Martin, W. A. 
Camp and G. W. Warren. During the 3-ear forty 
acres were purchased and improved for fair ground 
purposes. The society elected the following named 
officers in September, 1880: A. D. Yocum, presi- 
dent; J. R. Maxon, A. W. Wheeler, J. B. MeCleery, 
C. G. Wilson, J. A. Robertson, W. S. Martin, C. F. 
Orvis and A. S. Inompson, vice-presidents: A. B. 



15G 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Meson, secretaiy; J. N. Lyman, treasuivr, and S. 
J. Shirel}', superintendent. The directors chosen 
were A. W. McDavitt, S. L. Brass, John Cook, G. 
W. Parlis, A. N. Hall, W. W. McDonald, A. R. 
Powers, J. M. Strahl, C. R. Biglow, James Miller, 
R. M. Ratcliff, Peter Grooms, George Crane, H. 
Armstrong and W. 1\I. White. In 1884 the society- 
elected D. Lowman, president; D. C. Kerr, vice- 
president; W. R. McCully. seeretarj-; C. K. Lawson, 
treasurer; Ira Ford, superintendent, and the follow- 
ing named directors: L. J. Halsteads, W. A. Jones, 
O. Lamereaux, Silas Stichter, Andrew Beal, S. 
Saulsbury, Dr. Putt, Dr. Kimball, J. W. Crissman, 
W. W. Philleo, Charles Boyd, Dr. J. N. Lyman, H. 
C. Minnix, Sr. , C. F. Orvis, James Connell}- and 
II. AV. Olmstead. 

Tlie District Agricultural Society was organized 
February 26, 1878, with M. C. Long, president; C. 
H. Walker, secretary; A. L. Wigton, assistant secre- 
tary, and C. C. Ingalls, treasurer. The vice-presi- 
dents elected were James 31. Flj'nn, of Clay County; 
A. N. Hall, of Adams; II. A. Day, of Nuckolls; 
John H. Powers, of Hall; C. Wells, of Franklin; 
W. M. Richardson, of Webster; A. H. Harland, of 
Kearney; G. L. Laws, of Harlan; T. D. Case, of 
Hamilton; C. G. Bruce, of Thayer; and H. C. Daw- 
son, of Jefferson. The committee on constitution 
comprised J. W Small, R. A. Batty, A. D. Wil- 
liams, A. D. Yoeum and Mr. Babcock. 

The Central Horticultural Society was organized 
in September, 1878, with JI. K. Lewis, of Adams, 
president; J. W. Small, secretary; A. D. Williams, 
assistant secretary, and J. JI. Flynn, treasurer. The 
vice-presidents chosen were H. S. Kalej', of Webster; 
George P. Warner, of Clay; R. D. Granger, of Keai^ 
uey; M. S. Budlong, of Franklin, A. N. Hall, of 
Adams; H. H. Williams, of Nuckolls; M. Creason, 
of Hall, and 0. P. Duncan, of Hamiltoi). 

A County Council of Patrons of Husbandry was 
organized February 24, 1874, with A. H. Brown, 
master; M. B. Kelley, 0.; J. W. Holt, lecturer: 
James McCleary, steward; J. H. ^'andemark, assis- 
tant steward; James McKelvey, chaplain; R. K. 
Daily, treasurer; A. D. Rust, secretary; J. M. Cole, 
gate keeper; Miss Rose Kellej', ceres; Miss Edna 
Lowry, flora; Miss Ada Snodgrass, pomona; Julia 



A. Rust, lady assistant steward, and D. H. Freeman, 
agent. 

The Hastings Grange was established in Febru- 
ary, 1874, by D. D. Organizer R. S. Langlcy, 
assisted by S. L. Brass. J. W. Holt was elected 
master, with G. W. Lazenby, J. W. Coulter, J. H. 
Hanson, S. Sadler, M. B. Holly and Secretary 
Hhike filling the other offices. 

Blue Valley Grange was organized at Kingston 
in Fel)ruary, 1874, with E. D. Jones, A. W. Wal- 
deck, W. H. Coultrin, J. B. 3IcCleery, W. S. Moote, 
C. G. Wilson, C. H. Edgerton, John Gray, 3Iary J. 
Heaps, Ada Snodgrass, Emma Wilson and Miss 
Martin filling the offices in the order of rank. 

Silver Lake Grange was organized in February, 
1874, with J. P. Duncan, J. C. Wilson, R. K. Daily, 
J. J. Hoyleman, John Woods, Patrick Duncan, J. 

B. Roscoe, Mrs. Woods, H. Humphrey, Miss Mary 
Duncan, Mrs. Roscoe, Mrs. Blackledge and Mrs. 
Hoyleman officials. 

Lone Star Grange was organized at the Hawley 
school house in March, 1874, with L. P. Hawlej-, 
I. Yocum, J. A. Innis, M. Van Fleet, H. Houghtal- 
ing,T. Boice, Mrs. L. P. Hawley, D. H. Holmes, S. 
E. Gardener, Mrs. T. R. Boice, Mrs. Innis and Mrs. 

C. L. Aldridge officers in the order of rank. 

Rose Hill Grange (three miles southeast of Hast- 
ings) was organized in March, 1877, withB. F. Brow- 
er, master, and N. R. Pratt, secretar}'. The charter 
members were the officers named, T. Wisdom, Joseph 
Bland, S. and N. Schoonover, John Connor, Rober^ 
Williams, T. N. White, A. J. Orendorff, James 
Kemp, James Purdy, Mrs. Orendorff, E. Bower, 
Rhoda and Hannah Schoonover, Bertha Kemp, 
Jessie J. Connor, Sophia White, Sue A. Pardee, 
Sarah Williams and Mrs. Pratt. 

The Adams Count}- Aid Soeiet}' was organized 
at Juniata October 10, 1874, with W. B. Thome, 
president; J. M. Abbott, vice-president; D. H. Free- 
man, secretary; 0. H. Wright, treasurer; S. J. Shir- 
ley, C. R. Jones, A. W. Wheeler, Capt. Strout, W. 
S. Moote, — Sinclare, E. B. Daily, J. P. Duncan, 
E. C. Shellhamer, G. Spicknall, E. Moore and A. 
Shattuck, members of executive committee. The 
oliject of this association was to extend aid to citi- 
zens who were suffering from the effects of the 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



157 



grasshopper plague. A second society with the 
same object was organized at Hastings in Novem- 
ber. C. C. Ingalls was president; A. L. Wigton, 
secretary, S. Alexander, treasurer; S. Sadler, R. 
A. Dague, and A. L. Wigton, executive committee. 

A complete historj' of the diflferent attempts that 
have been made by the farmers of this country to 
form themselves into organizations for mutual pro- 
tection and benefit, would make a large volume. 
When the Grange movement had subsided, for sev- 
eral j-ears the farmers seem to have lost heart, and 
nothing was done by them to protect their own in- 
terests. But recently the growth of another union 
of the farmers has been most marked. The Adams 
Count}' Fanners' Alliance, the new movement, was 
organized August 31, 1889, with Francis Phillips, 
of Kenesaw, president; W. I. Huxtable, West Blue, 
vice-president; H. B. McGaw, Blaine, treasurer and 
secretary; John Shea, of West Blue, sergean1>at- 
ai-ms; J. B. Brown, Kenesaw, door keeper; A. C. 
Tompkins, of West Blue, lecturer, and John Brech- 
ner, of Ajt, chaplain. 

Some years ago, after the fall of the Grange, the 
Alliance was established. The first Farmers' Alli- 
ance organized in Nebraska was that of West Blue 
Precinct, York County, in June, 1880. On Febru- 
ary 26, 1881, the Adams County Farmers' Alliance 
was organized. On July 2 no less than sixteen 
lodges of this society were represented in convention 
at Hastings, while in April, 1882, there were 
eighteen lodges represented in convention. 

The Adams County Medical Association maj' be 
said to date back to 1886, when Drs. Sowers, Lynn, 
Alfi-ed Naulteus, Lloyd, Steele, Irwin, Urquhart, 
with the phj-sicians from Ayr and Blue Hill, signed 
articles of association. Dr. A. H. Sowers was 
chosen president; Dr. Urquhart, vice-president; Dr. 
Steele, secretary, and Dr. Lynn, treasurer. This 
society has accomplished little more than formal or- 
ganization. 

The fourteenth annual session of the State Medi- 
cal Society assembled at Hastings May 9, 1881. 
Among the new members were William H. Lj-nn, 
John Cook, F. Naulteus and A. F. Naulteus, of 
Hastings; George M. Prentice, Fairfield, and W. J. 
Roj'ce, Doniphan. Among the old members present 



were M. L. Gahan, of Grand Island, and W. H. 
Acklej-, of Juniata. A. H. Sowers was elected pres- 
ident. As shown in other pages of this work, many 
of the leading physicians of Adams County are mem- 
bers of this society. 

■ The act approved March 3, 1881 (taking effect 
June 1), regulated medical practice and provided for 
registration of phj-sicians. The society urged this 
and other special bills for regulating practice in Ne- 
braska. 

The ph}-sieians' record of Adams County dates 
back to May, 1881, when Dr. W. H. Lynn registered. 
The names appearing on this record are as follows: 

REGISTERED IN 1881. 
NAME. 

Wm. H. Lynn, 
J. O. Garmon, 
Hogan J. Ring, 
T. H. Urquahart, 
S. A. Bookwalter, 
W. W. Phar, 
Winfleld Ackley, 
Sarah E. Young, 

A. H. Sowers, 
C. O. Arnold, 
Francis Naulteus, 
*.Jolin Cook, 
E. H. Gale, 

B. M. Shockey, 
Emma Watkins, 
J. Williams, 
A. R. VanSickle, 
J. Alonzo Greene, 
Mary Breed, 

John N. Lyman, Washington, D. C, 1862. 

Mary A. Howard, Practice, 1S78. 

George W. Howard, Hahnemann, 1857. 

REGISTERED IN 1883. 

A. S. Fishblatt, N. Y. E. M. C, 1879. 

C. T. Lawrence, Cin. E. M. C, 1857. 
George F. Llovd, Omaha, 1883. 
*L. J. Forney, Ohio, 1873. 
Samuel E. Furrv, Philadelphia, 1880. 
Mary M. Michael, N. Y. F. M. C, 1875. 
*L. K. Markley, Omaha, 1883. 
*H. P. Fitch, Chicago, 1879. 

REGISTERED IN 1884. 

L. R. Markley. 

Ralph J. Irwin, Indianapolis, 1883 

Sol. C. Warren, Philadelphia, 1885. 

James W. Wood, Chicago, 1883. 

*John W. Smith, England, 1865. 

Henry J. Smith, Philadelphia, 1865. 

George H. Chaffee. Micliigan, 1881. 

T. J. Eaton, W. Res. Col., 1847. 

E. L. Yarletz, Cin. M. C. 1872. 
Louis Lodd, III. B. of H., 1878. 
J. O. Mote, Keokuk, 1884. 

F. C. Brosius, Rush, 1883. 

•Did not report on graduation up to ISSfi to compilers of 
Medical and Surgical Directory of the United States. 



COLLEGE. 


DATE 


Rush, 


1877. 


Michigan, 


1877. 


Bennett Ec. 


1877. 


Jefferson, 


1848. 


Louisville, 


1873. 


Keokuk, 


1878. 


Rush, 


1875. 


Practice, 


1868. 


Columbus, 0., 


1862. 


Practice, 


1877. 


Holland, 


1864. 


Scotland, 


1867. 


Philadelphia, 


1865. 


Practice, 


1868. 


England, 


1856. 


Practice, 


1879. 


Iowa, 


1880. 


National Med., 


1866. 


Germany, 


1862. 



IZ 



ik 



158 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



REUISTEHEl) IN 1885. 



NAME. 

Sholdoii K. CooU, 
Will. Tiinnci-, 
r.. N. Ildwiud, 
C. \V. Sclkk, 
II. S. Koficrs, 
C. M. Williams, 
AllnTl S. I'icicc, 
C. U. Ulliich, 
A. F. Naulteus, 



COI.I.KGE. 

Moiilieal, 

I'ractict', 

Si. Louis, 

10. .Med. A. 

Ki'okuk, 

liuliaiiapolis, 

(Jcorfii'towii, 

Ki'okiik, 

ISaltimore, 



KEOISTEKKI) IN ISSfi. 



M. O. 15. McKiiiiii y, 
W. A. Cliapnuiii. 
Jos. T. Steele, 
lianra A. Edwards, 
J. S. Cui-liss, 
J. E. Anderson, 
F. .1. Scluuifelberj^er, 
George W. Randal), 



Cineiiuiati, 

Cleveland, 

Rush. 

Mieliiffan. 

Cineiniiati, 

Ciiieiiinati, 

Jetferson, 

Cineinnati, 



REGISTERED IN 1887. 



K. R. Blair, 
Edward D. Barrett, 
John M. France, 
Rufus C. Corey, 
Geo. B. M. Free, 
L. J. Rogers, 
E. T. Cassell, 
Alvin H. Keller, 
Louis Turner, 
A. E. Wessel. 
A. M. Rickett, 
Luther L. Ames, 
Charles J. Carrick, 



Cineinnati, 

Praetice, 

Chieago, 

St. Louis, 

Maryland, 

Practice, 

Practice, 

Omaha, 

St. Louis, 

Canada, 

Practice, 

Keokuk, 

Buffalo, 



Arthur 11. Brownell 
C. A. Bassett, 
C. G. A. Hullhorst, 
J. M. F. Cooper, 
Mile S. Kensington, 
J. C. Solomon, 
A. Lee Sabin, 



REGISTERED IN 1SS8. 

Michigan, 

St. Louis, 

Iowa. 

Iowa, 

Joplin, Mo., 

Germany, 

Practice, 

1889. 



REGISTERED IN 



DATE. 

1884. 
18G8. 
1873. 
1867. 
1878. 
1881. 
1867. 
1870. 
1882. 



1856. 

1868. 
1883. 
1886. 
1S78. 
1877. 
1884. 
1878. 



1885. 
1868. 
1885. 
1887. 
1884. 
1849. 
1878. 
1876. 
1874. 
1881. 
1881. 
1880. 
1885. 



1887. 
1881. 
1882. 
1884. 
1883. 
1879. 
1874. 



1863. 
1887. 
1886. 
1888. 
1881. 
1861. 
1887. 
1885. 
1878. 



appears in the United 



A. J. Bacon, Chicago, 

Jacob B. Hoshaw, Des Moines, 

E. H. Waters, Iowa, 

C. J. Yates Chicago, 

A. J. Rogers, Keokuk, 

Wm. McGregor, New York, 

Ed. R. Holmes, Chicago, 

H. S. Aley, Chicago, 

P. James, New York, 

Mrs. Emma Walker's name 
States Gazetteer of Medicine. 

A Normal Institute held at Hastings in Jul}-, 
1876, is said to have been tlie first general meeting 
of teachers held within this county. The Adams 
County Teachers' Library Association was organized 
in May, 1870, with L. Darling (superintendent), 
president. The Teachers' Institute of August, 1884, 



opened August 19 in the Congregational building. 
The name adopted for this organization was ' • The 
Adains County Teachers' Library Association." 

The Central Nebraska Teachers' Association was 
organized in November, 1884, with F. W. Parsons, 
president; J. W. Mercer, vice-president; Hattie 
Snodgrass, secretary; Nellie Martin, treasurer; R. 
C. Barr, C. L. Ebaugh and Bertha McCorkle, execu- 
tive committee. 

An Institute held at Juniata August 2, 1888. 
was attended by forty-two teachers, and the Institute 
was addressed on various educational sulijects liy 
Profs. Wilson, Thompson and Davis. 

In the pages devoted to local history reference is 
made to the Woman's Christian Temperance LTnion 
and other modern organizations, into which temper- 
ance workers find admittance. Here mention is 
made of the district or count}- societies and their 
beginnings in Nebraska. The district lodge of the 
I. 0. G. T. for Adams and Clay Counties was or- 
ganized in June, 1879, with J. E. Hopper, Mrs. 
A. A. White, C. Borin, A. E. Neighlwr, L. F. 
Gould, 0. M. Soule and S. Brown, officials in the 
order of rank. 

The I. O. G. T. dates back to 18G7, when dele- 
gates from the thirteen lodges then existing in Cass, 
Douglas, Nemaha and Otoe Counties organized a 
Grand Lodge. In 1871 a number of professional 
lecturers on temperance were introduced into the 
State. In 1880 there were no less than 158 lodges 
and G,263 members; decreased to 113 lodges and 
5,054 members in 1881. The sixteenth annual 
session of the Grand Lodge was held at Hastings in 
January, 1882. 

The Temple of Honor dates back to March, 1877, 
when a lodge was organized at Lincoln. The same 
year temples were formed at Hastings, Crete, Sutton, 
Juniata and other places, and in February. 1878, 
the Grand Temple was organized with A. H. Bowen , 
G. W. T. He was succeeded in 1880 by W. A. 
Hosford, but was chosen grand recorder, and re- 
elected in 1882. J. E. Morrison was chosen G. W. 
T. and E. M. Buswell G. W. V. T. in 1882. 

The red ribbon movement was begun in October, 
1877. 

In 1873 the '-troublesome question " was 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



159 



brought before the Legislature. In 1875 a 1)111 reg- 
ulating the granting of licenses was passed. In 
1878 the banded legions asked for prohibition. 
Among their opponents was K. A. Batt}-, of Adams 
Count}'. A. H. Bowen worked against him in the 
lobby, as the latter was not a member of the House. 
Jlr. Batty pointed out the danger of church and 
State government, and his speech aided in the defeat 
of the bill. In 1880 another defeat was experienced. 
In June, 1881, the license law was passed, and de- 
clared constitutional by the supreme court in July, 
1881. 

The Adams County Sunday-School Association, 
organized in 1874, may be said to have only per- 
fected organization in May, of 1880, with J. B. 
Heartwell, president; 0. A. Buzzell, C. S. : L. B. 
Palmer, E. S. ; W. H. Burr, treasurer; A. F. Powers, 
Davis Lowman, W. Klingerman, J. A. Davidson, 
D. P. Maryatt, L. Parmenter, W. White, and C. F. 
Orvis, vice-presidents. The report showed 1,200 
Sunday-school scholars in the county. The work of 
this society has been carried on methodically since 
1880. The Eleventh Annual Convention of the 
Count}' Sunday-School Association was commenced 
at Ayr, Maj' 21, 1885. D. D. Norton was chosen 
secretar}'; Prof. H. B. Gilbert, correspondent; L. 
M. Campbell, recorder; Nettie Winter, treasurer; 
James Newell, George F. Work and A. N. Hall, 
executive committee. Some changes have been 
made in the official list within the last five years, 
but the workers in the Sunday-school movement 
have retained their interest in it under every change 
of administration. 

The woman's suffrage question, or the Bloomer 
movement, was presented to Nebraskans January 8, 
185fi, when Mrs. Amelia Bloomer delivered an ad- 
dress before the State Legislature. A bill was at 
once introduced providing for women the right of 
voting. Tliis bill was carried in the House by 14 
to 11, Representative Laird voting with the minor- 
ity. It failed, however, to be brought up for third 
reading in the Council. In 1867, the trio, George 
Francis Train, Elizabeth Cildy Stanton and Susan B. 
x\nthon3-, reviewed the question, but it was not well 
received, as the constitution of 1871 made no pro- 
vision for enfranchising women. In 1877 the 



Woman's Suffrage Association, of Thayer County, 
was organized, and this society asked for a constitu- 
tional amendment, omitting the word mtile and giv- 
ing the franchise to every person a citizen of the 
I'nited States. On January 27, 1880, the Nebraska 
Woman's Suffrage Association was formed. Mrs. 
J. H. Bowen, of Hastings, was a member of the first 
executive committee. This association worked so 
earnestlj' that eightj'-four of the two hundred jour- 
nals then published in the State espoused its 
cause; while only eighteen journals opposed it. 
Adams Countj- Woman's Suffrage Association was 
organized March 30, 1882, by Mrs. 51. A. Brass. 
Mrs. S. H. Henderson was elected president, Mrs. 
S. H. Williams, R. S. , and Mrs. Liveringhouse, C. 
S. The vice-presidents chosen were Mrs. A. Wal- 
deck, of Little Bhie precinct; Mrs. J. Bovard, of 
Ayr; Mrs. M. Renfrew, of Denver; Mrs. M. Van 
Fleet, of West Blue; Mrs. B. Smith, of Juniata; 
Mrs. L. A. Boley, of Kenesaw; Mrs. B. F. Evans, 
of Cottonwood, and Mrs. Clinton Soper, of Silver 
Lake. 

The pioneer railroad of Adams Count}', and in- 
deed, of Nebraska, south of the Platte River, is the 
Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, now connect- 
ing Denver with Chicago, and bringing Hastings 
within seventeen hours distance of that city. This 
road was consti'ucted in 1871-72, from Omaha to 
Kearney, and in July, of 1872, the first office in this 
county was opened at Hastings b}' Agent Wiggins. 
This road was built without asking aid from the 
pioneers of Adams County. In April, 1878, the 
cjuestion of granting financial aid to the Burlington 
& Missouri River Railroad Company, on their prop- 
osition to build a road from Hastings, through Lit- 
tle Blue and Pawnee to Red Cloud, took practical 
shape, and resolutions favoring the proposition were 
widely circulated and signed. This project was 
carried out in 1878, Denver precinct vofmg the 
bonds referred to in the transactions of the com- 
missioners and in the political chapter. Work on 
the Hastings & Republican Valley Railroad was be- 
gun June 12, 1878, by the chief contractor, John 
Fitzgerald. About a month later a small band of 
Hibernian workmen, dissatisfied with the presence 
of labor-competing Russians, rebelled and drove the 



1(50 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



peaceful ex-slaves of the Czar from the place. The 
local press was full of praise for the great contract 
or's methods. 

The Hastings & Oberlin road and the Hastings 
& Aurora road are branches of this system. The 
great strike of locomotive engineers and firemen on 
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy system began at 
4 A. M. on February 29, ISSS, when ten engines 
were laid up at tlie Hastings round house. " Pap " 
Willis, an old conductor, and formerly an engineer, 
took charge of No. G, running to Lincoln, and re- 
turned with No. 5 , being his own fireman. A meet- 
ing to consider the rates on gi'ain, charged by the 
Burlington & ^lissouri River and other roads from 
Hastings to Chicago, resulted in a resolution boy- 
cotting the Burlington & Missouri River, and favor- 
ing the St. Joseph & Western. 

At the crossing of the Grand Island & St. Joseph 
Railroad within the limits of Hastings two wrecks 
have already been recorded. That of December, 
1889, resulted in the death of Fireman Cahill and 
injury to mail car No. 37, of No. 1 Flyer. 

The St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad was 
constructed in 1872 without financial aid from the 
county, and was at that time known as the St. 
Joseph & Denver Cit}-. It was the original inten- 
tion of the projectors of the enterprise to construct 
the line through to Denver, Colo., and, in pursuance 
of that intention, the road was graded and the track 
laid for some miles west of Hastings. Afterward, 
when the idea of building to Denver was abandoned, 
the track that had been put down west of the citj- 
was taken up, and Hastings remained the western 
terminus of the road until the fall of 1879, when 
the construction of the Hastings & Grand Island 
Railroad formed a connection between the St. Joseph 
& Denver and the Union Pacific. The two com- 
panies were then put under the same management, 
and the consolidated line became the St. Joseph & 
Grand Island, which name it now bears. 

During the heavy snowstorm of Januarj-, 1886, 
a train on the St. Joseph & Western Raikoad was 
snow bound between Hastings and Hansen, near the 
S. M. Bates farm. The cold was extreme, so that 
the passengers who remained in the coaches during 
the blockade suffered severely. 



The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Rail- 
road Company was incorporated in December, 1886, 
the capital stock being placed at $30,000,000. The 
road was completed to Hastings in October, 1887, 
thus giving the Chicago & Northwestern commu- 
nication with this rich prairie section. In January, 
1886, there were construction contracts sold for 297 
miles of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Jlissouri Valley 
Railroad, including the twent\-six miles from Hast- 
ings to Aurora. It was an interesting sight to see 
a band of forty or more Russians, of all sizes, rig- 
ging up a team to go to work on the grade, with 
Fitzgerald in their midst talking Chenook, and 
gesticulating some sense into them. The road was 
completed to Hastings, October 10, 1887. One 
branch extends from Fremont to the Black Hills 
and into Wyoming. Another line stretches out to- 
ward the Kansas field, and a line from Hastings to 
Denver is projected. 

On October 15, 1887, the question of subscribing 
$20,000 aid to the Pacific Raih-oad Company, in Ne- 
braska, was carried by a majority vote of the tax- 
pa3-ers of Hastings. The county subscribed $100,- 
000 and the bonds were issued April 24, 1888. A 
few days later a temporary injunction to prevent 
delivery of bonds was granted by the district court, 
an act at once condemned by the Hastings Board of 
Trade. 

The workmen on the Missouri Pacific Railroad 
camped at Hastings February 28, 1888, and placed 
the houses on the depot site on rollers to be moved 
from right of way. Track laying was commenced 
April 4, when the depot building was completed. 
The first arrival and departure of a Missouri Pacific 
Railroad train at Hastings took place April 21, 1888, 
when logomotive 168, in charge of Rajmoud, hauling 
a regular train with W. P. Davis, conductor, steamed 
into the city, thence proceeded to Juniata, where the 
first agent was installed, and thence to the western 
terminus at Prosser, just at the county line, where 
J. II. Korner was the first agent. 

The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, built 
in 1871-72, and the St. Joseph & Western Riiilroad, 
in 1872. were constructed without financial aid being 
asked from the pioneers. Not so the branch of the 
Burlington & Missouri Ri\er— the Republican Val- 



-* §> 



l^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



161 



ley Railroad — built in 1878. Denver township 
donated S20,000 in bonds. In 1879 the Northern 
branch was built from the north to Hastings; so that 
the fifty-seven miles of railroad in Adams County in 
1880 cost the people directly only $2,000 and that 
sum was confined to the few residents of one 
precinct. 

In February, 1874, the record of land sale con- 
tracts by the Union Pacific Companj- with bu3'ers 
began in this county. 

In April, 1888, Secretary Lamar issued his cele- 
brated order restoring to the United States the un- 
earned land grants of several railroads companies. 
The St. Joseph & Denver Railroad lost 12,000 
acres, a large portion of which belong to the south- 
ern townships of Adams County. Settlers who pur- 
chased from the railroad company were alarmed, 
but the vacatmg act secured for the buyers from the 
company a preference right to re-purchase. 

The Kansas City, Wyandotte & Northwestern 
Railroad has been built from Kansas Citjto Beatrice, 
and regular trains were running into the latter city 
in December, 1889. In the fall of 1885 Mayor Yo- 
cum and Charlie Dietrich tooli an active interest in 
the organization of this road. Both gentlemen were 
members of the board of directors. 

The Rock Island Railroad, which now reaches 
Nelson in Nuckolls County, the Chicago & Santa Fe, 
the Kansas Citj', Lawrence & Nebraska are all look- 
ing over the prairie toward Hastings; while the roads 
already represented here are equally watchful in 
planning extentions or in carrying their plans 
forward. 

The first school in Adams County was opened 
one mile south of Juniata early in 1872, by Miss 
Emma Leonard, and that fall Miss Lizzie Scott was 
employed to teach a school at Juniata. In the rec- 
ords of the county commissioners, summarized for 
this work, the official dealings with the jjioneer 
schools are related. By April 1, 1872, there were 
thirteen districts organized, and by October 1, 1873, 
no less than thirtj'-eight districts reported organiza- 
tion. The enumeration of children of school age gave 
a total of 407, of whom 251 were males and 216 fe- 
males. The expenditures for school purposes in 1875 
amounted to $10,850.46, or an expense per child of 



$6. 00. In the thirty-eight districts were twenty-five 
school-houses, one of which was a log-house. In 
1880 sixty-six districts and flftj'-flve school buildings 
were reported; 3,275 children of school age — 1,083 
males and 1,032 females. Thirty-two male and 41 
female teachers were employed during the first year 
of the past decade (1880), who received $12,505.61 
as salary. The school buildings were valued at 
$31,492.20, and the school grounds at $911. The 
first statistics of apportionment of school moneys, 
published in October, 1873, on the bases of the cen- 
sus of April of that year, form a little history of the 
beginnings of the common schools of Adams 
Count3\ 

The amount received from the State was $626.83. 
and that from the county $238. 59, making a total of 
$865.42. It will be seen that all organized districts 
received $7.46, being each district's share of the 
one-fourth of the whole amount. Some will )je no- 
ticed marked *, which denotes that they had three 
months school prior to the taking of the census in 
April, 1873, and hence were not entitled to thepro rata 
apportionment. District No. 18, which includes 
Hastings, was organized more than three months 
before the taking of the school census in April, 
1883, and had no school until after that time, hence 
was not entiled to the 2^i'o rata apportionment. 

District No. 1, 37 children, $114.02; district 
No. 2, 29 children, $90.98; district No. 3*, $7.46; 
district No. 4, 33 children, $102.50; district No. 
5*, $7.46; district No. 8*, $7.46; district No. 9*, 
$7.46; district No. 10, 10 children, $36.26; di.strict 
No. 12, 8 children, $30.50; district No. 13, chil- 
dren, $24.74; district No. 14*, $7.46; district 
No. 16, 7 children, $27.62; district No. 17*, $7.46; 
district No. IS* $7.46; district No. 19, 21 chil- 
dren, $67.94; district No. 21*, $7.46; district No. 
22, 22 children, $76.82; district No. 13*, $7.46; 
district No. 24*, $7.46; district No. 25, 19 chil- 
dren, $62.18; district No. 26*. $7.46; district No. 
28*, $7.46; district No. 29*, $7.46; disti'ict No. 
31*, $7.46; district No. 32, 7 chilch-en, $27.62; 
district No. 33, 11 children, $39.24; district No. 
34, 8 children, $30.50; district No. 35, 7 children, 
$27.62; district No. 37 *,$7.46. 

Superintendent A. E. AUyn, of Adams County, 



V 



-^ 1, 



](!: 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Importing on the schools for the j'ear eniling Decem- 
ber 31, 18HS, i-redits the county with 5 brick, 77 
frame and '1 sod school houses, and places the value 
of school property at $173,(11 I. The numlier of 
acres of common school lauds in the count}- on No- 
vember 30, 1888, was ](i,5C(t. During the year 
then ended 1,515 acres were sold, and 4,100 acres 
leased at $3,402. 95 per annum. The apportionment 
of school funds to Adams County in 1888 was 
$8,279.44. On July 11, 18S7, there were 2,713 
males and 2,709 female pupils, or children between 
the age of five and twenty-one; 35 males and 102 
female teachers were emplo3'ed; 4 graded schools 
were in existence, and 75 of the 80 districts had 



school for six months or more each year. At 
Hastings J. B. ^lonlux was principal, and at Juniata 
J. H. All)riglit (succeeded by Mr. Welisterj, Miss 
Bertha Green was principal of the partially graded 
school at Ayr, and H. H. !Monlu.v at Kenesaw. The 
enrollment of scIkjoI children at the close of 1888 
was 281 over that of the former year, but the in- 
crease in attendance was only 9. During the year 
1889 a marked increase in enumeration was reported, 
and an improvement in the S3-stem of teaching and 
qualili<"itiou of teachers. 

The first flag raised over a school house in Adams 
County was hoisted over the school building in the 
Wallace district, January 6, 1890, by W. E. Xute. 






^A 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



163 



CHAPTER XYII. 



Hastings City — Location and Additions — Tow-n Company— Judicial History- — Kinnan Claim — Fikst Settle- 
ment — Beginnings of Religious and Business Enterprises — Building the City- — Fires — Storms — Im- 
provements — Transactions of City Council — Financial— Officials, Etc. — Board of Trade- 
Business Men's Association — Post Office — Banks and Loan Associations — Whole- 
sale Houses — Commercial Institutions — Manufactories — Churches — Schools 
and Colleges — Secret and Benevolent Societies — Y. M. C. A. — Home 
FOR the Friendless— Insane Asylum— Sundry Societies. 




She shakes tlie nibbisli from hor mounting brow, 

And sooms to have renew'd her charter's date. — Dryden. 



ASTINGS, also known as 
the '-Queen City of the 
Phiins, " dates back to 
1872. A little while 
prior to that da\-, in Oe- 
tolier of that year, when 
J ■ii.y -• x^z.y,. Charles W. Colt and his 
assistants drew their lines over a part 
of the southeast quarter of Section 
12, the site was part and parcel of 
Fremont's Great American Desert. 
The spirit of progress had spread its 
wings over the coiintiy, and a glim- 
mer from the head-light of the first 
locomotive on the Burlington & Mis- 
souri River Railroad shot across the 
prairie and seemed to rest here. In JUI3- the rail- 
road to this point was an accomplished fact, and the 
dream of town-builders took possession of those who 
entered the lands in 1871. Within six months this 
dream was partly realized, and, while the shadows 
of the panic of 1873 ebbed and flowed over the land, 
the new town of the prairies leaped forward like a 
young fawn freed from maternal restraints. 

The town was surveyed by Charles W. Colt, of 
Lowell, Neb., in October, 1872, on the west one- 



half of the southeast quarter of Section 12, Town- 
ship 7, Range 10, under orders from Walter M. 
Micklen and Thomas E. Farrell. Tlie plat shows 
the crossing of the Burlington & jNIissouri River 
and St. Joseph & Denver Railroads between Hast- 
ings and Lincoln Avenues, south of First Street. 
This street is paralleled with numbered streets. Sec- 
ond to Sixth. The north line is shown by North 
Street anil the south line by South Street. Burling- 
ton Avenue, running north and south along- the west 
line of the plat, is paralleled on the east by Lincoln. 
Hastings, Denver and St. Joseph Avenues. On 
October 15, 1S72, Micklen appointed Thomas E. 
Farrell, "my true and lawful attorney," to con vej- 
anj' part of the west one-half of the southeast quar- 
ter of Section 12, Township 7, Range 10. He also 
conveyed to him, for $500, a half of the west one- 
half of the southeast quarter of Section 1 2 , Town- 
ship 7, Range 10. 

Moore's addition was surve3-ed by N. P. Cook 
in Noveml)er, 1872, for John Gillespie Moore. This 
tract extended north from South Street to Sixth 
Street, and west from Burlington Avenue to the 
alley west of Bellevue Avenue. On October 28. 
1872, E. Worthing, receiver of the land otliee at 
Lowell, entered the east one-half of the southwest 



IM 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



i|iiarU>r of Section 12, Township 7, Range 10, to 
John G. Moore, for S2.50 per acre. 

Johnson's addition was survcj'ed in March, 187.3, 
by Surveyor C. W. Colt, east of St. Joseph Avenue, 
within the north and south lines of original town 
site. Tlie numerical order of east and west streets 
in original town was retained, while the streets run- 
ning north and south were named Kansas Avenue, 
Colorado Avenue, Minnesota Avenue and Wabash 
Avenue, later occupied by the Hastings & Grand 
Island Railroad. The railroad addition was sur- 
veyed by A. B. Smith, in July, 1873. 

The articles of incorporation of the Hastings 
Town Company were filed at Juniata, April lY, 
1873; but acknowledged before John L. Jones, of 
Buchanan County, Mo. , April 8, that year, by 
James D. Carl, W. L. Smith, W. B. Slosson, 
Thomas E. Farrell and "Walter M. Micklen. On 
April 23, the above named (except Carl), with 
Thomas Johnson, Louise Slosson and Julia Micklen, 
gave power of attorney to the president and secre- 
tary of the company to conve3- or mortgage all lots 
in Johnson's addition to the original town. The 
company was organized April 9, 1874, with James 

D. Carl, Thomas E. Farrell, William L. Smith, R. 
Beitel, Henry Beitel, George H. Pratt, C. K. Law- 
son, W. B. Slosson, and S. Slosson, members. 

St. Joseph addition was surveyed by A. R. 
Buttolph, in July, 1873 (east of railroad addition 
and south of Johnson's and original town), for D. 
M. Steele, of Buchanan County. Mo. A. M. Ghost's 
addition was surveyed by A. B. Smith, October 6, 
1873, on the northwest corner of Section 13, Town- 
ship 7, Range 10, for A. M. Ghost. It was named 
originally Junction Land Company's addition. 
Johnson's addition to the Town of Hastings Com- 
pany was organized in April, 1874-, with Thomas 

E. Farrell, Thomas Johnson, George H. Pratt, C. 
K. Lawson, William L. Smith, Henry Beitel, Ru- 
dolph Beitel, and Slosson Brothers, stockholders. 
In May, 1880, the fortj'-acre tract of J. V. Lewis, 
west of the citj-, was surveyed into five-acre building 
lots. 

In the celebrated case, R. A. Batty, adminis- 
trator of the estate of John O. Barada, deceased, 
Delilali Barada and Jlargaret Barada cs. the Com- 



missioners of Adams County and Thomas E. Far- 
rel, William L. Smith, Walter M. Micklen, Rudolph 
Beitel, Henry Beitel, George H. Pratt, Charles K. 
Lawson, William Slosson and Samuel Slosson, the 
history of the town site of Hastings is judiciall}' re- 
lated by Judge Gaslin. On March 17, 1881, he 
delivered judgment in this case in favor of the 
defendant county. He pointed out clearly that the 
conveyance of the Town Company, on October 8, 
1878, to the county, of Block 15, and the contract 
to convey, made in 1875, were binding, and further, 
that the sale to Barada was made without a consid- 
eration for Block 15, and ordered the persons named 
as plaintiffs and the individuals named as defend- 
ants, heirs and legal representatives of Barada, and 
grantee of Carl, to make quit claim deed to Adams 
County for Block 15, within sixty days. 

In December, 1886, a quit claim deed from 
Lorenzo H. and Caroline 0. Dow to Charles Dietrich 
was filed in the county office. Tliis instrument 
showed a consideration of $2,000, and was made in 
the interest of the owners of the original town plat, 
and to settle a suit of long standing in the United 
States court. The site as hithei-to stated became 
the property of a stock company, who delegated to 
certain persons the power to sell lots. Slembers of 
the compan}- complained of the manner in which the 
power was used, and the old Town Company dis- 
banded, and a new one was formed, whose agents 
sold the balance of the propertj-, Mr. Batty buj-ing 
some of the property, the same to which Dow held 
title under the original company. In the summer of 
1886 the latter began ejectment proceedings, and the 
former asked the United States court to quiet the 
title of Dow. The property invohed was then 
valued at $200,000. 

The •' Kinnan claim " suggested itself in Decem- 
ber, 1889. It affected Johnson's addition and the 
original town. If there was an}- real justice in the 
claim it would be a very serious matter indeed, but 
the vigorous steps being taken to show the character of 
the title alleged to be held by Hurlbut by quit claim 
from Mrs. Kinnan, will doubtless succeed in break- 
ing it down completely. There are altogether about 
700 lots in the body, 399 in Johnson's addition and 
300 in the original town site land. 



r 



:lA 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



165 



The owners organized to defend their rights and 
appointed John P. Keedle, M. Van Fleet, Jay Cherry 
and A. Van Siekle members of a committee for this 
purpose. Propositions from Ragan, Capps, Mc- 
Creary & Stephens, A. H. Bowen, C. H. Tanner, 
and from Batt}-, Casto & Dungan, all agreeing to 
clear title, were received, and on December 30, 1889, 
the proposition of the last named firm to clear title 
to lots for $750 was recommended and subsequently 
adopted. 

In April, 1871, a small colony located here — 
Walter Micklen, Thomas Johnson, John G. Moore 
and Thomas Watts being the members. During 
the summer and fall others arrived, so that at the 
close of 1871 there were twenty-nine voters and a 
number of foreign adults, or ten more voters than 
there were persons in the county in June, 1870. 
Micklen erected his little sod house on Lincoln 
Avenue, just north of the N. L. & T. Company's 
block. 

Hastings Stock, son of W. H. Stock, was the 
first child born in Hastings, and to him the company- 
deeded a town lot. 

In 1871 Walter Micklen homesteaded the south- 
west quarter of Section 12, Township 7, Range 10, 
west, and proving his claim in 1872, was granted 
a patent. The Hastings Town Site Company- was 
organized with Walter Micklen, W. L. Smith, 
Thomas E. Farrell, secretar3-; Walter B. Slosson, 
Samuel Slosson and James D. Carl, memliers. Miek- 
len's land was surveyed into lots and the name 
Hastings given to the surveyed tract. The origi- 
nal owner built a sod house in 1871. Early in 1872 
Samuel Alexander moved from Lincoln to this point 
and established the first business house here. In 
October of that\ear he was commissioned first post- 
master. The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
was constructed to Juniata and trains were running 
in July, 1872. In September following the St. 
Joseph & Denver City Railroad (later St. Joe & 
Western) was completed to Hastings. The Bletho- 
dist Society was founded here in 1872; the Congre- 
gational Societj- was organized in 1871. 

As has been stated, Mr. Alexander is the pion- 
eer of the commercial circle. He hauled the goods 
from old Inland, then the nearest railroad depot. 



In October he was appointed postmaster, the 
consideration being $1 per month. In December 
Capt. Weeeler became his partner and their building 
on Second Street and Hastings Avenue was erected, 
where Jlorledge & McWade established their house 
in later years. In Januarj' the partnership was dis- 
solved, but Mr. Alexander still had the post oflBce in 
the new building. 

C. B. Nelson came to Hastings October 1, 1872, 
as land agent of the Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad Company. Prior to this J. Ross opened 
his blacksmith shop in a sod house, but later erected 
a good shop on Denver Avenue, and was joined by 
L. W. Miller. 

S. S. Dow arrived from Wisconsin May 28, 1872. 
In June he established a land office here and within 
a year located 270 homesteads. He cast the first 
ballot ever cast in Denver precinct. In Maj-, 1871, 
J. G. Moore homesteaded what is Moore's addition. 
In March, 1873, he became a partner of George W. 
Donahey and built a law and land office at the corner 
of First and Burlington Streets. C. C. Ingalls 
built a small house, the third in the village, about 
September 1, 1872, and soon after joined Benedict 
in the coal and agricultural implement business. D. 
S. Cole, who resided east of the town site, set out 
hig nursery in the spring of 1873. B. H. Brown & 
Son (lumber dealers) built the third house in Sep- 
tember, 1872, and in October Pratt & Lawson began 
the building in which thej' opened the ''Headquar- 
ters " store in November. Capt F. S. Wells (U. S. 
N.) built the Inter Ocean Hotel near the St. Joseph & 
Denver Railroad depot early in the winter of 1872- 
73. E. Steinau came October 10, 1872, and within 
ten days opened store in a building just west of his 
second store completed in Jlay. Silas Crooker built 
a shop on Front Street in October, 1872, and in No- 
vember opened his shoe store. A. Andrus erected 
his drug store on Second Street and Hastings Avenue 
in March, 1873. Within sis months from the founda- 
tion of the town between forty and fiftj- houses were 
erected, and at the close of the first year of its ex- 
istence there were fifty-one distinct business and 
professional men here. 

In January, 1873, W. H. Stock opened a meat 
market; in Jlarch or April J. H. Ballard established 



V 



-u 9 



IGG 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



his himlicr yard, following A. W. Cox & Brother, 
who came prior to this time and established a large 
lumber business. Abbott, Batty & Dow opened 
their law office June 2, Miss Blodgett her millinery 
rooms, and W. L. Smith his book store. J. P. 
Crowley's, G . W. Jlowery's, John Douglass' and Dr. 
Buckworth's residences were completed, and the 
Denver House opened. Miles Humphrey built the 
first carpenter shop, and R. Cliaudler moved his 
wagon shop from Juniata. A. W. Cos built a dry- 
liouse in their lumber yard; E. Steinau"s new store 
was completed; Dr. Buckworth's new building on 
First Street and Hastings Avenue was sold to 
Charles Cameron, of Lincoln, who soon after estab- 
lished their drj- goods house here in May, 1873. In 
the summer of 1873 H. A. Forcht's stove store, P. 
F. Burruss' and Peter Hessell's harness shops, J. 
Milletfs bakery. Hill & Luniac's restaurant, Gor- 
don's tailor shop, T. B. Pratt's barber shop, 
Twidale's meat market and Secor's boot and shoe 
shop were in existence. In June, 1873, Mclntire & 
Reed, who purchased Wheeler's store, took posses- 
sion: Wiggins, the agent of the Burlington & Mis- 
souri River Railroad, opened the new depot; C. H. 
Paul his boot and shoe store; J. M. Smith opened a 
grocery in the Town Company's old office; M. K. 
Lewis erected his residence, and Gould his imple- 
ment warehouse. Jules Lemoine established his 
jewelrj- store in July; iMacka}- & Co. owned the nur- 
series; Shockey & Hutchinson opened their hai'd- 
ware store, and Dr. C. 31. Wright was in the An- 
drus store. In July, 1873, the block north of 
Third Street and east of Hastings Avenue was 
donated by the county for the purposes of a public 
square, and a liberty pole raised thereon. The 
first Fourth of July celebration was held at Hast- 
ings in 1873, S. W. Martin, of Madison, Wis. , be- 
ing the orator of the day. There were 1,500 people 
rei)orted present. In addition to the buildings 
named, the Burlington & Missouri round-house, the 
Oliver block, Samuel Chaney's residence, A. B. 
Ideson's residence, George Haguewood's, Dr. Tea- 
zel's and the Cline brothers' residences, together 
with various smaller buildings, were commenced in 
October. In September, 1874, Buswell's dwelling. 
Razee's two dwellings, Cameron's two-storv business 



block. Prof. Ballinger's residence, an addition to 
the Burlington House, an addition to Mclntire & 
Morledge's store house, Eidel's dwelling, and the 
Taylor and Ash dwellings were commenced. The 
Journal was estalilished in Jlav, 1873. Hastings 
Lodge of 3Iasons and the Presljyterian Society were 
organized in 1873. The town was incorporated 
April 2, 1874, and the Baptist Society organized, 
and Lodge No. 50, I. O. 0. F. , founded. In 1876 
I. W. Cramer established a broom corn market here, 
and the ranks of the business circle were generally 
recruited. Hastings was chosen the seat of justice 
in 1877. The Exchange Bank and A. L. Clarke & 
Co. 's Bank were established; the Central Nebraskan 
was issued in 1878; the German Evangelical Society 
was organized in 1878; the Evangelical Association 
in 1879; the Catholic congregation was founded the 
same year; Strickland Post, G. A. R. , was chartered 
in 1878, and reorganized in 1880, in which j'ear the 
Protestant Episcopal Society was organized. Hast- 
ings Chapter and Nebo Commandery were chartered 
in 1881; the same year the Y. M. C. A. was or- 
ganized; the City Bank and the First National 
Bank were founded, and Heart well & Co. 's real 
estate and loan office established. 

During the year 1874 there were thirty-three 
business houses and twenty-five dwellings erected, 
together with additions to former buildings. From 
January- 1 to July 1, 1878, there were 130 houses 
erected in the town. Such a record of substantial 
growth needs no word of comment. Local real 
estate owners and agents sold 75,000 acres during 
this j-ear. Additions were made to the city, and a 
large number of building lots disposed of. In the 
beginning of 1879 there was not a brick building at 
Hastings. Ideson built the brick block on Hastings 
Avenue, north of Morledge & Mc Wade's store. He 
was followed by the Adams County Banking Com- 
pany, who erected their large building that year. 
Then came the fire, and after it the building era of 
the city was introduced — the brick store buildings 
occupied in August, 1880, by Henry & Frahm, 
Hursch, Shean, Barnes, Walbach and Edwards, the 
saloon buildings of Kelley & Hahu and Planiuaidou 
& Co., and the Commercial Hotel — all coming in 
immediately after the fire. In the spring of 1880 



'"w 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



167 



Idesoii's two stores on Seeoud Street wore com- 
meuced, and in the fall the Buckeye House, the 
Alexander Phillipps block (§10,00(1), the South Side 
school-house, the Farrell block ($15,000), and the 
Mowery block, on the site of the old Denver House, 
were started, together with the Davis building and 
the Methodist Episcopal and Protestant Episcopal 
churches. During the building .season of 18S4 there 
were 3,251,000 briek used in buildings, and 287 
new residences were erected. In the fall of 1885 
H. A. Fyler arrived cii route to Kansas City, where 
he intended to establish a large dry goods house. 
Stopping off at Hastings, he was impressed with the 
appearance and prospects of the town, and signified 
his intention of remaining should he be able to buy 
or rent a store building. Unsuccessful, he was 
about to carry out his original intention, when 
Messrs. Kerr, Heartwell, McElHinney and others 
proposed to erect a building rather than lose such a 
concern and such a citizen. The Central Building 
Association was organized in October, with Dr. 
Naulteus, president; D. M. McElHinnej-, vice-presi- 
dent; William Kerr, treasurer; E. C. Webster, sec- 
retarj', and they with 0. Oliver, directors. The 
two lots adjoining the Kerr Opera House were pur- 
chased at once, and a building, after plans by Ritten- 
house, erected. 

The fire of October 7, 1878, destroyed Maston & 
Mitchell's livery, six of their horses and eleven tran- 
sient horses. The fire of September, 1879, originated 
in the basemeut of Allison's drug store, when an oil 
lam]^) or lantern exploded. The destruction of thirty- 
three Ijuildings followed, creating damage estimated at 
from $90 ,000 to $100,000. The losses are set forth 
as follows: J. S. Allison's stock, $5,000; J. W. 
Davis, building stock, $6,000; H. Lepin's hotel and 
fixtures, $8,000; C. Cameron's stock and his fine 
buildings, $13,000; Thomas Scales' luiilding, $800; 
A. W. Cox's stock and two buildings, $2,300; J. 
Weingart & Bros', elevator and 800 bushels of 
wheat, $2,200; Kellej- & Hahn's Iniilding and con- 
tents, $2,300; Dr. Naulteus' dwelling, office and 
stock, $3,000; Walbach Bros', building and stock, 
$15,000; N. F. Damron's hotel and furniture, 
SG.OOO; D, H. Ballard's building and stock, $4,000; 
G. F. Work's office, $125; Exchange Bank, furni- 



ture, $200; James Walling's hotel furniture, 
$1,000; O. Oliver's lumlier, $100; Wigton Bros.' 
office and type, $600; C. Borin's press, $75; Millett 
& Mulford's stone works, $1,000; A. L. Clarke & 
Co's. brick building, $400; C. H. Manker's carpen- 
ter shop, $200; Prindle & Burke's shop, $50; Mrs. 
Mow's two buildings, $450; Mrs. Higgins' building, 
$300; Langevin & Plaraondon's two buildings, 
$1,500; J. B. Sevage's building, $800; W. A. 
Smith's stock, $900; George Volland's two livery 
stables, $1,200; J. Kohl's building and fixtures, 
$1,500; E. Stout's building and stock, $800; A. J. 
Nolan's stock, $300; damage to Forcht & Co's. 
building, $100; Lowman & Fisher's office furniture, 
$150; Charles Carmichael's personal effects, $300, 
and a few smaller losers. 

Immediately after the fire of September, 1879, 
subsided, the work of reljuilding commenced, and 
nine brick buildings were under construction, with 
several frame houses, among them the L<'pin House. 

The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad depot 
was destroyed by fire Novemljer 25, 1879, under 
circumstances described in the chapter devoted to 
the courts. 

The burning of Lee's barn, February 24, 1880, 
threatened the destruction of that section of the city 
which was not destroyed in September, 1879. The 
firemen averted the danger and saved the town, an 
action which won for them fame. The fire of July 
16, 1881, originated in Davis' drug store, destroying 
that building, with Altschul's, Binderup's, Jorgen- 
sen's, Dietrich's (occupied b^y Nowlan) buildings 
and much valuable property. The insurance carried 
amounted to $19,750. This disastrous fire destroj'ed 
the block between Second and Third Streets and 
Hastings and Denver Avenues. Cole's circus was 
here; the thermometer registered 103 degrees in the 
shade, and the town was full of visitors. Tlie circus 
men aided the fire department, but the natural and 
artificial heat made the atmosphere so oppressive 
that numbers of the workers fell insensilile, lea\'ing 
the flames to devour everything sa^■e the Forgy build- 
ing on Second Street and Denver Avenue. 

The fire of October 19, 1885, destroyed Bristol's 
agricultural implement warehouse and Yetter's paint 
shop. The fire apparatus proved almost useless in 



^ i_ 



168 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



face of the strono; wind. The fire of February 2, 
188G, originated in Winsor's restaurant, and resulted 
in the destruction of Fisher's building adjoining, and 
the grocer3- stock of Knight & Green. Hattie Hig- 
gins' building was damaged, also Mrs. D. B. Farry's 
house and the M. Stern building. Alfred Curtis 
proclaimed an offer of $100 to the department, 
should it be saved, and the firemen won the reward. 
Dille3''s slaughter-house was burned May 31, 1886. 
The burning of the brewery and small buildings is 
of recent date. In January, 1889, the New Yorli 
Five Cent Store was burned out and the New Eng- 
land Hotel damaged. The fire which destroyed E. 
Cole's barn in February almost led to the burning of 
the La Belle Hotel and the steam laundry. 

Tlie rain and wind storm of May 22-23, 1873, 
blew down Moore & Donahey's office, carried out the 
front of Veith's furniture store; Gordon's new build- 
ing was leveled; Capt. Wells' stable was blown 
away; Pratt & Lawson's house, on their claim, 
was torn to pieces, while southwest of the town a 
school-house was blown down. At Juniata only one 
house was blown over. 

The storm of July 4, 1880, carried away part of 
the roof of the Lepin House, entailing a loss of 
$1,500; Bacon's new house, north of the depot, 
was carried bodily off the foundation, also Schermer- 
horn's house; Ideson's unfinished house, on the 
north side of the square, was moved twelve inches; 
Mount's new house was moved over twenty-four in- 
ches, but the sleeping owners did not know of it 
until morning; barns and other buildings in the 
northwestern quarter of Hastings were carried awaj- 
or damaged; Steinau's warehouse was torn to pieces; 
the front of Crane & Hayzlett's store was blown 
out, and fifty per cent of the wind-mills were taken 
away or broken b}' the wind. 

In the summer of 1887 a wind storm demolished 
the large building then being erected by the Hast- 
ings Building Association, for Moriarty, Trimble 
& Co. 

The old fire department re-organized November 
26, 1878, with J. D. Crans, C. E. ; H. M. Hicks, 
A. M. ; J. S. Allison, secretary; A. Yeazel, treas- 
urer; H. H. Cherry, foreman; Peter Wood and L. 
McBride, assistant foremen. The hook and ladder 



company was presided over by N. R. McBride, witli 
Louis Kline and A. Pool, assistants. The hose 
companj- claimed E. D. Kennard as foreman, while 
the department trustees were J. N. Lyman, E. 
Hayzlett, C. Cameron, F. J. Benedict and George 
E. Brown. The special election of Januarj-, 1879, 
resulted in 308 votes being recorded on the question 
of issuing bonds for $6,000 to meet the expenditures 
of the reorganized fire department. The proposition 
was carried by a majority of seventy-three votes. 
The roster of firemen, in good standing, December 
19, 1883, shows the names of J. C. Williams (chief 
of department), O. Oliver, J. N. Lyman, D. M. 
McElHinney, James McWade, F. J. Benedict, C. 
Hammott, C. K. Lawson (treasurer), Ed. Quinn, J. 
M. Strickland, J. J. Wemple, J. C. Craig, Ed. 
Havens, Frank Coy, H. H. Cherry and S. M. 
Wright — all of engine company No. 1; C. Fisher, 
Ed. Kennard, H. Ellison, George W. Houck (assist- 
ant engineer of department), W. G. Snyder, John 
Dugan, 0. H. McNeil, William Cutler, J. L. Finley 
and N. P. Eckles — all of hose companj-; G. J. 
Evans, H. C. Haverly, M. Stern, Charles C. Cline, 
J. B. Dallas, F. Browning, Fred Stine, Charles 
Wahlquist and Alex. Meyer — all of hook and ladder 
company. The officers for 1890 are J. C. Williams, 
chief; H. C. Haverly, assistant chief; C. C. Cline, 
secretar}', and Mike Reed, treasurer. 

The ordinance empowering the city to borrow 
$85,000 for the construction of a system of water- 
works was adopted in March, 1886. The people 
confirmed this ordinance by vote, and in November 
the entire bond issue was purchased by Edward N. 
Needles, of the Penn INIutual Insurance Company, 
of Philadelphia, who came here to see the city. 

The works were completed in 1886. The system 
consists of eight bored wells, each supplied with a 
separate steam pump which pumps the water into a 
large receiving reservoir. Two large steam pumps 
take the water from the reservoir and force it into 
the stand pipe. The stand pipe rests upon a solid 
stone foundation, and is 125 feet in height and 20 
feet in diameter. There are 18^ miles of mains. The 
total cost of the works and mains is $100,000. For 
the eleven months ending November 30, there had 
been pumped 63,451,613 gallons of water. The 



-^1^ 




Adams County, Nebraska, 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



169 



(8 



water rent for 1889 was about $8,650. During the 
year 140 permits were issued, making total number 
of water permits 725. Tiie best of maintenance, 
including coal, wages, etc., is less than S6,000. As 
an investment, Hastings water works stock, were it 
owned liy private indi\iduals, would be above par. 
There is not another city in Nebraska with a better 
system of water works, Ijetter management, or fur- 
nishing better water than the Hastings system. The 
water is as pure as that from a mountain spring or 
brook, and the supply is inexhaustible. 

The transactions of the council of the town are 
interesting: The commissioners declared Hastings 
an incorporated town April 2, 1874. and M. K. 
Lewis. A. D. Buckworth, J. (i. B. Smith, A. W. 
Cox and A. H. Forcht were chosen trustees. The 
Iioard of trustees of the town of Hastings organized 
May 4, 1874. with M. K. Lewis, president; W. F. 
J. Comby, clerk; W. A. Smith, treasurer; Thomas 
E. Farrell, collector; G. W. JMowery, marshal; G. D. 
Pierce, attorney; L. C. Gould, police justice; C. H. 
Paul, assessor; C. K. Lawson and R. V. Shockey, 
flue inspectors. On May IS the first business meet- 
ing was held. M. K. Lewis, A. D. Buckworth, H. 
A. Forcht and A. W. Cox were present. A petition 
from residents on the north side of Second Street, 
asking for the construction of a sidewalk, was pre- 
sented, and an ordinance for a walk six feet in width 
was adopted. The ordinance for closing saloons 
between the hours of 10 P. M. and 5 A. M. and all 
day on Sundays was adopted. A. Berg was ap- 
pointed street commissioner vice Dungan, resigned. 
Trustee J. G. B. Smith was present on May 30. 
Petitions for sidewalks on Hastings Avenue and 
First Street and for street crossings were pre- 
sented. The ordinances of Lincoln City were 
adopted for use here. On June 8 a $1 dog tax was 
authorized, and a town tax of ten mills ordered. 
This tax was reduced to five mills on July 15. 

The meeting of July 28, 1874, is noticeable for 
the organization of Hastings as a city of the second 
class. On August 8 the election of oflicers took 
place, and the vote canvassed on the 10th. A pro- 
test from W. L. Smith, of the First ward, on the 
grounds of illegality was received. The poll book 
of the Third ward was objected to by A. I). Buck- 
11 



worth, owing to some informality, and the returns 
ignored; while the returns of the Second ward were 
reported irregular. On August 11 the last named 
returns proved correct, were canvassed, and the 
following named officers elected: H. A. Forcht. 
mayor; G. D. Pierce, clerk; J. G. B. Smith, 
treasurer; L. C. Gould, police justice; Alfred Berg, 
marshal; J. G. B. Smith and John E. Wood, coun- 
cilmen. For some reason, unexplained on the record 
book, the whole batch of officials resigned. Buck- 
worth's motion to hold a new election on the 27th 
was lost, and on the 17th Trustee Cox moved that 
the clerk notify the officers-elect to qualify. On 
September 7 the offices were declared vacant, and 
on September 22, the election under the order rais- 
ing Hastings to a city of the second class was held. 
.John E. Wood was chosen maj'or; G. D. Pierce. 
clerk; A. L. Wigton, police judge; A. Berg, marshal; 
Samuel Alexander, treasurer; Thomas E. Fan-ell, 
engineer; A. W. Cox and J. L. Parrott, councilmen 
for First ward; J. G. B. Smith and H. A. Forcht, 
for Second, and J. E. Smith and Thomas E. FaiTell 
for Third ward. The new council attempted to 
modernize the primitive water system of the village, 
and had galvanized tubing inserted in the old well. 
Thomas E. Farrell was appointed a committee to 
secure from the Town Company, for the city, a deed 
to the lot on which the city well was located, while 
J. Smith and A. W. Cox were appointed '• to see 
that the cit}' is in good shape to receive a wind-mill. ' 
O. Oliver was declared representative of the First 
ward on October 26 in the case of Parrott vs. Oliver, 
by reason of the former's absence and failure to 
qualify. T. J. Pardoe was elected in the Second 
ward in January, 1875. 

On Januaiy 18, 1875, the modest councilmen 
moved to circulate a petition to be presented to the 
Legislature for the annexation to Adams County of 
all that portion of Hall County south of the Platte 
River. A. W. Cox was appointed, W. L. Smith 
was also appointcil, to procure a copy of the petition 
for the removal oi the county seat. A city prison 
was authorized to he liuilt at this time, and a petition 
by A. D. Buckworth and eight others asking that a 
committee of the council proceed to Lincoln to urge 
liefore the Legislature the illesalitv of the organiza- 



:^ 



17(1 



HISTORY OF NKHUASKA. 



tioii of AiUiins County, and $300 was at ouce ap- 
pi-oiM-iated to uioet the expenses of such committee. 
Mr. 15uek^yo^tll was empowered to select this com- 
mittee. In March $500 was appropriated to lie ex- 
pended in can\assini>' tlie county in re re-location of 
seat of justice, and on April 12 a nuraljer of Vjills 
were paid on tliis account. 

Tlic elections of April, 1875, resulted in the 
choice of Charles II. Paul, for mayor; G. D. Pierce, 
clerk; S. Alexander, treasurer; John E. Wood, 
police judge; C. E. Forgy, marshal; A. Berg, 
engineer; George T. Work, J. L. Parrott, Robert 
:Morledge, Fred Forcht, J. M. Smith and Thomas E. 
Farrell, councilmen. Mr. Paul would not qualify, 
and jM. K. Lewis was elected mayor. The ordi- 
nance adopting a grade for First and Second Streets 
and Hastings and Denver Avenues was adopted in 
May, and in August the councilmen adopted their 
scale of pay at 150 cents for each meeting. The 
city immigration committee was working earnestly 
at this time in connection with the council, and 
meetings were held at short intervals. 

In September, 1S75, a committee was appointed 
to superintend the burning of grass within the city 
limits, and G. T. Work was instructed to plat the 
cemetery groumls, and an election of councilman 
vice Parrott was ordered. On January 3, 1876, the 
question of issuing city bonds for $2,750 to fund 
indelitedness, was ordered to be submitted to a vote 
and earned, in April, by 91 for, 4 contra. A. D. 
Yocum was chosen mayor; John E. Wood, clerk; 
S. Alexander, treasurer; J. H. Darnell, police 
judge; William Hubbell, marshal; S. D. Stoddard, 
engineer; J. Countryman, Fred Forcht and J. Stab- 
ler, councilmen. This council introduced a new era 
in valuation of real estate, and examined every lot 
and tract within the city jurisdiction, and levied five 
mills for general and five mills for improvement 
fund. On August 14, 1876, appears the account of 
M. V. Mondy ($162.50) and A. H. Connor, for legal 
services in securing an injunction against the erec- 
tion of a court house. In November the proposition 
of W. W. Holmes to pay eighty-three cents for city 
bonds was accepted. In April, 1877, J. S. 31cln- 
tyre was chosen mayor; G. D. Pierce, clerk; Isaac 
Le Doiyt, J. Stabler, T. D. Scofield, F. J. Benedict, 



F. Forcht and J. Countrymen were councilmen. 
Paine & Co. had partially completed their contract 
on old water works. In April, 1878, R. A. Batty 
was chosen mayor by 228 votes against 17 cast for 
J. S. McTntyre. Messrs. Piei-ce, Alexander and 
Work (judge) were re-elected to their positions; W. 
W. Brown, marshal; T. E. Farrell, engineer; J. G. 
B. Smith, J. Wemple, W. W. Dungan, Samuel Sad- 
ler, and A. D. Yocum, councilmen. This council 
adopted a resolution to sul)mit to the voters of the 
city in November, 1878, the proposition to issue 
Ijonds for $6. 000, to be expended in procuring fire 
apparatus and other protection against fire. 

The vacancy caused liy the death of J. G. B. 
Smith was filled by the election of William Breed, 
in January. The vote on the bond proposition was 
49 in the First, 54 in the Second and 86 in the Third 
ward for, and 30, 41 and 45, in the respecti\e 
wards, contra, or a majority of 73. In April. 1879, * 
Fred Forcht was elected mayor; J. H. Fleming, 
city clerk; J. A. Vanatta, police judge; E. Steinau, 
treasurer; W. W. Brown, marshal, and T. E. Far- 
rell, engineer. The councilmen elected were D. M. 
McElHinney, William Breed, C. H. Paul and A. H. 
Sowers. The records of the council for the balance 
of this year were destroyed in the fire. The second 
record book was opened in 1881. On April 12. 
1881, D. M. McElHinney qualified as mayor; I. W. 
Cramer, C. L. Stone and W. A. Camp, as council- 
men; James B. Heartwell, as treasurer, and J. H. 
Fleming, as clerk. The councilmen holding over 
were C. K. Lawson, William Breed and O. Oliver. 
The overseer of streets was W. W. Brown, and 
police judge, J. A. Vanatta. In June a tax levy of 
ten mills per dollar of valuation was ordered to meet 
estimated expenditures of $3,462.09. An eight mill 
school tax to meet $2,769.67, and a four mill sink- 
ing fund tax to meet $1,384.84, were also levied. 
On July 16, 1881, the council tendered thanks to 



•The taxes collected and warrants paid in 1875 amounted 
to $954.52; in 1876, to $l,010.aO, and In 1877, to $1,575,88. DurinR 
these years the levies and warrants issued amounted, respect- 
ively, to $1,0S1.W, $1,600.03, and $2,928.31; and in 1878 to $3,357.92, 
or a total ot $8,908,09; but there was paid out from proceeds of 
sale of bonds $2,200. thus leaving the balance, $3,227,39, to repre- 
sent the city's debt in February, 1879, plus the $2,200 outstand- 
ing in certificates of indebtedness or bonds, showiuj; a total 
debt of $5,427.39. 






jJ_5__J^ 



:±=it^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



171 



the managers and emploj-es of the circus eompany, 
in consideration of their services during the fire of 
that da}', and further ordered the forty dollar license 
paid in to be refunded. A vote of thanks to the 
firemen was also carried. J. M. Abbott was ap- 
pointed city attorney', and in Januarj-, 1882, John 
F. Ballinger was appointed police judge, vice Van- 
atta, resigned. 

In April, 1882, W. H. Lanniug received 319 
votes and Patrick Nowlan 150 votes, for maj-or; 
E. J. Evans was elected clerk; J. S. Allison, treas- 
urer; J. F. Ballinger, judge; Thomas E. Farrell, 
engineer; D. C. Brown, L. H. Tower and F. J. 
Benedict, councilmen. W. K. McCully, E. Ha3-z- 
lett and A. H. Cramer were elected members of the 
first board of education. In March, 1883, J. C. 
Williams was appointed marshal, rjce S. L. Martin. 
The annual election held in April, resulted in the 
return of Mayor Lanning, Clerk Evans, Treasurer 
Allison, J. F. Ballinger, Thomas E. Farrell; while 
I. "W. Cramer, C. L. Stone and J. E. Gant were 
chosen councilmen, and the council organized with 
C. L. Stone, president. The board of education 
chosen comprised J. Wooster, H. Shedd and A. H. 
Sowers. In August twenty street lamps were intro- 
duced; exclusive permission given to the Telephone 
Exchange " to erect and maintain a sj'stem of tele- 
phonic communication," and matters relating to the 
fire department considered. 

The elections of April, 1884, resulted in the 
choice of J. E. Gant, mayor; G. J. Evans, treas- 
urer; E. A. Boelich, clerk; T. E. Farrell, engineer; 
J. Wooster, E. C. Webster, C. K. Lawson, council- 
men from First, Second and Third wards, and Wil- 
liam Breed, to fill vacancy in Third ward. W. H. 
Stock was elected marshal and Joe Landcraft sexton 
of the city cemetery. In June a tax levy for gen- 
eral purposes of ten mills on the assessed value, 
$570,423, was ordered, also two mills for sinking 
fund, three mills for special water tax, ten mills for 
use of city schools, and one mill for interest on 
school bonds. On July 28 certain exclusive rights 
were granted to the Hastings Electric Light Com- 
pany to erect its plant, and a contract made with the 
company to supply ten lights to the city at a cost of 
$10 each per month. 



In April, 1885, Henry Shedd was elected mayor, 
Thomas E. Fanx'll, engineer; E. A. Boelich. clerk: 
G. J. Evans, treasurer; J. F. Ballinger, police 
judge; William Yastine, Charles Cameron and O. 
Oliver, councilmen. The ordinance giving privileges 
to C. R. Miller and others, to lay gas-pipes, etc.. 
was approved June 22, 1885. The usual limitations 
are found in this document. The petition of the 
Alexanders in re. the construction of street railroads 
was considered , and the question of new water-works 
claimed a good deal of attention. In December 
Hastings was declared a city of the second class. 
The city elections of 1886 were held April (3. 
There were 469 votes cast for Samuel J. Alexander; 
197 forT. E. Farrell and 466 for A. D. Yccum; a 
total of 1,132 votes. E. Fist was elected treasurer; 
J. D. Nunes, clerk; N. B. Yineyard, police judge; 
Ezra Langevin and W. H. Stock, councilmen. First 
ward; C. C. Rittenhouse, Second ward, O. Oliver 
and T. E. Farrell, Third ward; Ed. L. Lewis and R. 
Covert, Fourth ward; D. IM. Leland and Prof. An- 
drews, members of school board. The resolution of 
March 8, to submit the question of issuing bonds 
for the construction of water works, was carried out 
April 15, when the proposition was carried bj'^ a vote 
of 465 to 164. Advertisement was at once made, 
and on May 18 the proposition of A. L. Strang & 
Co., of Omaha, to complete the works for $75,775, 
was accepted; while the bid of Lindley & Leighton, 
of Lincoln, for the $85,000 bonds was accepted. J. 
A. Hall was appointed chief of police; on May 12. 
1886, the (M'dinance declaring Hastings a citj' of the 
second class was carried. On June 28, C. H. Paul 
was appointed water commissioner and J. N. Smith, 
city engineer. In October, 1886, the Palmer dona- 
tion of If acres to the city for park purposes was 
considered. 

On February 14, 1887, the proposition of the 
Hastings Improvement Company' was carried by a 
vote of 65 to 2U7, and so declared by the mayor. 
The ordinance to extend the city limits was approved 
March 14. On April 11, the vote of the city was 
canvassed. For police judge W. R. Burton received 
1,073 votes; for councilmen, W. H. Stock, Charles 
Cameron, Thomas E. Farrell and J. E. Gant received 
the majority vote in their respective wards; while A. 



IK" 



[X" 



^ 



172 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



TI. Cramer and 1']. Haj-zlett were chosen members of 
the seliool lioaril; C. II. Paul resigned the ofiiee of 
water commissioner and T. 0. 3Iartin was appointed 
to fill vacancy. The records of summer meetings 
of this year are de\oted mainly to ordinances 
relating to grants in aid of railroad construction, 
vacation of streets and alleys, and right of way to 
Cit}- Railroad Company. In August, a deed to Lots 
240, 240, 289 and 250 (in the old cemetery) to the 
G. A. R. Post, hitherto appointed to settle with 
Strang & Co. , for extras on water works, reported 
an allowance for extras of $9,032.57. On Decem- 
l)er 13, the proposition to issue funding bonds for 
SI 0.000 was carried. The April elections of 1888 
show 785 votes for A. D. Yocum, and 724 for S. J. 
Alexander, candidates for mayor; 787 votes for 
H. C. Haverly and 725 for \V. W. Miles, candidates 
for the office of city clerk; 971 for J. D. Mines and 
524 for Emanuel Fist, for treasurer-. The council- 
men chosen were Ezra Langevin, C. L. Stone, C. C. 
Rittenhouse and J. J. L3ons. There were 604 votes 
for and 25 against the issue of water works bonds. 
E. P. Nellis received 1,411 votes, J. W. Wooster, 
748 and Mr, Firmin, 684 for members of board of 
education, and the two first named were declared 
elected. George Crane was appointed marshal, with 
Lafayette Mitchell, Charles II. Wauzer and Nicholas 
Shelling, service police; William JIcGrath, weigh- 
master; Joseph Williams, chief of fire department; 
H. H. Stine, J. R. Jarvis, W. 11. Thomas and C. B. 
Cox, sen'ice foremen. T. M. Clark was appointed 
temporary engineer of waterworks and «n June 11, 
was employed as engineer at $125 per month, from 
which sum the fireman was to be paid. The tax 
levy for all city purposes, including general, sinking 
and interest funds, was thirty -two mills. On June 
21, there were 335 votes cast for the issue of water 
bonds and 21 against such issue. On September 3, 
the resolution in the matter of Street Commissioner 
William Breed was ignored by the mayor; but the 
commissioner's resignation smoothed the disagree- 
ment between the executive and council. The elec- 
tion of April, 1879, proved a spirited contest be- 
tween political parties for the office of police judge. 
N. B. Vineyard received 466 votes; George Lj-nn, 
386, and R. Corey, 169. For members of the 



school board a strictly- jjarty vote was cast — C. K. 
Lawson (693) and J. M. Ferguson (690) defeating 
Mrs. P. Nowlaii (307) and Mrs. N. Perhani (304). 
For the council. J. A. Rose received 215 votes, and 
II. Lepin. 140 for First ward; W. M. Vastine. 110. 
and 1). W. Palmer, 29 in Second ward; T. J. Creeth, 
166; J. Baily, 7, and R. Brown, 2 in Third ward; G. 
A. Kent, 162, and R. Brown, 70 in the Fourth ward, 
Councilmen Langevin, Rittenhouse, Stone and Lyons 
holding over. George Crane was appointed chief of 
police; August Rice, water commissioner; J. C. Wil- 
liams, chief of fire department; William McGrath, 
weigh-master; Ed. Burton, street commissioner; J. 
W. Houseman, city tapper; C. H. Wanzer, Nicholas 
Schilling, J. JI. Tennant and A. Britchfleld, mem- 
bers of police force; John Hoagland, D. L. Haker, 
Ed. Hamilton and A. M. Smith, service foremen. 

In May, 1889, a proposition to construct sewers 
throughout the city was received from Andrew Rose- 
water, of Omaha, and what is known as the " sewer 
bond ordinance" was passed June 10, and July 16 
fixed for holding an election on the question of issu- 
ing $75,000 bonds and levj-ing a direct tax to meet 
interest and principal. There were 959 votes cast — 
465 for and 494 against the proposition. On June 
12 a tax levy of thirty-one mills was authorized to 
meet cit^' estimates of 1889. This was made up as 
follows: 8 mills, general fund; 6^ interest; 6 sink- 
ing; 4^ fire department; 2^ police; 4- park and 3 
water fund, on a total assessment of $1,667,900, 
yielding from the 8 mills tax alone $13,343.20, 
Warrants have l)een drawn to about the legal limits, 
which is a little over $11,000. About $2,500 of 
this amount was used in the sewerage survey, pur- 
chasing lot for new city hall and engine house, 
sewer pipe, grading, etc. The balance has been 
paid for salaries and incidentals. 

The sewer bond ordinance was sul)mitted on date 
given above. Notwithstanding the importance of 
the matter but little interest was taken in the elec- 
tion, and as stated only 959 votes were given, 465 
for and 494 against, where at least 1,600 votes 
should have been cast. 

Mayor Yocum appointed C. H. Wanzer chief of 
police, (•(■(•(; George Crane, resigned, in January, 
1890. Mr. Wanzer is one of the oldest policemen 



ADAMS COUNTY. 






on the force. N. Schilling took his place as daj- 
policeman, and Joseph Yocitm was appointed by the 
maj-or as one of the night policemen. On the ap- 
pointment of Capt. Yoeum to a Federal office C. C. 
Kittenhouse was chosen to fill the vacancy in the 
office of mayor. 

The board of trade was organized March 8, 1887, 
with 153 members. The call for the meeting was 
signed by Mayor Alexander. A. D. Yoeum was 
chosen temporary president, and J. D. Crosthwait, 
secretary. Messrs. Cessna, A. L. Clarke, C. H. 
Deitrich, Emanuel Fist and Samuel Alexander were 
appointed a committee to draft a constitution, and 
on motion of F. D. Taggart this committee was em- 
powered to uomiuate permanent officers. On ■March 
10 C. H. Deitrich was chosen president; A. L. 
Clarke, vice-president; A. D. Yoeum, secretary; D. 
M. McElHiuney, treasurer, and J. A. Casto, attor- 
ney. Messrs. Clarke, Deitrich, Bostwick, Alexan- 
der, Elsemore, Hahn, Wemple, Palmer and Fist were 
previously named as members of the executive com- 
mittee. A railroad committee, standing committee, 
committee on commerce and manufacturing and 
committee on advertising were also appointed. In 
September a committee was appointed to meet the 
directors of the Chicago & Sante Fe Railroad Com- 
pany at Topeka, Kan. In March, 1888, M. L. 
Elsemore, G. J. Evans and J. B. Heartwell were 
elected members of the executive committee. M. 
L. Elsemore was elected vice-president and W. E. 
Barnes, treasurer — the president and secretary being 
re-elected. In May, 1889, J. F. Ballinger was 
elected secretary; M. L. Elsemore, president; F. J. 
Benedict, vice-president, and J. D. Rile}', treasurer. 
J. N. Lyman was chosen member of executive com- 
mittee, vice Heartwell, and JMessrs. Hahn, Barnes, 
Benedict, A. H. Cramer and W. A. Dilworth new 
members of that committee. 

The charter members of this organization com- 
prised the officers whose names are given above, 
with Ezra Langevin, George J. Yolland, H. C. 
Whitlock, J. C. Rosenfleld, M. Stern and others — 
among whom may be included all the members of the 
TTnion Club, named in other pages. In later years 
Snow & O'Shaughnessy, E. E. Merritt and a number 
of new citizens became members of this board. 



The Business Men's Association w'as organized 
December 9, 1879, with A. D. Yoeum, president; 

D. H. Ballard, vice-president; A. B. Ideson, secre- 
tary; C. K. Lawson, ti-easurer; G. F. Work, J. M. 
Abbott, A. L. Wigton, A. B. Ideson, S. Alexander 
and W. A. Camp, executive committee. The object 
was to promote all enterprises which promised bene- 
fits to the city. 

The Neln-aska Business Men's Association was 
organized May 29, 1889, with H. A. Fyler, presi- 
dent; E. L. Scott, vice-president; F. C. Ashall, sec- 
retary; P. H. Kipp, treasurer, and those officers 
with R. A. Barr, A. S. Yetter, M. J. Lumbard, W. 

E. Barnes, J. C. Ideson, F. J. Benedict and M. L. 
Elsemore, members of committees. Each of the 
associations have plaj'ed an important part in the 
progress of Hastings, and in the development of the 
count3-'s resources. 

Samuel Alexander was appointed postmaster of 
Hastings, September 19, 1872, and held the office 
until March 31, 1882. He was a native of Butler 
County, Pa., where he was liorn in 18-12. He 
served throughout the Civil "War; in 1869 moved to 
Lincoln, Neb., and on April 22, 1872, located a 
quarter section, on soldier's warrant, near Hastings, 
where, in July, 1872, he established his business 
house. The money orders issued together with fees 
amounted to $38,968.72, and money orders paid, to 
$30,445.05. In 1878 there were 1,000 letters 
registered, and 800 registered letters delivered; 
4,360 registered letters in transit, and stamps, 
envelopes and cards sold to the value of $5,072.44. 
In Maj', 1880, a direct mail route between Hastings 
and Grand Island was established via St. Joseph &■ 
Denver Railroad. On June 1 the railroad mail ser- 
vice on the Burlington & 3Iissouri River was in- 
augurated. In October, 1883, Hastings was one of 
the four second class offices in the State, the salary 
of which was placed at $2,100, being next to Fre- 
mont in this class, and consequently holding fourth 
place in point of postal Ijusiness in the State. 
G. J. Evans was appointed master in 1SS5. The 
bill which placed Hastings, Beatrice and Fremont 
within the circle of the free delivery system passed 
the House December 14, 1886. On September 1, 
1887, four letter carriers began their rounds here 



7U 



>rv^ 




under the direction of Postmaster Evans. In 
January- railroad mail service on the F. E. & 51. V. 
Hue began. In November, 1889, J. B. Heartwell 
V)'as commissioned postmaster. 

The First National Bank dates its beginning 
back to 1877, wlicn A. L. Clarke & Co. opened 
their private liaukiug house. On July 1, 1881, 
business was started under United States charter as 
a National Bank, with a capital of $100,000. 

The Exchange National Bank may be said to 
have lieen established October 14, 1877, when Ray- 
mond Brothers & Yeazel opened the old Exchange 
Bank. On January 8, 1884, the company re-or- 
ganized under the National banking law, with I. M. 
Raymond, president; W. H. Lanning, vice-presi- 
dent; A. Yeazel, cashier, and J. R. McLaughlin, 
assistant cashier. The paid-up capital at date of 
re-organization was $100,000, 

L. H. Tower & Co. (L. H. Tower, A. A. Sweet 
and R. E. Dent, Jr.) established their real estate 
and loan office in 1879, and were the first to advance 
loans on real estate in Adams County at the rate of 
8 per cent. 

The Nebraska Loan & Trust Company credits 
its beginnings to J. B. Heartwell and E. C. Web- 
ster, who established a money-loaning house here 
January 1, 1881. A reorganization was effected 
May 1, 1882, when the present name was adopted, 
and the capital placed at $100,000. A year later 
the .stock was increased to $250,000; but on August 
1, 1885, an increase to $500,000 paid-up stock was 
reported and confirmed. In 1884 the company's 
building on the northwest corner of Second Street 
and Lincoln Avenue was erected. 

The City National Bank was chartered in Octo- 
ber, 1883. This house was established in August, 
1881, under the title. City Bank, with L. H. Tower, 
E. S. Fowler, John M. Ferguson, E. C. Allen and 
Chester Hard, stockholders; but in September, 1885, 
a controlling interest was purchased by H. Bostwick 
and W. 6. Clark, who have served as president and 
cashier respectively, with C. J. Dilworth, vice- 
president, and J. M. Ferguson, assistant cashier. 
The officers named, with John M. Lyman, John 
Slaker and G. J. Evans, formed the first board of 
directors after reorganization in 1885. The bank of 



Yuma, Col., and the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank 
of Doniphan, Neb., are conducted by this company. 

The Adams County Savings Bank was organized 
in January, 188(5, with William Ken% president; J. 
M. Sewell, vice-president, and II. Shedd, cashier. 
J. M. Ragau, D. McCool, R. A. Batty, A. R. Van 
Sickle, M. L. Alexander, Jacob Fisher, Abram 
Loeb, Sam Hirscli and L. Hahn were directors. 
The bank was opened April G. 

The Western Loan & Investment Company was 
organized in June, 1886, with H. Bostwick, presi- 
dent; A. H. Cramer, vice-president; J. R. Penfield, 
treasurer; C. J. Dilworth, attornej-, and they with 
G. J. Evans, J. M. Ferguson, W. G. Clark, W. A. 
Dilworth, R. V. Stockey and W. C. Penfield, direc- 
tors. 

Adams County Bank was established April 2, 
1886, under the Nebraska banking laws. The old 
bank building was moved in November, 1879, to the 
lot east of Hawley's old grocery store. The Benev- 
olent Union of Hastings perfected organization in 
May, 1885, with D. M. McElHinney, president; C. 
H. Deitrieh, vice-president; A. L. Wigton, secre- 
tary; Samuel Alexander, treasurer; J. A. Casto, 
attorney; Dr. L. Lodd, medical examiner; Thomas 
E. Farrell, A. H. Cramer, Morris Alexander, Jacob 
Fisher, D. M. McElHinney and C. H. Deitrieh, 
trustees. 

From what has already been stated much has 
been learned relating to the old-time business men 
of the city. A glance at the statistics of early years 
will prove of profit. During the season ending No- 
vember 11, 1875, 214,200 bushels of grain were 
shipped from Hastings. During the same year the 
following implements were sold: 78 harvesters, 
100 combined machines, 65 mowers, 84 drills and 
seeders, 540 plows, 143 barrows, 10 corn planters, 
26 threshing machines, 71 cultivators, 75 sulky 
rakes, 40 revolving rakes and 148 wagons. 

The lumber trade of Hastings in 1878 was 
represented by the Badger, Central and Chicago 
Lumber Companies. No less than 1,025 cars of 
lumber were imported, showing a business of over 
$300,000 in this branch alone. This body of lum- 
ber was in time distributed throughout the fifteen 
counties tributary to the town. 



y: 



V 



^1 



fe- 



ADAJIS COUNTY. 



175 



On July 6, 1885, the movement to close business 
houses at Hastings at 8:00 P. M. was adopted, and 
the telling sj'stem of ringing a bell at each door and 
calling out the welcome hour was introduced. To- 
ward the close of the j-car this primitive system was 
dropped and a new era in business forms introduced. 

The wholesale houses of Hastings have their 
origin in the hardware house established by Burger 
Brothers, Alexander & Co., early in 1887. The 
Burgers established their retail hardware store about 
sis 3'ears before. In October, 1887, they moved 
into the Enterprise Building, soon enjoying a trade 
of about $500,000 per annum. In 1888 the firm 
was incorporated, the capital stock being placed at 
$200,000. 

Moriarty, Trimble & Co.'s wholesale grocery 
house was established in the summer of 1887. In 
June of that year the stock arrived; but two weeks 
before the day set for occupation of the building, a 
wind storm demolished it. This building was pro- 
jected by the Hastings Building Association specially 
for this firm, and its destruction was a great disap- 
pointment. The stock was placed in Germania Hall, 
pending the completion of a new building. The 
Hastings Association went at once to work rebuilding, 
and late in November the building was ready for the 
firm. The business of this house is estimated at 
nearly $100,000 annually. 

The wholesale grocery of Ezra Langevin & Co. 
(E. Langevin, W. B. Cushing and E. L. Gauvreau) 
was established in December, 1889. Their stock 
fills three floors of their newly erected brick block 
at the corner of Denver Avenue and Front Street. 

A. J. Neimeyer & Co. , wholesale dealers in yel- 
low pine lumber, own their own mills at Texarkana, 
Ark. , and Hastings is their principal place of busi- 
ness. Their trade extends all over the West, and 
during 1887 reached the sum of $300,000. 

The Gazette-Journal Company has done an exten- 
sive business in wholesaling paper, office stationery 
and printers' supplies. The company's trade ex- 
tends as far west as Washington, Arizona, Utah, 
Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, while 
a large business is done in Kansas, Nebraska and 
Colorado. This trade amounted to nearly $70,- 
000 in 1887. and is constantly on the increase. 



Hastings has two wholesale commission houses 
which did a large business during 1887. Mr. J. 
Rosenfleld has had a patronage of $50,000, while 
Jacobson & Co. , who were engaged in business only 
during half of the year, enjoyed a trade which 
amounted to $30,000. Still another commission 
house was opened near the close of 1 887 by Apgar 
& Brown, but as their business operations covered 
only a period of a few weeks no figures were 
reported. 

G. Bratt & Co., wholesale furniture dealers, 
established a retail store some years ago; but not 
until the close of 1887 did they embark in their 
wholesale trade. The Shedd & Jones building, 
erected in 1887, is occupied by this firm. The an- 
nual business is estimated at from $50,000 to 
$75,000. 

The wholesale liquor and cigar house of Carney 
& Crowley is the pioneer house of this character in 
this section of the State. Their trade area is exten- 
sive. M. Stern's wholesale liquor house is also 
credited with a large trade. 

The following tabulated statement, prepared in 

1888 by the editor of the Gazette- Journal, shows the 
figures of Hastings' wholesale trade as they appear in 
the aggregate. They are worthy of especial note 
because they present the first tabulated statement of 
the wholesale trade of this city ever made. 

Hardware 8 400,000 

Groceries 350,000 

Lumber 300,000 

Furniture 60,000 

Liquor and cigars 225,000 

Commission 80,000 

Paper and stationery 70,000 

Total Sl,385,000 

The retail business of Hastings is well repre- 
sented. The professional and business directory of 

1889 shows G20 offices, stores, workshops and fac- 
tories; while all the names given in that work do not 
exceed 3,325. 

Sixty traveling men make their homes in this 
city. Many of them are men of families and own 
or rent nice, comfortable homes. They are a part 
of Hastings and as such are valuable citizens. 

In December, 1885. the Hastings Street Railway 
Company, M. L. and C. L. Alexander, incorpo- 



> "V 



17(J 



HISTORY OF NElir.A!<KA. 



iiitois, presented their plans to tlie people, and asked 
tliat such plans be submitted to the people, with a 
petition for a franchise. 

The Hastings Improvement Companj- was incor- 
porated in Pceember, 1886, with J. B. Ileartwell, 
James Laird, J. J. Wemple, E. C. Webster, C. P. 
Webster, H. Bostwick, Charles P. Ileartwell, Angus 
McDonald and L. M. Campbell, corporators. The 
object of tliis association was to construct and oper- 
ate a street railroad. In 1887-88 the present exten- 
sivo S3'stcm of railroads (about fifteen miles in 
length) was completed, and regular runs over the 
whole system made. It is said that the Citizens' 
Sti-eet Car Company will build a line to the asylum 
in 1800, and tiuit the Hastings Improvement Com- 
pany will run a line to the convent. 

TIic Hastings Building Company was organized 
in June, 1884, with Thomas E. Farrell, George W. 
.Mowery, Andreas Veith, A. H. Cramer, J. N. Ly- 
man (vice-president), C. H. Deitrlch (elected presi- 
dent), Charles Doyen, John T. Ballinger, M. Stern, 
>I. K. Lewis, J. C. Kay, J. T. Burroughs, G. J. 
Evans, J. J. Anderson, N. R. Pratt, Jay Cherry, 
A. J. Anderson and H. Bostwick, incorporators. 
The company purchased eight lots on the north side 
of Second Street northeast of Denver Avenue, re- 
moved the old buildings thereon, and commenced 
tile work of erecting a two-story building to cover 
the entire property. Emanuel Fist was elected 
secretar\-. This association has added many build- 
ings, all large ones, to the cit^- within the last six 
years. 

In October, 1884, Manager Pilcher, of the elec- 
tric light company, reported thirty new lights for 
private use and three additional city lights. The 
companj- introduced machinery at this time, the city 
mill engines having previously supplied the power. 

The Hastings gas works were constructed in 
1885, the main building being 32x82 feet, and the 
reservoir 48 feet in diameter. By August 26. the 
six inch pipes were laid on Second Street. 

The Hastings Prospecting Company was organ- 
ized in 1880, with J. X. Lyman, president, and A. 
L. Edwards, secretary. On July 17, the bids (for 
drilling 4,000 feet into the earth) of Johnson, of 
Salina, Kan., and Taylor & Wood, of Hastings, 



were rejected. On the 19th the proposition of Tay- 
lor & Wood was brought up a second time and 
at'cepted, the consideration being $15,000 for 4,000 
feet, to be paid at the rate of $4,000 for first thou- 
sand feet; $3,500 for second, and $3,500 for thin! 
and $4,000 for fourth thousand feet of drilling. 
Prior to July, 1889, the contract was sold to a 
Michigan man, who was compelled to relinquish it. 
A New York man was the next successful liidder, 
but he also failed to carry out his proposition, lu 
Julv, 1889, the board of directors was elected to 
look after the interests of the citizens and see that 
the work was properh- done. Machinery was pur- 
chased by the contractors and work began immedi- 
atelj' with the result as shown in former pages of 
this work. The first well was abandoned, but woriv 
will be commenced on a new hole, twelve instead of 
eight inches. With new machinery and twice the 
motive power, it is intended to bore down until 
4,000 feet of strata are revealed. The record of the 
boring of the old well is kept by George Haller. 
The new well was commenced the first week in Jan- 
uary, 1890. 

The Lewis foundrj- and machine shop was 
founded in 1878, and completed in December, by 
M. K. Lewis & Sons (F. S. and E. L. Lewis). Ma- 
chinery for drilling wells, broom corn threshers and 
foundry machine work is manufactured here; also 
horse-power machinery for pumping water from deep 
wells, casting for wind-mills, cresting, sash weights 
and lirick-kiln supplies. The Lewis header works 
form a liranch of this industrj'. The Moritz iron 
and brass foundry was established in 1887, for the 
manufacture of iron columns, store fronts, machine 
castings and ornamental lirass work. The Ijrick 
yards of Johnson & McElHiuney were established 
early in 1878, and during the ensuing season 
500,000 brick were manufactured. In 1879 there 
were 700,000 brick manufactured, and in 1880, 
1,100,000, of wliich about 200,000 were shipped to 
Grand Island. Millett & ^lulford's brick j-ards were 
establislied early in ISSO, but before the season was 
far advanced Mulford's retirement was recorded. 
The attemjit to introduce a special brick machine 
was unsuccessful, and caused such delays as to post- 
pone work until ISSI.wlien aljout 200.000 brick 



"® V 



*A''. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



177 



were produced. Stewart & Collins' brick yards were 
established in April, 1887, southeast of the eitj-, and- 
burued 700,000 brick that season. In 1888 they 
introduced the "New Quaker Brick JIachine. " and 
almost trebled the product of 1S87. Crans& Camp- 
bell introduced the manufacture of patent pavement 
in 1887. 

The Hastings Steam Flouring Mill Company was 
organized in May, 1880, with A. W. Lewis, of Ohio, 
a subscriber of $15,000; Leopold Hahn, of 85,000; 
Charles Kohl, of §5,000; Jacob Fisher, $1,500, and 
Fred C. Benedict 81,500. The board of trade do- 
nated $2,500, and citizens not members of the board, 
$2,000. 

The Hastings Creamery Association organized 
in January, 1884, with S. C. Dille}-, president; N. 
B. Vineyard, vice-president; S. E. Furry, secretary 
and manager, and D. B. Furry, treasurer. The 
work of erecting buildings, south of McEIHinney's 
brick yard, was at once entered upon, and the first 
annual meeting held Jauuar}' 7, 1884. The Noveltj- 
Carriage Works were established l)y C. 0. Jamieson 
in 1886. This factor}- made rapid strides. The 
cigar factories are operated by Snyder & Brewer, 
McTaggart & McKeehan, C. A. Dunn and Berry & 
Sons. The Hastings Manufacturing Compan}- was 
organized in Maj", 1886, for the purpose of manu- 
facturing a combination heater under the Campbell 
& Pryor patents. M. K. Lewis is presiilent and L. 
B. Palmer, secretary, while William Kerr is also in- 
terested in this industrj'. During the year 1887 the 
product of the company's work was valued at over 
$20,000. The Champion & Morledge packing house 
was opened December 21, 1886. 

The Hastings roller mills of Humphrey & Ed- 
gerton were erected in the summer of 1SS9, and the 
machiner}' supplied by E. P. Ellis, of Milwaukee. 
In 1880 the sash, door and I)lind factory of B. 
Button was established. The old mill site on Block 
5 of Moore's addition was sold to E. 0. Alexander 
in 1887, and the machinery and buildings taken to 
the corner of Hastings A\enue and C Street. The 
Hastings planing-mill was opened in January, 1887. 
D. H. ^Miller and D. S. Cole established the Globe 
Poultry Yards, near Hastings, in March, 1880, and 
later introduced steam incubators. The Wilkinson 



candy factorv is no small industry. During the 
year 1887 the establishment produced S35,000 worth 
of sweet meats. The Hastings sorghum factory, 
which collapsed in the big fire, was re-established by 
L. F. Gould in September, 1880. The Bauersock 
brewery, with which are connected two bottling 
houses, is operated by Theodore Bauersock. The 
plant is valued at about $25,000. William Breed's 
bottling house is also a large concern, as is Forcht 
& Brandt's. The Bonanza wind mill, invented bvL. 
W. Maxan, of this county, was manufactured at 
Hastings, in 1880, by Maxan Bros. The water is 
elevated by windlass and bucket as in common- 
bored wells, the power lieing derived from an 8-foot 
wind-wheel. The Kellar Medicine Company organ- 
ized in the fall of 1889, with Messrs. Nellis, presi- 
dent; J. C. Parsons, vice-president; O. H. Gordon, 
secretary; A. H. Farrens, treasurer and manager, 
and Dr. Kellar, chemist. The companj- propose to 
establish an extensive laboratory here and manufac- 
ture several medical specialties. The Hastings 
broom factory is one of the latest additions to the 
manufacturing industries of Hastings. It was estab- 
lished in 1887, by Elroy Pettys. The Singer Man- 
ufacturing Company is represented — the popular 
Fred Rowe, traveling superintendent, being acting- 
agent. 

In 1872 the Inter Ocean Hotel was erected by 
Capt. Wells near the St. Joseph & Denver Railroad 
depot. In January, 1873, the Denver House was 
completed and opened, followed b}- the Burlington 
House. During the year 1874. the Town Company 
built an addition to the Denver House, and A. H. 
Burhans to the Burlington. The old Lepin Hotel, 
destroj-ed in the fire of September, 1879, was the 
leading house of all Central Nebraska. The present 
house was built immediately after the fire; but the 
storm of July 4, 1880, carried awaj- part of the 
roof, and injured the furniture. Even part of the 
furniture for this house was burned in November, 
1879, while stored at the depot. This is un- 
doubtedly one of the most comfortable houses in the 
State. 

The New Commercial, rebuilt by N. F. Damron. 
on First street and Lincoln Avenue, was opened in 
January, 1880, by James Wailing. In December, 



■^f^ 



178 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



1889, Diid Ronian succeeded Mr. Whitney as pro- 
prietor of tiiis house. In April, 1880, the old 
Badger Yard building was fitted up for hotel pur- 
poses by H. M. Ridley. The Arlington, Denver, 
Gihoiit, Illinois, Mechanics' Home, Metropolitan, 
New England, Queen City, St. Louis and Treinont 
are all fair houses. It is now proposed to erect a 
200-room house, and the proposition will jirobably 
soon take effect. 

The Bostwick, in the Hastings Building Com- 
pany's lilock, was erected in 18S4 under plans b}" 
Architect Weigle. The building is 80x176 feet, three 
stories in height. The three eastern rooms of the 
Iniilding on ground floor are usetl for hotel purposes, 
the dining rooms being 30x55 feet. The second 
and third floors of the building are devoted entirely 
to hotel purposes. The great central room , off which 
are several bed rooms, is 26x70 feet. Twenty-two 
feet above the floor of this parlor is the heavj- 
glass room, and twelve feet from the floor a 
gallery sweeps around, giving access to the bed 
rooms on the third floor. There are seventj' bed 
rooms in addition to ladies' parlor, sample rooms, 
dining room and office. W. H. Dildine opened the 
house in October, 1885. The present lessees are 
Parker & Dillon. W. H. Dillon, formerly of the 
Commercial, took charge of the Bostwick, February 
1, 1889. The first 'bus was introduced in Decem- 
ber, 1879, by the Alexander Bros., to be run be- 
tween the. depots and the new Lepin House, com- 
pleted and opened that month. 

During the summer of 1878 the Central Ne- 
braskan suggested the building of an opera house. 
Aliout this time the Liberal Hall Association was 
founded, and a building was erected for worship as 
well as for amusement. Work on the Kerr Opera 
House building was begun May 7, and completed in 
1884 at a cost of $61,000, by a company of local 
capitalists organized for that express purpose. Such 
leading citizens as M. L. Alexander, William Kerr, 
George II. Pratt, L, B. Palmer, James R, Heart- 
well, F. Naulteus, and many others were identified 
with the object. It stands at the southeast corner 
of Lincoln Avenue and Second Street, is 66x125 
feet in size, and rises threes stories above a high 
basement. It is a very substantial structure of 



pressed briclv and stone, with solid granite founda- 
tion, after designs bj- Mr. C. C. Rittenhouse. F. 
D. Taggart purchased the stock of the opera house 
company, and liecame its owner. Cole's Park was 
opened June 27. 1889. 

Religious denominations by no means lack rep- 
resentixtion in Hastings. The first services of the 
Congregational Church here were conducted in the 
covered wagons in which the hardy pioneers traveled 
to tliis region. Tlie First Congregational Church 
was organized in the fall of 1871, by the direction 
of Rev. J. F. Clarkson, who came as chaplain 
of the English colony. In the Home Missionary 
report of 1873 the Rev. John F. Clarkson is at 
Hastings. It is spoken of as " a wide field; rapid 
increase in population; more laborers needed; church 
organized." The number of church members is 13; 
conversions, 4, which added to 9 who united by let- 
ter make the 13 reported. The first services of the 
newlj- organized church were held in a sod house 
located in 3Ioore's addition to the city of Hastings. 
Owing to some difficulty between the minister and 
his people, he was dismissed from the pastorate of 
the church, and after a time his jjlace supplied by 
the Rev. W. Haviland, who remained only about 
one year. The church maintained only a feeble or- 
ganization until the mouth of September, 1874, 
when Rev. M. F. Piatt took charge. Services were 
held in the school house until 1875. In that j-ear 
the old Millet Hall, which stood on the corner of 
First Street and Hastings Avenue, was secured as a 
place of meeting. In October, 1875, the T. C. C. 
F. S. was organized for the purpose of raising funds 
for furnishing the hall. The church society con- 
tinued to hold its services in Millet's Hall until the 
fall of 1878, when another move was made — this 
time to the Presbyterian Church, which had been 
erected and dedicated in the meantime. As the so- 
ciety had become well organized, a systematic 
effort was now made to raise funds for the ei'ection 
of a church Iniilding. A house was erected at the 
corner of Lincoln Avenue and Third Street, which 
was dedicated March 29, 1879. Rev. Mr. Stewart, 
who succeeded A. W. Curtis, was present. The 
first church bell at Hastings was placed in the bel- 
fry the day prior to the dedication. Rev. Henrj' 









'-^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



179 



Wilson succeeeded Mr. Stewart in 1882. Kev. G. 
R. Milton came in the fall of 1884, and served until 
January 1, 1886, when Rev. William Walters took 
charge. A legacy of $500 left by Davis Lowman 
witii additional subscriptions were used in paying 
off a debt of $1,000. In 1887, shortly after, the 
Hastings Improvement Company gave $6,700 and 
the two lots on which the building now stands ff)r 
the old site. The church house was removed, and 
re-dedicated September 25, 1887. The twenty- 
fourth annual meeting of the Congregational Society 
of Nebraska was held at Hastings in October and 
November, 1880. The Ladies Missionary Societ}^ 
also assembled here, and reported having paid $.330 
for the support of a lady missionary at Erzerum, 
Turkey in Asia. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church, of Hastings, 
had its origin in as humble quarters as had the 
other church organizations of the city. The first 
services were held in the St. Joseph & Western Rail- 
road depot, on September 29, 1872, by R. A. Crane. 
Hastings was then included in the Juniata circuit, 
and fell within the bounds of the Beatrice district. 
The class comprised William and Maria Hudson, 
Benjamin H. and Rebecca Brown, Richard and Liz- 
zie Rainforth and Mary E. Ross. As the newly 
organized church grew stronger, funds were col- 
lected, and a neat little church edifice erected on the 
corner of Second Street and Kansas Avenue. On 
July 13, 1873, Presiding Elder White selected a 
site for the proposed house on the north side of 
Second Street, west of the school house, and by 
August of that year the building was enclosed and 
roofed by the contractors, Millett & Mulford. Bj- 
some peculiar oversight the honor of holding first 
services was accorded to the Presbyterians, and the 
wily Rev. Griflfes formally dedicated the partially 
completed building August 10, 1873. In April, 
1880, it was sold to the Evangelical Society, and on 
August 12, that year, the corner stone of the pres- 
ent church house was placed, Rev. A. C. Crosth- 
waite presiding. The building was completed at a 
cost of $6,000. During progress of construction 
the members worshipped in Liberty Hall. In Sep- 
tember, 1881, Rev. Crosthwaite resigned the pastor- 
ate of the church and was succeeded by S. H. Hen- 



derson, who was in turn succeeded by Revs. Brock- 
way and Jones. The present pastor is Rev. L. F. 
Britt, who is credited with being the most popular 
of all the Methodist preachers to fill that pulpit. 
Revs. R. H. Crane, Hiram Hersey, E. J. Willis, 
who was here in 1874-75, Richard Pierson, Edward 
Thomson, A. C. Crosthwaite and S. H. Henderson 
may be termed the pioneer preachers of this circuit. 

The Presbyterian Church dates back to August. 
1873, when Rev. James A. Griflfes preached to a 
small number of Presbjterians in the partiallj- com- 
pleted Methodist Church, being the first to preach 
under a church roof here. On August 10, an organ- 
ization was effected by Rev. N. C. Robinson, S. M. , 
and Rev. J. A. Griffes, with the following named 
members: Samuel Alexander, A. L. Wigton, Mrs. 
Mary A. Wigton, Samuel Reed, William M. Snod- 
grass, H. M. Palmer and Mr. Electa Palmer. A. 
L. Wigton was the first stated clerk, serving until 
1881, when L. B. Palmer was chosen. In 1884, A. 
L. Wigton was re-elected and is now incumbent of 
the clerk's office. The following ministers have 
supplied th3 pulpit since the organization, viz: 
Rev. James A. Griffes, August, 1873; Rev. John 
Rutherford, January, 1877; Rev. D. S. Schaflf, 
July, 1877; Rev. E. L. Williams, September, 1881; 
Rev. W. F. Ringland, October, 1882, and Rev. 
George T. Crissman, D. D., November, 1885. 

The First Presbyterian Church of Hastings was 
organized for incorporation June 4, 1874, when the 
constitution was adopted. James K. Sample, H. 
M. Palmer, L. B. Palmer, James Slate, N. L. Ed- 
wards, Samuel Alexander, A. L. Wigton, John 
Simpson and J. J. Worswick were chosen trustees. 
The edifice in which the organization was effected 
was not completed, and the burning ra3-s of the 
August sun pierced the unfinished roof in many 
places. A bundle of shingles laid across the top of 
an empty barrel served as a pulpit. In these un- 
favorable surroundings the church was organized. 
The first pastor. Rev. J. A. Griffes, conducted ser- 
vices in the school house for about two 3-ears. 
Afterwards Millet's Hall was utilized as a place of 
worship, until the summer of 1877, when the first 
building was completed and dedicated under the 
supervision of Samuel Alexander, A. L. Wigton and 



Is 



— <_ _S) 



ISO 



HISTOEY OF NEBRASKA. 



li. B. I'liliiKT. This huikling stood on llic corner 
of Fourth Street and Lincoln Avenue. In 1888 the 
congregation outgrew the old building and services 
were held in the opera house, pentling the erection 
of a modern house of worship. The second build- 
ing was erected on the southwest corner of Seventh 
Street and Lincoln Avenue, in 1888-89, under super- 
vision of the following named members of the build- 
ing committee: Samuel Alexander, Rev. George T. 
Crissinan, D. D. , C. P. Webster, L. B. Palmer, A. 
J. Neimejer and L. M. Campbell. The church 
was completed at a cost of S35,000 and dedi- 
cated February 10, 1889, President Ringland and 
Rev. C. G. A. Hollhorst, of the college, with the 
pastor, Rev. George T. Crissman. conilucting the 
services. 

St. Cecilia's Catholic Church dates its beginning 
back to the establishment of Hastings, when Rev. 
Father Leichleitncr, pastor of Crete in 1871 (suc- 
cessor of Rev. W. Kelly), visited the new settle- 
ment. This portion of the mission was attended by 
Father Leichleitner until March 25, 1878, when 
Rev. George Glauber was appointed in charge of the 
congregation. Prior to this date the services of the 
church were held at the house of Thomas E. Farrell, 
but now the work of building a house of worship 
was entered upon. In 1880 this house was com- 
pleted, and the building of the parochial house be- 
gun. In December, 1879, Rev. E. Rhullier was 
assistant priest at Hastings. The first records of 
the missions in this section of the State form jjart 
of the parish records of Crete. The records of St. 
Cecilia's parish begin JIarch 25, 1878. The first 
baptisms recorded are those of Elizabeth, daughter, 
and Thomas, son of John and Elizaljetli ((Jriggs) 
Britt. Thomas and Elizabeth Farrell were sponsors. 
A son of Michael Hess and a daughter of John 
Young were baptized on the 21st of April, and a 
daughter of John and Patience (Brown) Farrell, of 
Ireland, on May 12, 1878. Other names on the 
Liber Baptismoruin of this period include many of 
the old settlers. 

The mission in 1880 comprised Hastings, Kene- 
saw, Roseland, Riverton, Harvard, Fairfield, Wheat- 
land. Orleans. Sarpy, Lowell. Minden. Indianola, 
Juniata, Glenwood, Bloomington. Red Cloutl, Arap- 



ahoe and luhinil. In 18S1 Rev. James Simeon* 
succeeded Father Glauber, but Rev. E. Rhullier was 
continued as assistant priest. New names are added 
daily to the long list of liaptisras, while the settle- 
ments of Cambridge, Whitloek and Franklin ap- 
peared on Fremont's ' ' Great American Desert " as 
new missions of this parish. Hazel Dell is named 
in April, 1883, and Hoartwell in 1885 — the latter 
place attended by Rev. 0. N. Turgeon, who appears 
to be assistant priest at this time. Rev. F. Schrafl'e 
was here in December, 1884, and throughout 1885. 
Services were held at Ell wood in 1886, and at Axel 
in 1888. Rev. J. J. Laughran was assistant priest 
in June, 1888. On May 15, 1881, Bishop OCou- 
•nor administered the sacrament of confirmation to 
fifty-nine children and adults at Hastings, and next 
day to twenty -five children and adults at Wheatland. 
On May 18 the sacrament was administered to twen- 
ty-four persons at Orleans, and on 3Iay 19 to six- 
teen persons at Indianola. 

The first marriage recorded in this parish is that 
of Alonzo P. Cook and Agnes Fisher, May 12, 1878. 
From that time up to July 2, 1888, when Father 
Simeon signed the parish records for the last time, 
there were eighty-six marriages solemnized, and 
from that period until November 6, 1889, twent\- 
marriages were celebrated. Father J. E. English 
is the present priest. During the short time which 
has elapsed, since taking charge of the parish, he 
has almost eclipsed the record of his life at Omaha. 
A church building, parochial house and the greatest 
convent luiilding in Central Nebraska have been 
lirought into existence. Among his principal 
helpers are Thomas E. Farrell. John Rooney, Mrs. 
Mar}' Stoetzel, Ezra Langevin, M. Moriarty, S. 
Kelly, who contributed largely to church building. 
The congregation embraces over 200 families, and 
the parish includes Kenesaw, Hansen, Inland. Glen- 
ville and other points in this district. 

*Eev. James Siraeou studied at the University of St. Louis, 
at St. .Joseph's College, Bardstowu, Mo., and suhsequently in 
Germany and Switzerland. He was ordained priest at Lou- 
vain, Belgium, in 1855, and served the church in the Rhine 
provinces for thirteen years, when he returned to the United 
States. He was pastor of St. Joseph's German Catholic Church 
at Washington, D. C, and later built Holy Trinity German 
Catholic Cliurch at Boston. He also served at Philadelphia 
and New York, and in August, ISSl, located at Hastings, in 
charge of the wide mission tield. 






fk^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



181 



The Baptist Cliiirch is the pioneer religious 
society- of Adams County. lu January, 1871, Rev. 
J. W. Warwick preached at the house of William 
Kress, on the Little Blue. Three years later their 
doctrine was preached at Hastings. 

The early settlers of Hastings whose religious 
attachments were with the Baptist denomination, 
organized themselves into a congregation in 1874. 
Rev. I. G. Newell was the first pastor, and the ser- 
vices were conducted in Millett's HaU. The organi- 
zation did not develop much strength in the earlier 
j'ears of its history and maintained but a feeble ex- 
istence until 1879, when the Rev. J. E. Roekwood 
assumed control. Among the earlj- members were 

D. S. Cole, Jacob Wooster, J. H. Vandemark, Frank 
Talmage, N. T. Eckles, Joseph Simms, Mrs. Alli- 
son, Mrs. Talmage, and Mrs. Vandemark. Under 
efficient management the society took a long stride 
forward and became firmly fixed in the community. 
After having guided the aflfairs of the church for 
about a year. Rev. Roekwood resigned and was suc- 
ceeded by Rev. J. H. Mise. The last named gen- 
tleman began his pastoral duties in February, 1881, 
and in the following summer raised the necessary 
funds to erect a house of worship. The new Bap- 
tist Church was dedicated January 31, 1882. It is 
a neat structure of appropriate architectural design, 
and cost about $3,000. Since Rev. Mr. Mise sev- 
ered his connection with the church the pulpit has 
been occupied successively by Revs. H. P. Fitch, J. 
Y. Aitchison and H. C. Holden, the latter being the 
present pastor. 

The Hastings Free Religious Society adopted a 
constitution July 14, 1878. John N. Lyman was 
president; George W. Mowery, secretarj'; R. A. 
Batty, treasurer; A. D. Yocum, M. K. Lewis and 

E. Steinau, trustees. 

The same year Liberal Hall was built — a one 
story frame, 40x75 feet. This large hall was intended 
for a place of amusement as well as for worship, 
and in it the first religious l)odies assembled for 
prayer. 

St. Marks Protestant Episcopal Church was or- 
ganized May 3, 1880, by Rev. J. W. Greenwood. 
He came thither in 1879 from Honeoye Falls, N. Y., 
to the Nominal Mission Station of Hastings and 



Grand Island, where he found a few members. On 
April 18, 1880, he performed the services of his 
church for the first time, and this action was fol- 
lowed by the organization on the date above written. 
On May 4, the society elected Messrs. N. Z. Barlow, 
and 0. Oliver, wardens; and Messrs. Charles Cam- 
eron, F. J. Benedict, J. M. Noi-ton, Emery and A. 
B. Ideson, vestrymen. The officers constituted 
themselves a committee to locate a site for a church 
l)uilding. On July 10, Bishop Clarkson placed the 
corner stone of the first church building, the pastor, 
Mr. Greenwood, conducting the services according to 
the ritual. This building was dedicated the third 
Suuday after Epiphany in 1881. 0. H. :>!. and 
Robert Oliver, J. M. Norton, A. B. and J. C. Ide- 
son were the members. Rev. John Love was mis- 
sionary at the time; Mr. Greenwood was rector of 
the parish, followed by Rev. Henry Shaw and Rev. 
J. W. Gilman. The present number of communi- 
cants is placed at seventy-seven. 

The Christian Church is a modern organization 
here. The members worshiped at the old Presby- 
terian Church for some time until the new church- 
house on Lexington and Fourth Streets was erected 
in 1889. Rev. W. T. Maupin served the church. 

The Swedish Evangelical Lutherans of Hast- 
ings claim Rev. Mr. Torren as preacher, and also 
Rev. A. C. Tredin, who performed the services of 
church in the Good Templars' Hall. 

The German Evangelical Association was estab- 
lished as a mission in the city of Hastings in 1879. 
Two years following a church organization was 
efl?ected by Revs. G. G. Zellhoefer and Jacob Weiu- 
gart. Rev. Inhelder assumed the pastorate in 
April, 1880, and held it until the past j'ear, when 
he was succeeded by Rev. H. lUian. At first wor- 
ship was conducted in the old Methodist Church, 
and in April, 1880, the association purchased that 
building and dedicated it anew for its own use. 
The mission at present includes nearly one hundred 
families, all of whom are Germans. 

The First German Evangelical Church of Hastr 
ings was organized for incorporation November 8, 
1879, with William Steinhaus, clerk; Henr}- Stam- 
mer, August Forcht and the clerk, trustees. The 
societj- was formally organized in September. 1878, 



® -_ 



182 



HISTOUY or -NEIJIIA^SKA. 



:ui(l in the fall the work of church liuilding was 
entered upon. Tlie church house was completed in 
January, 1870, and dedicated on the 12th of that 
month. The school was also opened b}' Kev. II. 
Seikman. Rev. Mr. Stark served this church for 
some time, and Ivcv. Mr. Fritze is now pastor. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Society hold services 
in the G. A. R. hall. Rev. C. S. Schaefer is pastor. 

On August 10, 1873, a union Sunday-school was 
organized with R. V. Shockey, superintendent; Mrs. 
E. Palmer, secretary; W. A. Smith, treasurer, and 
\y. T. Com by, librarian. 

In the pages devoted to the transactions of the 
county commissioners, the annual progress of the 
school system of the county and city is noted. In 
the summary of the city records other references to 
the schools are made, and the names of the trustees 
or directors given; in the political history the contests 
for the office of school superintendent are referred 
to, and in the general chapter on county societies the 
organization of the Normal Institute is recorded. 
In 1872 the Hastings school district was organized 
with D. S. Cole, — Dyer and S. S. Dow, trustees. 
Within a short time A. D. Yocum took Mr. Dyer's 
place, and in August, 1872, this board placed be- 
fore the district the question of voting $4,000 bonds 
for the purpose of building a school. In April. 
1873, a vote on this question was affirmative. 
Samuel Alexander was elected treasurer, and several 
changes made in the jwrsonnd of the board. Be- 
fore the school house was built an injunction was 
sued out at the instance of George W. Donaghey to 
postpone building; but this was dissolved in March, 
1873, and the school building ei-ected. Before pro- 
ceedings on this injunction were served, Mr. Dow, 
learning that Charles Kilburn was in Hastings for 
the purpose of serving papers, and seeing him in 
Wheeler's store, went out the back door and pro- 
ceeding to Capt. Wells' office sold the bonds. Im- 
mediately after the injunction papers were served 
Messrs. D. S. Cole and S. S. Dow were arrested for 
disobeying the injunction; but got out on a writ of 
habeas corpus, Attoi'neys Bowen & Laird represents 
iug the prosecution. Subsequently Cole and Dow 
were taken to Lincoln by James Laird, and while 
there Mr. Dow visited the capitol and heard the bill 



read authorizing the commissioners to build a court 
house at Juniata. Returning at once to Hastings, he 
spread the alarm , and that night a remonstrance was 
prepared and on its way to Lincoln. This hail the 
effect of defeating the Ijill. It was revenge for in- 
terference with the school interests of tiie joung 
town. 

The committee in charge of the school house of 
District 18, A. D. Yocum, S. Alexander, D. S. Cole 
and L. Reynolds, located a sight for the building, 
and sold the contract to G. W. McDade. Early in 
May this body desired to change the location to 
Block 18, and to extend the plans; and McDade be- 
ing agreeable, proposals for building were again 
asked for, and Col. W. L. Smith was the successful 
bidder. On May 30, 1873, stone for the founda- 
tion arrived, and the house was completed that 
year. 

Three years later (1876) there were 122 pupils 
enrolled, of whom an average of ninet^'-eight attended. 
The principal at this time was H. W. M\-ers, successor 
of Col. Monroe. The school teachers of the cit}^ in 
March, 1880, were C. J. Davis, principal; Misses 
Dora Tucker, Jones, Parker, Clark, Edmunson and 
Mesdames Davis and Wigtou. The school house in 
the western part of the town was opened by Miss 
Edmunson and Miss Moore in June, 1879. In July, 
1880, the contract for a brick school building on the 
south side was sold to D- M. McElHinney for 
$3,400. The structure was completed that year. 

The Hastings high school building was destroyed 
by fire November 12. 1886. The insurance carried 
amounted to $16,000. 

Hastings now has five large public school build- 
ings. The high school building, erected in 1887, 
occupies the site of the old high school building on 
High Street, between Denver and Hastings Avenues. 
This handsome two-story brick structure is 85x103 
feet in size, with high basement, and a graceful 
tower 100 feet in height. The total cost was $5,000. 
J. B. Molnux is superintendent and principal. 

The West ward school building, a highly orna- 
mental and commodious edifice, two stories and 
basement, is built of stone and brick, surmounted 
bj' a tasty tower and steep gable roof. It has six 
rooms with a capacity of 400 pupils, and cost 



s 






ADAMS COUNTY. 



183 



$15,000. It is well conducted under the manage- 
ment of Maggie E. Molniix, principal. 

In the South ward is a new and modern two-story 
brick building, with accommodation for over 400 
pupils, Mary E. Palmer is principal. 

The East ward school, a two-stor^' frame, is the 
oldest school building in the city, erected in 1873-74, 
at a cost of So, 000, and has room for 350 pupils. 
Anna S. Rogers is principal. 

When this building was proposed there was an 
enumeration of scarcely twenty pupils in Hastings, 
and manj- people complained about erecting so large 
an edifice, fearing Hastings would never have need 
of so much school room. At present, with five more 
larger and finer buildings, the capacity- is sadly 
taxed. "Col." Monroe taught the first school at 
Hastings in this building in 1874, 

The South Side school, situated on H Street, be- 
tween St. Joe and Hastings Avenues, was erected in 
1888, and first occupied in the fall and winter of 
that year. It is a conspicious building, two stories 
and basement, with tower, built of brick and well 
finished and furnished. It accommodates 400 
pupils and cost $10,000. 

A sad accident occurred at this school, February 
8, 1889. The teacher. Miss Aldrich, fearing the 
efl'ects of a threatening storm, dismissed the smaller 
pupils, and as they were on the board walk just 
after leaving the school j'ard, the strength of the 
wind raised the walk and turned it over upon them, 
killing John Pauls, a young child, and seriously in- 
juring the teacher and several other pupils. 

Under the able management of General Superin- 
tendent J, B, Molnux, the Hastings City schools 
have risen to a high degree of efficiency. The sys- 
tem of a twelve j-ears' course has been adopted, 
giving four years each to the primary, grammar and 
high school departments; in the high school the 
pupil has choice of two courses of study, designated 
as the classical and scientific. The classical course 
includes such studies as physiology, civil govern- 
ment, general history, algebra, physical geography, 
botany, natural philosophj-, geometry, rhetoric, 
astronomy and Latin, 

The burning of the high school building on No- 
vember 12, 1886, was a great misfortune and caused 



much inconvenience, but in the place of the old 
building was erected, during the summer of 1887, a 
far handsomer and more substantial structure, one 
that would make a creditable showing anywhere. 

The completion of the South Side school build- 
ing, in 1888, gave to the cit^- five buildings, or twen- 
tj--nine rooms devoted to school purposes. These 
edifices are all of brick, except one, and of recent 
construction, except the frame, which will no doubt 
be replaced next year by a good brick of six or eight 
rooms. Hastings will then rejoice in the excellency 
of its school buildings. The public schools are the 
pride of the city, and a great degree of interest is 
constantly manifested. The enumeration of children 
of school age here is 2,400, taught bj- twentj--eight 
teachers, including the superintendent and princi- 
pals. 

Queen City Business College, conducted by J. 
H. Schoonover, was established at Hastings in the 
summer of 1888. It is receiving a generous support, 
and its various courses of studj' embrace such 
branches as are best adapted to fit j'oung men for 
an actual business life. In addition to book-keep- 
ing, penmanship, commercial law, etc. , there is a 
shorthand course under the instruction of Mrs. 
Schoonover, a practical reporter. 

The rooms of this school are located in the Cen- 
tral block, and are commodious, well-fitted and 
furnished. 

A. L. Wigton was one of the first to suggest the 
founding of a college at Hastings. During the 
summer and fall of 1873 steps were taken to have a 
college established here and the movement was en- 
couraged by the Presbytery and Synod; $20,000 
was subscribed in lands and lots, but the grasshop- 
per visitation of 1874-75 delayed the development 
of plans, so that not until 1879 was the project 
placed on a practical footing — the Business Men's 
Association taking the matter in hand. During 
that year the citizens subscribed $50,000 in lands 
and moneys, and arrangments were made for the 
erection of suitable buildings; school rooms were 
opened over the post office. In September, 1882, 
the first session was held. Rev. W. F. Ringland 
was president; Prof. J. M. Wilson had charge of the 
Normal and English classes; Prof. George E. White, 



9 "V^ 




of the Latin and Gieck classes; I'rof. George M. 
Whicher, of natural science and English literature 
class; !Miss Abbie Brewster, of the department of 
modern languages; Jliss Lou Vance, of the art de- 
partment, and John llees, of the musical depart- 
ment. A meeting of the incorporators was held in 
May, 1882. Articles of incorporation were adopted, 
and under their provisions trustees were elected. 

The first officers of the board of trustees were 
J. B. Ileartwell, president; A. L. Wigton, vice- 
l)resident; L. B. Palmer, secretary, and A. L. Clarke, 
treasurer. The executive committee comprised the 
otUcers named, with A. T>. Williams, Samuel Alex- 
ander, O. Oliver, D. Lowman and 0. B. Hewett. 
They were all members of the first board of trustees, 
with J. P. Keruohan, of Grand Island; Dr. Baird, 
of Red Cloud; John Fleming, of Ayr; A. H. Sow- 
ers and W. R. JleCully, of Hastings; A. B. Bj-ram, 
of Edgar, andH. jNL Giltuer, of Aurora. Xo changes 
were made in 1883-84, with the exception of the ap- 
jMintment of Rev. J. L. Lower, financial secretary. 
In 1886 C. P. Webster was appointed treasurer, 
and Samuel Alexander, secretary; G. T. Crissman 
and C. P. Webster were added to the executive 
committee. In 1887-88 the officers of the board 
and examiners of executive committee vrere the 
same as in 1887. 

In 1883 Prof. J. V. Collins was appointed to 
the charge of the department of mathematics and 
physics; Miss ]M. I. Pinsmore, rhetoric and English 
literature; and J. W. Brewster, stenography; Rev. D. 
S. Gregory, Rev. H. D. Ganse, Rev. D. S. Schaff, 
and Rev. C. L. Thompson were the lecturers. The 
register shows 143 members of all classes. In 
1884-85 the faculty named held their respective 
positions, with the adilition of W. E. Andrews, 
professor of Latin and history; L. T. Terry, of 
Greek and German; Miss Florence D. Peterson, of 
elocution, and Mrs. Emma Herron. of vocal music. 
Tiu' lecturers were Rev. Ilerrick Johnson, Re\-. W. 
\V. Il;irsha and Judge 0. B. Hewett. There were 
1(1.') students enrolled in all classes. At the beginning 
of the collegiate j'ear, 18S.")-86, President Ringland 
was professor of mental and moral sciences; George 
M. Whicher, of Greek and German; J. V. Collins, of 
mathematics and physics; Miss Dinsmore.of rhetoric 



and literature; W. E. Andrews, of Latin and history; 
John Rees, of instrumental music; Mrs. W. E. An- 
drews, of vocal music; J. W. Brewster, of stenog- 
raphy, and Miss Ella Cameron, of drawing and 
painting. Rev. George F. JIagoun and J. B. 
Cessna were the lecturers. There were 215 students 
enrolled in all classes. The faculty of 1886-87 
comprised, in addition to that of 1885-86, Prof. 
Harve}' Thompson, natural science department; Rev. 
George T. Crissman, instructor in church history; 
Rev. F. M. Hickok, in ethics and logic; Miss Kid- 
doo, in history and English; Miss Helen M. Cam- 
eron, in drawing and painting, and Mrs. W. E. 
Andrews, in vocal music. O. B. Hewett, C. H. 
Van W^vck (ex.-U. S. Senator), and Rev. E. H. 
Curtis were the lecturers. Two hundred and thirty- 
six students were enrolled in the several classes. 
During the collegiate year of 1887-88, Miss Phil- 
lips was appointed instructor in drawing and 
painting, vice Miss Cameron, while Rev. George 
Williams, of Grand Island, and Rev. C. G. A. Hull- 
horst, of Gibbon, were chosen lecturers. There were 
241 students registered in all classes. There are no 
changes in the faculty recorded in 1889. 

J. H. Hansen donated the twenty acres known 
as the College Campus, while the citizens purchased 
seventj'-five acres and donated the same to the trus- 
tees for college purposes. They also raised $8,000 
for the erection of the first wing building. In July, 
1883, the brick work contract on the McCormick 
Hall was sold to McElHinney & Johnson, the car- 
penter work to Cisney and the plastering to Worline. 
The corner stone was placed July 12, 1883, and the 
house was ready for occupation in September, 1884. 
In October of that year the dedication of the hall to 
collegiate purposes was carried out b}- Re\-. Herrick 
Johnson. The cost of this building was $14,700. 
It was named in honor of the late Cyrus H. McCor- 
mick, whose gift of $5,000 to Hastings College was 
the first gift recei\ed by the Presliyterian Board of 
Aid to Colleges. On the day the building was dedi- 
cated. Cyrus McCormick, Jr., added by telegraph 
an additional gift of $3,000. 

In February, 1884, J. B. Heartwell made a 
proiwsition to the executive committee, that should 
the citizens raise $10,000 he would subscribe 



-A s 



^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



185 



110,000; provided, that $15,000 of the total sum 
would 1)0 de\'otccl to the liuildiug of a second house 
for eolletre jjurposes. The proposition was accept- 
able; but only $9,000 of the $10,000 was sub- 
scrilied and Sir. Heartwell increased his donation to 
§11,000. Work on the second building was at once 
commenced and the whole sum of $20,000 expended 
thereon. In the catalogue for 1S85-SG, the follow- 
ing paragraph is printed: "This building is yet 
without a name. The board of trustees would be 
glad to have some munificent friend of higher edu- 
cation, with $10,000, adopt this finished monument, 
standing by the side of the one erected by Hon. 
Cyrus H. McCormick, and allow the name of the 
donor to fill the conspicuous blank in the picture 
and give name to this nameless building. " 

This building is much larger than the first one 
erected, although it is similar in finish and archi- 
tectural detail, and is occupied as a young ladies' dor- 
mitory. 

The Democrat, of December 27, 1889, referring 
to this institution, says: "It is a matter of great 
encouragement that the gift of $15,000 during the 
past year came from Mrs. Cyrus H. McCormick, of 
Chicago, the widow of that magnificent friend whose 
$8,000 gave the name to McCormick Hall. While 
the citizens of Hastings have been liberal in provid- 
ing for the college, aid to the amount of $33,000 
has come from friends in the east." 

The Athenian Society was organized in 1883, and 
the Whittierean in 1885. The Hastings College 
Journal is puljlished monthl3- bj' the facultj-, while 
The Vidette is published by the students. 

The convent building of the Sisters of the Visi- 
tation was commenced in the spring of 1889, and 
the work completed in December of that year. The 
community was founded in France, about 280 years 
ago, as an order of teachers, and is to-day recog- 
nized as one of the highest educators of women in 
all that conduces to the good of that sex. Some 
time ago it became evident that the community at 
Uttumwa, Iowa, would be compelled to erect new 
convent buildings or establish new houses. Bishop 
Bonacum, learning something of the intentions of 
the sisters, suggested the possibility of an establish- 
ment at Hastings, and on this suggestion the com- 

12 



munitj- acted. A grant of ten acres was promised 
I\V the citizens of Hastings, and more than that in 
an expression of perpetual good will. Thomas E. 
Farrell made the donation of the valuable tract in 
that spirit which he has ever manifested since the 
beginning of the city. The eight propertj- owners 
adjoining the present convent grounds agreed to 
convey to Mr. Farrell a proportionate share in lands 
in lieu of the ten acres convej-ed by him to the sis- 
ters. The agreement was verbal, Mr. Farrell de- 
pending solely on the public spirit and honor of the 
parties thereto. 

The Nebraskan, in noticing the completion of the 
building, says: " It is a building that will stand 
for centuries, a credit to the builders and the city." 
The ground dimensions of the building are 60x184, 
with stone basement, 10 feet high, constructed of 
Colorado granite or sand stone from the Tower 
quarries, laid in random Ashler style. There are 
three stories above the massive foundation, with a 
20-foot attic to be subsequently utilized as another 
story. These walls are constructed of brick. This 
is an $85,000 structure, but good management and 
cash for material and labor brought the actual cost 
down to $52,000. The capacity at present is 140 
boarders. The basement is divided into a large 
number of refectories or dining rooms, lunch rooms, 
kitchen, plaj- and store rooms. On the first floor 
the main part of the building is divided into a com- 
modious sanctuary, with chapel in center and wide 
con-idors. The east wing is called the monaster}-, 
and is especially set apart for the sisters in charge. 
The west wing is the academy for the accommoda- 
tion of students, and the front parlors assigned for 
the reception of visitors. The second floor is divided 
into two large stud}- halls, well lighted, and six 
convenient class rooms. The third floor has three 
large dormitories and five music rooms. It is sup- 
plied with all the modern improvements, without 
which no buildings are complete. Every feature in 
the plan construction is highly creditable to those 
who had part in it. It is a Hastings building in 
almost every particular. C. C. Eittenhouse, a 
Hastings architect, made out the plans and specifica- 
tions (after designs by Kicly of New York), and F. 
IM. Trieh, a Hastings contractor, carried the enter- 



^fv* 



ll£ 



ISO 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



prise through faithful to every detail of good work 
and economy. Col. Hoye, an experienced contrac- 
tor of Chicago, in behalf of the sisters, acted as 
general superintendent. But the supreme control 
and authority in the whole matter was vested in 
Fatiier English, who labored assiduously from the 
beginning, and watched every move in the construc- 
tion. The buildings were opened January 6, 1890. 
On February 5, 1890, the first reception of novices 
was solemnized at the new convent by Bishop 
Hennessy, Miss Mary Poulter, of St. Louis, and 
Miss Mary Donahue, of Philadelphia, being the 
recipients of the habit and veil. 

Masonry in Adams County is coutemporar}- with 
its occupation. The first organization, however, 
only dates back to July, 1873, when the pioneer 
lodge was founded at Juniata. Under date, 
August 14, 1873, a call was extended to all Masons 
in good standing at Hastings and in the neighbor- 
hood, to attend a meeting at E. Steinau's store. 
This call was signed by G. W. Mowerj-, James Cor- 
bin, Sam Sadler, E. Steinau, L. D. Reynolds, L. W. 
Spier, R. V. Shockey, F. S. Wells, W. M. West, 
William L. Smith and L. C. Gould. A lodge was 
at once organized U. D., but not until June, 1874, 
was a charter granted, the number given being 50. 
The first officers were Dr. A. D. Buckworth, W. M. ; 
L. C. Gould, S. W.; R. A. Batty, J. W. ; E. 
Steinau, S. , and C. E. Forgy, T. The lodge held 
its meetings in the school house or I. 0. 0. F. hall 
and in other temporary quarters until the fall of 
1879, when it moved into the second story of the 
first brick block erected in Hastings — the one on 
North Hastings Avenue, which is generally referred 
to as the Masonic Building. This lodge room served 
its purpose until 1887, when the various Masonic 
lodges took possession of their present handsome 
quarters in Masonic Temple. 

The masters and secretaries of the Blue Lodge 
were selected from the charter members for some 
few years. The minute books, so far as reported 
existing, gave up the following names of masters: 
E. Steinau, 1877: G. W. Mowery, 1879; J. J. 
Wemple, 1880; F. J. Benedict, 1881; G. H. Pratt, 
1882; D. M. McElHinney, 1883; Joseph Meyer, 
1884; D. M. McElHinney, 1885; E. C. Webster, 



1880; C. C. Rittenhouse, 1887; W. S. McKinney, 
1888; W. F. Buchanan, 1887. 

Secretaries: J. J. Wemple, 1877; T. J. Pardoe, 
1879; E. Steinau, 1880; J. J. Wemple, 1881; A. 

F. Boston, 1882-83; Claus Fralim, 1884; F. I). 
Taggart, 1885; W. S. McKinney, 1886; W. F. 
Buchanan, 1887; E. N. Winslow, 1888; H. C. 
Armfield, 1889; A. H. Farrens. The membership 
at present is about 150. 

Hastings Chapter No. 21 , R. A. M. , was char- 
tered January 14, 1881, A. I. 2,411, with tlie fol- 
lowing officers: J. J. Wemple, H. P.; Emanuel 
Fist, K.; J. S. Allison, S. ; R. W. Oliver, Treas.; 
William Cline, Sec; J. J. Raymaker, C. of H. ; G. 
J. Evans, Sojr. ; Joseph Meyer, R. A. C. ; Jacob 
Fisher, G. M. 3 V. ; B. F. Rawalt, G. M. 2 V. ; J. 
Yandemark, G. M. 1 Y. and M. L. Alexander. S. 
Since that time the Chapter has been presided over 
bj- John J. Wemple, Emanuel Fist, Joseph S. Alli- 
son, John J. Raymaker, Benjamin F. Rawalt, D. 
M. McElHinney and Edwin C. Webster. C. C. 
Rittenhouse is the present high priest of the Chai> 
ter. The office of secretary has l)een filled b}- W. 
INI. Cline, E. C. Webster, W. S. McKinney and R. 
W. Oliver, while W. S. McKinney is the present in- 
cumbent. There were seventy-four members in Feli- 
ruary, 1890. 

Mt. Nebo Commanderv No. 1 1 , K. T. . was cre- 
ated FelH-uary 22, A. D. , 1881, with the following 
Sir Knights as officers and members: John J. 
Wemple, E. C. ; John J. Ra3'maker, G. ; Joseph S. 
Allison, C. G.; Benjamin F. Rawalt, P.; J. W. 
Small, S. W. ; T. F. Pardoe, J. W. ; Oswald Oliver, 
Rec. ; Robert W. Oliver, Treas.; Morris L. Alexan- 
der, S. B.; E. H. Bartlett, S. B. , and Jacob 
Fisher, W. 

A charter was granted April 27, 1881, to the 
following named members (the officers named were 
elected June 14): John J. Wemple, E. C. ; Joseph 
S. Allison, C. of G. ; John J. Raymaker, G. ; Ben- 
jamin F. Rawalt, P.; J. W. Small, S. W. ; W. H. 
Lanning, J. W. ; R. W. Oliver, T. ; Oswald Oliver, 
M. L. Alexander, St. B. ; George H. Bott, Jacob 
Fisher, W.; J. G. Hayzlett, E. H. Bartlett, S. B. ; 
W. M. Cline, C. of G. ; Jacob Miller, J. A. TuUeys, 

G. M. 3 V. ; Fred J. Benedict, J. J. Wagen, G. M. 



^: 



±Lii 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



187 



2 Y. ; Charles Cameron, C. K. Lawson, A. L. Webb, 
Ilenrv (liliboii. G. M. 1 Y. ; Paul Kulmuek, K. E. 
15( >riiey. 

The fi)llowing is a list of past eminent com- 
manders: John J. Womple, Benjamin F. Rawalt, 
Jacob Fisher and Fred J. Benedict. The past 
recorders are named as follows: Oswald Oliver, 
Charles C. Rittenhouse, William F. Buchanan, 
Joseph R. Sims. The Commandery now claims 
seventy-nine members. 

Fidueia Lodge of Perfection No. 3, A. and A. 
S. R., was founded October G, 1883, and chartered 
December 20, that year, with twenty members. To 
the original roll thirteen members were added, and of 
the total, thirty-three, there are twenty-two members 
now Ijelonging. The masters of the lodge have 
been Benjamin F. Rawalt, 33°, John J. Wemple, 
32°, and Francis Naulteus, 32°. William F. 
Schultheis, 32°, was the first secretarj', succeeded 
by Edwin C. Webster, 33°. 

Hastings Council No. 8, R. and S. M., was 
chartered by the Grand Council, December 13, 
1887, with twenty-seven members, namelj': C. L. 
Alexander, M. L. Alexander, W. F. Buchanan, F. 
J. Benedict, W. M. Cline, Emanuel Fist, Jacob 
Fisher, C. K. Lawson, B. S. Morrill, D. M. McEl- 
Hinnej', W. S. McKinnej-, James C. McNaughton, 
Francis Naulteus, R. W. Oliver, G. H. Pratt, B. F. 
Rawalt, C. C. Rittenhouse, E. H. Reed, F. J. 
Schaufelberger, Levi Stone, J. R. Sims, J. H. 
Scales, J. J. Wemple, E. C. Webster, J. B. Web- 
ster, E. H. Bartlett and E. C. Sawyer. E. C. Web- 
ster was the first T. I. master, succeeded by C. C. 
Rittenhouse. W. S. McKinney has held the posi- 
tion of secretary since the organization of the Coun- 
cil. This Masonic bod}' comprises thirty-two mem- 
bers. The triennial election, held in January, 1890, 
resulted in the choice of D. M. McElHinney, 32°, 
V. M.; N. B. Yineyard, 32°, S. W. ; Morris Alex- 
ander, 32°,. J. W.; Edwin Winslow, 14°, T. ; E. "C. 
Webster, 33°, Sec; Charles D. L. :\roore, 32°, O. ; 
F. Naulteus, 32°, A.; C. L. Alexander, 32°, D. E. ; 
F. D. Taggart, 14°, J. E.; W. F. Buchanan, 32°, 
M. of C. , and R. W. Oliver, 32°, T. 

The corner stone of the Masonic Temple was 
placed with due ceremony September IG, 1886, 



by P. G. W. M. J. J. Wemple and the grand offi- 
cers. The building has a frontage of G6 feet on 
Second Street, and a depth of 110 feet. It is G5 
feet in height, constructed of pressed brick with 
iron trimmings. The floor is divided into three 
store rooms, which run the entire length of the build- 
ing. The east room is a large double store room, 
30x110 feet in size, with receding triple front of 
plate glass. The other two store rooms are 18x110 
feet, and are also supplied with elegant plate glass 
fronts. Between the doulile store room and the one 
adjacent is located the wide entrance to the stair- 
way which leads to the Masonic rooms in the second 
story— a reception room 20x34 feet, a hall 22x33, 
the banquet hall, the main hall — a room 40x60 in 
size, with a Gothic cathedral ceiling 32 feet high in 
the center. A number of armories and closets are 
connected with this main hall. The entire building 
is arranged with especial reference to the needs of 
the five Masonic organizations. 

Hastings Lodge No. 50, I. 0. 0. F. , was or- 
ganized August 13, 1874, with F. Forcht, N. G. ; 
Alfred Berg, Y. G. ; Benjamin E. Bo3-er, Rec. Sec; 
C. M. Wright, Treas. ; Melville Griffith, W. ; D. W. 
Dalton, C; G. E. Grant, R. S. N. G.; J. T. Ross, 
R. S. Y. G. , and C. B. Sperry, O. G. Among the 
charter members was R. A. Batty. Within a short 
time the names of J. B. Heartwell, James McWade, 
J. H. Fleming, N. L. Jorgenson, J. F. Hiler, D. 
M. McElHinney, E. C. Webster, W. W. Brown, A. 
L. Wigton, S. M. Clark, C. C. Rittenhouse, L. A. 
Royce and E. C. O'Donal appear on the roll. The 
lodge held its first meetings in the East ward 
school house, and afterward in a frame building 
on Second Street, between Hastings and Denver 
Avenues, moving in 1880 into new quarters in the 
old Masonic building on North Hastings Avenue. 
In 1884 it built and occupied a fine two-stor}- block 
of its own on Lincoln Avenue. In November, 1887, 
the civil suit to test the legality of taxing the prop- 
erty of benevolent associations was brought by this 
lodge before Judge Gaslin. The judge decided that 
the rooms leased for liusiness purposes were under 
the law taxable property, while the lodge rooms 
were exempt. 

Hastings Lodge No. 28, K. of P. , is the pioneer 



188 



HISTORY OF NEBllAt^KA. 



of P_ytliiaiiism in this section of Nebraska. Al- 
tliougli it was established here when the Masons and 
Oddfellows liad ol)tained all the prestige of numbers 
and experience in work, Lodge No. 28 won popu- 
larity promptly, and is to-day one of the most im- 
portant local organizations in the State. There are 
now (January, 1800) 120 members reported, among 
whom are the following named officials: A. J. Nowlan, 

C. C. ; E. N. Thacker, V. C. ; Chris Hoeppner, P. ; 
W. W. Johnson, K. of R. and S. ; A. T. Bratton, 
M. A.; L. B. Partridge, M. of E. ; J. L. Kehm, M. 
of F. 

Teutonia Lodge No. 55, K. of P. , was organized 
July 1, 1886, by John M. Dugan, with L. Hahn, 
P. G. C; S. Sehwaibold, G. C. ; Samuel Ilirscli, V. 
G. C. ; Otto Arnold, P. ; Dr. F. Naulteus, Treas. ; 
John H. Yager, O. G. , and F. Brenningsen, I. G. 
The members fonnerly belonged to Hastings Lodge 
No. 28, but detached themselves, owing to a desire 
to have an exclusive German lodge. 

Uniform Rank No. 4, K. of P., was instituted 
Maj' 21 , 1SS5, with the following named members: 
James Walling, W. H. Lynn, George Delagneau 
George W. Spicknall, W. A. Dil worth, John M. 
Dugan, D. A. Guldiu, Chris Paulick, Samuel Hirsch, 
0. H. McNeil, J. H. Clark, B. F. Leed, W. H. 
Dodd, R. B. Wahlquist, C. B. Wahlquist, R. A. 
Boyd, George C. Dade, Frank Stine, W. H. Bald- 
win, S. Sehwaibold, J. E. Gant, M. M. McGrew, J. 

D. Craus, W. H. Harvey, D. J. Berry, A. Yeazel, 
H. L. Edwards, Jacob Thomas, J. C. Williams, J. 
F. Ballinger, W. F. Schultheis, Francis Naulteus, 
Alfred Naulteus, Charles F. Barly, George E. Ford 
and Frank Barclaj-. The first commander was 
John M. Dugan. W. A. Dilworth succeeded him; 
subsequentl}- Stephen Sehwaibold was elected, and in 
1888, Ed. N. Thacker was chosen to fill that 
position. 

The first recorder was George W. Spicknall. 
George Delagneau and Chris Hoeppuer followed, and 
in 1889 W. S. McKinney was elected recorder. 

The roll of active members of this branch of 
Pythianism contains thirty names. The division is 
credited with being the best equipped and drilled in 
Nebraska. At the second last meeting of the Grand 
Lodge the first State prize was awarded to Rank No. 



4, and to the commander was given the prize for 
being the best drilled captain on the grounds. 

The Pythian sisterhood was organized in May, 
1889, with Mrs. John Harris, Mrs. W. Dilworth, 
Mrs. George Tyler, Jlrs. Curt. Alexander, Jlrs. D. 
Guldin, Mrs. Ed. Thacker, Jlrs. S. Sehwaibold, 
Mrs. D. Barlass, Mrs. Mel. Teunant, Mrs. Joe. Wil- 
liams, Mrs. Arthur Allyn and Miss Anna Breed, 
officials. The officers chosen in December, 1889, 
are named as follows in the order of rank: Mrs. Ed. 
Lewis, Mrs. W. A. Dilworth, Mrs. George Tyler, 
IMrs. Chris Hoeppner, Miss Ida Kay, Mrs. A. E. 
Allyn, Mrs. D. A. Guldin, Mrs. E. N. Thacker, 
Mrs. S. Sehwaibold, Miss Grace Phillips, Mrs. Mel. 
Tennant, Miss Lena Sehwaibold. 

Hastings Lodge No. 43, A. 0. U. W. , was or- 
ganized June 11, 1884, with the following named 
members: Dr. H. P. Fitch, Charles Kelsey, S. C. 
Heacox, E. C. Webster, J. B. Webster, Dr. A. R. 
Van Sickle, William F. Bybee, W. T. J. Comley, F. 
C. Mastin, C. K. Lawson, Jacol) Wooster,G. A. Wig- 
ton, A. L. Wigton, J. W. Wigton, B. F. Rawalt, 
A. H. Brown, M. VanFleet and F. E. Waters. 

In December, 1886, P. C. Mastin was chosen M. 
W.; A. H. Brown, F. ; 0. G. Johnson, O. ; A. P. 
Brown, R. ; L. M. Campbell, Fin. ; C. K. Lawson, 
R. ; L. B. Palmer, G. ; E. E. Todd, 0. W. ; A. J. 
Millett, I. W. ; A. R. Van Sickle and H. P. Fitch, 
medical examiners. 

The officers of Lodge No. 43, in 1889, were Ed. 
Jones, M. W.; F. C. Mastin, F.; E. E. Todd, O.; G. 
A. Wigton, R.; S. C. Heacox, F. ; J. W. Wigton R. ; 
J. P. Roberts, G. ; J. W. Fawthrop, 0. W. , and H. 
E. Hoklas, I. W. In December, 1889, there were 
fifty-two members reported. 

A lodge of I. 0. G. T., No. 223, was organized 
January 17, 1880, with 135 members. The official 
list is as follows, the order of lodge rank being ob- 
served — August Poole, L. M. Tanner, J. E. Rock- 
wood, L. B. Palmer, S. P. Tuttle, L. P. Hawley, H. 
T. Lee, H. Poole, E. K. Wemple, L. Ulmer, H. M. 
Poole, E. Parker, S. Hayzlett, L. F. Gould and A. 
H. Bowen. In 1882 this lodge still held a mem- 
bership of 107, and on January 19 that year enter- 
tained the Grand Lodge. 

Queen City Lodge No. 140, 1. O. (i. T.. was or- 



V 



V 



•k. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



189 



ganlzed February 20, 188G, with the following named 
officers in the order of rank: B. F. Kimball, L. B. 
Palmer, John Cawthorn, Elsie M. Palmer, Alice 
Koch, O. G. Goodwin, Cora Gowdy, James Hester, 
Rose Koch, 

In April, 1876, the Hastings Grange 456 adopted 
a resolution pledging the members to use all means 
to discourage intemperance. 

Hastings Camp No, 277, M, W. A. (Woodmen), 
was re-organized June 5, 1880, with J. C. Ideson, 
T. F. Pierce, F. . A. Watkins, E. 0. Churchill, K, 
Stewart, P. A. Stewart, S. J. Weigel and George 
Woods. By the close of the jear there were over 
sixty members enrolled. In Januar}-, 1890, the 
following named officers were chosen: Dr. L. F. 
Britt, Jacob Wooster, Wes. Montgomery, George 
Wigton, F. VauHorn, F. M. Michael, E. J. Parker, 
I. G. S. Clelaud and E. H. Manchester. 

The old camp of Modern Woodmen was organ- 
ized November 29, 1886, with J. F. Ballinger, C. ; 
Wes. Montgomery, A. ; A. S. Rohrer, C. ; J. H. 
Haney, B. ; W. H. Lynn, P.; Fred Renner, W. E. ; 
W. S. McKinney, W.; William A- Dilworth, S. ; 
E. H. IManchester, A. E. Allyn and W. A. Dil- 
worth, jMgrs. 

The A. 0. H. (Ancient Order of Hibernians) is 
a strong organization here. 

The G. A. R. Post of Hastings is given in the 
military chapter. Silas A. Strickland W. R. C, 
No. 9, was organized February 23, 1884, with Mrs. 
E. O. Dilworth, Pres. ; Mrs. Julia S. Bowen, V. P. ; 
Mrs. Mary L. Garison, J. V. P.; Mrs. Jane Har- 
loecker. Sec; Mrs. Agnes A. Hurd, Treas. ; Mrs. 
Katie Judd, Chap.; Mrs. Emily Stoelting, Con. and 
Mrs. Mary Gould, G. 

The efficers of the W. R. C. installed in Janu- 
ary, 1886, were Mrs. A. D. Taggart, Pres. ; Mrs. 
B. F. Smith, Angle Holman, Mrs. H. Zimmer, 
Mrs. A. H. Brown, Mrs. C. Dominic, Mrs. A. 
Boyd, Mrs. A. A. Adams, Mrs. Calahan and Mrs. 
J. E. Hutchinson, in the order of rank. On Decem- 
l)er 12, 1889, the following named officers were 
chosen: Mrs. A. H. Brown. Pres.; Mrs. J. M. 
Boyd, 3Irs. I. W. Cramer, Mrs. J. T. Dowd, Mrs. 
Jane Doty, Mrs. F. Dalby, Mrs. C. Dominic, Mrs. 
Gouldsbury, Mrs, Will Dilworth, Mrs. F. Dalby and 



Mrs. Jane Doty; :Miss Delia Brown, :Mrs. D. M. 
Leland and Jlrs. Dr. Howard, alternates to depart- 
ment convention. 

Strickland Camp No. 20, Sons of ^'eterans, was 
organized at Hastings, January 8, 1887, with L. C. 
Bartlett, Capt. ; C. Burggraf and C. A. Gardner, 
Lieuts. ; R. A. Bruce and A. H. Bowen, Jr. , 
Sergts. ; Ross Dalby, Chap.; W. Yager, Col. Sergt.; 
J. B. Koch, Joe Alexander, H. K. Snively, J. M. 
Boyd, J. V. Snively, E. Carkins and F. C. Bassett, 
junior officers. 

In November, 1889, W. C. Faye, of Chicago, 
district president of the Patriotic Order Sons of 
America, visited Hastings with the object of organ- 
izing a camp and making Hastings the head-quarters 
of the order for five western States. Whether defeat 
or success waited on his proposition is unknown. 

The Union Club of Hastings was organized Feb- 
ruary 18, 1889, for the purpose of maintaining a 
social business club, reading rooms, recreation 
rooms, and particularly, for the promotion of the 
business interests of Hastings. The capital stock 
was placed at $2,500, divided into 250 shares of 
$10 each, and the fifth article provided for com- 
mencing business on February 15, 1889. The con- 
stitution of this organization bears 108 signatures. 
As the present list of membership encloses nearly 
all the best citizens, it is given as follows vice the 
list of charter members: A. E. Allyn, M. L. Alex- 
ander, F. J. Benedict, R. A. Barr, William R. Bur- 
ton, H. Bostwick, A. T. Boston, W. E. Barnes, J. 
F. Ballinger, D. L. Barlass, F. C. Babcock, A. F. 
Bratton, B. Brown, E. J. Bloom, B. Bernhardt, A. 
L. Clarke, J. A. Casto, J. Cherry, J. Conoughy, J. 

D. Crosthwait, J. B. Cessna, L. J. Capps. W. A. 
Chapman, B. Cramer, Archie S. Campbell, C. J. 
Dilworth, W. A. Dilworth, B. F. Denham, C. H. 
Deitrich, J. B. Dallas, W. H. Dillon, W. M. Dutton, 
George Douglass, W. W. Dwight, W. C. Donagh}-, 
N. F. Damron, M. L. Elsemore, G. J. Evans, H. 
L. Edwards, D. T. Evans, W. L. EUedge, Thomas 

E. Farrell, A. H. Farrens, W. J. Falk, J. M. Fergu- 
son, F. H. Firmiu, H. A. Fjler, L. H. Guernsej-, 
J. E. Gant, H. C. Haverly, 0. B. Hewett, Thomas 
C. Hurst, C. E. Higinbotham, J. C. Ideson, W. W. 
Johnson, George B. Johnson, J. C. Kuney, George 



V 



<^^ 



190 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



A. Koiil. 11. B. Knowlton, J. C. Kay, Ezra Laii- 
gevin, J. N. Lyman, W. M. Lowman, W. H. Lynn, 
C. K. Lawson, J. J. Lyon, W. V. IMcCleaiy, J. 
Musselman. W. A. .AIcKuy, Ed. E. .Mcnitt, J. D. 
Mines. W. L. Marshall, F. C. Mastin, J. H. Milk-r, 
fi. H. .AlfLaughlin. S. J. Mattocks, A. J. Nowlan, 
(). Oliver, G. H. Pratt, F. L. Pearl, C. H. Paul, J. 
W. Pickens, W. H. Payne, P. H. Passey, L. B. 
Partridge. J. D. Riley, J. F. Riley, S. P. Rounds, 
U. S. Rohrer, E. H. Reed, C. L. Rose, J. C. 
Stevens, H. E. Schaufelberger, O. G. Smith, C. L. 
Stone, Nate Stone, J. R. Sims, W. B. Sheldon, S. 
M. Thompson, George B. Tyler, (). D. Thatcher, 
M. F. Trich, A. R. Van Sickle, M. A'an Vleet, W. 
M. Vastine, A. Veith, R. B. Wahbiuist, E. C. 
Webster, J. W. Wigton, George F. Wilkin, C. M. 
Weiss, J. C. Williams, George Wood and C. B. 
Wahlquist. 

On Februar\- 15, 1889, Messrs. ELsemore, Rile3' 
and Webster were appointed a committee to obtain 
signatures to articles of association. G. J. Evans, 
J. W. Pickens, M. L. Elsemore, T. J. Benedict, R. 
A. Barr, J. A. Casto, J. D. Riley, W. H. Lynn 
and E. C. Webster were chosen directors. Three 
dajs later F. J. Benedict was chosen president; G. 
J. Evans, vice-president; John Rilej', treasurer, and 
J. W. Pickens, secretary. Blessrs. Casto, Lynn 
and Webster were appointed auditors. In June the 
present club-rooms were rented, furnished and dedi- 
cated. 

The Bachelors' Club of Hastings, organized in 
November, 1881, with forty members, adopted the 
motto, Carpe dkm. The president was W. H. Lan- 
mng; the vice-president, R. A. Batty; secretary, G. 
J. Evans, and treasurer, E. Steinau. 

The Germania Club was organized in September, 
1885, with William Breed, president; A. S. Yetter, 
vice-president; John G. Burkhardt, secretary; Leo- 
pold Hahn, treasurer, and Messrs. Padee, Schwai- 
bold and Landman, trustees. Liberal Hall was 
leased bj' the Germania Society in Jaimary, 1886, 
and named Germania Hall. 

The Republican "N^alley and Central Nebraska St. 
Andrew's Society held the third annual meeting at 
the Lepiii House in December, 1883. H. Steven- 
son, of Inavale, was chosen president; John Allan, 



of Grand Island, V. P.; Peter Fowl ie, of Hastings, 
Sec.; A. Richmond, Treas. ; Dr. Cook, Phys. ; John 
Jackson, P.; Andrew Cosh, of Grand Island; G. A. 
Kent, of Hastings; James Ewing, of Wood River, 
and John Mitchell, of Riverton, directors. 

Camp No, 1. Patriotic Sons of America, was or- 
ganized Januar}' 9, 1890, with thirty members. 
The first officers were T. M. Clark, Past Pres. ; F. 
C. Mastin, Pres.; R. J. Irwin, V. P.; C. L. Wat- 
kins, Sec; Joseph James, M. F. ; H. G. Knights. 
C. of C; R. C. Corey, Treas.; J. M. Houseman, 
S. E. 

The Hastings Lj'ceum, temi)orarily organized in 
the winter of 1872-73, perfected organization in No- 
vember, 1874, Thomas E. Farrell presiding. The 
election of officers resulted in the choice of W. A. 
Smith for president; Mrs. A. A. White for vice- 
president; Mrs. W. W. Wilcox, secretary, and J. J. 
Roehford, treasurer. 

The Ladies Quaitette was organized in Novem- 
ber, 1889. The Quartette is composed of Mrs. 
William Lowman, Misses Mamie Kerr, Freda Wahl- 
quist and Zora 'Harlocker, with Miss Helen Officer 
as pianist. 

The Apollo Club was organized in the fall of 
1889, with the following named officers: Dr. 
Waters, president; 0. H. Gordon, business manager; 
0. F. Farnham, secretary and treasurer; T. L. Bul- 
ger, musical director, and has sixteen active mem- 
bers. Miss Maria Kerr is pianist, with 3Iiss Floy 
Work as assistant pianist. The first club concert 
was given December 30, 1889. Harrison M. Wild, 
the celebrated pianist, and Jliss Golda Breedlove, 
the leading soprano, made their first appearance 
here, the Ladies' Quartette and the Apollo Club ap- 
pearing. 

Prof. Rees' orchestra as organized in December, 
1889, comprised John Rees, director and first violin; 
Benjamin Urquhart, second violin; Gustav Binderup. 
cello; William Rees, bass; Dr. F. C. Babcock, first 
clarionet; Will Sherard, second clarionet; Charles 
Schaufelberger, first cornet; H. H. Williams, second 
cornet; Fred Taggart, trombone; Ben Boyd nnd 
Arlie Gardner, drums. 

The female cornet band is one of the latest 
musical organizations. 



-^ g) 



lL^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



191 



The Hastings Base Ball Association was or- 
ganized June 23, 1880, with C. H. Paul, presi- 
dent; John Stabler, vice-president; George T. Wil- 
liams, secretarj-; S. D. Tussey, treasurer; J. D. 
Crosthwaite, captain; Edwin Boelich, umpire, and 
John Ballard, scorer. The team in harness at this 
time comprised these players : G. J. Evans,* H. S. 
:\Iulford, J. D. Crosthwaite, Frank Stine, 0. F. 
Lambertson, J. J. Cline,* J. A. Dallas,* E. Horsey 
and Frank Miner. The Hastings Base Ball club 
was admitted to membership in the Western League 
February 1, 1886, the certificate being issued by E. 

E. Murphy. 

Two lawn tennis clubs are in existence. The 
Queen QX1\ Tennis club has three excellent courts in 
the vacant block south of the high school building. 
The Outing Club has two courts at the Athletic 
grounds near the college. Among those men whose 
expertness has placed them in the front rank, are 0. 
G. Smith, G. H. Pratt, H. W. Main, S. J. Mai. 
tocks, Bedford Rrown, Frank Pearl, P. L. John- 
son, Harry Armfleld, J. B. McLaughlin, Charles 
Heartwell, Thomas Frahra. Harry Dungan, O. H. 
Gordon, Frank Babcock, O. Oliver and George Wil- 
kins. Among the ladies may be named Mrs. H. W. 
]\Iain, Mrs. 0. Oliver, ]Mrs. 0. G. Smith, i\Irs. 
George Pratt, Misses flattie Johnson, Helen Officer, 
Addie and Fannie Shedd and Ada Nowlan. 

The Young Men's Christian Association was or- 
ganized May 12, 1881, with the following named 
members: J. B. Heartwell, L. M. Campbell, Rev. 
D. S. Schaflf, 0. B. Hewitt, John Reese, J. W. Wig- 
ton, George Wigton, W. Snook, L. A. Roj-ce, Doris 
Lowman, A. P. Green, L. B. Palmer, Rev. J. D. 
Stewart, George F. Work, W. E. Ullmer, E. C. 
Webster, Frank Haynes, N. V. Stine, E. B. Steven- 
son, A. L. Work, J. J. Wemple, W. F. J. Comley, 
D. P. Grew, C. J. Work, 0. C. Hubble, L. H. Felt, 
Samuel Alexander, C. J. Doris, A. Anderson, C. F. 
Roj'ce, Rev. J. H. Nise, W. Bates, George B. John- 
son and William Brock. 

The Y. M. C. A. building was dedicated Novem- 
ber 13, 1885. The house cost $5,000, and was 
Iniilt under direction of Samuel Alexander, George 

F. Work and L. M. Campbell. It is the first build- 
* Now here. 



ing erected in the State exclusively for Association 
purposes. Here, on Novemljer 20, that j'car, a con- 
vention of the State Association assembled. The 
building was exchanged in 1889 for the old Presby- 
terian Church house. 

The presidents of the Association are named as 
follows: J. B. Heartwell, 1881; 0. C. Hubble, 
1882-83; George F. Work, 1884-85; L. B. Palmer. 
188G-87; G. M. Gillan, 1888, succeeded shortly by D. 
W. Palmer. Mr. Palmer was chosen in 1889, and 
is the present president. The general secretary 
serving in 1885 for six months was Mr. Baker; 0. 
F. Purdy and C. L. Kirk, in 1886, each for six 
months; Charles Kelsey, for a short time. In Feli- 
ruary, 1887, J. L. Ogden was elected, and is the 
present secretary. The present number of members 
is 147. 

The Benevolent Union was organized April 24, 
1885, with a capital of $100,000. D. M. McEl- 
Heuney was president; Charles H. Deiti'ich, vice- 
president; A. L. Wigton, secretary; Samuel Alex- 
ander, treasurer; Dr. L. Lodd, treasurer, and J. A. 
Casto, attornej'. The board of directors comprised 
A. H. Cramer, M. L. Alexander, Jacob Fisher, 
Thomas E. Farrell and the first named officers. 

The Benevolent Union Life Insurance Company, 
of Hastings, was organized in April, 1885. During 
the first years $1,250,000 insurance was taken, at a 
cost of $2 per $1 ,000. 

The Hastings Typographical Union was presided 
over in 1889 by R. E. Rrown, with Ed. N. Thacker, 
V. P.; J. H, Bassett, Rec; J. W. L. 3Iiller, F. S. ; 
F. F. Palmer, Treas. , and Charles H. Taylor, S. at 
A. The executive committee composed S. W. Mc- 
Afee, F. W. Cooley and T. F. Sturgess. 

The Gazette-Journal Band, as constituted in 1889, 
was under the leadership of Prof. F. W. White. J. 
W. Wigton was treasurer; J. H. Bassett, secretary-; 
jMessrs. McElroy, Wigton and Thacker, executive 
committee. The members of the band were G. B. 
McElroy, Al. Boyd, F. W. Cooley, John Beardsley. 
C. F. Royce, S. W. McAfee, J. H. Bassett, T. F. 
Sturgess, George C. Hensman, Fred Taggart, J. W. 
Wigton, Ed. N. Thacker, B. H. Bowen, D. T. 
Evans, Samuel Payne and C. H. Taylor. 

The Hastings Auxiliary Society of the Home for 



-^^ 



It):: 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



tlie Fricntlless completed organization in May, 1885, 
witii Mrs. 0. B. Hewett, president; Mesdaines J. C. 
Webljer, L. Lamer, A. J. Millett and E. II. Reed, 
vice-presidents; Sirs. M. 31. Micliael, con-espondent; 
Mrs. J. D. Stewart, recorder, and Mesdames J. A. 
Gallagher, J. P. Todd, H. P. Fitch, N. C. Baxter 
and Orrin Thatcher, directors. 

A society to help bo^-s was organized in August, 
1886, with Mrs. C. J. Todd, president; Mrs. H. L. 
Edwards, vice-president; Mrs. Clemens, secretar}^; 
Mrs. A. E. AUyn, recorder, and Mrs. M. L. Averill, 
treasurer. 

The Hastings Hospital Association, organized 
during the winter of 1887-88, elected ti-ustees in 
January of the latter j'ear. The members of the 
society included Mesdames J. M. Ragan, A. D. Yo- 
cum, Gillman, Douthett, Tomlinson, Nowlan, Bost> 
wick, Oliver, H. C. Oliver, Fyler, Pratt, Firmin, 
Campbell, Kirby, Fuller, Benedict, Cronkhite, Hal- 
derman, Frahm, Hollingsworth, Rice, Lumbard, 
Main, Burger, G. Burger, Smith, McDonald, Wing, 
Tusse}-, Webster, Barnes, BIcKinne}^, Brown, Hol- 
man, Cessna, Rose, Stone, Lepin, Stern, Fisher, 
Lindsay, Sims, Schwaibold, Unna, Leland, Hirsch, 
Edwards, Dilworth, E. 0. Dil worth, F. M. Lyman, 
Shedd, Loeb, Clarke, Hartwell, Phillips, Pearl, 
Lanning, Reed, Farrell, J. De Rocher, Miss M. 
Jones, Messrs. Clj'de, Sewell, Kerr, Kent, Hamp- 
shire and Cameron. 

The board of managers for 1890 consists of the 
following: Mesdames Stone, Bostwick, Reed, Barr, 
Ragan, Frahm, Kirby, Smith, Shedd, Pearl, Moriar- 
it}-, Main, Loeb, Rosenfeld, Fuller and Miss Mar- 
geret Jones. The following officers for the j'ear 
were elected in January: Blrs. J. M. Ragan, presi- 
dent; Mrs. W. H. Main, vice-president; Mrs. 0. G. 
Smith, secretary; Mrs. Claus Frahm, treasurer. 

The Hastings Trotting Association was organ- 
ized in February, 1886, with C. K. Lawson, presi- 
dent; Leopold Hahn, vice-president; A. L. Clarke, 
treasurer; F. J. Benedict, S. J. Weigle and L. 
Hahn, executive committee. 

The Hastings Driving Park Association was or- 
ganized December 12, 1889. A temporary organ- 
ization was effected by the election of A. L. Clarke, 
president; W. P. 3IcCreary, secretarj', and Fred 



Blake, treasiuvr. It was agreed to organize witii 
a capital stock of $5,000, with the privilege of 
increasing it to $10,000, if necessary. The stock is 
to be divided into shares of $25 each. The object 
of this organization is to construct a mile ti'ack, 
erect the necessar3" buildings, and then foster the 
growing of thoroughbred horses. 

The Hastings Cemetery Association was organ- 
ized January 19, 1886, and the following named 
trustees elected: O. B. Hewett, A. L. Clarke, S. 
Alexander, Davis Lowman, F. H. Firmin, T. E. 
Farrell, Jacob Fisher, D. M. McElHinney and J. B. 
Heartwell. The clerk appointed was S. Alexander. 

The Mt. Sinai Cemetery Association was organ- 
ized January 24, 1886, with J. C. Rosenfeld, presi- 
dent; Emanuel Fist, vice-president; J. Mitchell, sec- 
retarj'; M. Stern, treasurer; Aaron May, L. Stone 
and Samuel Hirsch, trustees. 

The solid brick and stone business blocks which 
have been partially or wholly completed in Hastings 
during the year ending March, 1888, may be 
summed up as follows, the property of those persons 
or corporations named: J. W. Davis' block, 
$35,000; Weingart block, $28,000; Stern block, 
$7,000; Hastings Building Association, $20,000; 
Mrs, Mow, $10,000; Bostwick, Shellak and Cramer 
block, $36,000; J. F. Ballinger, $3,500; Mrs. Lee, 
$3,500; ]Mr. Fawthrop, $3,500; Electric Light build- 
ing, $4,000; Jacob Wooster, $1,500: Lincoln 
Avenue Building Association, $40,000; Enterprise 
Building Association: $40,000; Henry Shedd and C. 
L. Jones, $20,000; A. W, Binderup & Dyer Bros., 
$16,000; S. C. Dilley, $7,500; Xatatorium, $5,000; 
new High School building, $25,500; street car 
stables, $3,500; Masonic Temple, $30,000; West 
ward school building, $18,000; addition to South 
ward school building, $5,000; J. E. Gant's "Ter- 
race Row," $25,000; total for brick buildings, 
$354,000. The general improvements comprise: 
For residences, $500,000; for improvements on 
residences, $125,000; city water works, $85,000; 
for water works in private residences, $28,000; for 
lumber for culverts and crossings, $1,500; for 
bridges and culverts, $5,795; labor on streets, grad- 
ing, etc., $3,204; electric light plant. $20,000; side- 
walks, $3,100; street car lines and eciuipments. 



■.^ 



jj^ 



ADAMS ■ COUNTY. 



193 



$100,000; improvements on gas works and exten- 
sion of gas mains, $12,000; Cliicago & Northwestern, 
new track, depot, switclies, etc., $150,000; Burling- 
ton & Missouri Railroad, new switches, sheds, etc. , 
$75,000; total general improvements, $1,105,596. 

The Presb\-terian Church asj-lum for the incur- 
alile insane, the court house and the convent of the 
Sisters of the Visitation are the great buildings of 
1889 — the greatest in Nebraska outside of Omaha 
and Lincoln. 

In the original bill of appropriation for the State 
Insane Asylum at Hastings in 1887 a mistake of 
$74,925 was made in engrossing it. The bill as 
passed showed only $75 as the total appropriation. 
Of coui'se, the error was corrected at the next ses- 



sion, and the work of building entered upon. The 
first occupation of the as3-lum was made August 1 , 
1889, when forty incurable insane were brought 
hither from Lincoln. The ofHeers of the institution 
are Dr. M. W. Stone, superintendent; Dr. F. F. 
Test, hospital physician; J. W. Liveringhouse, 
steward; Mrs. Helen Slater, matron, and H. O. 
Beatty, accountant. The building was designed liy 
C. C. Rittenhouse, is of three stories 112x176, with 
wiugs 156 feet each. There are now 131 patients 
in the institution. The officials have proven them- 
selves well worth J- of their responsible positions, and 
all that can be criticised is the poor material used in 
the construction of the building. Already several 
repairs have been made, and many more are needed. 



^1 








r 



Iil4 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XYIII. 



H*l- 



TowNs Outside of Hastings — Juniata's Histouy — As the Old County Seat — Development— Pkksknt In- 

TEUESTs— Representative Citizens — Sicetcii of Kenesaw and Vicinity — Its Founding and Scbse- 

(jncNT Growth— Some First Things — Ayr Village — Hansen — Millington — Roseland— JIay- 

FLOWEU — HOLSTEIN — OTHER CENTERS OF COMMERPIAL NoTE — INLAND — LUDLOW. 




,'i^ 



The constant tenor of thoir wcU-spont days 
No less deserved a just return of praise. — Pope. 



\ 



T Juuiata was established 
the first village within 
,, Adams Couuty. It is true 
that Inland was surveyed 
before Juniata; but the 
i'^ plat was vacated and the 
oflC^ name given to another tract 
of prairie in Clay County , leaving the 
tirst seat of justice the honor of being 
tlie pioneer of Adams County villages. 
Early in 1871 a number of citizens 
of ^lichigan immigrated to this point 
on the suggestion of Samuel L. Bras" 
and A. H. Bowen. Within a few months 
about 100 families, some of whom were 
pioneers of Michigan, came in. The conditions 
which marlved their early life amid the oak open- 
ings or pine woods of the fair peninsula were not 
found here. The lieautif ul prairie waited for its de- 
velopment by them. The great animals, which 
hitherto roamed at will, appeared singly or in groups 
to look with surprise on the latest addition to the 
invaders, an-' the Indians came hither to view them 
and ponder on the change. John and Isaac Stark 
and Titus and C. C. Babcock entered the section 
which was surveyed into lots, as shown in the chap- 
ter on the settlement of the county. 

Tlie town f)f Juniata was sur^^eyed and platted 
in November, 1871, for Cliarles F. Morse, by An- 



selmo B. Smith, survejor. on a part of the east half 
of northeast quarter, and a part of the east half of 
southwest quarter, and the west part of the southeast 
quarter, and the west part of the northeast quarter of 
Section 12, Township 7, Range 11, embracing 322-^ 
acres. South Street forms the south line of the 
town, with streets First to Tenth inclusive running 
parallel. South and North Depot Streets along the 
railroad, and Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth 
Streets running due east and west, north of railroad. 
The avenues running north and south, beginning 
160 feet east of west line of survey, are named Re- 
publican, Platte, Blue, Juniata, Adams, Bowen and 
Brass. Immediately after this survey John M. 
Jacobson had his hotel and store liuilding erected, 
and early in 1872 C. R. Jones opened the second 
store. In January, 1872, the Adams Count}- Gazette 
was founded hy the Babcocks; in July a Baptist 
Societj- was organized by Rev. D. H. Babcock; the 
railroad was formerly opened, and about this time 
the general store of "VV. Birdsall and Frank Mitchell, 
the drug store of Nathan Platte and the lumber yanl 
of W. L. Van Alstj-ne were established. In Decem- 
ber the village was declared the county seat. By 
the spring of 1872 a small school building was in 
existence, and by the beginning of November the 
village comprised fifteen houses, inhabited by fifty 
persons. The school building was completed this 
year, at a cost of $.3,500, and a Methodist societj' 



^: 



<3 W_ 



^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



195 



was organized by Elder Crane. Early in 1873 the 
grocery Ijusiuess of A. V. Cole was established. Ira 
G. Dillon's store was opened in Angiist, and S. J. 
Shirley's restaurant in November. A Masonic lodge 
was chartered in July, and three months later a 
Congregational societj' was organized by Rev. M. 
F. Platte. Early in 1874 D. H. Freeman opened a 
lumber yard for the Cox's of Hastings, and a wagon 
shop was established by Jacob Swift. t 

In April, 1872, Titus Babcock was appointed 
postmaster, at $1 per month. In 1881 William 
Knickerbocker was appointed, but held the office for 
only one month, when S. J. Shirley was commis- 
sioned. In 1879 the receipts of the ofHce were esti- 
mated at $14,783. 70. Samuel L. Brass succeeded 
.Mr. Shirley, and in December, 1889, D. V. Stephens 
succeeded Mr. Brass. 

In August, 1878, the Ira C. Dillon elevator was 
erected. The year 1879 witnessed great activity in 
building in Juniata; improvements aggregating 
S75,UOO were added to the town. Among other 
edifices was a business block erected by William B. 
Thorne, at a cost of S15,000. P. B. Hungerford, 
P. W. Warner, Ray L. Pomeroj', R. S. Langley, H. 
Barth, Samuel Dodge, Rev. J. W. Dobbs, Rev. 
H. A. Guild, Mr. Lomliard and Mr. Light had res- 
idences erected; that of Ira G. Dillon cost $1,575. 
Dwellings were also built for William Twidale, D. 
H. Freeman, E. Moore, James Laird, A. V. Cole 
and many others. In the vicinity much land was 
broken and improved, and many country houses 
erected. 

On February 27. ISSO, .Juniata was threatened 
with a conflagration. A fire liroke out in the barn 
of E. M. Allen, but it was finally gotten under con- 
trol by using a large quantitj' of salt secured from 
the stores of A. V. Cole and W. E. Sewell & Co. 
The lo.ss was some $15,000. 

In 1881-82 the business circle of -Juniata com- 
prised A. V. Cole, W. D. Sewell, J. H. Freeman 
and W. H. Burr, general merchants; W. B. Cush- 
ing, grocer; H. E. Wells and Edward Moore, drug- 
gists; L. F. Picard and L. B. Thorne, hardware 
merchants. 

The Juniata fire of .January 29, 1883, destroyed 
property valued at $25,000. A. V. Cole, H. E. 



Wells, Mr. Sewell, .John T. Hill, Adams & Miles, 
Adams Company liuilding, A. T. Showen, Wil- 
liam Twidale and Company F. militia were among 
the losers. 

Juniata in 1883-84 saw the burned district re- 
covered with substantial brick buildings, and old 
business houses in a prosperous condition. D. H. 
Freeman, dealer in clothing and dry-goods, was 
located in a new brick block. Fred Francis was 
publisher of the Herald; S. J. Shirley, postmaster; 
Kelly & Hogg, druggists; C. R. Jones, George T. 
Brown and H. P. Stock, bankers; W. B. Cushing, 
grocer; Allen & Kettle, hardware; James Newell, 
dealer in agricultural implements; William Twidale. 
meat dealer; H. E. Wells, druggist in the new block; 
Mrs. M. E. Keelor, milliner; John T. Hill and Ad. 
Miles, proprietors of the only saloon; J. M. Sewell 
and Ira G. Dillon, grain buyers and dealers in agri- 
cultural implements; R. L. VanBuskirk of the 
Commercial House; George AV. Carter's Central din- 
ing hall; S. W. Clarke, owner of Juniata mills; Wal- 
ker & Watkins' livery; 0. M. Lombard, blacksmith; 
Frank Wilson & Brothers, livery near depot; James 
Beach, meat dealer; A. J. Neimeyer, lumber mer- 
chants; F. Waldon, harness dealer; L. F. Picard, 
hardware merchant; Ed. Fowler, jeweler; Jackson, 
shoemaker; Richard Daily, blacksmith; R. G. Ful- 
ford, painter; P. M. Anderson, wagon-maker; G. 
0. Angell, furniture dealer: 0. R. Palmer, drayman; 
M. N. Parmalee, express agent, succeeded shortly 
after by George A. Brass; William Spade and Will- 
liam Winters, builders; Rev. J. W. Smith (now a 
l)liysician), Methodist preacher; 0. A. Buzzell, Bap- 
tist preacher; A. N. Cole, real estate dealer, and 
captain Co. F. , N. G.; W. G. Beall, lawyer; Dr. Em- 
ma Watkins and Dr. W. Aekley, were the physi- 
cians. A lodge of Masons, I. 0. 0. F. , I. 0. G. T. 
and G. A. R. , were in existence. The large school 
building was completed in 1885, by Aliram & Sav- 
er}-, and Kelly's brick block commenced. 

The village of Juniata was incorporated June 15. 
1880, on petition of sixty-four resident tax-payers. 
Ira G. Dillon, S. L. Brass, H. E. Wells, E. M. 
Allen and L. F. Picard were named as trustees. On 
January 15, 1880, a temporary organization was ef- 
fected with the trustees named above, and Charles 



) 'y 



196 



HISTOllV OF NEBRASKA. 



Kill mill, secretiiry. The same organization con- 
liiiucil until ISSl. 

(hi .May 5. ISSl, Villajje Clerk Kilburn reported 
a revenue to tlato of $441.50 and an expenditure of 
$344.70. 

In 1881 tlie old board was re-elected — C. R. 
Jones, I. G. Dillon, S. L. Brass, E. M. Allen and A. 
V. Cole. The hoard organized with I. G. Dillon, 
president; T. H. Freeman, clerk; George T. Brown, 
treasurer, and B. F. Smith, attorney. 

In May, 1883, Ira G. Dillon, E. M. Allen, D. 
H. Freeman, B. F. Smith and L. F. Picard quali- 
fied as trustees; G. S. Guild as clerk, and B. F. 
Smith, attorney. In Jul}-, Clerk Guild resigned 
and E. F. Walker was appointed. Messrs. Allen, 
Smith, Picard, Freeman and W. B. Gushing were 
elected in April, 1884, S. L. Brass was chosen clerk, 
and all re-elected in 1885. The expenditures for 
the year ending May 12 amounted to $1,574.86, 
and the revenue to $2,700.31. In April, 1886, 
(leorge W. Babcock, A. P. Slack, F. M. Anderson, 
W. M. Winters and D. V. Stephens were chosen 
trustees, who appointed Ed. F. Fowler, clerlt. In 
June William Spade took the place of Winters. The 
petition of A. V. Cole and sixty-eight others, ask- 
ing the appointment of H. A. Moreland as marshal, 
was received, and George T. Brown appointed treas- 
urer. In July, 1886, D. Y. Stephens of the ceme- 
tery committee reported on the removal of the re- 
mains of the dead to potter's field from a street 
in the cemeteiy, and reinterment there in four 
graves. In November, 1886, W. II. Burr was ap- 
pointed trustee, vice A. P. Slack resigned. In April, 
1887. B. F. Smith, L. F. Picard, 0. P. Palmer, Asa 
Neimeyer andE. F. Gettle qualified as trustees. E. 
M. Allen was chosen clerk and 1). II. Ball, marshal, 
but H. A. Moreland was subsequently appointed. 
In April, 1888, B. F. Smith, Asa Neimeyer, G. G. 
Vreeland, E. F. Gettle, D. V. Stephens and D. H. 
Freeman were elected trustees, and S. L. Brass, 
clerk. H. VanBuskirk was appointed marshal. 
They were re-elected in 1889, with the exception of 
D. II. Freeman, who was replaced by A. H. Lang- 
jahr. Messrs. Brass and Brown, clerk and treas- 
urer respectively, were re-appointed. 

The first school at Juniata was opened in a house 



erected for that purjiose (liy IniG. !>illi>iiaiid Iv 
M. Allen), by Lizzie Scott, early in 1872. During 
that year a school board was elected — H. II. Ballon, 
S. L. Brass and Titus Babcock, trustees; a small 
building was put up by E. M. Allen and I. G. Dil- 
lon. Subsequently a liuilding was erected at a cost 
of $3,500. 

IMiss Lucy A. McFadden, born at Ogdensburg, 
N. Y. , came to Nebraska in June, 1872, and for 
three years presided over the graded school at Har- 
vard. Subsequently she was principal of the Ju- 
niata school, resigning the position Januaiy 1, 1880, 
to talve that of superintendent of schools, to which 
she was elected and re-elected as related in the politi- 
cal chapter. A. W. Griffith was principal of schools 
in 1880-81. G. G. Sill was principal in 1882, with 
Misses Lucy A. Robertson and Nettie Winters, 
teachers. 

In 1884-85 Prof. A. E. Compton was principal 
of the schools, with 3Iiss Nettie Winters iu charge 
of the intermediate department, and ^liss Gertrude 
Smith in charge of the primary department; W. F. 
Bybee with the same assistants. J. H. Albi'ight 
succeeded Mr. Bj'bee, and W. S. Webster succeeded 
Mr. Albright, with Miss Annie Buzzell in primary, 
Miss Elizabeth Allen in the intermediate and Jlrs. 
Webster in the grammar department. ]Mrs. Web- 
ster gives much attention to school affairs, not onl}' 
at Juniata but also throughout the country. 

Juniata Lodge No. 42, A. F. and A. M. , was 
established in June, 1873, and meetings were held 
in the old school house until May, 1878, when the 
society purchased a two-story building. The char- 
ter was secured June 18, 1873, and accepted by the 
following named members: Edwin BI. Allen, Wil- 
liam White, William L. Yan Alstj'ue, Ira G. Dillon, 
Andrew Clute, Rufus H. Crane, Hillaiy Dean. 
Marcus C. Lindsay, Barney E. Swift, Russell I). 
Babcock, Henry Ormsbee and George Kuder. The 
masters of this lodge have been Edwin M. Allen, 
William L. Van Alst3-ne, Barney E. Swift, Ira G. 
Dillon, H. A. Guild and E, J. Hanchett. 

Juniata Lodge No. 79, I. O. 0. F., was organ- 
ized by charter from the Grand Lodge of the 
State February 11, 1880, with the following char- 
ter members: George T. Brown S. L. Crass, 



\ 



Lli£ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



197 



Horace Goble, Benjamin F. Smith, Josiah Hodges, 
Hugh A. Morehind, William Spade, John E. Adams, 
James F. Kelley and N. H. Manzee. Names of 
noble grands in order: B. F. Smith, H. Goble, 
George T. Brown, R. S. Langlej-, G. H. Hartsough, 
B. F. Kellogg, P. B. Hungerford, W. G. Beall, A. 
V. Cole, William Spade, H. A. Moreland, F. E. 
Kelley, B. F. Smith, 0. R. Palmer, S. L. Brass, I. 
H. Rickel, J. A. Ferguson, E. G. Angell, D. C. 
Kerr and George E. ^lizeu. Secretaries in order: 
S. L. Brass, R. S. Langley, George H. Hartsough, 
P. B. Hungerford, W. G. Beall, A. V. Cole, F. E. 
Kelley, Fred W. Francis, W. L. Kilburn, B. F. 
Kellogg, Jesse Milliken, B. F. Smith, D. 0. 
Stephens and W. A. Slack. The membership is 
thirty-six. 

Miriam Lodge No. 43, Daughters of Rebekah, 
was chartered January 1, 1889, with Sisters E. G. 
Angell, D. C. Kerr, B. F. Smith, M. A. Brass, D. 
V. Stephens, A. V. Cole, J. A. Ferguson, Ella H. 
Rickell, G. T. Brown, E. H. Macklin, W. A. Slack, 
Mary E. Robertson, Sophia Palmer, Josie Moreland, 
and Brothers IMoreland, Brown, S. L. Brass, D. V. 
Stephens, Rickell, Kerr, Angell, Slack, Palmer, 
Macklin, Mizen, Ferguson and Smith. The officers 
chosen in November, 1889, were Mrs. D. V. 
Stevens, N. G. ; Mrs. A. V. Cole, Rec. Sec. ; Mrs. 
Cris Hansen, L. Sec, and Mrs. W. A. Slack, Treas. 

White Clover Camp No. 1,240, Modern Wood- 
men of America, was organized under charter No- 
vember 11, 1889, with the following members: A. 
V. Cole, E. G. Angell, W. C. Frew, W. A. Morse, 
D. V. Stephens, T. J. Stover, A. S. Rogers, G. T. 
Brown and W. G. Aylsworth, officials. 

In the general history is given a sketch and 
roster of the Grand Army Post at this point. 

The militarj' company of Juniata was organized 
May 12, 1878, with L. J. Shirley, Capt. ; E. L. 
Dutton, First Lieut; A. V. Cole, Second Lieut.; 
George Watkins, First Sergt. 

Woman's Relief Corps No. 55 was chartered 
December 12, 1888, with the following named mem- 
bers: Mesdames Ellen Spade, Fannie A. Swift, 
Anna Buzzell, Delia C. Gates, Hannah E. Stephens, 
May Burwell, Susan Oliphant, Emma McKelvey, 
Sabrina Vreeland, Nancy E. Ball, Emma Watkins, 



Augusta Knowles, Susan P. Cole, Louisa Konkright, 
Sarah Smith, Margaret Brass, Nancy A. Stephens, 
Lizzie Ball, Magdalena Mohler, Hettie Kerr, Belle 
Woods, Sate Smith, Mary D. Robinson and Ella 
Brown. 

The charter was withdrawn from Geary Corps 
over a year ago by Mrs. Emma Manchester, past 
department president. The Council of 1888 and 
1889, after thorough investigation, had the charter 
restored, thereby reinstating the corps and restoring 
to them their past presidents and all the rights and 
privileges of the department — the Council of 1888 
and 1889 finding no just cause that their charter 
should have been taken. 

Adjt.-Gen. A. V. Cole, assisted by a number of 
members of Geary Post, instituted a camp of the 
Sons of Veterans in Juniata, December 5, 1889. 
The following officers were installed for the coming 
year: Ed. F. Gettle, Capt; George N. Monger, 
First Lieut. ; H. L. Sergeant, First Sergt. ; Aubrej- 
L. Twidale, Qm. Sergt ; D. M. Ball, Chap. ; J. Miles 
McCracken, S. of G. ; Austin Cole, Col. Sergt.; 
Will Babcock, C. of G. ; Rufus G. Swift, P. G. 
Council, D. M. Ball, Clarence Vreeland, Ed. Hub- 
bard. As the Herald suggested some weeks before, 
the Camp was named "Camp James Laird," thus 
perpetuating and honoring the noble dead in the 
hearts of Juniata people for all time. The unofficial 
members are A. J. Johnson, H. C. Hoover, P. L. 
Howland, Charles Buzzell, Carl McCracken, William 
Laher, John Laher, Thomas A. Ball, J. W. Thomp- 
son, L. F. Alves, A. H. McCracken, J. H. Stephens 
and W. H. Davis. 

The hall of the Juniata G. A. R. Post was dedi- 
cated June 1, 1886. The building is 90x25 feet 
and two stories high, the upper floor being occupied 
as Post quarters. The lower floor was then occu- 
pied by the W. C. T. U. and Reform Association. 

A Juvenile Temple was organized March 8, 
1S78, by Mrs. White, with the following officers in 
temple rank: Katie Bowen, Lulu Brass. Frankie 
Bowen, Freddie Hall, Electa Johnson, Ruflne Swift, 
Anna Brass, Mrs. Schuyler and Mrs. George H. 
Hartsough; Mrs. C. R. Jones, JIrs, M. E. Robert- 
son and Miss Nellie Babcock forming the execu- 
tive committee. 



198 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Juniata Degree Temple, I. O. G. T. , was re- 
organized in December, 18S7, with H. A. Guild, 
iMi-s. Twidale, L. B. Partridge, W. E. Ovitt, Mrs. 
Ovitt, A. H. Pritchard, W. Knickerbocker, Mrs. 
Roliertson, 0. Stever, W. D. Murray and A. H. 
Brown. 

The Woman's Christian Temperance T'niou was 
organizctl here some years ago, and continued in 
operation until about two years since. 

The Juniata Musical Society was organized in 
May, 1881, with William Winter, S. J. Shirley, 
Mrs. A. V. Cole, E. Thome, J. W. Liveringhouse, 
James Newell and Miss Woodbuiy. officials. 

The Juniata Woman's Suffrage Society was 
organized in February, 1S82, with Mrs. Oran Pease, 
president; William Moreland, vice-president; Nellie 
Van Meet, secretary, and Mrs. Rachel Steadman, 
treasurer. 

In April, 1880, A. V. Cole, president of the 
Cemeter3- Association, with G. S. Guild, secretary; 
L. F. Picard, treasurer; 0. Stever, D. H. Freeman 
and S. J. Shirley-, fe-ustees, petitioned the Union 
Pacific Company for a deed for the land on which 
the cemeteiy was established. 

The old grist mill at Juniata, which was turned 
over to the count}- as a part of the Thorne estate, 
was sold to 0. R. Palmer, of that place, in January, 
1890, for $2,100. The mill has been a piece of 
dead property on the hands of the count}-, and con- 
sequently the price paid was so much monej- found. 
The purchaser proposes to re-establish the milling 
industry here. 

The first religious services at Juniata were car- 
ried on by Rev. Mr. Clarkson, at the house of S. L. 
Brass, early in 1872. In April of that year a 
Methodist class was organized by Rev. R. H. Crane, 
who held services in various places until Jul}-, 1875, 
when a house of worship was dedicated bj- Rev. E. 
Thompson. Work on this house was commenced in 
the fall of 1873. 

The Methodist Episcopal class dates back to 
April, 1872, when Rev. R. H. Crane held services 
in the temporary school building. On June 14, 
1873, a conference of the Methodist Church con- 
vened at Juniata — A. G. White, presiding elder, and 
S. L. Brass, secretary — elected William Hudson. B. 



A. Brown, Shockey, F. S. Wells and Geoi-ge T). 
Dade, trustees of the church at Hastings. In 187 1 
the scandal growing out of some mistakes by the 
pioneer preacher created much dissatisfaction, and 
Rev. E. Thompson took his place. He dedicated 
the first Methodist Episcopal building in the sum- 
mer of 1875. In 1877 a Sundaj'-school was organ- 
ized with fifty members, by T. J. Adams, who con- 
tinued to serve as superintendent until Miss Nettie 
Winter was chosen in 1881-82. The preachers in 
charge since ]Mr. Thompson's time are named as 
follows: Charles Reylly, — Summers, J. W. Smith, 
— Bristol, George M. Jones and Rev. Hiram Cur- 
tiss. 

*There being a number of Baptist families resid- 
ing in Juniata, previous notice having been given, 
and Rev. J. N. Welib, general State missionary, 
having been invited to be present, a meeting was 
held, where after free interchange of views upon 
the subject, the following resolution was unani- 
moush- adopted: 

Resolved, That duty to God, ourselves and the world 
requires us to erect and maintain the standard of our 
Redeemer in this place, that we here, now, pledge our- 
selves to God and to each other, to the best of our 
ability to maintain a church organization, to be known 
as the Baptist Church of Juniata. 

On July 26, 1872, the church was organized 
with the following named members: Titus Babeock. 
Thaukful M. Baljcock, Charles D. Morgan. The 
pastors have been Revs. H. A. Guild, O. A. Buz- 
zell, W. H. Brodt, H. R. Williams. P. A. Tink- 
ham, C. H. Hands, and the clerks, Charles D. Mor- 
gan, T. Babeock, A. H. Brown, George W. Carter, 
William Knickerbocker, S. M. Roberts, G. G. Sill, 
Mrs. A. P. Slack, S. M. Roberts, second term, 
Annie S. Buzzell, S. P. Howland, and Annie S. 
Buzzell, second term. The church building was 
dedicated December 15, 1878, and the report of the 
building committee (T. Babeock, I. W. Stark. 
George W. Hartsough), received. 

•The history of the church was prepared by Miss Annie 
BuEzclI. The taeetiiig to organize this church was held at G. 
H. Hartsough's house, February 11. 1878. Rev. O. A. Buzzell 
presided, with G. ^V. Carter, secretary. George W. Carter and 
A. X. Brown were elected trustees for one year; S. M. Roberts 
and Simeon Johnson for two years, and D. H. Babeock for 
three j'ears. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



199 



The first sennon was preached August 4, 1872, 
b}- Rev. George Weaver. Titus Babew-k was 
elected the first moderator aud Charles D. Morgan 
the first clerk. The church enjoyed occasional 
preaching by Rev. D. H. Babcock, and Dr. Webb, 
general missionary, frequently visited them. On 
February 27, 1876, A. H. Brown was baptized by 
Rev. J. T. 3Iilner, of Webster County, as the first 
candidate. Maj-4, 1876, Rev. H. A. Guild received 
appointment from the Home Mission Society, mak- 
ing him missionary pastor for one-half time service, 
he thus being the first pastor of the church. 

The Congregational Society was organized in the 
fall of 1878, and Rev. M. F. Piatt filled the pulpit 
until 1880, when the star of the society failed to 
show further light here. 

In Maj', 1880, the United Brethren began hold- 
ing services in the Baptist Church of Juniata. 

The Blue Vallej^ Congregational Society assem- 
bled at Juniata in May, 1880. The territory repre- 
sented was 200 miles long by 48 to 75 miles wide, 
embracing 44 churches. 

The Gazette was established in January, 1872, 
by the Babcock Brothers. In 1876 the office was 
moved to Hastings, leaving the field to the Herald, 
which was established on October 25, 1876, by A. 
H. Brown, representing a committee of citizens. 
It was variously- conducted, as shown in the chapter 
on journalism, until 1885. On August 6, 1885, I. 
H. RickeU succeeded Mr. Royce, who leased the 
office, and, purchasing the office from the town, Ije- 
came owner of the Herald. 

The Gazette fought the first battle for retaining 
the count}- seat. The Herald took the leading part 
of the defenders during the battle of 1877, and like 
a loyal knight, stood b}' the defeated party until the 
close of that struggle, and abides with that partj- 
still. 

The Juniata Flouring Mill was erected in 1874 
by R. S. Langlej' and D. H. Freeman, at an expense 
of $12,000, on the strength of bonds voted by the 
precinct. The question of the validity of such 
lionds was canied into the courts, where an unfavor- 
able decision was ultimately handed down. The 
history of this loonding Inisiness and the votes on 
the question are given in the transactions of the com- 



missioners, and in the political chapter. The ma- 
chinery was purchased at Indianapolis, Ind. , and a 
mortgage for $8,000 given thereon. The mortgage 
was foreclosed, and the building was sold to S. W. 
Clark, who operated it for some time. It is now 
closed. 

The banking house of C. R. Jones & Co. was 
established in 1879, by C. R. Jones and J. M. 
Sewell, two of. the leading business men of the 
county at that time. 

The establishment of the poor farm dates back 
to 1873. The first superintendent was the first 
county charge. This concern was located four miles 
south of Juniata, and, as shown in the pages devoted 
to the acts of the commissioners, occupied much of 
their attention. On one occasion, at least, charges 
were preferred against the superintendent, which the 
commissioners declared were unsustainaljle. 

The little court house, untenanted and louel}-, 
still stands at Juniata as a souvenir of the past. 
Around it cluster all the memories of the old board 
of commissioners, as well as the old bar and the old 
litigants of the count}'. Here, too, centered the 
object of two civil wars — the first sustaining the 
claim of the little frame building and the village in 
which it was situated; the second setting aside the 
claims of both. The wars were bitter ones. During 
the last fight citizens of Hastings organized for the 
purpose of insuring a true count, and it is said 
many of them went to Juniata to superintend the 
counting of the vote. The counting was satisfactory 
to Hastings, but not to Juniata; and thus the war 
was transfeiTed from the ballot-box to the courts. 
Judge Gaslin appointed a commission to gather all 
the evidence pointed out in the petition of the 
Juniatians, and this, with other documents in the 
case, were taken to Kearney by him. Shortly after 
Judge Gaslin's office was burned, and with it disap- 
peared all the acquired testimony in the case. The 
election returns were again presented and, believing 
figures do not lie, he declared Hastings the county 
seat. The removal of the records and documents to 
Hastings then became an anxious question; but the 
execution of this important act was carried out 
without telling opposition. Juniata lost the seat of 
justice. 



4 



zoo 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Kenesaw precinct was assessed liy ?Ir. Truman 
in 1S7!1. He reported a population of 544 — 289 
males and 25(1 females. During the year ending 
March 31 , a number of franu' liuuses were erected 
for the following named owners: S. S. Dow, John 
Cook, B. F. Si'hiegel, J. Shurriger, George Phelps, 
W. Z. Parmenter, J. H. Cooley, Jennie L. Hayz- 
lett, who came in 1877; B. F. Armitage, H. M. 
Yanderbilt, V. W. Darling, P. Schneider, W. A. 
Odell, E. Budy, C. A. Miller, C. F. Keutzer and 
S. F. Isenberger. Two school buildings were also 
erected, costing $700 and $800, and several sub- 
stantial sod-dwelling were constructed , at a cost of 
from $.50 to $200 each. Three wind-mills were in- 
troduced during the year. H. D. Einspahr settled 
in the vicinity in 1877. 

Kenesaw was surveyed in June, 1872, by Anselem 
B. Smith, for Charles F. Morse, on the central por- 
tion of Section 34, Township 8, Range 12 — a ti-act 
containing 142:^ acres, previously conveyed to Morse 
)iy Samuul P. and Eliza T. Howland, northeast 
quarter Section 34; by Milton F. Brown, northwest 
quarter Section 34; by Charles W. Colt, southwest 
quarter, and b^- J. D. Butler, Jr., southeast quarter. 
A system of street nomenclature, differing from 
Juniata in the matter of ignoring numbers, was 
adopted. Beginning on the south line is Larch Street 
paralleled by Spruce, Pine and Poplar south of 
South Depot Street, and by Maple, Elm and Ash 
north of North Depot Street. Beginning near the 
west line of the plat is Brooks, running north and 
south, paralleled by Forbes, Denison, Smith, Per- 
kins and Doane. The greater part of the plat south 
of the railroad was subsequently vacated and the ex- 
tremes of the north side also vacated. The plat was 
drawn by J. H. Cummings. 

The first actual settlement was not made until 
the fall of 1872, when A. D. Williams located at 
this point. During the following winter and spring 
Mrs. M. S. Norton and family and Edward Moore 
arrived. The Nortons set out an orchard in 1873, 
and in the fall Josiah Hodges built the first business 
house, which he opened and conducted until early 
in 1874, when he sold his interests to Edward 
Moore, who continued to extend the business until 
1879, when A. S. Thompson purchased the house 



from him. 1). D. Norton kept the postoflSce and 
was railroad agent. He was telegraph agent in 
October, 1870, when the wires were completed to 
this point. In the spring of 1874 Amos Shattuck 
set out ten acres of Cottonwood, one mile south of 
the village, which escaped the grasshopper plague 
of that year. During the summer of 1873 a school 
house was erected at a cost of $4,000. James Cook 
opened a blacksmith shop here in 1874, and when 
the gi'asshoppers came guarded his anvil from the 
" pesky things," lest they should carry it off as they 
did his seed corn. 

In 1874 Dow & Latta introduced farm ma- 
chinery. In 1879 J. G. Richard arrived and opened 
a hotel in the S. S. Dow Imilding, pending the 
erection of his own house. Early in 1878 J. G. 
Hayzlett moved to Kenesaw from Hastings, and 
purchased the grain elevator of N. L. Thayer. In 
the summer of 1879 G. B. Crandall came from Iowa 
and opened his general store here; Wench & Cook's 
lumber and coal yard was opened in 1879, and A. 
S. Thompson purchased the Moore store. Dr. 
George AVilliams was physician; Charles Sawyer 
began the erection of his liverj' stables; C. B. Nel- 
son was land agent for the Burlington & Missouri 
Railroad Company, and also represented the Union 
Pacific Railroad Companj- and private land owners. 
E. 0. Hildebrand was in charge of the railroad and 
telegraph offices; Rev. Griffin had built his cottage, 
and was preacher in charge of Methodist work here; 
William Worline, who purchased the Stebbins build- 
ing, moved it into the village; while S. .M. Brobst's 
drug store building was projected. 

In the summer of 1876 a number of Irish citi- 
zens from 5Iassachusetts settled in the neigiiborhood 
of Kenesaw, the Kane familj' being the pioneers. 

Prior to 1880 people outside the Kenesaw dis- 
trict called it the sandy region. In that year, how- 
ever, the finest crops in the country were produced 
there, and never since has a citizen said: " It's all 
sand up there." 

Kenesaw in Jauuarj', 1884, claimed the follow- 
ing business men: E. N. Crane, M. F. White and 
A. Barton, general merchants; J. G. Hayzlett, of 
the Metropolitan Hotel (a new house); George A. 
Lindsev, manager of Sewell & Co. 's grain business; 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



201 



Cook & Cooley, lumber dealers; Barton & Collins, 
grain dealers; A. S. Thompson (a pioneer), druggist 
and postmaster; H. W. Jlitchell and W. F. Man- 
speaker, hardware merchants; A. S. Martin, dealer 
in agricultural implements; E. B. Ground, in furni- 
ture; George Bechtelheimer, manager of Xeimeyer & 
Co. 's lumber j-ards; D. A. Kennedy's restaurant; 
Smith & Sliafer, dealers in meat; John Nickerson, 
owner of billiard room; L. C. White, barber, J. Wil- 
liams, physician; Misses Ostler, milliners; Cook 
Bros. , blacksmiths; G. W. Hodges, laundry man; B. 
F. Armitage, insurance agent; Horace Armitage, 
builder, and George Williams, publisher of Times. 
Matthias Post 155, G. A. R. , was then presided 
over by B. F. Sehlegel, with M. Higgins, .Q. M., 
and J. W. Woody, Adjt. In M113', Kemp & Hope 
moved into their new hardware store, and Gillett's 
bank building opened. 

Kenesaw Methodist Episcopal Church organized 
in 1871. Its early history has been lost and most 
of the members connected with its organization have 
died or removed. It is known that Rev. R. H. 
Crane of the Juniata circuit earlj" preached at the 
house of Josiah Hodges. In 1874 he organized a 
class here, the members of which assembled period- 
ically at the school house. The church is now 
sei-ved bj- Mr. DeMotte, who also attends the so- 
cieties at Prosser, Pearson school house and Ash 
school house. The latter appointment was held by 
Mr. Hardman until December, 1889. Rev. John 
Walker was first pastor, followed successively by 
Rev. T. J. Brink, Rev. Isaac New and Rev. R. M. 
Hardman. E. G. Collins is recording steward, and 
Rev. McK. DeMotte the pastor. The church at 
Kenesaw now numbers forty members. The present 
work embraces four other appointments, and is in a 
healthy, prosperous condition. 

The Presbyterian Church house of Kenesaw, 
built under G. A. Lindsay, J. N. Coolej', and the 
third member of the building committee, was dedi- 
cated October 12, 1884, the sermon being preached 
by Rev. George T. Crissman, superintendent of 
missions. S. W. Hayzlett, secretary and treasurer, 
showed a balance due on building of $853. Of this 
sum, S810 was received or promised on date of 
dedication. In 1877 Rev. G. C. Giftin visited the 



Presbyterians of this section. The society was 
founded January 16, 1879, by Rev. George T. 
Little, synodical missionary, ^Messrs. J. G. Hayzlett, 
J. B. Ellrod, G. C. Giffln, J. S. Frank, Samuel 
Jones, their wives and Henrietta Moore, signing the 
articles of association. Mr. Giffin, the first pastor, 
was succeeded by 3Ir. A. Folsom, and he by J. P. 
Black. The clerk of the session is J. G. Haj-zlett, 
and the number of members fortj'-one. 

The Free Will Baptist Church was organized 
November 18, 1883, with A. D. Williams, S. H.Wil- 
liams. James and Annie Currier, Lewis and L3-dia Cur- 
rier and Kate Boley, members. Revs. A. D. Wil- 
liams and W. H. Edger were organizing preachers, 
and they with W. H. Edger formed the building 
committee, under whose direction a building was 
completed in February, 1884. Revs. R. N. Borick, 
(i. W. Knapp and E. M. Chace filled the pul- 
pit respectively. The office of clerk has been 
filled by A. D. Williams, F. W. Ricke, G. Wolcott 
and Mrs. Cooley. 

In August, 1884, Rev. Mr. Borick moved to 
Cortland, Neb., and Mr. Black took charge of the 
Presbyterian work here. 

Steps were taken in 1878 to erect a Catholic 
Church at Kenesaw. Father Glauber was at that 
time the priest of this large mission. 

The Evangelical Church was organized in 1878 
with Ernest Budy, Green Cullop, Charles Oliver, J. 
W. Bobbitt, Reuben Budy, Mrs. Mary Jones, Charles 
Schliehouf, 0. A. Bentz and B. Young. The pas- 
tors in the order of service have been Paul Gressley, 
— Leibhart, — MeSesslin, T. N. Serf and Rev. J. 
H. Peters, the present pastor. The society has not 
yet erected a house of worship, although the mem- 
bership numbers 137. 

The Kenesaw Cemeterj- Association was organ- 
ized April 26, 1880, with G. W. Baldwin, W. Z. 
Parmenter and G. C. Giffin, trustees; D. D. Nor- 
ton, secretarj', and J. G. Hayzlett, treasurer. 

Kenesaw Lodge No. 144, A. F. and A. M. , was 
organized June 24, 1885, and chartered Julj- 28, 
that j'ear, with twentj'-one members. The first offi- 
cers were installed July 28: H. E. Norton, W. M. ; 
J. G. Hayzlett, S. W. ; G. W. Wolcott, J. W. ; L. 
B. Partridge, S. D. ; E. N. Crane, T. ; R. B. Ground, 



-f^ 



2iJJ 



-^ 



202 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



S.; T. B. Booth, J. D. ; F. H. Cole, E. L. Dutton, 
T. J. Fink, J. W. Bobbitt and Milan Young were 
unofficial members. The ofdce of master has been 
held by H. E. Norton, J. G. Hayzlett, L. B. Par- 
tridge, S. H. Smith and F. C. Brosius, the present 
master. The secretaries in order of service are 
named as follows: R. B. Ground, S. A. Sayre and 
J. H. Cooley, the present incumbent. There are 
forty-four members in good standing. Officers in 
1884 were F. C. Brosius, E. P. Gillette, C. D. 
Courtright, Henry E. Norton, J. H. Cooley, E. E. 
Norton, Marshall Morse, John B. Cook, Benjamin 
F. Cook and T. P. Booth. 

The Grand Army of the Republic is referred to 
in the military chapter. 

The Woman's Suffrage Association was organ- 
ized June 2, 1882, by Mrs. M. A. Brass. Madam 
D. D. Norton was chosen president; Mrs. Hayzlett, 
vice-president; Mrs. J. H. Cooley, secretarj', and 
Mrs. J. H. Roberts, treasurer. Mesdames Wil- 
liams, Thompson and Cooley formed the executive 
committee. 

In the general history mention is frequently made 
to this village. In an early chapter the storms of 
1S74 are described, and in the chapter on journalism 
a reference is made to the first newspaper established 
there — the Times. Years ago, when the argonauts 
sped over the prairies of Nebraska, the Kenesaw 
district was a favorite camping ground. Near the 
village is the Lone Grave, a sad reminder of the 
penalties attached to travel fifty years ago. The 
story of this grave and its tenant is told in the 
chapter on exploration and settlement, and in the 
same chapter is related the scant facts obtainable 
of Indian doings in that vicinity. 

The village of Ayr was established in September, 
1878, bj" the Southern Pacific Town Site Company. 
Within eighteen months it claimed three general 
stores, one hardware, one grocery, one drug store, 
one saloon, one agricultural implement warehouse, 
one livery, one lumber yard, two blacksmith shops, 
one boot and shoe shop, one land office, one millinery 
store, the Ayr and Commercial Hotels, two public 
halls, and two physicians' offices. Mrs. Richards 
was in charge of the school. The name was given 
in honor of Dr. Ayr, of Iowa, then one of the 



directors of the Burlington & Missouri River Rail- 
road. The site was originallj* the property of John 
Radcliffe, owner of Section 33; Ayers Goble owned 
one quarter section on the east, and A. C. Moore, a 
quarter section on the south, while south of Goblc's 
and west of Moore's, Prof. Mej-ers owned a half 
section. The railroad was built in 1878, and to in- 
sure the establishment of a depot at this point, the 
owners of the site were compelled to donate every 
other lot to the railroad compan\-. 

Ayr in 1879 pointed with pride to its large grain 
elevator, two dr^'-goods and grocery stores, a drug 
store, a livery stable, blacksmith shop, and lumber 
yard, together with Goble's agricultural implement 
and coal yard, and Laughlin & McMillan's lumber 
yard. The post office established that 3'ear was 
presided over by C. B. Scott. James Fleming (for- 
merly West & Fleming) kept the hotel; S. G. Clark 
presided over the school. In October, 1878, 0. D. 
Barras built the first house — a small frame dwelling. 
In November, a two-story frame building was erected 
for hotel purposes by R. C. Fleming, and a house 
for general trade was opened by A. L. West and T. 
C. Fleming. R. C. Gregg established the first drug 
store at this time (later Kochler & Phar); John Rich- 
ards' grocery, Hull & McMillan's general store; 
Peck & Howe's saloon and the Edgerton hardware 
house were all opened in the fall of 1878. 

The petition for a post office in this section was 
signed by William and Jlilton Scott, T. C. Fleming, 
v. C. Rogers, and others, and resulted in the estab- 
lishment at Gibson. The Gibson office was moved 
one and a half miles south to Ayr in 1879, and B. 
H. Scott continued as master. Early in 1881 he 
was succeeded by James E. Bovard, who served 
until April 1, 1884, when H, A. Howe was ap- 
pointed. 

Dr. S. A. Bookwalter moved from Juniata to 
this point in February, 1880, and the Jlillington 
store building was moved thither by Kress and 3Ioot. 
The Methodist class of Ayr was organized in 1879, 
by Elder Lemons, and Rev. John Holland was as- 
signed to the new circuit by the next Conference. 
During the ensuing few j'ears the church was with- 
out a pastor, and the organization almost ceased. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized 



fe^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



203 



October 4, 1879, with Peter Rose, Ely Burton, Peter 
Griffith, M. B. Foote, A. N. Hall, Hugh Kuepper 
and J. A. Rice, members. The church has been 
served by Revs. Nathan Brown, Louis Barr, R. M. 
Hardman, — Harbert, A. Gore, E. L. Wolf and J. 
]M. Carroll. A. N. Hall has served as recording 
steward of this society since its organization. On 
September 1, 1885, the church building was dedi- 
cated under the name Mt. Pleasant M. E. Church. 

In January, 1884, the United Presbyterians held 
services at the hotel in A.yr. A Hastings man who 
visited the village that day noticed a number of per- 
sons ascending the stairs, and through curiosity 
asked what was going on. The landlord responded 
that it was a U. P. meeting. The Hastings man 
went up to take part in a railroad meeting which in- 
terested him, but just as he entered the room, the 
United Presbyterians opened with the hymn, "There 
is a land of pure delight." The disappointment he 
suffered destroyed his sympathy for Christian foi-ms 
and music. 

The first child born on the town site was Harvey 
Fleming. The first death in the community was 
recorded in October, 1881, when Henry Harm's 
twin infants died. 

The Mennonites located a cemetery five miles 
west of Ayr, in 1880, and in May the society took 
steps to build a meeting house. 

Henry Gund & Go's, elevator was erected in June, 
1879, and John Robinson's livery barns were built. 
Later that year, Isaac Vanderwert established his 
blacksmith shop; A. J. Pate built the Commercial 
House, and Rev. J. Fleming erected the old Church 
Hall at his own expense. The first school was 
taught late in 1878 by John Gainer, a fine scholar, 
and said to have been a good judge of whisky. At 
the close of the winter term he entered on a term of 
drunkenness, left the place and never returned. 

In June, 1883, three companies of United States 
colored cavahy camped near Ayr, en route from Fort 
Riley to Fort McKinley. The population at this 
thne was 260. about equal in numlier to the colored 
visitors. 

Little Blue post office was discontinued in March, 
1879. 

' • Presbyterianism in the Valley of the Little 



Blue in Adams County,'' is the title of a short paper, 
prepared by Rev. John Fleming for this work. He 
states that the first sennon preached by a Pres- 
byterian minister in the valley of the Little Blue in 
Adams County was by the Rev. James A. Griffes, 
on August 10, 1873, in a recently built frame 
school house called the Kingston school house. Mr. 
Griffes was the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in 
Hastings, then a small village. He preached stat- 
edh' in this school house once a month, until iu 
February, 187G, when it was resolved to organize a 
church under the name of ' ' The Presbyterian Church 
of Kingston, Neb." Entering into this organization 
were Adam Melville and wife, George Crafford and 
wife, Angeline Mitchel, Daniel H. Mitchel, Benja- 
min F. Nole, Manilla Scott, William M. Snodgrass 
and wife, Joseph Snodgrass and wife, Thomas E. 
Davis and wife, Norbert Dehut and wife, John L:i- 
londe and wife, A. C. Mather and wife, William I. 
Snodgrass and wife and Jane A. Vastine. Subse- 
quently the congregation moved one mile and a half 
south to a larger school house, retaining still their 
corporate name, supplied by Rev. James A. Griffes 
and occasionally by other ministers. In the sum- 
mer of 1878, a small house of worship was built in 
the immediate vicinity of Dyer's mill, when the con- 
gregation assumed the corporate name of ' ' South 
Adams," and was ministered to by the Rev. John 
Fleming. In the year 1879 another house of wor- 
ship was built in the village of Ayr, and the two 
churches came under the ministry of the Rev. Fred 
Johnston for some eighteen months. His successor 
was the Re\'. Albinus Powers, for twelve months, 
and his successor was the Rev. W. W. Morton. In 
its first years the church was a flourishing church, 
but hy deaths, and principally by removals, it is 
now reduced to a memliership of sixteen and is 
without a pastor. The elders of this church under 
its different names and composing its session were 
Adam Melville, Oliver C. Rogers, Arthur C. Mather 
and George Crafford, all of whom are now removed 
without its bounds, except 0. C. Rogers. Its secu- 
lar interests are managed by a board of trustees, 
holding office until their successors are elected. 

Kingston Lodge No. 54, I. 0. G. T. , was organ- 
ized February 23, 1877, with A. C. Mather, May 



•.V I 



:r;- 



,t, 



204 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Jones. S. M. Bird, E. D. Jones, Mrs. Willoughby, 
J. E. Davis, I. M. Dean, I. B. White, A. Sinclair, 
Lizzie Carter, Emma Carter, E. J. Jones and Elva 
Edgerton, officials in the order of rank. 

In December, 1879, the first post oflBce was 
established at Hansen, with James McGregor, mas- 
ter. He appointed JMrs. Maurey (wife of the rail- 
road agent), deputy, while he carried the mail to 
and from Hastings on his own back. In April, 
1881, J. L. Evans was appointed, and in 1882 he 
was succeeded by Jacob Smith. The village was 
surveyed in 1879 for A. B. Ideson and J. J. 
Wemple, on the entry of Charles and William 
Haines. In the fall of 1879 a railroad depot was 
erected. S. L. Loucks built his hotel. The gen- 
eral stores of J. L. Evans and B. F. Ford were 
opened, and James McGregor, as agent of the Paine 
Bros. , opened a lumber yard. B. F. Fisher's black- 
smith shop was opened in April, 1880, but Jacob 
Countryman succeeded him in 1881. In October 
(if that year J. G. Honeywell purchased the hotel 
building. His father opened a grocerj' store and 
his brother a shoe store. Jacob Smith came also at 
this time, and purchasing Evans' interests, became 
postmaster. 

The Presbyterian Society was organized on the 
7th day of September, 1879, Rev. G. L. Little act- 
ing as moderator and Rev. D. S. Schaflf as clerk of 
the meeting for organizing. The names of the 
original members are: Alanson Baker and his wife 
Alice C. Baker, J. L. Brockover and his wife Jane 
E. Brockover, Mrs. Isabella Carpenter, Ryneas 
Covert and Rebecca Covert his wife, Lafa3-ette 
Dominy and his wife Sarah A. Dominj-, Mrs. Eliza- 
beth Gregg, Philopoeua Huf, Mrs. Nancy Mowers, 
Laura Mowers, Ella Mowers, Jonathan Oldfield and 
his wife Priscilla Oldfield, John H. Powers and his 
wife E. E. Powers, Nancy R. Powers, Lucy A. 
Powers, Mrs. Jane B. Powers, Charles A. Powers 
and his wife Ellen M. Powers, Lifee P. Powers, 
Aaron F. Powers and his wife Ann Powers, Robert 
W. Powers, William Palmerton and his wife Carrie 
Palmerton, William H. Reese and his wife Jane C. 
Reese, James W. Smith and his wife Nancy Smith, 
Emma J. Smith, Augustus A. Stone and his wife 
Luella J. Stone, Letas W. Stone and his wife L. 



Stone, Henry E. Ware and his wife Harriet A. 
Ware, Luella A. Defenbaugh. The first elders were 
Aaron F. Powers, John H. Powers and William 
Palmerton. The names of pastors are D. S. Schaff, 
Peter Wessels, E. A. McCullum, H. K. Bushnell, 
F. M. Hickok. Clerks of session have been J. H. 
Powers and A. F. Powers. 

The church house was erected in 1884, at a cost 
of $2,116, under the superintendence of A. A. 
Stone, L. Dominy, George B. Loucks and William 
Bishop, trustees and members of the building com- 
mittee. This house was dedicated November 9, 
1884, by Mrs. Schaff. 

The Oliver grain house was established in 1880, 
when W. L. Baker took charge. Prior to 1882 two 
elevators existed here, with a capacity of 23,000 
bushels, the Baker coal yard and hardware store 
were established, and the little prairie village as- 
sumed the proportions of a town in the volume of its 
trade. 

Congress Lodge No. 173, 1. 0. 0. F. , was organ- 
ized at Hansen, December 13, 1889, with S. M. 
Funk, N. G. , and H. Stire, secretary. 

The Heptasoples were recently organized Iiy the 
Supreme Ruler of Nebraska, D. M. Morris. 

A school house was completed in the summer of 
1880, and opened in the fall of that 3ear. Miss 
Sperry, of Hastings, was emploj'ed to preside over 
this primitive educational institution. 

Congress Lodge No. 173, I. 0. 0. F. , was in- 
stituted December 6, 1889, at Hansen. The charter 
members were D. M. Morris, S. M. Frink, John 
Wilson, B. F. Barr, J. H. Allen, Winthrop Jones, 
Howard Stire, W. B. Brown, F. J. Taylor, H. E. 
Ashley, Fred AUn-ight. The election of officers re- 
sulted: S. M. Frink, N. G. ; J. H. Allen, V. G. ; 
D. M. Warden, W.; B. F. Barr, Con.; Howard 
Stire, R. S. ; Winthrop Jones, P. S. ; John Wilson, 
Treas.; W. B. Brown, R. S. N. G. ; H. E. Ashley, 
L. S. V. G. ; F. J. Taylor, I. G. This lodge was 
instituted b}' W. H. Barger, G. M. of Grand Lodge 
of the State. At the time of institution six brothers 
were elected and initiated — W. E. Lucas, Frank 
Lamphear, R. E. Williams, Aleck Kanester, Will- 
iam Wilhite, James H. Elliot. Installation of offi- 
cers took place December G, 1889. 



V^^ 



1^ 



fk, 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



205 



A reference to the transactions of the coimty 
commissioners will show the steps taken toward the 
establishment of a grist-mill at MiUington on the 
Little Blue. In 1872 work on this manufacturing 
industry was commenced l)y John Dj'er; but before 
the completion of the mill in 1875, Elbridge and 
True Dyer became partners in the project. Power 
was obtained from the waters of the Litttle Blue. 
The Dyers located lands in Denver Township in 
1872. Some few j'ears after the mills were com- 
pleted a building for mercantile purposes was erected. 
Within a short time (in 1880) this house was moved 
to Ajr by Mortimer Kress and W. S. Moot, or by 
Kress and Keith. 

Roseland Township raised 57,702 bushels of 
wheat, 147,775 of corn, 14,747 of barley and 30,311 
of oats, in 1884. Personal property was valued at 
$31,086, and real estate at $56,995. There were 
349 horses, 945 cattle, 96 mules and 2, 388' hogs re- 
ported. Silas Caton was credited with the best im- 
proved farm; John Winter with the largest stock 
fai-m, and Peter Griffith with the largest wheat field, 
48 acres yielding 877 bushels. Matt Sheffering 
planted the greatest number of forest treees, while 
S. Caton and R. M. Boyd set out 600 fruit trees 
each. The greatest apple producers were C. A. 
Cole and R. M. Bo^-d, each of whose orchards yielded 
40 bushels. 

W. S. Hall presided over the school in 1879. 
In February, 1879, Rev. Shifler, of the Mennonite 
Church, established himself on the southeast quarter 
of Section 15, Township 6, Range 11, near Roseland. 
The school there was then in charge of Mrs. Hartmau, 
who also taught the preceding year. 

Mayflower was established as a post office in 
1877. A. Burling, the present master, writing un- 
der date December 3, 1889, states: 

' ' I would saj', in answer to your request for a 
list of postmasters for Mayflower, Mr. D. M. Gris- 
wold was the only one before me. He served eleven 
years and I took it a year ago the 6th of December. 
The oldest resident now living in this neighborhood 
is J. i\I. Strahl. He came about fifteen years ago." 

Holstein is one of the modern villages of the 
county. A newspaper office, a school house, a few 
stores and a number of dwellings point out the pro- 



gress made in a few j-ears. There is a Ljxeum in 
existence here, among the active members being A. 
S. Thompson, A. L. Boyd, J. S. Fernow, Jennie 
Larson, Versa Larson, Mecham Bros. , Holstein 
band, Mrs. F. J. Hurst, Joe McCowan, Dr. W. T. 
Carson, Ruby and Lottie Mecham, Fred Hurst, 
Anna Larson, A. E. Troyer and Eva McPeak. 

The Dramatic Club claims Dr. W. T. Carson as 
manager and A. L. Boyd, secretary. Among the 
members are C. A. Sipple, A. E. Troyer, T. L. Am- 
bler, J. 31. Heckler, E. L. Hannaford, Jennie Lar- 
son and Eva McPeak. The Holstein brass band is 
another organization which caters to the entertain- 
ment of the people. AVith all this local talent for 
music, literature and the drama, there are workers 
in and around the village who made and continue 
to make the little town a sj'nonym for industry. 
The Record and Nonpareil are the newspapers of the 
village. 

The Holstein board of trade was organized in 
January, 1890, with the following named members: 
W. T. Carson, Pres. ; C. A. Sipple, V. P. ; John 
Hargleroad , Sec. ; William Shellheimer, Treas. C. 

F. Keutzer, Frank Fernow and F. C. Van Veghten 
were appointed a committee to draw up the consti- 
tution and by-laws. 

Mountain Ash Camp No. 1,035, M. W. A. , organ- 
ized last year, elected the following named officers in 
January, 1890: A. E. Troyer, V. C. ; W. S. Mc- 
Auley, W. A.; A. L. Boyd, E. B.; J. M. Heckler, 
C; F. C. Van Veghten, E.; Dr. W. T. Carson, C. 
P. ; C. McCall, W., and F. Y. Hurst, S. F. C. Van 
A'eghten was appointed manager in the place left 
vacant by George A. Bentley. W. T. Carson was 
elected manager for the ensuing three j-ears. 

The Holstein mill was established early in 1890 
by Shellheimer & Clark. 

The Van Allen I. 0. G. T. was organized in No- 
vember, 1878, with S. P. Howland, S. Morrison, S. 
Nicholas, W. Van Allen, James Slote, John Plank, 

G. H. Howland, D. H. Hill, O. Hudson. Fred 
Browning, G. W. Hill, F. Van Allen, R. Raneforth 
and L. F. Gould officials in the order of rank. 
Many of the above named were connected witli the 
old lodge at Hastings. 

At Pauline, S. V. Bechtelheimer was appointed 



» \. 



(5 k^ 



206 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



postmaster January 2, 1890, to succeed W. K 
Duncan. 

The ]jullierau Church Society of Section 12, 
Township G, Range 12, was organized at Fred Wag- 
ner's house, February 11, 187S, witli Herman D. 
Einspahr, Robert Hohlfeldt and Fred Wagner, trus- 
tees. 

Pleasantville Cemetery Association was organ- 
ized in February, 1877, with E. M. Beach, Robert 
Wetson, C. W. Wilson, M. V. Hatfield and R. M. 
Ratcliff, members. 

The Missouri Pacific was opened to Prosser in 
1888. J. n. Korner was the first agent there. S. 
(r. Harrow was the pioneer of the district, and S. 
W. Smith, a farmer, took the first steps to have an 
office established at that point. 

Tlie Methodist Cluu-ch at Prosser was organized 
in 1887 by Rev. R. M. Hardmau. The Union Pa- 
cific Railroad official kindly gave the use of their 
depot for church and Sundaj'-sohool until a very 
neat church was built in 1889. The present trustees 
are J. F. Morgan, L. J. Ware and Don Steadman, 
and the present pastor, Rev. McK. DeMotte. There 
is at present a membership of fifteen. 

There are prosperous societies at Pearson, Ash 
and Lilierty school houses, and a total membership 
of 140. 

The First German Presbyterian Church of 
Hanover Township was organized by Rev. Jacob 
Brinkema, July 3, 1883, with a membership of 
twenty-seven. The first elders of the church were 
Mr. D. G. Lay and J. W. Baxter. The deacons 
were M. Falrieks and Henry Bradair, and the 
trustees Simon Van Boening, H. Meester and Geoi-ge 
Lay. The church was completed in 1884, and 
dedicated Juh' 6, that j'ear. Within the last few 
years the membership has enlarged itself to about 
fifty members. The present pastor. Rev. Jacob 
Brinkema, has officiated from the first organization 
of tlie church. The church and parsonage were 
built at a cost of $2,000 or $3,000. They are 
located on the northeast corner of Section 21, on 
land owned by ilr. Laj". 

Inland was surveyed in the central poTtion of 
Section 12, Township 7, Range 9, in March, 1872, 
for Charles F. Morse. Tulip, Chestnut and South 



Railroad Streets run east and west, south of rail- 
road, and North Railroad Street, Oak, Maple, Beech 
and Alder, north of railroad. The streets running 
north and south, beginning on the west line, are Dry- 
den, Burns, Moore, Pope, Byron, IMilton and Syd- 
ney'. The corner stone of the first school house at 
Inland was placed July 1, 1873, by Millard and 
Vandcmark. As related in the transactions of the 
board of the commissioners, this plat was vacated 
in 1878, and the name and interests of the first 
town in Adams County transferred to Claj- County. 
At that time there were three small stores, six or 
seven dwellings and a large frame school building 
there; but within a few years ^■er\' few traces of 
ancient Inland existed. 

Ludlow postoffice was established in January, 
1880, with J. L, Huff in charge, on petition of II. B. 
Talbert and others. When Trumbull post office in 
Clay County was established, that at Ludlow was 
discontinued. S. M. Walker is the present master 
at Trumbull. 

^>l'4<' 

BIOGRAPHICAL. 

Samuel Alexander, well and favoraljly known 
to a host of acquaintances in Hastings, was born 
January 16, 1842, and like man}- other I'esidents of 
Adams County is a native of Peuns3ivania, his birth 
having occurred in Butler County. His parents, 
William and Agnes (Black) Alexander, were born in 
Ireland in 1801 and 1809, and died in Pawnee City, 
Neb. , and Prospect, Penn. ,in 1879 and 1844, respec- 
tively. They came to the United States in 1837, 
and settled in Pennsylvania; but in 1855 Mr. Alex- 
ander and his son Samuel moved to Jackson Count}-, 
Iowa, and three j'ears later to Missouri. In 1861 
they returned to Iowa, taking up their abode in 
Page Count}', and here Mr. Alexander enlisted in 
Compan}' P, First Nebraska ^'olunteer Infantry, 
joining the regiment at Sedalia, 3Io. He gave faith- 
ful service to his country until Februarj-, 1863, 
when he was honorably dischargctl on account of 
physical disabilitj* at Memphis, Tenn. By August, 
1864, he had sufficiently recovered to again enter 
the service, and he rejoined his old company and 
regiment, and served until he received his final dis- 



J, 



^ 3 



L^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



207 



charge at Omaha, Neb., on July 1, 1866. After 
returning and remaining in Iowa one j-ear he took 
a contract of grading on the main line of the Union 
Pacific Railway in Western Nebraska, and in 1869 
took up his abode in Lincoln. The first years were 
spent in digging wells and cellars, and the next two 
3'ears he acted as janitor of the State house. In 
1872 he came to Adams County, Neb. , and located 
on the northeast half of Section 12 of Denver Town- 
ship, which is now a part of the city of Hastings, and 
the finest residence portion of the place is on this 
tract. Mr. Alexander erected the first business 
house in Hastings in July, 1872, on what is now 
Block 27 of the original tract, it being a frame 
building 16x20 feet. In this building was kept a 
general stock of goods, and although he went to 
Juniata for some time for his mail, a post office was 
established at Hastings in October, 1872, of which 
he was put in possession, receiving his appointment 
from U. S. Grant, a position he held for nine and 
one-half years. His salary the first year amounted 
to $12, and at the time of his removal brought in 
$2,000 annuallJ^ He has been a director of the 
First National Bank since its organization, also of 
the Nebraska Loan and Trust Comi-any; and in poli- 
tics has always been a Republican. In 1885 he was 
elected major of Hastings on the "no license" 
issue, and it was openly declared he made the best 
mayor the city ever had. In the administration of 
affairs he was wholly independent in the perform- 
ance of his duties, and having the interests of the 
town at heart, he exercised his ingenuity and intelli- 
gence to the utmost. In everj- public emergency lie 
has been a patriot, and selfish and personal con- 
siderations have been laid aside when the question 
of dutj' has been presented. In 1871 he was mar- 
ried at Brownsville, Neb., to Miss Hattie R. 
Phillips, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1852, and 
a daughter of Dr. A. R. and Harriet Phillips. Mr. 
and Mrs. Alexander are members of the Presby- 
terian Church, and he was one of the original mem- 
bers of the church organized at Lincoln in 1870, 
also of the church at Hastings in 1873. Mr. Alex- 
ander and his wife have five children: Agnes E., 
Rachel M., Esther N. , Frances P. and Samuel R. 
H. C. Armstrong, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 



ings, Neb. Mr. Armstrong is one of those sterling 
men of Ohio nativitj-, so manj- of whom are met 
with in this portion of the State, who possess 
such qualities of character as make them successful 
and prominent almost without exception wherever 
their lots are cast. He was born in Columbiana 
County, Ohio, in 1845, and was the seventh of a 
family of children born to John and Frances (Moore) 
Armstrong, natives of Ireland, where they were 
mai-ried. In 1839 the parents immigrated to 
America, settled in Columbiana Count}-, Ohio, and 
there the father followed farming. In 1853 they 
moved to Knox County, 111., settled near Abing- 
don, 111, , and thence to Warren County of the same 
State, where the father opened up a farm. He died 
there in 1860. His excellent wife followed him to 
the grave on December 24, 1879. H. C. Armstrong 
was early instructed in the duties of farm life, and 
received his education in the schools of Warren 
County, 111. After gi-owing up he went west to 
Page Count}', Iowa, worked by the month as a farm 
laborer for three years and then rented land. He 
was married in that county on December 31, 1872, 
to Miss Sarah J. Reed, a native of Harrison County, 
Ohio, and the daughter of M. and S. (Foster) Reed, 
natives of Ohio. Her father was a wagon maker by 
trade, and in about 1854 he moved to Wapello 
County, Iowa, and in 1859 to Page County, Iowa, 
where he and wife are both living at the present 
time. After his marriage Mr. Armstrong remained 
in Iowa until 1874, when he moved to Adams 
County , Neb. , settled in Denver precinct, now 
Blaine Township, and bought 160 acres of railroad 
laud, which he immediately began improving, and on 
which he first erected a small cabin, 14x16 feet. 
In 1885 he moved to West Blue Township, selling 
his farm in Blaine Township, and bought the 160 
acres where he now lives. He was one of the first 
settlers of the county, and the first night camped on 
what is now the main square of the city of Hastings. 
He assisted in the organization of the township, and 
yet takes a prominent part in the upbuilding of the 
county. He is also active in politics, votes with the 
Republican party, and was elected county com- 
missioner by the Anti-Monopoly vote in 1881, to fill 
a vacancy, serving from January, 1882, to Novem- 



9 ^ " 



^. 



208 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ber of that year. He served on the school board 
for twelve years in Adams County, and has always 
taken an active interest in schools. Mr. and Mrs. 
Armstrong are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church at Hastings. Their marriage has been 
blessed by the birth of seven children: John M. , 
Oscar R. , Edwin H. , Fannie Bell, Thomas, Charles 
and Clyde. Mr. Armstrong has seen the complete 
growth of Adams County, and has experienced three 
seasons of grasshopper raids. He is practically a 
self made man, having accumulated all his property 
by his own exertions. He is engaged quite exten- 
sivel}' in stock raising. 

W. G. Aylsworth is a proper representative of 
the energetic business men of the county, and 
he seems admirably suited to his present calling. 
He was born in Erie County, N. Y. , in 1844, and is 
a son of Aaron and Julia (French) Aylsworth, the 
former of whom was an agriculturist throughout his 
long life of seventy-five j-ears, his death occumng 
in 1883. His wife died three years later, having 
borne him nine children, two sons and seven daugh- 
ters, W. G. Aylsworth and his sister, Mrs. Bennett, 
being residents of Juniata. The former's youth 
was spent in learning the intricacies of farm labor, 
and until he was twenty years of age he was an a1>- 
tendaut of the common schools, where he acquired 
a thorough knowledge of the English branches. In 
1864 he enlisted in Company B, Ninety-eighth New 
York Infantry, but on account of the war being 
practically over, he was discharged on September 
22 of that year, and returned to his former occupa- 
tion of following the plow in his native State, which 
received his attention untd 1870, when he moved to 
Michigan and settled in Barry County, and was en- 
gaged in clerking in a store for three j-ears. He 
then returned to his native State and farmed two 
years, at the end of which time he again returned 
to Michigan, which State was his home until 
1884. During this time the occupation of merchan- 
dising received his attention at Nashville, but on 
March 30, of the above named 3'ear, he settled in 
Juniata, Neb. , and after residing for a few months 
on a farm of eighty acres south of the town, he re- 
moved to Juniata, and engaged in clerking in the 
store of D. H. Freeman, remaining in his employ 



two years, renting out his farm. In 18SG he moved 
to Keith County, Neb., where he located a home- 
stead, and after proving up on it and making it his 
home for about a j'ear, sold out. He was one of 
the early settlers of the county, and was thirty miles 
from any store or postoffiee, and the township in 
which he settled was only occupied by three or four 
families. Upon his removal from there one year 
later every quarter section was occupied. The day 
after settling on his claim he started for Ogallala, 
thirty-five miles distant, and purchased 87 worth of 
lumber, with which to build his dugout, sleeping at 
night on the road, but was greatly annoyed b}^ wolves 
that kept prowling around his wagon. The next 
night an old neighbor from Michigan, Conrad Pies- 
ter, settled on the claim across the road from his, 
and during the week seven more families arrived. 
Upon his return to Adams County he went to his 
farm and made one crop, but in October, 1888, sold 
his land and is now engaged in general merchandis- 
ing in the town. Besides his stock of goods he 
owns a large hotel and livery barn, which he rents. 
He was married in 1872 to Miss Hattie M. Burling- 
ham, a native of Michigan, and by her has four liv- 
ing children: Fannie, Helen, Clarance and Mary. 
Murray died in 1884 at the age of five years. Mr. 
Aylsworth and his wife are members of the Bap- 
tist Church, and socially he is a member of Lodge 
No. 28, K. of P. , of Hastings. 

Frank C. Babcock, D. D. S., was born at Galva, 
III, March 18, 1865, and is a son of Dr. Asa 1). 
and Elizabeth (Mott) Babcock, the former of whom 
was born at Cortland, N. Y. , in 1830, came to Illi- 
nois in 1855, and for five and twenty years was a 
prominent and successful physician at Galva, his 
death occurring at this place in 1880. His wife was 
born at Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1840, and is now a 
resident of Hastings. Frank C. Babcock is the 
second of three living children born to their union , 
and in his early 3'outh secured a good education in 
the schools of Galva. In 1883 he began the study 
of dental surgery in the office of Dr. J. P. Huston, 
and in the fall of 1885, he entered the Dentid De- 
partment of the University of Michigan, from which 
institution he gi-aduated on June 30, 1887, and 
July 23, of the same year, came to Hastings, Neb. , 






V 



-' H; 



^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



209 



which phice has since been his home. In the fol- 
lowing Auo'ust lie opened his dental office over the 
First National Bank, and here he is now aetivel}' en- 
gaged in practicing his profession, having already 
acquired a liberal and paying patronage by the ex- 
cellence of his work, his reasonable prices and his 
genial manner. He is a member of the State Den- 
tal Association and in his political views is a Re- 
publican. 

Calvin Ball has been a resident of Adams County, 
Neb., since March, 1873, and has proved a valual)le 
acquisition to the farming interests of the commu- 
nity, for he is a man of energy, progressive spirit and 
clear perception, and is reliable beyond suspicion in 
all his business transactions. His property- consists 
of 160 acres of fine farming land, and it is fairly- 
improved with buildings of all kinds, an orchard, 
etc. He was born in Fulton County, Ind., Novem- 
ber 22, 1841, and from here enlisted in April, 1862, 
in the Union Army, becoming a member of the 
Twenty-sixth Indiana Infantrj-, and was a faithful 
servant of Uncle Sam until he received his discharge 
at the end of his term of service in April, 1865. 
He was a participant in many important engage- 
ments, among which may be mentioned Prairie 
Grove, Ark. , siege and surrender of Vicksburg. 
He was captured near Morgan's Bend, Miss., on the 
Sterling plantation, and after being kept in captivity 
at Tyler, Tex. , for about nine months, he was ex- 
changed and immediately rejoined his army at New 
Orleans, and a short time after took part in the eight 
days' fight at Moliile in front of Spanish Fort. Af- 
ter being discharged he returned to Indiana, and 
after clerking in a store for some time, bought an 
interest in the establishment and sold goods at Silver 
Lake for about four years. From that time until 
1873 he followed farming, then came to Nebraska as 
above stated. He is a Republican in his political 
views, and in November, 1882, was elected township 
assessor, and served two terms. He was married 
in Indiana, October 18, 1866, to Miss Elizabeth 
Creager, a native of that State, and a daughter of 
Adam Creager, and by her has had a family of six 
children: Myrtie, wife of William Warden, by whom 
she has one child, Cyril Thomas, married and resides 
at Juniata; Charles E. , Clarence C. , Ettie JMay and 



Naomi W. Mr. and Mrs. Ball are members of the 
United Brethren Church, and he is a member of 
Geary Post No. 81, G. A. R. , at Juniata. His 
parents, C. M. and Nancy (Woolf) Ball, were born in 
Tenneesee and Indiana , respectively, and were mar 
ried in the latter State, the father having been taken 
there bj" his parents when a child. After their mar- 
riage they resided in Indiana a number of years, 
and in 1872 Mr. Ball moved to Illinois, thence to 
Nebraska in 1877, the father being now a resident 
of Garfield County. His wife died about 1854. 
Mr. Ball served one year as postmaster at Oswego, 
Ind. , in 1878, resigning on account of moving from 
that place. 

David L. Barlass, the popular sheriff of Adams 
County-, Neb. , although born in Rock Count}-, Wis. . 
September 10, 1854, has been a resident of Adams 
Count}-, Neb., since 1874. His parents, Andrew 
and Margaret (Clink) Barlass, were born in Scot- 
land in 1822 and 1824, n spectivelj-, and in 1840 
left their native land to seek a home in the New 
World. They settled in Rock Count}-, Wis., on 
what is known as Rock Prairie, being among its 
first settlers, and there opened up a large farm. On 
this farm David L. Barlass was i-eared, and in 
addition to assisting his father in tilling the land on 
which they had settled, he attended the common 
school, near his home, and, being persevering and 
intelligent, he acquired a good education. This he 
supplemented by a two years' course at Jlilton Col- 
lege, in Milton, Wis. , then in 1874, as above stated, 
came to Nebraska, and the first nine years of his 
residence here were spent in following the plow on a 
farm three miles south of Hastings. Being a Re- 
publican politically and a strict party man, he was 
elected on that ticket, in the fall of 1883, to the 
office of sheriff, with a majority of 555; was re- 
elected two years later with a majority of 800, and 
in 1877 was again honored with the position, his 
majority this time being more than 1,000. This 
shows beyond question his popularity as an official, 
and he has proven himself to be a competent, faith- 
ful and fearless officer. Socially he is a member of 
Hastings Lodge No. 28, of the K. of P. His mar- 
riage with Miss Ella .M. Hill was celebrated Sejj- 
tember 2, 1884. She was born in Illinois, and 



V 



ii 



210 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



by >Ir. Barlass is tlie mother of one child, Her- 
bert L. 

B. F. Barr, luinl)er dealer, Prosser, Neb. The 
business interests of this town are ably represented 
by Mr. Barr. who not only represents the city in 
that capacity, )iut who is also recognized as a pleas- 
ant, genial gentleman. He owes his nativity to 
Logan County, 111. , and was born there on Septem- 
ber 4, 1859. His father, George Barr, is a native 
of the Buckeye State, and in about 1852 emigrated 
to Logan County, 111. , where he married Miss 
Maria Jackson, also a native of Ohio, but who had 
emigrated with her parents some time previous to 
Illinois. Of the three children born to their mar- 
riage, B. F. Barr is the eldest. He passed his boy- 
hood days in Illinois, received a good education, 
and in January, 1880, he came to Nebraska, where 
for two years he was engaged in farming near Hast 
ings. He subsequently went to Oregon, spent some 
time traveling through that and other Western States, 
but tinallj- returned to Bloomington , Neb. , where 
he accepted a position with the White Lake Lumber 
Company. From there he went to Hastings, Neb. , 
engaged with the Paine Lumber Companj*, and in 
April, 1885, he accepted the position of general 
manager and superintendent of their lumber and 
coal yards at Hansen, Neb. On Jidy 1, 1889, he 
opened his present business at Prosser, Neb. , and is 
the pioneer lumber dealer of the place. On No- 
vember 26, 1883, he married Miss Eva C. Richards, 
a native of Wisconsin, who, when a child, went to 
Dakota with her parents, and later to Nebraska. 
To this union have been born two children: Mabel C. 
and Grant. Mr. Barr is a member of the Masonic 
fraternit}', a member of the I. 0. O. F. , and also 
of the order of Heptasops or Seven Wise Men. 
Mrs. Barr is a member of the Presb3'terian Church, 
and both are much esteemed citizens. 

Herman Bentert, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings, Neb. Of that sturdy and independent class, 
the farmers of Nebraska , none are possessed of more 
u;enuine merit and a stronger character than he whose 
name s ands at the head of this sketch. Mr. Bentert 
was born in Sheboj'gan County, Wis., in 1859, and 
was the youngest of two children born to the union 
of Frederick and Dora T. (Kibbos) Bentert, natives 



of Germany. The father was married in his native 
country in 1854, emigrated to America in 1857, and 
at once began working on a farm in Shcljoygan 
County, Wis. , receiving fifty cents a day for his 
labor. Finally he purchased eighty acres of land, 
improved it, and in 1874 came to Nebraska, where 
he purchased 160 acres. Since then he has added 
to his original tract, and is now the owner of 400 
acres, and is also the owner of considerable property 
in Hastings. He is still living and makes his home 
with his son, Herman. The mother died in Wiscon- 
sin in 1860. Herman Bentert's early life was divided 
between assisting on the farm and in receiving an 
education in the common schools of Wisconsin and 
Nebraska. He came to Nebraska at the age of fif- 
teen years, and being the only one of the children 
now living, is directly connected with his father in 
business. They came to Nebraska with only $2,500 
and now, by their industry and good business abil- 
ity, own property to the value of S25,000. They 
are engaged extensively in stock raising, feeding 
from fifty to one hundred cattle and hogs 3-early. 
Herman Bentert takes an active interest in politics 
and his vote is cast with the Democratic party. As 
treasurer of Highland Township (having been elected 
to that position in 1888, and re-elected in 1889) he 
is a man who has the perfect confidence and respect 
of the people. He is progressive in his views and 
has l3orne a prominent part in promoting the various 
interests of the county. He is the tallest man in 
Adams County, if not in the State, measuring six 
feet, eight inches in height, and is one of the best 
known men in the county'. He aids all public enter- 
prises of a laudable nature, and is Lutheran in his 
religious belief. 

F. M. Betteys, county superintendent of schools, 
Hastings, Neb. To undertake to introduce to our 
readers the subject of this sketch would be some- 
thing entirely unnecessary', for his extensive ac- 
quaintance and long connection with the affairs of 
the vicinity, have rendered him well and popularly 
known. Born in La Porte County, Ind. , April 29, 
1844, he was the son of Alonzo and Julia (Lj'kins) 
Bettej-s. The father was born in New York in 1809, 
and is now a resident of Boone, Neb. The mother 
was born in Kentucky, and died in 1871. In July, 



i) ry 



'^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



211 



1863, F. M. enlisted in Company B, Twelfth Missouri 
Cavalry. He served until June, 18C5, after which 
he returned to Iowa and taught school iu that State 
until 1884. He then came to Hastings, Neb., and 
spent five j-ears in the county clerk's office as deputy- 
county- clerk. In politics he is a Republican, and 
in 1889 he was elected superintendent of the public 
schools of the county. Mr. Bette3's selected for his 
companion iu life Miss Virginia J. Wade, a native 
of Will Count}', 111., born in 1850, and was united 
in marriage to her in 1874. The fruits of this union 
have been four children: Eugene, Mamie, Edward 
and Winnie. 

Harm J. Bierman, farmer and stock raiser, 
Hastings, Neb. In his farming operations in this 
country Mr. Bierman has pursued the sturdy, in- 
dustj'ious and enterprising principles which charac- 
terize the customs of those of foreign birth now re- 
siding in Adams County, Neb. He was born in 
Germany in 1840, and was the fourth child in order 
of birth. His father, John Bierman, was born in 
Germany in 1804; was a farmer 1)\' occupation, 
and remained in his native country until 1863, when 
he crossed the ocean to the United States, and set- 
tled in Woodfori Count}-, 111. Here he followed 
farming, and was very successful in this occupation. 
He died in Illinois in 1875. His wife. Miss 
Johanna Severs, who bore him six children, died in 
1867. Both were members of the Lutheran Church, 
and he in his political views was Independent, vot> 
ing for principle not for party. Their children were 
named as follows: Henrietta, Francis, Harm, de- 
ceased, and Harm who is living and is the subject 
6f this sketch; Peterke (living), and John (deceased). 
In early life Harm J. Bierman assisted his father on 
the farm, and at the age of sixteen years went on 
the sea, which he followed for some time. He then 
went to Illinois, settled in Woodford, near Minonk, 
and there followed agricultural pursuits for twelve 
years. He was married in 1867 to Miss Katie Flyr, 
who was l)orn iu Germany and who moved to Illi- 
nois with her father, William Flyr, when but two 
years of age. The father died in Illinois in 1883. 
To the marriage of Mr. Bierman were born nine 
children, eight now living: Albert (deceased), 
Henrj', Clu-istina, now Mrs. Knapp, and resides in 



Hastings, Johanna, John, Harry, Albert, Herman 
and Theodore. 3Irs. Bierman moved to Adams 
County, Neb., in 1876, settled on the prairie where 
he now lives; bought 320 acres of good land, and 
this he has improved very much. He and his wife 
are members of the Lutheran Church, and are much 
respected citizens. He was road supervisor of the 
township for one year, and he takes a deep interest 
in school and church matters. He is a wide-awake, 
industrious farmer, as may be seen by the improve- 
ments made on his farm. He is a Republican in 
politics. 

Luther A. Boley, Kenesaw, Neb. Since his res- 
idence in the count}-, IMr. Boley has been very prom- 
inently identified with the material affairs of this 
community, indeed far more so than the average of 
men. He was born in Huron County, Ohio, Sep- 
tember 29, 1839, and received his education in the 
high schools, supplementing the same by attending 
the seminary at Auburn. In 1 859 he began teaching 
in the public schools of Indiana, and followed that 
occupation for four years. He then worked for the 
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company 
as section foreman, and eight years later turned his 
attention to farming, which he followed until 1874, 
when he came to Nebraska, locating on a homestead 
near Kenesaw. There he remained eleven }ears and 
then accepted a position as manager of the Burling- 
ton & Missouri River Railroad Company's coal busi- 
ness at Kenesaw, which he still continues to hold. 
In 1876 he was elected assessor for Kenesaw pre- 
cinct and served six years; was a member of the 
town council for two years, and is a member of Ken- 
esaw Lodge No. 144, A. F. & A. M. He selected 
as his companion in life. Miss Kate J. Hodges, a 
native of Huron County, Ohio, and their marriage 
was solemnized in 1862. To this union have been 
born three children: Edith Camilla, now Mrs. Harrv 
Mitchell, resides at Cheyenne; Walter F. , and Madge 
A. Mrs. Boley is a church worker and takes a 
deep interest in all charitable enterprises. 31 r. 
Boley's parents, Martin and Sarah Ann (Hodges) 
Boley, were natives of New York, and came to Ohio 
about 1835. When the suliject of this sketch was 
an infant only a few weeks old they moved to Kent 
County, Ontario, where they remained four years. 






and then returned to Ohio, residing on the original 
farm for four years. In 1847 they moved to Indi- 
ana, locating in De Kalb County, where they were 
pioneer settlers, and where they both passed their 
last days, the father dying in the fall of 1859, and 
the mother in 1874. Tlie former was one of the 
original Abolitionists. 

HaiTy Brooks Borley, drayage and transfer, 
Hastings, Neb. This successful and enterprising 
business man was born in the Count}' of Suffolk, Eng- 
land, on June 3, 1854, and is the son of John and 
Sarah (Brooks) Borley, natives also of England. The 
union of tlic parents was blessed by the birth of six 
children, three now living, and Harry Brooks Borley 
is the fourth child in order of birth. The latter at- 
tained his growth in London, England, attended the 
schools of the same, and for two years prior to com- 
ing to the United States, was engaged in the book 
and newspaper business for W. H. Smith & Sons in 
London. He emigrated to the United States in 
1873, located in Hastings, and in 1874 bought 
eighty acres of railroad land , the south half of the 
southeast quarter of Section 35, Township 7 , Kange 
10, which he still owns and has greatly improved. 
For six years he was a clerk in what was then the St. 
Joe & Denver Kailroad, but what is now the St. Joe 
& Grand Island. In 1880 Mr. Borley began the 
draj-age and transfer business in this citj-, and this 
he still continues. He was married on December 
31, 1884, to Miss Henrietta Wallace, daughter of 
Martin F. and Nellie Wallace. Mrs. Borley was 
bom in Indiana in 1865, and came to Adams 
County, Neb., with her parents in 1873. To this 
marriage have been born two children, Harry W. , 
whose birth occurred on February 27, 1886, and 
William E. , who was born on December 23, 1887. 
In polities Mr. Borley is a Republican, and in 1879 
he joined the Masonic Fraternity, Hastings Lodge 
No. 50. He is one of the early settlers of Adams 
County, and is practically a self-made man, having 
accumulated the most of his property by his own 
efforts. 

Isaac Boyd is a wealthy tiller of the soil of 
Adams Countj-, Neb. , and comes of an excellent 
stock, his ancestors having been prominent and in- 
fluential citizens of the different localities in which 



tliey resided. Born in Seneca County, Ohio, on 
August 28, 1843, he learned the intricacies of farm 
labor from his father, and this, in connection with 
stock raising, has continued to be his calling ever 
since. John Bo}-d, his father, was born in Penn- 
sjlvania, but was reared in the Bucke^-e State, and 
was married in Seneca Countj- to Elizabeth Ecklej', 
a native of Ohio, and after farming there for a 
period of twentj' 3-ears, and becoming well known 
throughout that region as an honorable, upright and 
worth}' man, he passed to his long home in August, 
1856, deeply mourned not only by his immediate 
and sorrowing household, but by all who knew him. 
Soon after his death his wife and family moved to 
Stark County, 111. , and here the mother made her 
home for some twenty years, but is now residing 
with her son Isaac. The latter grew to mature 
years in the State of Illinois, but in 1871 went to 
Guthrie County, Icwa, where he was engaged in 
following the plow for about two years, and taught 
school one year, having received a good education 
in his youth; being an attendant of Knox College, 
111. , for about two j'ears, and a college at Hayesville, 
Ohio, one year. He was manned in Guthrie County, 
Iowa, December 25, 1872, to Mary E. 3Iizen, a 
native of Wisconsin, reared and educated in Dean 
County, and a daughter of George Mizen; and 
shortlj- after their marriage they removed to Ne- 
braska, and in March, 1876, arrived in Adams 
County, and settled on the farm where they now re- 
side. He now has land to the amount of 240 acres, 
all in a good state of cultivation, on which are good 
buildings, orchards, etc. He is a Republican in 
politics, and has served two successive terms as 
assessor, and has been a delegate to count}- and 
State conventions. He and his wife are members of 
the 3Iothodist Episcopal Church, and are the parents 
of five children: Laura, Lena, Maud, Frank and 
Effie. Two children died in infancy. 

Robert 31. Boyd is accounted a prosperous farmer 
and stockman of Adams County, and like the ma- 
jority of native Ohioans is progressive in his views 
and of an energetic temperament. His birth occurred 
in Seneca County, March 1, 1844, and he is a son of 
John and Elizabeth (Eckley) Boyd, also natives 
of that State, and prosperous agriculturists. The 



-i" 



-> 2> 



>>. 




father's death took place in his native State, August 
13, 1857, and soon after his family removed to Stark 
County, 111., where they made their home for many 
years. II. M. Boyd grew to manhood in this county, 
but after attaining his majority he began farming 
for himself, and in 187-4 came to Neliraska, having 
come here in 1872 and homesteaded some land. 
Nearly all the count}' was prairie land at that time 
and there were very few houses, and these were nearly 
all sod houses, and the county seat was then at Ju- 
niata. Mr. Boyd built a good frame house, which 
at that time was among the best in the township, and 
set energetically to work to put his land in tillable 
condition, which he succeeded iu doing in a short 
time. He has since purchased 1 60 acres of land ad- 
joining his home place, and his farm now comprises 
a tract of 320 acres, all in a good state of cultiva- 
tion, ninetj-five being devoted to corn, twenty acres 
to millet and sugar cane, and eighty acres to small 
grain. He has been feeding cattle and hogs for the 
market for the past ten jears, and ships on an aver- 
age of one car load each j-ear. He has two thorough- 
bred Hereford animals for breeding purposes, also 
some good graded stock. He has a peach orchard 
of about 300 trees, and an apple orchard of about 
three acres, the jield from the latter being some 300 
bushels in 1889. In May, 1862, he enlisted in the 
Union Army, Sixty-ninth Illinois Infantry, and served 
four months, at the expiration of which time he was 
doing guard duty in Chicago. He is a Republican 
and has served as a delegate to county and State 
conventions, but has never had an}' desire for office. 
His union to Miss Eliza E. Addis was celebrated in 
Stark County, 111., Februray 3, 1874, a daughter of 
Daniel Addis, a native of New Jersey. She was 
Ijorn iu Fulton County, 111. , but from the time she 
was twelve years of age until she reached woman- 
hood was a resident of Stark County. Her union 
with Mr. Boyd resulted in the birth of four chil- 
dren : Frances V. , Frederick, and a son and daughter 
who died in infancy. 

Nathan L. Brass is a prominent citizen of Juni- 
ata, Neb., and throughout life has followed the 
teaching of the Golden Rule to the best of his abil- 
ity, and as a result has gained the respect and 
esteem of all who know him. A native of Michigan. 



born in 1843, he is the fifth child born to Samuel 
Brass, who removed from Rochester, N. Y. , to 
Clint(7n County, Mich. , of which he was one of the 
pioneer settlers. After the death of his first wife 
the father married Margaret Doty at Ann Arbor, 
and by her became the father of Nathan L. He was 
a farmer and boot and shoe maker by occupation, 
and died in March, 1864, his wife's death occurring 
in '1858. After being engaged iu farm labor and 
attending the district schools until he was eighteen 
years of age, he enlisted in Company D, First Mich- 
igan Cavalry, and was sent to Maryland, but his 
company was soon detached from the regiment and 
assigned to scouting duty after Mosby's bush- 
whackers, serving in this capacity until nearly the 
close of the war, when he was injured and trans- 
ferred to the Eighth United States Regiment, and 
with his corapan}- was detailed to guard prisoners 
that were being tried for the murder of President 
Lincoln. Before his duties were ended he became 
thoroughly familiar with Mrs. Mary Surratt, Dr. S. 
A. Mudd, L. P. Payne, D. E. Herrold and othei-s, 
and so vigilant was he in the discharge of his duties 
that for thirty days he had not time to remove his 
clothes. His regiment led the funeral procession 
through the city to the train. He received his dis- 
charge November 16, 1865, and was mustered out 
at Washington, D. C. Upon his return to Michi- 
gan he resumed farming, but a few months later 
was taken ill, the result of an injury received in the 
service, and for two years was incapacitated for work. 
After recovering he engaged in butchering, but in 
1869 gave up this work and removed to Wisconsin, 
where he resumed agricultural pursuits, but upon 
his health again failing him at the end of about a 
year, he came to Nebraska and settled near Juniata, 
where he homesteaded 160 acres of land, imme- 
diately erecting a dwelling thereon with lumber that 
he hauled from Sutton. His house was the fifth 
frame house erected in the township, and Juniata 
then consisted of only four houses. Many interest- 
ing anecdotes are told by Mr. Brass concerning 
some of his early hunting experiences, but want of 
space forbids their repetition. He resided on his 
farm near the town until 1880, making many very 
valuable improvements, then moved to Juniata and 



a — 



i \> ' 



^ 



<S k^ 



214 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



settled in a new residence which he liad just com- 
pleted, being engaged for two years in selling agri- 
cultural machinery. The three following years were 
spent on his farm, and in 1H8G he bought a one- 
half block in town, built him a residence, set out 
trees, shrubs, etc., and has made him a very pleas- 
ant home. He was a consistent Hcpublicaii in poli- 
tics until 1884, when he became a Prohibitionist, 
and in 188C began lecturing for that party, his 
labors in this direction being recognized in nearly 
every part of the State, and in the campaign of 
1888 did excellent work for his party. He was 
married in 1806 to Miss Rachel R. Smith, a native 
of Michigan, and a daughter of Rev. J. Smith, a 
minister of the United Brethren Church and an old 
missionar}^ t<} the Indians. Mr. and Mrs. Brass 
attend the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are the 
parents of four children: Bertha, wife of Charles 
Allen; Franklin A., Fred Adna A., and Willie, who 
died at the age of two and one-half years 

John Brechner, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings, Neb. The agricultural affairs of Adams 
County, and particularly of this township, are ably 
represented among others V)y the subject of this 
sivetch, who has been a resident of the same since 
1880. He was originally from Stark County, Ohio, 
where he was Ijorn in 1845, and is the son of John 
and Delilah (Lindersmith) Brechner. The father 
was a native of Pennsj-lvania , born in 181.3, and 
although he learned the blacksmith trade when a 
lioy, in later j'ears he followed the occupation 
of a farmer and blacksmith. He died in 1860, 
but the mother is still living in Indiana. Their 
family consisted of fifteen children: Aaron, 
Joseph, Anna, Wilson, Peter, John, Samuel, Lu- 
cinda. Susan, Matilda, Saloma, Jacob F. , Mary E. , 
(xeorge and Genevera. They reared all these chil- 
dren but Mary E. and Jacob F. The mother is a 
member of the United Brethren Church, of which 
the father was also a member. John Brechner emi- 
grated from Ohio to Indiana when a boy, and in the 
latter State he received the principal part of his edu- 
cation. In 18(10 he went to the lumber regions of 
.Michigan, and there remained for seven j-ears, when 
he returned to Indiana and engaged in farming. 
He was married in 1872 to Miss Harriet Barnes, 



daughter of Amos Barnes, and eight children have 
been tiie result of this union: J. Harvey, George 
W., Lydia B. , Henry, Delilah, Stella, Daisy and 
Sady. Mr. Brechner followed farming in Indiana 
for six years, and in 1880 he emigrated to Nebraska, 
and settled on his present property. He liought a 
partly improved farm of eighty acres, and also eighty 
acres of railroad land, which he has since improved 
■scry much. In politics Mr. Brechner votes for 
principle and not for party. He is a memlier of the 
Farmers' Alliance, and has been a memlicr of the 
school board three terms. He and wife are members 
of the United Brethren Church, and are much es- 
teemed citizens. He has been very successful since 
coming to Nebraska, and has one of the best farms 
in the township, all the result of his own exertions. 
His brothers, Aaron, Wilson, Joseph and Peter, all 
enlisted in the Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry, and 
were in a great many hard fought battles. Samuel 
was in the One Hundred and Eighteenth Indiana In- 
fantry, Aaron and Peter lost their health while in 
the war, and the former died from the effects of his 
service in 1867. Mi'. Brechner is the only one of 
his father's family who came to this State. 

Rev. Jacob Brinkema is the present pastor of the 
Presbyterian Church in Hanover Township, Adams 
County, Neb. , and is a native German, having been 
born in Hanover, March 2, 1836, being the 3-oungest 
of seven children born to the marriage of Justus and 
Anna (Green) Brinkema. The father was an en- 
terprising and successful agriculturist and he and his 
wife were members of the Reformed Church, and 
died in 1844 and 1843, respectively. Their children 
are George, Margaret, Agnes, Ernest, who died in 
1853; Justus, and two who died in infanc}-. Rev. 
Jacob Brinkema attended the schools of Hanover 
in his 3'outh, but in 1864 left his native land to seek 
a home in the New World, and settled first in Ogle 
County, 111. In 18G6 he entered a school at Du- 
buque, Iowa, and in this institution began his theo- 
logical studies, but in April, 1871, left school, and 
in the fall of that year was ordained a minister of 
the Gospel and put in charge of a church in Grundy 
County, Iowa. After spending six months in Ack- 
ley, he preached in Hamilton County for some time, 
and while in that State was instrumental in organizing 



T' 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



215 



a number of churches. On the 3d day of July, 
1883, he organized a church in Hanover Township, 
Adams County', Neb. , and was put in charge of the 
same in May, 1884, and since his residence here has 
been instrumental in bringing many people into the 
church. January 11, 1872, he was married to Miss 
Bernhardine Gruis, a daughter of Ralph and Bern- 
liardine Gruis, all natives of Hanover, Germanj-, 
and by his wife has had a family of ten children: 
Kuno, who died January, 1873; Juslon, who died 
January 16, 1881; Anna, was born in 1875: Kuno, 
died in 1887; Barnhard, who was born in 1879; Jus- 
tus, born in 1881 and died March 15, 1885; Kuno, 
born in 1882 and died in 1885; Rubalt, who died in 
1884; Margaret, who was born in 1886, and Justus 
born in 1888. Mr. Brinkema is deeply interested in 
the welfare of the county, and is an earnest, faithful 
and consistent worker for the cause of Christianity. 
Bedford Brown, attorney, Hastings, Neb. Of 
the many prominent names that go to make up the 
strength of the Nebraska bar is that of Mr. Bed- 
ford Brown, who though j'oung in j-ears, is looked 
upon with considerable pride by the people of Adams 
Count}-, not only for his brilliant efforts in his profes- 
sion, but for his unquestioned integrity and honesty 
of purpose. He was born near where stands the 
present village of Divernon, HI., October 7, 1861, 
and first attended the district schools of Sangamon 
County, 111. Subsequently he attended Whipple 
Academy at Jacksonville, 111. , and also at Illinois 
College, of the same place, from which he graduated 
in 1884 with the degree of A. B. He then taught 
school for one year, and in the fall of 1885 entered 
the Columbian University Law School at Washing- 
ton, D. C. , from which he graduated in the spring 
of 1877. After this he was in the office of Dilworth, 
Smith & Dilworth, at Hastings, for three months, and 
in April, 1888, he formed a co-partnership for the 
practice of law with W. L. Marshall, which contin- 
ued until January 25, 1890, when the partnership 
was dissolved. Mr. Brown is a close student, is one 
of the popular young men of Hastings, and is a bril- 
liant young lawyer. He is a Democrat in politics, 
and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He 
is the sixth of nine children born to Reuben S. and 
Sallie (Wright) Brown, natives of Kentucky and Illi- 



nois, respectively. The parents and most of the 
family reside in Sangamon County, 111. The father 
is an agi-iculturist by occupation near Divernon, 111. , 
and occupies a prominent position among the many 
successful business men of that community. 

William R. Burton, county judge-elect of Adams 
County, Neb., is a man of recognized worth, and to 
his natural abilities have been added the wisdom and 
experience of a useful and well spent life. Ho was 
born on the frontier in Southwestern Missouri, May 
31, 1844, his father, Garrett Burton, who was a na- 
tive Kentuckian, born in 1820, being of a wandering 
disposition, and with his family, was in Missouri at 
the time of William's birth. The mother was a most 
estimable lady, and was a faithful wife and mother. 
Her maiden name was Catherine Waugh, and she was 
born in Tennessee in 1819, and is now a resident of 
Harrison County, Ind. Her husband's death occurred 
in 1862, and upon her devolved the rearing, support 
and education of her children, five in number, and 
how well this duty was fulfilled is evident in looking 
upon her children, who have grown to honored man- 
hood and womanhood. William R. Burton is the 
eldest of the family, and in early boyhood lie re- 
turned to Indiana with his mother, and here his early 
scholastic advantages were enjoyed, and besides ob- 
taining all the knowledge to be acquired in the com- 
mon schools, he was so fortunate as to obtain a 
four years' schooling in the Northwestern Christian 
University at Indianapolis. In July, 1861, he en- 
listed in Company K. Twenty-third Indiana Volunteer 
Infantr}', to do battle for the Union, and was a faith- 
ful servant for "Uncle Sam" until the last of May, 
1865, and during his term of service was in many 
important engagements. He was wounded at the 
siege of Vicksburg, captured on the field of battle 
and was cast in prison, but was soon after paroled 
and sent to a hospital at St. Louis. Upon his re- 
covery he entered the quarter-master's department 
of the Army of the Cumberland under Gen. Thomas, 
and in that capacity served until the close of the 
war. In 1872 he began the study of law, and two 
years later was admitted to the bar in Union Countv. 
Ind., where he continued the practice of his pro- 
fession until 1881, at which time he accepted a posi- 
tion on the editorial staff of the Indianapolis Jour- 



-^^ 




iml. in which eapaeity he remained two years. He 
thou came to Adams County, Nel). , and for some 
time was engaged in wielding the ferule, but in 1S.S7 
was chosen judge of tlie city court of Hastings, re- 
ceiving all the votes cast with the exception of one. 
In ISSO he was elected to his present position, with 
a plurality of 700, and his devotion to the welfare 
of this county, and his ability and fidelity in his 
present position, have been recognized by all. Polit- 
icallj- he has alwaj'S been a Republican, and socially 
he is a member of the I. 0. 0. F. and the G. A. R. 
January 1. 1873, he was united in marriage to Miss 
Anna J. Langtree, of Madison, Ind., by whom he 
has one son: Harrj- G. 

Re\-. O. A. Buzzell has been long and worthily 
identified with the farming and religious interests of 
Adams County, Neb. , and no history of this imme- 
diate vicinity would be complete which failed to 
make proper mention of Mr. Buzzell. Originally 
from Grafton County, X. H. , he was born there in 
1835, and was the third of a famil3- of eight chil- 
dren born to his parents, D. R. and Anna D. 
(Pea.se) Buzzell. The father is yet living, and has 
resided on one farm in New Hampshire since he was 
seven 3-ears of age, the farm being originallj^ pur- 
chased bj- his father, the grandfather of our sub- 
ject. Since he attained his majority- he has been an 
active spirit in the affairs of Grafton County, which 
he has represented twice in the State Legislature. 
For over fifty years he served as clerk of the Free 
Will Baptist Church of his town, and politically was 
a Jacksonian Democrat; and still adheres to the 
principles of that party. For a number of years he 
was extensively engaged in the lumber business, 
and operated two saw mills on a stream which ran 
through his farm, but a freshet swept both these 
structures away, which loss financially embarrassed 
Mr. Buzzell for manv years. He eventually recov- 
ered his losses, and paid his debts to the last dol- 
lar. He was born in 1806, and accordingly is now 
at the advanced age of eightj'-three years, and is 
yet quite hale and hearty, bearing his burden of 
manj- j-ears with ease, his memory especially show- 
ing few indications of the ravages of time. His 
wife died in 1879 at the age of sixty-nine j'ears. 
The parental grandfather was a sturdy pioneer 



farmer of New Hampshire, and died in 1872 at the 
ripe old age of ninety-eight and one-half years. Inn- 
ing enlisted, but not taking an active part, in the 
War of 1812. The mother's parents were also 
among the sturdv pioneers of New Hampshire, and 
lived to a goodly age. 0. A. Buzzell's days from 
his earliest recollections were occupied with the 
monotonous duties of farm life, and in acquiring an 
eilucation in the district schools near his home, and 
when his twentieth year was reached he went to 
Lowell, Mass. , and began clerking in a book store; 
but in December, 1857, bought out the proprietor 
and started in business for himself, conducting the 
establishment until the outbreak of the late Civil 
War. In July, 1SG2, he joined Company F of the 
Thirty-third Regiment Massachusetts Infantry, and 
was a member of the Army of the Potomac for one 
^•ear. After becoming a member of the Eleventh 
Army Corps, he participated in the battle of Chan- 
cellorsville, and in the fall of 1863 was transferred 
to the Arm}- of the West, and marched from Bridge- 
port to Chattanooga; and after reaching the latter 
place took part in the battles of Lookout Valley, 
Lookout ilountaiu and Jlissionary Ridge. He also 
participated in nearl}' all the engagements of the 
Atlanta campaign in the Twentieth Corps (Joe 
Hooker's), and while in the cit}' of Atlanta his i"egi- 
ment was detailed for provost dut}-, and upon the 
evacuation of the army their regiment set fire to the 
citj'. He was with Sherman on his march to the 
sea, and on March 7, 1865, received injuries which 
confined him to the hospital for some time. He 
was discharged Ma}' 24, 1865, and returned home 
with the rank of corporal, to which he had been 
promoted while on the Atlanta campaign. Before 
reaching his home, however, he was stricken down 
by fever, and for a time his life was despaired of; 
but by fall he had reco\ercd sufficientlj- to engage 
in business, which he did in the citj- of Lowell, 
Mass., continuing until May, 1867, at which date 
he sold out and engaged in the manufacture of shoe 
findings in Boston, this occupation receiving his at- 
tention for some three j-ears. During this time he 
had purchased the exclusi\e control of Dr. James 
Craigue's Indian family medicines, and three years 
were spent in the preparation of these remedies for 



the public. In 1872 he removed to Nebraska, con- 
sicleriug that the new country beyond the 3Iississippi 
offered better ad\-antages t<j a man than the East; 
and tune has proved the wisdom of his decision in 
locating here. He settled on a homestead in Buf- 
falo County, near where Kearney now is; but after 
living on it five years and making many improve- 
ments, he sold out and moved to a farm of eighty 
acres near the town of Juniata, which he has suc- 
ceeded in putting in a fine state of cultivation. He 
has a pleasant and commodious residence, and his 
farm is well supplied with fruit and is abundantly 
stocked, this liranch of business receiving a con- 
siderable portion of Jlr. Buzzell's attention. Mr. 
Buzzell joined the Free Will Baptist Church when 
about nineteen years of age, and the following year 
changed his membership to the First (regular) Bap- 
tist Church of Lowell, Mass.; and while in Lowell, 
in 1866, he and two gentlemen friends started the 
Y. M. C. A., of which he was an active member 
during his stay in the city. On j\Iay 27, 1873, he 
was licensed to preach by the Baptist Church of 
Gibbon, Net>. , and served that church as pastor for 
one year, during which time also he organized a 
church- at Huntsville. In 1874 he became pastor 
of the First Church of Kearney, and later organized 
a church at Overton, and became pastor of the 
Plum Creek Church, ten miles west. He was or- 
dained March 9, 1877, and in the fall of the same 
year he received a call from Juniata, which he 
accepted, and moved to this town; and under his 
guidance the membership soon became doubled, 
which necessitated the erection of a new church, 
which still stands as a tribute to his zeal and fidelity. 
In 1881 he organized a church at Minden; in 1884, 
the Mount Pleasant Church, south of Juniata, and 
has also assisted in organizing a number of other 
churches. He was pastor of a church in Hamilton 
County two years; was pastor of the Union and 
Catherton Churches in Webster County, and the 
Pleasant Home Church in Polk County. He was 
one of the organizers of the Grand Island and 
South Central Baptist Associations, and was one of 
the Board of Directors for the State Convention, 
and Chairman of the SUite Committee of Foreign 
Missions, and has served as Moderator of each of 



these associations. He has also sen-ed as mis- 
sionary in employ of the Baptist Home ^Missionary 
Society, American Biljle Society and American Sun- 
day School Union, establishing work on the frontier. 
He was married in 1858 to Miss Addie M. Merrill, a 
native of New Hampshire, and a daughter of Jere- 
miah and Mary A. (George) ^lerrill, the father dying 
when Mrs. Buzzell was a child, and the mother in 
1877. The former was a fanner by occupation, and 
an enterprising citizen. To Mr. and Mrs. Buzzell 
seven children have been born. Edgar A. , the eldest, 
is a graduate of the University of Chicago, having 
worked his way through this institution, and re- 
ceived at the end of the course $50 for the prize 
essay. In the fall of 1888 he was admitted to the 
bar of Chicago, and is now practicing law in that 
citj-. He was born October 10, 1860, and was mar- 
ried April 4, 1887, to Miss J. Isetta Gibson, by 
whom he has a son born Januarj- 8, 1888, named 
Edgar Gibson. Minnie A., the second child, was 
born December 13, 1862, and was the first graduate 
of the Gibbon Baptist Seminary. She later spent 
one year in the University of Chicago in the study 
of special branches preparatory to engaging in 
foreign missionary work, and in the fall of 1884 
sailed from San Francisco to China. Her support 
abroad was guaranteed by the ladies of Oregon, and 
she reached her destination, Swatow, China, Decem- 
ber 1, 1884; but after three j-ears of successful 
labor among the heathen women, owing to ill health, 
returned to America in 1887, and is at present in 
Oregon for the benefit of her health, and is at the 
same time engaged in organizing women's mis- 
sionary societies in Oregon and Washington. She 
was the j-oungest single lad3- sent on this work, and 
the superintendent of the mission in China said that 
she made rapid progress in learning the language. 
Annie, Mr. Buzzell's second daughter, was born 
Augugt 3, 1866, and received her education in Gibbon 
Seminar}-. She began teaching in the public schools 
of Adams County at the age of fifteen j-ears. and is 
now in her third year in charge of the primary de- 
partment of the Juniata public school. Charles I>. , 
born November 8, 1870, is at home; Jennie M. was 
bom November 22, 1873, and is a pupil in the high 
school at Juniata. Lewis J. was born September 



5 "V " 



_S) 



l^ 



218 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



12, ISTC, and iliud Juno 19, 1878, and Francis H. 
was born NovoniliiM- !>, 1SS2, and died Soi)teniber 6, 
1881. Mr. Buzzell cast his first presidential vote 
for John C. Fremont, and has ever since voted in 
general elections for the Republican candidate. He 
is a member of Geary Post No. 81, G. A. R., and 
has been honored with the office of Chaplain of that 

body. 

\V. P. W. ('anipliell, farmer and stockman, 
TniMiliull, Neb. This representative citizen is one 
of the pioneers of West Blue Township, Adams 
County, Neb., whither he had emigrated in Febru- 
arv, 1874, and wiiere he has since homesteaded 
1(50 acres on Section 12. He was born in Kanawha 
County, Va. , on November 24, 1826, and is the 
sixth in a family of eight children liorn to the union 
of Robert and Mary (Griffith) Campbell, natives of 
the Old Dominion, Botetourt County. The father 
was a cabinet maker bj- trade, and was the inventor 
of the old fashioned auger pump. He moved to 
Sangamon County, 111., in 1830, settled on a farm, 
entered land, and made that county his home until 
his death, which occurred in I)ecoml)er, 1844. His 
wife survived him until Novemlier, ISUl. Of their 
children Charles resides in Labette County, Kan. , 
John, in St. Louis, who is a master machinist, and 
W. P. W. The latter (the subject of this sketch) 
remained on the farm until twentj--one j'ears of age 
and then entered a machine shop, where he became 
a master mechanic. He set up machinery all over 
Illinois, and later ran stationary engines in diflferent 
parts of the country. After this he worked in the 
shop and on the road for ten years. On Jlay 26. 
1861, he enlisted in the Fourteenth Infantry, Com- 
pany I, for three j-ears, at Waverly, 111., and was 
engaged in the liattles of Shiloh, Ilatchie and siege 
of Vieksburg. While at Natchez he was transfeiTed 
to the invalid corps on account of disability, being 
sent to guard the prison at Rock Island until the 
expiration of term of service. He was discharged 
at the latter place on May 27, 18(54, after wliich he 
went to Springfield, 111. Mr. Campbell was mar- 
ried previous to the war, in 1852, to Miss Julia ^1. 
Slater, a native of Sangamon County, 111., and the 
daughter of Jay and Lucretia (Carman) Slater, 
natives of New York and Virginia, respectively. 



Mr. Slater settled in Illinois at an early day, and 
there followed agricultural pursuits. Both he and 
wife are deceased. Mrs. CampVieU's brother, James 
H. Slater, was United States Senator from Oregon, 
and was also in the XLIst Congress. He is now a 
resident of Oregon and a prominent criminal lawyer 
of La Grande. Mr. Campl)ell, after marriage, set^ 
tied in Springfield, 111., whither he had returned 
after the war, and there resided until 1874, when he 
emigrated to Adams County, Neb. He entered 160 
acres of land, and now has all that in a good state 
of cultivation. He is also interested in the raising 
of stock. Mr. Campbell is not active in politics, 
Init votes with the Republican party. He has been 
a member of the school board, and was one of the 
first in the district. He is a member of William H. 
Harrison Post No. 183, G. A. R., at Trumbull, 
and is Senior Vice Commander. Mrs. Campbell is 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. To 
their union have been born three children: Mar3-, 
now Mrs. L. F. Gould, of Orange Vale, Cal. ; Olive, 
now Mrs. Ramse}% of Nebraska, and Charles R. , 
who is married and resides at home. Mr. Campbell 
has seen the complete growth of the county, and in 
its early settlement has been obliged to go to the 
Platte River to get willows for fuel. He takes an 
interes't in and aids all causes for the good of the 
county. 

L. M. Campbell, secretary of the Nebraska Real 
Estate and Live Stock Association, and one of the 
prominent business men of Hastings, was born at 
DeWitt, L)wa, on September 12, 1859, and is the 
son of W. R. and Rebecca (McBride) Campbell, 
natives of Ohio, and now residents of South Dakota, 
the former being about sixty-two years of age and 
the latter sixty-five j-ears of age. Mr. Campbell is 
the second of five children. He remained at De- 
Witt, Iowa, until 1871, and then for five years at- 
tended school at Washington, Iowa, and a business 
college at Davenport, Iowa. In 1876 he wont to 
Des Moines, and during the winter season for five 
years was book keeper for the Des Jloines Pork 
Packing Company. In 1881 he came to Hastings, 
and until September, 1888, was bookkeeper for the 
Nebraska Loan and Trust Company, and since then 
has been activelj- engaged in the real estate business. 



^s— .- 



) >y ' 



:l>£ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



219 



in connection with one of the most extensi\e real 
estate firms in the West. The same was organized 
August 1, 1883. Mr. Campbell takes an active part 
in the advancement of Hastings, and readily gives 
his support to all laudable enterprises. He was 
married in 1882 to Miss Almira U. Dillanback, a 
native of Kalamazoo, Mich. , who died in Hastings, 
Neb., in 1886, leaving two children, Sidnej- E. , 
born in 1883, and Almira U., born in 1886. Mr. 
Campbell was married the second time on January 
18, 1888, to Miss Mary E. Ritter, a native of Con- 
stantiue, Mich. Mr. Campbell is an ardent Repub- 
lican, and cast his first presidential vote for James 
A. Garfield, at Creston, Iowa. He is a member of 
the Masonic Lodge, is also a member of the I. 0. 0. 
F. and the A. 0. U. W. , and is one of the popular 
men of Hastings. 

Lucius Junia Capps is the senior m'ember of the 
law firm of Capps, McCreary & Stevens, of Hastings, 
Neb. As a copartnership whose honor is above 
criticism, whose ability places it in the front rank of 
the Western bar, whose name is well known through- 
out Adams and surrounding counties, tliis firm 
occupies an enviable place. The gentlemen com- 
posing the firm are admirably adapted to their call- 
ing, and Mr. Capps is especially well known. He 
was born in Indiana, October 10, 1852, and is a son 
of J. W. and Julia (Boone) Capps, who were born 
in North Carolina and Indiana, in 182-1 and 1834, 
respectively. They removed to Boone County, 
Iowa, at an early day, and here the mother's death 
occurred in 1873, her husband being still alive and 
a prominent resident of that countj-. Lucius J. 
Capps is the eldest of their seven children , and when 
a little less than one year old his parents located in 
Iowa, and until nineteen years of age he was an 
attendant of the public schools of Boone County. 
He then began studying law in tlie office of W. R. 
Lawrence, but finished his legal studies in the office 
of Judge Mitchell, and on May 15, 1873, he was 
admitted to the Boone County bar. The same year 
he went to Utah Temtory, but a few months later 
returned home, and in September, 1874, entered the 
law department of the University of Michigan, at 
Ann Arbor, and on March 24, graduated with the 
class of 1875. From that time until December, 



1878, he practiced his profession in Paris, 111. , be- 
ing admitted to practice liefore the Supreme Court 
of that State June 4, 1875, after which he came to 
Hastings, Neb., and in December, 1878, became a 
member of the Adams County i)ar. He also holds 
a certificate to practice in the fefleral courts. De- 
cember 26, 1876, he was married to Miss Mary J. 
Vance, who was born in Wisconsin in 1857, and 
died 3Iay 16, 1888, leaving two children, Louis 
Junia and Harry F. V. Mr. Capps has always been 
a stanch Republican. 

Levi Carkins, farmer and stock breeder, Hast- 
ings, Neb. Among the influential and respected 
citizens of Adams County, there is no one more 
justly entitled to representation in this work than 
Levi Carkins. He came to the county in the spring 
of 1873, entered 160 acres of land, erected a frame 
house and commenced improving his farm. He was 
born in Onondaga Count}-, N. Y. , in October, 1841, 
and was the fifth of ten children born to the union of 
Levi and Lef}- (Richmond) Carkins, both natives of 
the southern part of New York State. The parents 
were married in New York in 1832, moved to Me- 
Henry Count}-, 111. , in 1845, and here the father cul- 
tivated the soil until 1856. They then moved to 
Chickasaw County. lov.a. where the father continued 
his former pursuit until his death the following year. 
The mother was born in Onondaga County, in 1813, 
and survived her husband until 1884, having been a 
resident of Iowa for twenty-eight }-ears. Their 
family consisted of the following children: Mary, 
died in Iowa; Sarah, now Mrs. Graves, of New IIami> 
ton, Iowa; Amaziah, died in McHenry County, 111., 
many years ago; Sylvester, died November 14, 1881; 
Levi (our subject). Richmond, enlisted in the Union 
Army, Company C, Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantr}', at 
Chickasaw, Iowa, in 1862, and was assigned to the 
Western Department; he died at New Orleans in 
1863 of chronic diarrhoea, contracted in service; 
Phoebe Jane, now Mrs. Gregory, of Charles City, 
Iowa; George Washington, married and resides in 
Iowa; Ruthfield, married and resides in Hayes 
County, Neb. , and Cyrus wlio resides in Hayes 
County, Neb. Levi Carkins' time in early life was 
divided between assisting on tlie farm and receiving 
an ordinary education in the schools of Chickasaw, 






220 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Iowa. IK' iiilistcd in Company B, Seventh Iowa 
Infantry, at Hampton, Iowa, July 8, 1861, for three 
years, and was sent to the Western Department. He 
was in tlic Ijattle of Behnont and there received a 
gunshot wound. He participated in the battle of 
Shiloh, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountiiin, Atlanta, also 
several other prominent battles, and was with Sher- 
man on his march to the sea. He was honorably 
diseharjred at Chattanooga, Tenn., in August, 18G4. 
Returning home to Iowa he engaged in agricultural 
pursuits, and this has continued ever since. His 
maiTiage occurred in Chickasaw County, Iowa, in 
1884. to Miss C. D. Cari)enter, a native of Ohio, who 
bore him two children: KittieM. , now Mrs. Miukler, 
of Ohio, and H. E., who now resides in Nebraska. 
Mr. Carkins tuok for his second wife Mrs. Angeline 
(Keene) Hudson, the daughter of Alvin and Sarah 
(Cheevcr) Keene, natives of New York, and was 
married to her in Nebraska, in 1877. Her parents 
moved to Monroe County, Mich., in 1837, settled on 
a farm, and there the mother died in 1852. The 
father died January 30, 1879. Mrs. Carkins was 
man-ied in Monroe County, Mich., in 1865, to Fer- 
nando Hudson, a native of Monroe County, Mich. , 
and came to Adams County, Neb. , in 1872, settling 
in Denver Township, where they entered eightj- acres 
of land within the present limits of Hastings, which 
at tliat time consisted of a few sod cabins. Mr. 
Hudson's death occurred in 1874. Mr. Carkins has 
continued to improve his farm, and now has 320 
acres under cultivation. He feeds considerable 
stock, has a good grade, and has made many and 
vast improvements. He is the township committee- 
man of Highland Township, takes an active part in 
Ijolitics and votes with the Republican partj-. He 
was school treasurer in 1876. and has filled many 
oilier local positions. He assisted in the organiza- 
tion of Highland Township. Mrs. Carkins is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
is active in its various workings. Mr. Carkins 
has seen a vast change in the county since his 
residence here, and being one of the pioneers 
has Uiken a deep interest in everything that per- 
tains to the good of the same. When he first 
settled here he was offered a lot in Hastings for 
a watch, but refused the offer. He is a self-made 



man and has accumulated all his property since 
comiiii;; here. 

Thomas Carroll, farmer and stockman, Ayr, Neb. 
If, as is self-evident, this work would be incomplete 
without sketches of the more public spirited of the 
successful agriculturists and stockmen, and substan- 
tial, well-to-do citizens of Adams County, the biog- 
rapliy of the subject of this sketch justly finds a 
conspicuous place in the present volume. 3Ir. Car- 
roll was originally from New York City, where his 
birth occurred in 1843, but his education was re- 
ceived in Illinois. His parents, John and Bridget 
(Mooney) Carroll, were both natives of County Mayo, 
Province of Connaught, Ireland. The father was 
born in 1803, and in 1838 emigrated to New Y'ork 
City, where he remained until 1845. From there he 
removed to Vermont, thence in 1846 to Illinois, and 
from there, iii 1878, to Union County, Iowa, where 
he lived a retired life. He died in that State in 
1884, and the mother in Illinois in 1864. The father 
was a Democrat in politics, and was a member of 
the Catholic Church. Thomas Carroll spent his 
school-boj- days in Illinois, and at the breaking out 
of the war he enlisted in Company- H, Twelfth Illi- 
nois Infantry, under Col. John 3IcCarth}% and was 
in many of the principal engagements. He was in. 
the battles of Donelson and Shiloh, where he was 
wounded bj' a minie-ball (which he carries to this 
da}-), and being unable to do further service on ac- 
count of this, was discharged in 1862. He has 
since been unable to do manual labor. In 1864 he 
was maiTied to Miss Lucelia Bort, daughter of Daniel 
Bort, of Illinois, and afterward followed agricultural 
pursuits in that State for a number of j-ears. In 
1873 he came to Nebraska, settled in Ayr Township, 
Adams County, entered 160 acres of land, which he 
has since increased to 640 acres, and has this all 
under fence and well improved. Although a Demo- 
crat he is not a party man and votes for principle. 
He has been school treasurer in his district, and is 
interested in all local affairs. To !Mr. and 3Irs. 
Carroll have been born ten children: John M., 
Charles II., Thomas B. , Louis H.. Frank, James C. , 
Wesley A., Herron G. , Maggie Lue ami ^lary 0. 
The children are all at home. 

Thomas W. Carter, farmer and stock raiser, Rose- 



<5 W. 




land, Neb. ]Mr. Carter is a native of Rhode Island, 
and was Ijorn in tlie city of Providence on August 
21, 1S44. His father, Charles W. Carter, was born 
on Breed's Hill, Charleston, Mass., was reared there, 
and when a young man went to Rhode Island, where 
he married Jliss Phoebe Ann Patt, a native of that 
State. Mr. Carter was a blacksmith and machinist 
i\y trade, and after remaining in Rhode Island from 
1852 until 1872 he moved to Adams County, Neb. , 
and here passed the closing scenes of his life, his 
death occurring on August 19, 1882. Ilis wife is 
still living. He was in Rhode Island during the 
Dorr trouble. T. W. Carter moved with his parents 
to Illinois in 1852, settled in McLean County, and 
August 15, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred 
and Seventh Illinois Infantry, and was transferred 
in 1863 to the Seventh Illinois Battery, and in 1804 
to Battery K, First Illinois Light Artillery, serving 
until the close of the war. He was discharged In 
July, 1865, and was mustered out at Knoxville. 
He participated i.i the figlit at Bean Station, and his 
batter}- whipped tlie famous Gray Horse battery of 
Longstreet. He also participated in the battle of 
Perryville, siege of Knox^•ille, Strawberry Plains and 
a great niany lesser battles. He was not siclv nor 
did he lose any time during his term of service. 
Returning to Illinois, McLean County, he there re- 
sided until 1872, when he moved to Adams County, 
Neb., in the fall of thai year. In March, 1873, he 
entered land, and has since added to this and now 
has his place in a good state of cultivation. He was 
married here on March 19, 1883, to Mrs. Lydia J. 
Barnard, a native of Stueben County, Ind., born near 
Angola, and the daughter of 0. V. Barnard. In his 
[jolitical \'iews jMr. Carter affiliates with the Demo- 
cratic party and has held some local positions. He 
was elected supervisor in 1886 and re-elected in 
1887, serving two terms in that capacitj-. He then 
resigned in the last named year, moved to Alma and 
engaged in business there for one season, renting out 
his farm. He was appointed magistrate of Rose- 
land Township in 1889, and is a man wlio has the 
confidence and respect of all acquainted with him. 
He and Mrs. Carter are hospitable and very pleas- 
ant in all their intercourse witli the public, and 
as such have the esteem of all. Mr. Carter in- 



tends building a fine residence on his place the 
present season. 

John A. Casto, a leading member of that well 
known and popular law firm of Batty & Casto, of 
Hastings, Neb. , is a successful business man and in 
every respect is self-made. His birth took place in 
Clinton County, Ohio, May 31, 1852, and he is a 
son of Firman and Susan (Moore) Casto, natives of 
Pennsylvania, the father's birth occurring March 1, 
1805. At an early day he removed to Ohio, and in 
1858 from there to Illinois, and died in McDonougli 
County, this State, on January 4, 1889, having lived 
the honest and worthy life of a farmer. His wife, 
who was born in Pennsylvania, survives him, and is 
a resident of Good Hope, 111. From the time he 
was four years of age until he attained his majority 
John A. Casto resided on the homestead in Illinois, 
and from his father learned the intricacies of farm 
life, also lessons of industry and econom}-, which 
have been his stepping stones to success in later 
years. After attending the public schools a suffi- 
cient length of time he finished his education in the 
Normal School of Abingdon, 111., and still later, as 
a law student, entered the office of C. F. Wheat, at 
Macomb, 111. (in the fall of 1870), and at the end of 
twenty-one months took a course in the Chicago 
Union College of Law, and graduated in June with 
the class of 1883. In September of that j-ear he 
came to Hastings where he entered upon the active 
practice of his profession, and in March, 1884, 
formed a partnership with Morris Cliggitt, a college 
classmate, which connection continued until 3Iay, 
1887. Since that time Mr. Casto has been associa- 
ted with Mr. Batty, and they constitute one of the 
leading firms of the county. Miss Etta ]\I. Ratkin 
became his wife November 16, 1876. She was born 
in Illinois, and is the mother of a son, Earle. Mr. 
Casto Ijelongs to the I. 0. O. F. , the K. of P. , and 
in his political views has always been a Republican, 
and on this ticket was elected in 1888 to the posi- 
tion of county attorney of Adams County. Three 
of his brothers, Jonathan, George and Thomas J.. 
served in the Union army during the war, and the 
first named was killed in battle, the second died in 
the hospital, and only Thomas returned to his home 
from the field of action. 



^' 



la 



J. 15, Cessna, attorney, Hastings, Neb. I'louii- 
ncnt among the comparatively young men of Adams 
County, whose career thus far has been both honor- 
able and successful, is the subject of this sketch. 
He was born in Bedford County, Pa., on the 24th of 
March, 1840, and his parents, William and Rachel 
(Mogart) Cessna, were natives also of the Keystone 
State. The father was born in 1800, and died 
in Bedford County, Pa., at the age of sixty-four 
years. The mother was born in 1789 and died in 
1 860. She was of German descent, while the father 
was of French and Italian. J. B. Cessna is the 
youngest of eleven chililren, ten of whom are now 
living. His brother John is a prominent politician 
of Pennsylvania, was speaker of the House of the 
Pennsylvania Legislature for three terms, and three 
times represented the Eighteenth Congressional Dis- 
trict in Congress. He has been a prominent poli- 
tician for forty years. J. B. Cessna first attended 
the public schools of Pennsylvania, and later at^ 
tended the Alleghany Male and Female Seminary at 
Rainsburg, Pa. He entered the sophomore class 
of Franklin Marshall College, at Lancaster, Pa., 
in September, 1861, and graduated from the same 
in July, 1864. One year later he was admitted to 
the bar at Bedford, Pa. , and practiced law in that 
and other counties until April, 1885, when he came 
to Hastings, Neb. He had a good practice in the 
counties of bis native State, and was admitted to 
practice before the Supreme Court of the United 
States on January 26, 1876, on motion of Hon. 
Jeremiah Black. His marriage to Miss Kate B. 
Brown, of Erie, Pa., occurred on June 12, 1872, 
and they have two children li^■ing: W. Brown and 
Reon B. In politics he adheres strictly to the Re- 
publican party. He is a member of the College 
Fraternity Phi Kapa Psi. He was admitted to prac- 
tice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on 
May 15, 1872, and during his practice in that State 
he had quite a number of important cases, notable 
among which was the case entitled "Noble vs. The 
Thompson Oil Company." The case was in the 
court for fifteen j-cars. Mr. Cessna was connected 
with it as counsel for the plaintiffs below and de- 
fendants in error, and in March, 1879, the case was 
decided ui favor of the defendants, in the Supreme 



Court of the United States. The case involved 
$50,000 and was of great legal importance. Since 
coming to Hastings. Mr. Cessna has had a good 
practice and is an independent thinker, deriving his 
information when practical fi-om original sources, 
and is a hard working, industrious lawyer. He is a 
member of the Presbyterian Church. 

William A. Chapman, M. D., is a man whom 
nature seems to have especially designed to be a 
physician, for he has met with more than ordinary 
success in the practice of his profession , and owing 
to his desire to keep out of the beaten path, his in- 
telligence and energy, he has become well known to 
the citizens and the medical fraternity of Adams 
and many surrounding counties. He was born in 
Delaware, Ohio, on September 11, 1843, and is the 
eldest of four living children born to Rev. A. D. 
and Alma E. (Wigton) Chapman, the former's birth 
occurring in the " Green Mountain State" Novem- 
ber 16, 1809, and his death in Malcom, Iowa, in 
1880. He was a well known and popular minister 
of the Presbyterian Church, and was licensed to 
preach the gospel to his fellow men in the j-ear 
1838, being ordained the following year, from which 
date he continued an active worker for his Master 
until death called him home. His wife was born in 
Bradford, Pa., December 1, 1816, and is still re- 
siding in Malcom. Dr. Chapman removed to Iowa 
with his parents in 1859, and after attending the 
public schools until he acquired a fair education, 
he entered Iowa College, which he attended for 
some time. On September 30, 1862, he enlisted in 
Companj- E, Fourth Iowa Cavalry, and was in 
active service for Uncle Sam until he received his 
discharge at Helena, Ark., in 1863. After remain- 
ing in college two years longer he went to Delaware, 
Ohio, and began carrying out a long cherished de- 
sire, that of studj-ing medicine, in the oflBce of Dr. 
T. B. Williams, who was surgeon of the Eighty- 
second Ohio during the war. He then took two 
courses of lectures in the Cleveland Medical College, 
and from this institution was graduated >Iarch 4, 
1868, after which he returned to Malcom and 
entered at once upon the practice of the " healing 
art." In 1860 he removed to Marshalltown, Iowa, 
where he made his home till 1881; and while there 



[hL^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



223 



was for eight years chief surgeon of the Iowa Cen- 
tral Eailroacl. During the winter of 1878-79 he took 
lectures at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, 
graduating in the latter year; and the year 1885 
found him also a graduate of the New York Poly- 
clinic. In the fall of 1881 he removed to Trinidad, 
Colo. , but five years later came to Hastings, Neb. , 
and here has become well and favorably known, as 
stated above. Dr. Chapman makes a specialtj' of 
general surgery. He has a name for good judg- 
ment, and for being a cool, careful and skillful 
operatoi". This, with his uniform success, has won 
for him a reputation throughout Central Nebraska, 
of which he may justly feel proud. In 1887 he 
was appointed surgeon of the Burlington & Mis- 
souri Railroad , and of the Chicago & Northwestern in 
1889. He is a Mason, a member of the G. A. R. , 
and he and his wife, whom he married November 
25, 1868, and whose maiden name was Mary L. 
Clark, are members of the Presley terian Church. 
She was born in Peacham, '\''t. They have two 
children: Alma J. and William H. 

Carlos Clark, one of the leading farmers and rep- 
resentative men of Adams County , was bom in the 
Empire State on September 10, 1828, and is the 
eldest of eleven children, eight of whom are now 
living, born to the union of Dolphus and Sally (Lor- 
ing) Clark, natives of New York. The family set- 
tled in Illinois in 1838, and there the father culti- 
vated the soil until his death, which occurred iu La 
Salle County in 1886, when he was eighty years of 
age. The mother now resides in La Salle County, 
111. , and is eighty years of age. The paternal 
grandfather, Joseph Clark, was born in Massachu- 
setts and died in New York. In 1852 Carlos Clark 
began farming for himself in La Salle County, and 
there continued for eighteen j'ears. He was then 
two years in Missouri, and in 1876 came to Adams 
Count}', Neb., and settled in Highland Township. 
In 1884 be moved to his present residence, two and 
a half miles from Hastings , and is now the owner of 
160 acres of land, one of the best improved farms 
in Western Nebraska. He was married in 1852 to 
Miss Clarissa Dike, a native of Connecticut, who 
died in Missouri in 1869, leaving three children: 
Dolphus, Lee and Carlos. Mr. Clark's second mar- 



riage occurred in 1878, to Miss Helen E. Kilmer, a 
native of Pennsylvania, and the daughter of John 
and Betsey (Burger) Kilmer. Mr. and Mrs. Kilmer 
are both living, and are eighty-nine years of age 
each. They are natives of New York, and now re- 
side in La Salle County, 111. They are the parents 
of eleven children. Jlr. Clark is one of the well-to- 
do farmers of the county. 

T. JI. Clark, city water works engineer, Hast- 
ings, Neb. This honorable and upright citizen of 
Hastings was originally from Darke Count}-, Ohio, 
where he was born July 14, 1840, and is the son of 
A, B. and Julia (Lawrence) Clark, natives also of 
the Buckeye State. The father was born in 1813. 
and died in Darke County, Ohio, in 1805, and the 
mother, who was born in 1821, died in the same 
county in 1863. Of the fourteen children born to 
their union, eleven of whom are still living, T. M. 
Clark is the second in order of birth. He was earlj' 
instructed in the mysteries of farm life, received his 
education in the public schools, and remained with 
his father until August, 1861, when he enlisted in 
Company G, Fort3--fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
He participated in the battles ot Winchester, Lynch- 
burg raid, Charleston (West Va.), Lewisburg, Mound- 
fleld, and was taken prisoner at the battle of 
Beverlj-, Va. He was kept confined at Pemberton 
for fort3--five days and was exchanged in Februarj-, 
1864, after which he returned home on a furlough 
for thirty days. After this he joined the regiment 
at Clarksburg, Va. , where he was discharged in 1865, 
and then retiu'ned to his native State, where he en- 
gaged in the grocery business at New JIadison. 
This occupation he continued until 1871, when he 
emigi'ated to Nebraska, and lived for eighteen months 
in Saline Count}-. From there he went to Nebraska 
City, entered the employ of the Chicago, Burling- 
ton & Quincy Railroad, and for twelve yeai-s ran 
one of the " Q " engines. For five years after this 
he was a passenger engineer, and in the spring of 
1878 he removed to Hastings, where he continued 
railroading until the sti'ike in the spring of 1882. 
Since May, 1888, he has been engineer of the City 
Water Works. He was married iu 1866 to 3Iiss 
Nancy E. Cloyd, who was born in Ohio, January 24, 
1843, and the fruits of this union have been two 



^ 




(3 



children: Ilairv X. and Curt A. In his political 
views Mr. Clark is a Ilepul)lican. He is a member 
of the I. 0. O. F., also Encampment, Patriotic 
Order Sons of America, and Brotherhood of Loco- 
motive Engineers. He is one of the old settlers of 
Nebraska, and one of Hastings' respected citizens. 
W. J. Clark, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. Upon reaching the age wlien it became neces- 
sary for him to choose some calling in life to which 
he would afterwards adhere as his chosen occupa- 
tion, Mr. Clark wisel}- adopted agricultural pursuits, 
and this has continued to receive his attention. He 
was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1854, and is the 
()l<U'sl son of six children born to Thomas and 
Nancy (Miller) Clark, natives of England and Can- 
ada, respectively. The father was born in 1809, 
and emigrated to Canada about 1830, settling at 
Toronto, where he carried on farming. He was 
first married to Miss Mary Linton, and they became 
the parents of these children: William, Mary, Sarah, 
Joseph, Francis, Alvina and Ellen. His first wife 
died in 1846, and in 1848 he married Miss Xancy 
Miller, who was born about 182'). They reared by 
this union six children, of whom four are still liv- 
ing: Orinda, Annie, I, W, J. and Hattie (L3-dia and 
Johnnie deceased). Mr, Clark was a successful 
farmer, and died in 1889, at the age of eightj'-one 
years. He w^as a public spirited citizen, and was 
always interested in the affairs of the country. The 
mother is still living, and is a resident of Toronto, 
Canada. W. J. Clark's early life was spent in the 
scliool room and in labor upon the farm. He 
started for himself in 1878, and the same jear was 
married to Miss Melissa Steffens, a daughter of 
Josepli and Orinda Steffens, natives of Canada, who 
emigrated to Illinois at an early day and settled in 
Carroll County. There the father tilled the soil un- 
til liis death in 18>>1. The mother is still living and 
is a resident of Illinois. Mr. Clark emigrated from 
Canada to Nebraska in 1884, settled on his present 
property, which consists of KiO acres of land, which 
he has improved and which is well stocked with 
horses and cattle of the Durham breed. He is a 
Kepublican in politics, and is township treasurer 
for 1890. He and wife are members of the IMetho- 
dist Episcopal Church, of which he is steward, and 



he is also president of the Ayr Township Sunday- 
school Association. He is interested in the upbuild- 
ing of schools and churches, and in fact every thing 
for the good of the county. 

Isaac G. S. Cleland, contractor, Ha.stings, Neb. 
"Were it necessar3' to include in the sketch of ^Ir. 
Cleland's life any items pertaining to his ability 
and skill as a mechanic or builder, perhaps the 
greatest compliment that could be paid him would 
be for us to point out those monuments of his 
handiwork which now grace so manj- of the cities 
and homesteails of Adams County. Mr. Cleland 
was originally from St. Lawrence County, N. Y. , 
where his birth occurred on June 22, 1850. and is 
the 3'oungest of ten children born to the union of 
Thomas and Jane M. (McMillen) Cleland, natives of 
Scotland. The parents died in St. Lawrence County, 
N. Y. , whither the3' had emigrated at an earlj- date. 
They had four sous, John, William, Thomas and 
George, who were soldiers in the late war, and two 
of them were in rebel prisons. They all enlisted in 
1801, and served until the surrender. The father 
was a farmer by occupation. Isaac G. S. Cleland 
attended the schools of St. Lawrence County, N. Y. , 
and spent two years at Canton Academy, At the 
age of seventeen he liegan the carriage making 
trade, which he continued for five years, and 
then commenced the carpenter trade, which he 
carried on in New- York State until the summer 
of 1884. On July 28 of that year he came 
to Hastings, and for a year and a half was 
foreman for J. E. Sims in the carpenter business. 
For uearlj' four years he has now beeu carpentering 
and contracting for himself, and as before men- 
tioned, has built some of the best business houses 
and residences in Hastings. He' erected the Cle- 
land flats on Lexington Avenue, seven in number, 
and worth about $12,000, and numerous other 
buildings. In his political views 3Ir. Cleland 
affiliates with the Republican party, without whisky. 
He was married on October 26, 1872, to Miss Mary 
Jane Allan, a native of Oneida County, N. Y. , 
born in 1851, and the fruits of this union are two 
children, Charles A. and Cclia M. Mrs. Cle- 
land is a member of the Presbyterian Church, 
and he is a member of the I. 0. 0. F. , also of the 



»V 



A^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



LZ^ 



Modern Woodmen of America. He is a self-made 
mau, and bj' his energy and enterprise has accumu- 
lated a comfortable competencj*. He emplo3's from 
eight to fifteen men in his business. 

J. H. CofFman, live stock auctioneer, and one of 
the well-known men of this part of Nebraska, was 
born in Harrison County, Kj'. , on April 29, 1838. 
He is the son of Judge Henry Cofl'man, a native of 
Jessamine County, Ky. , born in 1809, and the grand- 
son of Abraham Coffman, who was born in Strath- 
burg, Germany, and who came to the United States 
prior to the Revolution, in which he was a soldier 
during the entire war. He was honorably dis- 
charged at Redstone, Pa., and subsequently went 
to what is now Fayette County, Ky. , where he died 
at a ripe old age. Judge Henry Coffman was mar- 
ried to Miss Eliza Harrison, a native of Kentucky, 
born in the year 1814, and who now resides in In- 
dianapolis. She is the daughter of Robert Harrison, 
who was a cousin of William Henry Harrison. Judge 
Coffman died in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1875. He 
was the father of fifteen children, J. H. Coffman be- 
ing fifth in order of birth, and twelve of whom are 
now living. The latter was reared in C3-nthiana, 
Ky. , and began life for himself by ringing an 
auction bell for some auctioneer. For thirty-one 
years Mr. Coffman has made auctioneering a busi- 
ness, and is one of the most popular and thoroughly 
efficient representatives of that calling in Nebraska 
or the entire West. During 1889 he held 110 pub- 
lic sales. He came to Hastings in 1885, and has 
since been a resident of that city. During the late 
war he was captain of Companj- B, Fort3'-second 
Kentucky Volunteers, of the Union troops, and 
served four years. He was married in 1861 to Miss 
Latitia Patch, who died in Pennsylvania in 1869, 
leaving two children: James and Lydia. His second 
marriage occurred in 1881,to3Iiss Maria J. Gaddis, 
of Columbus, Ohio, and to them have been born six 
children: Adda, Roy, Earl, Dee, Ray and Grace. 
In politics he is an Independent Republican. He 
and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and are much esteemed and respected citi- 
zens. Notwithstanding the exposure he has under- 
gone in carrying on his business, he is a well pre- 
served man anil strictly temperate. He is enter- 



prising and progressive, and has made his own way 
in life. 

John M. Cole (deceased). It would seem that 
nature had intended Mr. Cole for a long and more 
than ordinarily useful life, but while in its meridian 
his career was closed forever. He was born in 
Seneca County, Ohio, October 9, 1838, and died 
February 6, 1880, mourned not only by his imme- 
diate family, but by his numerous friends and 
acquaintances, by whom his many sterling social and 
business qualities were seen and recognized. He 
remained with his parents in the State of his nativity 
until he attained his majoritj-, receiving a common 
school education, and in 1881 enlisted in the Thirty- 
eighth Illinois Infantry, and was a faithful Union 
soldier for three years, or until the term of his enlist- 
ment had expired. He was in the engagements at 
Stone River, Missionary Ridge, Perry ville, Freder- 
icksburg, besides numerous engagements of equal 
note, or perhaps of even greater importance, and for 
nine months previous to receiving his discharge was 
sick in the hospital. He soon after went to Illinois, 
and was married in Stark County of that State 
November 17, 1864, to Christina A. Peterson, a 
native of Sweden, but who was reared and educated 
in Illinois. She was a daughter of Jonas Peterson , 
and after her marriage to Mr. Cole they settled down 
to farming in Stark County, continuing until 1872, 
at which time they moved to Nebraska and took up 
a homestead claim in Adams County. By industr\- 
and good management he increased his farm to 320 
acres, but did not live to can-y out the plans he had 
made concerning the conduct of his farm. His wife 
has since taken charge of affairs, and how well she has 
succeeded is evident in looking over her property, 
for the buildings are all in excellent condition and 
well kept up. She is, as was her husband, an earn- 
est member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
has reared her children in that belief. Their names 
are Flora, wife of Harvey Walters; William Austin, 
a young man, and John G., a lad of twelve years. 

Hon. H. V. Cole is Adjutant-General of the 
State of Neliraska. and his career through life has 
been one of more than usual interest, for he is enter- 
prising and progi-essive in his views, honorable and 
upright in his dealings, and is thoroughly posted on 



r 



IIISTOHV OF NEBRASKA. 



^. 



;ill matters of public interest. He owes his nativity 
to Huron County, Ohio, his birth occurrinij; there in 
1842, he bein<i; the only chikl born to Vanranselhir 
and Nancy J, (Barnes) Cole, who were born in Ver- 
mont and New York, respectively. The father died 
at the untimely age of twenty-five years, and his 
widow afterwards married again, and with her hus- 
band moved to Canada, where her demise occurred 
years aftt^'rwards, the subject of this sketch being 
eight years of age at the time. After the death of 
his mother he returned to Ohio, where he made his 
home with friends until he arrived at his tenth year, 
and was then sent to an uncle in New York, with 
whom he made his home for five j-ears, the summer 
montiis lieing spent at farm labor, and the winter 
inontiis in attending the district schools. In 1857 
he ilelermined not to be longer dependent on any 
one for his living, but decided to carve out his 
career for himself, and thinking the West afforded 
better opportunities for a young man to rise in the 
world than the East, he emigrated to Michigan and 
settled in Lenawee County, where his time was 
divided between farm work and attending school. 
This State continued to be his home until August, 
1861, when he enlisted in Companj- C, Fourth Mich- 
igan Infantry, and served in the Fifth Army Corps 
in the Army of the Potomac, participating in the 
battles of Yorktown, New Bridge, Hanover, Gaines 
Mill, New Market, Malvern Hill, Harrison's Land- 
ing, Bull Run, Antietam. Fredericksburg and numer- 
ous others. He was discharged for disability on 
May 21, 1863, but by December had recovered suffi- 
ciently to re-enlist, and this time became a member 
cif Company G, Sixth Michigan Cavalry, Custer's 
llrigade, and was with Kilpatrick on his raid of 
1864, and took part in the Battle of the Wilderness. 
He was also with Sheritlan on his raid and partici- 
jjated in many sharp skirmishes, being wounded in 
an engagement at Haws' Shop, May 28, 1864, which 
resulted in total disability for further service. 
After remaining in the hospital at Washington, D. 
C. , for thirteen months, he received his discharge 
on July 6, 1865, whereupon he returned to Michi- 
gan. In the fall of that year he entered Eastman's 
College, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., but in the spring 
of the following year he returned to Michigan, and 



continued his studies in a school of that State for 
six months longer. From 1867 until the spring of 
1871 he was engaged in business at Atldison, Mich., 
but prior to this on September 6, 1869, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Susan P. Crane, a native of Hillsdale 
County, Mich. , whose parents were pioneers of that 
State. In October, 1871, he came to Adams 
County, Neb. , located the fourth homestead in what 
is now Highland Township, bored the first well in 
that township, and broke the first prairie sod in that 
section. He proved his claim in August, 1873, but 
on account of wounds received during the war, had 
to give up farming, and moved to Juniata. After 
following the occupation of clerking for about a 
year, he engaged in the grocery business in Juniata, 
but later became associated with I. G. Dillon, and 
the firm took the name of Dillon & Cole, their house 
then becoming a general mercantile establishment. 
Their connection continued until January, 1879, 
when Mr. Cole purchased Mr. Dillon's interest, con- 
tinuing in business alone until January, 1883, when 
a fire destroyed the most of his stock, and the bal- 
ance he sold to E. N. Crane. Mr. Cole then began 
dealing in real estate, and was also acti\ely en- 
gaged in the insurance business. In 1880 he was 
elected county commissioner, in which capacity he 
served by re-election four years. In 1884 he was 
elected to the State Legislature from Adams Countj-, 
and so ably did he discharge the duties incumbent 
on this office, that he was re-elected for a second 
term in 1886, and in 1887 introduced a bill for the 
erection of an insane as\-lum at Hastings, which 
bill passed, and that fine structure stands to-day as 
a monument to his credit. He was chairman of the 
committee which introduced a bill to build a sol- 
diers' home at Grand Island, and on April 11, 
1887, he was appointed Adjutant-General on the 
Governor's staff. Mr. Cole has been quite success- 
ful in the accumulation of worldly goods, and owns 
property in various townships of the county and in 
other places also. He is pre-eminently a self-made 
man, and his example of industry, earnest and sin- 
cere endeavor to succeed in life, and the admirable 
manner in which he has surmounted all difficulties, 
are well worthy of imitation. He l)elongs to Geary 
Post No. 81, G. A. H., at Juniata, and has 



^k" 



r 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



served as Post Commander and Junior Vice-Com- 
mander of tlae Department, and Department>Com- 
mander in 1885. Socially he belongs to Juniata 
Lodge No. 79 , I. 0. 0. F. , and is a member of 
the Slodern Woodmen of America. He is a patron 
of education and all worthy enterprises. To Mr. 
Cole and his wife a family of five children have 
been born, four of whom are living: Lucy J., Ely, 
Mal)el and Chester Arthur. Albert Daniel died in 
infancy. 

Gei^rge Colling, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings, Neb. The same peculiarities which seem to 
distinguish others of German nativity from those 
American born, are noticeable in the career of Mr. 
Colling since his settlement in this country — indus- 
try, close application to his chosen calling, economy 
and perseverance. An intelligent application of 
these principles have resulted in giving him an 
excellent estate of 340 acres, which he is now im- 
proving and cultivating to good advantage. He was 
born in Prussia, Germany, in 1874, and was fourth 
in a family of children born to the marriage of 
Theodore and Elizabeth (Schadeck) Colling. The 
father was a native of France, born in 1803, and 
lived in a portion of that countiy taken by the Prus- 
sians in 1813. He was a contractor and builder by 
trade, and in 1861 emigrated to the United States, 
settled in DuPage County, 111. , near Warrenville, 
and here followed the stone mason's trade for a num- 
ber of years. He was married in his native country 
in 1831 to Miss Elizabeth Schadeck, a daughter of 
Peter Schadeck, a native of Rhine Province, Prus- 
sia; and the following children wore born to this 
union: Henry, married and resides in Indianola, 
Neb.; Mary A. (deceased), Ni('holas, married and 
resides in Indianolia, Neb.; William, married and 
resides at the same place; John (deceased), Peter 
(deceased), George and Charles, who reside 
at Indianola, Neb. All were born in the Old 
Countrj'. The mother died on February 5, 1879, 
in Illinois, and the father died June 21, 1880, 
in the same State. Both were members of 
the Catholic Church. George Colling spent his 
boyhood days in the Old Country-, and was thirteen 
years of age when he came to the United States. 
He attended school in Illinois, and when starting 



out for himself engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
He was married in Illinois on March 9, lSG9,to 
Miss Mary E. Kinnear, daughter of Andrew and 
Elizabeth (Cline) Kinnear, natives of New Bruns- 
wick, born in 1810 and 1821, respectively. Mr. and 
Mrs. Kinnear moved to Illinois in 1847 and settled in 
Kane County, near St. Charles, and there Mr. Kin- 
near received his final summons in 1867. His wife 
is still living, and resides at St. Charles, 111. 
George Colling emigrated to Nebraska in September, 
1872, settled where he now lives, and took up 160 
acres of government land, to which he has since 
added eighty acres, and has one of the finest farms 
in that portion of the county. The country was all 
in prairie at that early date, but since then Mr. Col- 
ling has witnessed many improvements and changes. 
He was in the county before Hastings was thought 
of, and when Juniata was the county seat; was 
there during the grasshopper season, and witnessed 
the heavy snow storm of 1873. The result of his 
marriage has been the birth of five children: 
Elizabeth Mary, born in DuPage County, 111. , on 
January 25, 1870; Bertha Jane, born in Adams 
County, Neb. , on December 31, 1874; Anna L. , 
born in Adams County, Neb., on July 12, 1878; 
Edward George, born in Adams County, December 
30, 1881, and Etta Nathelia, who was born January 
10, 1885, and died February 3, 1887. Mr. Colling 
has been justice of the peace of his township for 
eight years, and has lately been re-elected for two 
years more. He has been a member of the school 
board a number of times, and is a man who has the 
respect and esteem of all who know him. In 1864, 
during the late war, he and his brother William 
enlisted in Company A, Fifty-second Illinois Infan- 
try, and participated in the battles of Resaca, At- 
lanta, and a number of skirmishes. He was in 
Gen. Sherman's army. Fifty-second Illinois, Com- 
pany A, First Brigade, of the Sixteenth Ai-m}- 
Corps. In the fall of 1864 the Sixteenth wjis con- 
solidated with the Fifteenth Army Corps, after 
which it was called the Fifteenth. Mr. Colling 
and his brother were discharged on July 12, 1865. 
He then went to Illinois. 

A. Coltrin, farmer and stock raiser, Pauline, 
Neb. Originally from the Buckej-e State, where his 



V 



-— ^- 



228 



HISTORY OF NKBRASKA. 



liirlli ouciiiToil ill 1845, Mr. Coltrin is now success- 
fully following agricultural pursuits, a calling that 
has for ages received undi\iile<l efforts from many 
worth}' individuals, and one that always furnishes 
sustenance to the ready worker. He was one of a 
large family of children born to E. C. and Elizabeth 
(Sinclair) Coltrin, the father a native of New York, 
born in 1799, and the mother of Vermont. The 
father was a carpenter by trade, and was married in 
1825 to Miss Sinclair. Their children were named 
as follows: Sylvester, C. W. , Edwin, Dollic A., 
Sarah, Mary, Eliza (one died in infancy), William 
II., A., Frances and Ellen. The parents of these 
children moved to Illinois in 1852, settled in Jo 
Daviess County, and there the father followed his 
trade. He died in that State in 1882, and the mother 
in 1886. Both were members of the Baptist Church. 
The father was a good Republican and was a public 
spirited citizen. A. Coltrin received his education 
in the schools of Illinois, attained his growth there, 
and in 1802 he enlisted in Company I, Twenty-third 
Illinois Infautr}', for three years, under Col. Mulli- 
gan. He was in the battles of Kingstown, Peters- 
liiirg. Sailor Creek, and was in numerous severe 
skirmishes. In July, 18G4, he was wounded by a 
shell in the right leg, and was in the hospital for a 
niMuljcr of months. He again entered the service 
in November of the same year, and was discharged 
in 1865. Returning to Illinois, he worked at the 
stone mason trade for some time, and in 1873 he 
emigrated to Nebraska and located where he now 
lives. He entered 160 acres of land, and this he 
now has well improved. He was married in 1882 
to Miss Lizzie R. White, daughter of John White, 
of Hanover Township, this county, and to them has 
lieen born one son: Ray, whose birth occurred in 
1883. Mr. Coltrin was elected justice of the peace 
when the town was organized , and has held the place 
ever since. He is a Republican, and is interested 
in political matters, being chairman of the township 
committee. He is interested in the upbuilding of 
schools and churches, and is ever ready to lend a 
helping hand to all laudable enterprises. He is a 
self-made man, and all his property has been the re- 
sult of honest endeavor and many hard days' work. 
James Cooper, farmer and stock raiser, Holstein, 



Neb. This much respected and enterprising citizen 
was born in Bartholomew County, Ind. , May G, 
1833, and is the son of William Cooper, a native of 
Kentucky. The elder Cooper was reared in the 
Blue Grass State, and went to Indiana when a young 
man, where he was married to Dulcina Batey, a 
native also of Kentuck}-. He followed tilling the 
soil in Bartholomew County, then Tipton County, 
where his death occurred in 1854. His wife sur- 
vived him until 1868. James Cooper moved to 
Tipton County with his father in 1849, and there 
passed his bo3-hood dajs. His health was quite 
poor while growing up, and the principal part of his 
education has been received since attaining his 
majorit3^ He received a good common school edu- 
cation, and after finishing the same engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits on a farm in Howard County, Ind. , 
in 1861, continuing at this for a number of years. 
He then returned to Tipton County where he tilled 
the soil until coming West in 1883, and then settled 
on his present property in December of that year. 
He has 320 acres of land, all in a good state of cul- 
tivation and nearly all fenced. He has good and 
substantial buildings on the same and an excellent 
orchard. Mr. Cooper was married in Howard 
County, Ind., August 9, 1864, to Miss Rachel Mc- 
Graw, a native of Shelby County. Ind. , and the 
daughter of John McGraw. To this union were born 
four children: Sarah, wife of N. J. Fuel; Marth:?, 
wife of William A. GuUion; Charles C. , and Mary, 
wife of C. T. Gates. Mr. Cooper is a Republican in 
polities, and has always adhered strictlj- to that party. 
He was elected magistrate of Logan Township 
in 1884, and so well was he liked that he was re- 
elected at the expiration of his term, having served 
six consecutive years in that capacit}-. 

J. W. Coulter, farmer and stock raiser, Hast^ 
ings, Neb. Few who have moved to Neliraska have 
better improved the meager advantages offered by 
the State in its infancj- than J. W. Coulter. Born 
in Washington County, 111., in September, 1830, he 
spent his boyhood days in assisting with the duties 
of the home farm, together with attendance at the 
public schools, and in 1849 was united in marriage 
to Mrs. Margaret (Armor) McDill, daughter of John 
and Harriet Armor, natives of South Carolina, who 






ADAMS COUNTY. 



229 



luid moverl to Illinois in 1822. To >Ir. and Mrs. 
Coulter were born six children: Hattie (now Mrs. 
Hensign, of Nebraska), Robert (married, and resides 
in Colorado), James (married, in Nebraska), Milton 
and Addie (twins), Adelia (now Mrs. Carlile) and 
Fred. Mr. Coulter began the study of medicine in 
1858, and commenced practicing in Illinois in 1860. 
In 1862 he enlisted in Company H, Sixtieth Illinois 
Infantry, and the principal battles in which he en- 
gaged are as follows: Island No. 10, Shiloh, Nash- 
ville, Corinth, Murfreesboro; was eight months at 
Nashville, Missionary Ridge, and was from Atlanta 
to the Sea. He was in service three and a half 
years, and was promoted from a private to the rank 
of second lieutenant. He was discharged in August, 
1865. In 1871 Mr. Coulter emigrated to Nebraska, 
settled in Lincoln, where he remained until 1872, 
and then moved to Blaine Township, Adams Count}', 
settling on his present land which was then all 
prairie. He now has 160 acres, splendidly located, 
and it is considered one of the finest places in the 
county. Being one of the pioneers he has exper- 
ienced many trying times, and has seen some of the 
terrible snow storms that have visited that region. 
He has witnessed the entire growth of the country 
and the marvelous changes that have been made. 
Robert and Isabella (Wiley) Coulter, his parents, 
were natives of Tennessee and Pennsylvania, re- 
spectively. The father was born in 1809 and moved 
to Illinois in 1820. He was a son of Robert Coulter, 
and his wife was a daughter of John Wiley, a native 
of Pennsylvania. Robert Coulter and wife became 
the parents of nine children: J. W. , James, Robert, 
Arthur, Martha, Samuel, Sarah, Philip and Lizzie. 
The father of these children died in 1851. He was 
a successful farmer and was a member of the Pres- 
bj'terian Church. He was first a Whig in politics, 
then a Republican, and was a strong anti-slaverj- 
man. The mother is still living, and makes her 
home with her children. She is a member of the 
same church. 

John H. Coulter, farmer, Kenesaw, Neb. A 
glance at the lives of man}' representative men 
whose names appear in this volume will reveal 
sketches of some honored, influential citizens, but 
none more worthy or deserving of mention than Jlr. 



John H. Coulter. This gentleman resides six miles 
northeast of Kenesaw, three miles southwest of Pros- 
ser, and has eighty acres of excellent land, all well 
improved; He was born in Canada, near Stratford, 
Ont. , January 24. 1854, and is the son of Robert 
and Louisa (Hunter) Coulter. Robert Coulter is a 
native of Tyrone County, Ireland, and came to 
America when but four years of age, locating in 
County Perth , Canada. There he grew to manhood, 
maiTied Miss Hunter, and in 1879 he and family 
moved to Michigan, and, in 1880, from Port Huron 
to Nebraska, locating on Section 12, Kenesaw Town- 
ship. He and wife now reside near the village of 
Kenesaw. Their family consisted of eight children, 
four sons and four daughters, John H. Coulter lieing 
tiurd in order of birth. He attained his growth on 
the home farm, received the rudiments of an educa- 
tion in the common schools, and moved with his 
parents to Nebraska in 1880, passing through the 
pioneer period of this region. On January 1.3, 
1889, he married Miss Leona Chambers, a native of 
Indiana, who came with her parents to Nebraska, 
and located near Juniata at an early date. In 1889 
Mr. Coulter was elected assessor of Kenesaw Town- 
ship, and has also served as supervisor of the public 
highways, and has been a Tnember of the school 
board. He is a first class agriculturist and a man 
much respected by all. 

A. W. Cox, of the house furnishing and under- 
taking establishment of Cox & Reed, was born in 
Indiana, July 10, 1837, and is the son of Bennett 
and Elizabeth (Kindley) Cox, natives of Ohio and 
Indiana, respectively. The father died in Nebraska 
at the age of seventy-three years, but the mother is 
still living and makes her home in Hastings. A. 
W. Cox first attended the common schools, but later 
entered Earlham College at Richmond, Ind. , and 
from there went to Indianapolis, where he was en- 
gaged in the forwarding and commission business. 
In 1871 he emigrated to Nebraska, and for a year 
and a half was a member of the firm of Cox, 
Kingman & Ballard. January, 1873, he came to 
Hastings and engaged in the lumber business, which 
he continued for about a year and a half, after which 
fiirfour years he was in the hardware business. Since 
that time, and for about ten vears, he has been in 



il^ 



230 



HI8T011Y OF NEBRASKA. 



his present business. He Vmilt the fourth house in 
Hastings and has seen that settlement grow to its 
present dimensions, with a population of 15,000. 
He is a Kepuhlieau in politics, and was a member 
of the first city council of Hastings. He was united 
in marriage, in 1863, to Miss Ellen Ballard, who was 
born in Indiana in 18-14, and to them have been born 
two children: Lueva, now the wife of A. Yeazel, of 
Hastings, and Mary, wife of Edward Allen, cashier 
of the First National Bank at Ottawa, 111. For 
about one year after Mr. Cox came to Hastings his 
were the only female children in the town. 

George Crafford, agriculturist and stockman, 
of Zero Township, Adams County, Neb., was born 
in Washington County, Pa., in 1828. Harriet S. 
Dunliar, his wife, was born in Saratoga County, N. 
Y. , in 1834. George Craflford was the tenth of 
twehe children born to Joseph and Deborah (Jack- 
sou) Cratford, both of whom were born in Pennsyl- 
vania, the former in 1780 and the latter in 1785. 
They were married in Washington County, Pa., 
in 1803. The following are the children given 
them: Elisabeth, Elijah, Rachel, Frances, Rebecca, 
Ruth, Joseph, John, Thomas, George, Martha and 
Mary. Mr. Crafford removed with his family to 
McDonough County, 111., at an earlj- day, and was 
there engaged in farming until his death, which 
occurred in 1863. He was a Republican, a public 
spirited citizen, and was deeplj- interested in the 
welfare of his adopted country. He was postmaster 
of Raccoon, Pa., for years, and while in Illinois 
was postmaster of a town there also. His wife died 
in Illinois in 1859, both being members of the Pres- 
interian Church. Their son, George Crafford , started 
out In life for himself in 1851, and two years later 
was married to Harriet S. Dunbar, a daughter of 
Noah W. and Sarah (Hops) Dunliar, both of whom 
were born in \''ork State. He farmed in Illinois 
until 1868, then removed to Lucas County. Iowa, 
where he made his home until 1870, then went to 
Kansas, and a short time later came to Cass County, 
Neb. This county continued to be his home until 
1873, since which time he has been engaged in 
farming and stock raising in Adams Countj'. He is 
the owner of one-half section of land — 160 acres 
in Adams County and a like quantity in Webster 



County. He is an enterprising citizen, is a Repub- 
lican in his political views, and on this ticket was 
elected to the office of county supervisor in 1884, 
and he has also been a member of his local school 
board a number of terms. He is one of the wealthy 
farmers of the county and his farm is well stocked, 
his cattle and sheep being of an especially good 
grade. His children's names are as follows: Joseph 
M. , who died in 1879; Noah W. , who is mamed to 
Marj- E. Nichols, their union taking place in 187S; 
George C. , Leonia E. and liable M. , who was born 
in Cass Count}-, Neb. The four first named were 
born in ]McDonough County, 111. 

Alexander H. Cramer is an excellent example of 
what can be accomplished in life when thorough de- 
termination to succeed is coupled with energj% per- 
severance and close application, and he is now un- 
questionably one of Adams County's most pub- 
lie spirited citizens. He was born in Utiea, N. 
Y. , January 31, 1852, but his primary education 
was received in Oneida, 111. , after which he was 
engaged in farming, and later clerked in the store 
of Pratt & Lawson; and in this capacity remained 
with the firm after their removal to Hastings, Neb., 
October 1, 1872. However, in the spring of 1873, 
he entered the employ of A. W. Cox, a lumber 
dealer, but the same year, being a stanch supporter 
of the Republican part}', he was elected on that 
ticket to the office of clerk of Adams County, and 
served by re-election three successive terms, later 
serving four years as clerk of the district court. 
In 1877 he purchased a set of abstract books and 
engaged in that business, making the first complete 
set of abstract books in Adams County, all of which 
are now the property- of the firm of Cramer & Rohrer. 
In 1881 Mr. Cramer formed a partnership with H. 
Bostwick, and opened what was then known as the 
Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, which was located 
where the Cit}' National Bank now stand?. In De- 
cember, 1885, Mr. Cramer sold his interest to his 
partner and engaged in the abstract, loan and in- 
surance business, at the same time dealing exten- 
sivelj' in real estate. In July, 1886. he liecame 
one of the organizers of the Western Loan and In- 
vestment Company, of which he was chosen vice- 
president, anil the same year the firm of Cramer, 



-t" K 



J^^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



231 



Rohrer & Robinson was organizi'd and continued two 
years, when Mr. Robinson withdrew, and the firm now 
stands as Cramer & Rohrer. They are safe, thorough 
and reliable business men, and without doubt de- 
serve the large patronage which they command. 
He belongs to Hastings Lodge No. 50 of the A. F. 
& A. M. , and is also a member of Hastings 
Lodge No. 28 of the K. of P. His man'iage to 
Miss Ella Cox, daughter of Bennett and Elizabeth 
Cox, was solemnized in October, 1884. Mrs. 
Cramer was born in Henry County, Ind. . and is the 
mother of two children, Edna and Mabel. Mr. 
Cramer is a son of Alexander and Cynthia (Harris) 
Cramer, who were born in New Jersey and New 
York in 1810 and 1822 respectively, and the 
former's death occurred in the State of Iowa in 
Februarj-, 1874. In 185G he removed with his 
familj- to Wisconsin, but thirteen years later settled 
in Illinois, and finally in Iowa. The mother is still 
living, and resides at Indianola, Neb. 

E. N. Crane, merchant, Kenesaw, Neb. Prom- 
inent among, and one of those citizens of Kenesaw 
who have held the advancement of the town and 
Adams County above all personal interests, and who 
have devoted years of their time and labored assid- 
uously for its advancement, is the subject of this 
article. He owes his nativity to Hillsdale County, 
Mich., where his birth occurred on March 14, 185.3, 
and is a descendant of one of the old Puritan fam 
ilies, his ancestors coming to America long before 
the war for independence, and some of them partic- 
ipated in that memorable struggle. His paternal 
grandfather died from the effects of a wound received 
in the War of 1812. Mr. Crane is a worthy repre- 
sentative of this old famil}-, and sound Puritan- 
ical traits of integrity and industry- have character- 
ized his successful career. His parents, Daniel C. 
and Lucy (Benedict) Crane, were both natives of 
New York State, were married in that State, and in 
1840 emigrated to Michigan, being among the first 
settlers of Hillsdale County. They resided there 
until 1878. when thej- removed to Hastings, Neb., 
and there Mr. Crane died in 1877, at the age of sev- 
enty-one years. His widow still survives and makes 
her home with her daughter, Mrs. Gen. A. V. Cole, 
at Juniata, Neb. Young Crane grew to manhood in 



that ncwlj- developed country, when the district 
school was the Alma Mater of many, and naturally 
received a better practical than literar}' educatioi-. 
It is verj- probable that there he developed the true 
business principles which have characterized his 
success so far. He earlj' aspired to a mercantile 
life, and in order to better qualify himself for such 
he entered Mayhew Business College, of Detroit, 
Mich. , from which he graduated in 1875. Soon 
after leaving college he accepted the position of 
book-keeper for the firm of Smith Bros. , an exten- 
sive mercantile finn of Addison, Mich. , and remained 
with them until the spring of 1876, when failing 
health compelled him to resign. In the hopes of 
regaining his health he began traveling in the West, 
and spent a part of the time at Juniata, Neb. , after 
which he went to Philadelphia to attend the Centen- 
ial Exposition. He then returned to Juniata, but 
later engaged as a traveling salesman, which occu- 
pation he followed until 1883, when he came to Ken- 
esaw and established himself in the general mercan- 
tile business. In 1883 he erected his present business 
block, the largest and finest business house in Ken- 
esaw. He has always taken an active interest in 
the general welfare of the place, and has been prom- 
inenth" identified with all movements tending towards 
its improvement. He is a charter member of Kene- 
saw Lodge No. 144, A. F. & A. M. , also a member 
of Mt. Nebo Commandery No. 11, Hastings, Neb., 
and takes a deep interest in political matters, being 
chairman of the Adams Count}" Republican con- 
vention in 1887. On July 26, 1878. he was united 
in marriage, at Juniata, Neb., with Miss Ella V. 
Light, a native of Angola, Ind. , and their union has 
been blessed by the liirth of two children: Susan 
Agnes and Daniel C. Mr. Crane is a man of genial 
disposition, courteous and charitable, and eajoj's 
with his family the respect and esteem of all. 

William S. Crow, ex-county treasurer of Adams 
County, and now actively engaged in farming and 
stock raising, was born in Fayette County, Pa., 
August 2, 1835, being a son of Alexander and 
Christina (Sadler) Crow, who were born in Mary- 
land and Fayette County, Pa. , and died in Vinton 
County, Ohio, aged fifty-seven and sixty-two, re- 
spectively. The paternal grandfather, John Crow, 



t k^ 



^ 



232 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



was a German wlio laino to the United States at an 
early da}', and died in Licking County, Oliio. 
William S. Crow is the fourth of nine children, five 
now livinji, and when about one 3'ear old was taken 
by his parents to Guernsey Count}-, Ohio, and was 
there brought up to the life of a farmer, learning 
during his youth many lessons of industrj' and per- 
severance, which have since stood him in good 
stead. After acquiring a fair knowledge of the 
English branches in the district schools near his 
home, he entered the scientific course in Witten- 
lierg College, Springfield, Ohio, in which institution 
he graduated in the- commercial department, after 
wiiich he spent nearly fifteen 3'ears in teaching in 
the public schools in Southern Ohio. In 1864 he 
served for one hundred days in the United States 
ser\'ice, doing dutj- at City Point, Ya. . during the 
siege of Richmond. In the fall of 1875 he emi- 
grated to Nebraska, and in 187(5 he homesteaded his 
present property, and has since given his attention 
to tilling the soil and raising stock, and the success 
which has attended his efforts denotes him to be a 
thrifty and intelligent agriculturalist. His farm of 
280 acres is one of the best impi'oved in the county, 
and being a natural mechanic, all his buildings have 
been erected by himself. He has always been a 
Republican in politics, and his first presidential vote 
was cast for John C. Fremont. In 1881 he was 
elected to the office of treasurer of Adams County, 
and for two years discharged the duties of this re- 
sponsible position in a manner highly complimen- 
tary to himself, and to the entire satisfaction of his 
constituents. He is one of the substantial men of 
the county, is thoroughly' practical, and does not use 
tobacco or intoxicants in any form. 

James B. Dallas, hardware merchant, Hastings, 
Neb. No better proof of the advancement of Hast^ 
ings within the last ten years can be shown than the 
dimensions which the hardware trade has assumed. 
Among others, one of the largest is the well known 
house of James B. Dallas, who established his busi- 
ness in 1883. He was born in Urljana, Ohio, January 
20, 1859, and is the j'ounger of two children born 
to the union of James B. and Sarah E. (McClellan) 
Dallas, natives of Ohio. The father was born in 
lS2St, and died in his native county in Ohio, in 



1860. He was a farmer b}' occupation. The 
mother was born in 1831, and now resides in Frank- 
lin, Ohio. James B. Dallas was reared in Middle- 
town, Ohio, and there attended school. He emi- 
grated to Hastings, Neb., in 1877, was for some time 
in the employ of Phillips & Hamot in the grocery 
business, and then began the hardware business in 
the employ of Lawson & Hamot. In 1883 he began 
the business for himself in partnership with C. H. 
Dietrich, and about one year later changed to Dallas 
& Litton, which continues at the present time. They 
are doing well and are enterprising business men. 
5Ir. Dallas was united in marriage in 1884 to Miss 
Amelia Litton, a native of St. Joseph, Mo. , born in 
1865, and the daughter of William and Elizabeth 
Litton. To Mr. and Mrs. Dallas has been born one 
child, Joseph D. , whose birth occurred January 4, 
1888. Mr. Dallas is an uncompromising Democrat 
and his first presidential vote was cast for Gen. 
Hancock. lis is a prominent young business man 
of the city. 

Nicholas F. Damron keeps a livery sale stable at 
Hastings, Neb. , which from the large business done, 
not only exemplifies the importance of the town , but 
reflects credit upon his management also. He has 
been a resident of Adams County since November 
4, 1877, but was born in Pike County, Mo. , Decem- 
ber 4, 1838, and is one of eight children born to 
James T. and Martha J. (Thurman) Damron, who 
were native A''irginians. The father died in Minne- 
sota, in 1861, and his wife in 1887. Nicholas F. 
Damron, owing to the early death of his father, was 
compelled to fight his own way in the world, and 
after acquiring such education as could lie obtained 
in the puljlic schools prior to his thirteenth year, he 
began driving a peddling wagon in Southern Wis- 
consin, and then followed the occupation of mer- 
chandising until his removal to Hastings at the 
above named date. For two years after his arrival 
here he conducted the Commercial Hotel, which 
stood on the present site of his livery stable, Init in 
1889 the building was consumed by fire, and a short 
time after he erected the present Commercial Hotel. 
He has been engaged in the livery and sale business 
for the past eight years and has bought and sold as 
many horses as any other man in Nebraska, and is 





( deceased ) 
Adams County Nebraska 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



233 



ever ready to purchase good animals, guaranteeing 
a ready sale of any stock placed in his hands. In 
point of convenience and in regard to the animals 
11 ud vehicles which he owns, his establishment is 
second to none in the State. His residence is one 
of the finest in the city, which with all its improve- 
ments cost about $12,000. He was married in 1861 
to Miss Frances V. Jefferson, a native of the "Em- 
pire State," who is well known as an admirable 
housekeeper and a worthy and intelligent lady. 
They have three children: Edith, James F. and 
Birdie. Mr. Damon belongs to Hastings Lodge 
No. 50, of the A. F. & A. M. 

Walter P. Davis is a proper representative of the 
energetic and prosperous agriculturists of Adams 
County, Neb. , which element has done so much to 
advance the interests of the State. He was born in 
Dearborn County, Ind. , January 30, 1839, and re- 
ceived early and careful training in the mysteries of 
farm life from his father, Nicholas Davis, who was a 
well-to-do agriculturist. The latter was born on 
Blue Grass soil, but was reared in the " Hoosier 
State," and was there married to Rachel Randall, a 
native of Rush County, Ind. In 1857 he moved 
with his family to Cumberland County, 111., but in 
1861 he settled in Mattoon, where he made his home 
until after the war, then located on a farm in Coles 
County, and at a still later period took up his abode 
in Clark County, where he continued to till the soil 
until his death in August, 1879. His wife .survives 
him and is a resident of Omaha, making her home 
with a son. Their family, consisting of five sons 
and one daughter, grew to mature years, and all are 
now living and are the heads of families. Walter 
Davis was sixteen years of age upon his removal to 
Illinois, and there, in September, 1861, he and two 
brothers enlisted in Company I, Fifth Illinois Cav- 
alry; he served his country faithfully until mustered 
out of service at Vicksburg, November 17, 1864, at 
which time he was promoted from a private to the 
position of sergeant. He was in the engagements 
at Pocahontas and Cotton Plant and in the siege and 
battles around Vicksburg, besides many small en- 
gagements and skirmishes. After receiving his dis- 
charge he returned to Illinois, and until 1872 was 
eno-ao-ed in farming in Coles and Cumberland 



Counties. In 1873 Nebraska became his home, and 
after farming on land near where he now lives about 
one year he homesteaded his present property, which 
consists of 160 acres, all of which is fine farming 
land and well fenced. His residence is a substantial 
frame, one and a half stories in height, and all 
his outbuildings are commodious and in good re- 
pair. He has eight acres of timber land and a well 
selected fruit orchard of four acres, and his propertj- 
is well improved in other ways. He has always 
been identified with tlie Republican partj-, and has 
served as magistrate for nine or ten consecutive 
years. He has been a delegate to county, State and 
National conventions, and has always taken an active 
part in the campaigns of his party. He is now a 
member of Geary Post No. 180, 6. A. R. , and 
he and wife belong to the Tnited Brethren Church. 
He was married in Cumberland County, 111., in 
August, 1859, to Mariah Needham, a native of that 
county, and a daughter of P. D. Needham, by whom 
he has the following family: W. E. , Lorena (wife 
of H. K. Brown), James N. , George, Charles, Lucy, 
Nettie, Denison D. and Minnie. 

J. K. Dean, farmer and stock raiser, Pauline, 
Neb. Mr. Dean emigrated from Livingston Countj-, 
III, to Adams County, Neb., in September, 1877, 
and was one of the pioneers of Little Blue Town- 
ship. He was born in Wayne Count}-, N. Y. , in 
1822; was the third in a family of five children born 
to the union of Joseph and Elizabeth (Barrows) 
Dean, natives of Connecticut. The father in his 
younger days followed the cooper's trade, but later 
was a successful agriculturist. He was married in 
his native State in 1812, and emigrated to New 
York at a very early date, where he continued to 
cultivate the soil. He died in that State on Feb- 
ruary 6, 18-12, and the mother died in October, 1861. 
Grandfather Levi Dean was a Revolutionary soldier, 
and died from the eflects of service in that war. 
Grandfather Aaron Barrows was also in the Revolu- 
tionary War, and the families on both sides were 
early settlers in the colonies. J. K. Dean was 
taught the rudiments of farm life by his father at an 
early ilay, being educated in the subscription schools 
of New York. His brother and sisters were named 
as follows: Sarah, now Mrs. Wolcott, of Waj-ne 



gi 
^ 



LL£ 



284 



lilSTURY OF NEB11A!>KA. 



County, N. Y. ; Hester, died February 2, 1884, in 
Adams County, Neb.; Levi W. , was born July 18, 
1817, and died D.?cember 3, 1838, at Butlor, Wayne 
Count}-, N. Y. Our subject was married in tlie last 
named county on October 25, 1843, to Miss Mary 
Ann Post, a native of Stanford, Dutchess County, 
N. Y. , and tlie daughter of Daniel and Mary (Cronk- 
hile) I'ost, natives also of New York. The father 
was a fanner and mechanic, and in 1852 moved to 
La Salle County, III. , and thence to Miami County, 
Kan., in 1873. His wife died in Illinois in 18G7, 
and his death occurred in 1885. After his marriage 
Mr. Dean remained in New Y^ork until 1857, when 
he emigrated to Illinois and engaged in farming. 
In 1803 he moved to Livingston County and settled 
in Sunljurg Township. At the breaking out of the 
war he enlisted in La Salle Count}-, but was taken 
sick. In 1863 he went into service in Company D, 
Eleventh Illinois Infantry, and was on duty for six 
months, when he was promoted to the ordnance de- 
partment. He was at DeVall's Bluff, Helena, Saline 
Cross Roads and others. He kei)t charge of the 
books, and was honorably discharged at Springfield, 
III., in 1865. After returning to Livingston County 
he followed agricultural pursuits, and was for some 
time in the hardware business. In 1877 he emi- 
grated to Adams Count}-, Neb., and purchased 160 
acres of land in Little Blue Township, which he 
immediately commenced improving. He has alwaj's 
taken an active part in politics, and his vote is cast 
with the Republican party. He has been justice of 
the peace of his township for eleven years, and has 
filled that position in different places for the past 
thirty years. He is a member of Huron Post No. 
1 51 , G. A. R. , and is Senior Vice Commander 
of the same. To his marriage ha\-e been born seven 
children: Huldah, now IMrs. Miller, of Adams 
County, J. W. , enlisted in the Thirty-ninth Illinois 
Infantrj- in 1864, and was at the battle of Peters- 
burg; he was taken sick, and is still suflfering; 
he was honorably discharged in 1865, and resides 
in Adams County; George, married and resides in 
Kansas; Medora, now Mrs. Sherman, of Adams 
County; J. M. , married and a resident of Adams 
(\)unty; Lucien and W. II. , also both living and 
in Adams County. 



Lucien Dean. Although a young man Mr. Dean 
has labored earnestly as an agriculturist, and iiis 
energ}', coupled with strict integrity and honesty of 
purpose, has placed him among the leading 
farmers of Adams Count}-. He was born in La 
Salle County, III., June 21, 1861, and was one of a 
family of 7 children born to James K. and Mary 
A. (Post) Dean, who removed from La Salle to Liv- 
ingston County in 1862, where Lucien was reared 
and educated, and learned the intricacies of farm 
work on his fatlier's land. The family removed to 
the State of Nebraska in 1877, and settled on a 
farm of 120 acres in Little Blue Township, Adams 
County, but Lucien only remained with his father 
until he was eighteen years of age, then began 
working for himself by the month, continuing for 
five years, then began tilling the soil on his own 
responsibility, purchasing land in Section 6, Town- 
ship 5, Range 9, to the amount of 167 acres, the 
property being partly improved. He is much inter- 
ested in stock raising and has a large and valuable 
drove of cattle and hogs. His enterprises in Ne- 
liraska have met with excellent results, and he has 
done his full share in developing Adams County, 
and here he expects to make his permanent home. 
So far as his means will allow he contributes to the 
building of churches and schools, and he is other- 
wise interested in the improvement of the county, 
and is ever ready to assi-st all feasible enterprises. 
In his political views he is a Republican, and in 
1886 and 1887 was elected town clerk. His mar- 
riage, which occurred on October 21, 1882, was to 
Miss Mary A. Palmer, the adopted daughter of Wil- 
liam H. Palmer, of New York State. Mrs. Dean 
was born in that State, July 12, 1855. Mr. Dean's 
father and mother were born in New I'ork in 1823 
and 1822, respectively, and after their marriage, in 
1857, removed to Illinois, and since 1877 have re- 
sided in Neliraska, where they have become well 
and favorably known 

Jacob DeWester, farmer, Hastings, Neb. The 
County of Adams is indeed fortunate in having 
among her foreign-born element men whose indus- 
try, strict attention to business, economy and perse- 
verance have produced such substantial results in 
the diff'erent affairs with which they have connected 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



235 



themselves. Mr. DeWester belongs to this class, 
for, originally from Germany, his location in this 
county dates from 1872. He was born on the 
Rhine Province in 1840, and was second in a family 
of five children born to John and Mary (Leopold) 
DeWester, also natives of the Rhine Province, Ger- 
many. The parents left their native country in 
1853, crossed the ocean to the United States and 
located in Rush County, Ind. Here the father fol- 
lowed farming and made that county his home until 
his death in 1882. The mother died two years later. 
Jacob DeWester was parti}' reared on the farm in 
Rush County, although up to thirteen years of age 
he resided in Germany and was educated in the 
schools of that country. In August, 1862, he en- 
listed from Rush Countj' in Company H, Sixteenth 
Indiana Infantry, and was mustered into service at 
Indianapolis. He participated in the battle of Rich- 
mond and Vicksburg, was in the Red River expedi- 
tion. Pleasant Hill, and numerous other engage- 
ments. He had the buttons shot from his clothing, 
but was never wounded. He was discharged at 
New Orleans in 1865, after which he returned to 
Rush County, Ind. , where he tilled the soil. He 
was married in Indiana in 1862, to Miss Martha 
Norton, a native of North Carolina, and the daugh- 
ter of George and Harriet Norton, also natives of 
North Carolina. At an early daj', 1853, her par- 
ents settled in Indiana, where the mother died in 
1883. The father resides in Iowa and is a success- 
ful tiller of the soil. In 1872 Mr. DeWester came 
to Adams County, Neb. , entered 160 acres which he 
Improved, but which he afterwards sold, and now 
owns eighty acres, all under a good state of cultiva- 
tion. Mr. DeWester is not active in politics, but 
votes with the Independent party. He is a member 
of Strickland Post No. 13, G. A. R. , at Hastings. 
To his marriage were born these children: Jacob, 
married and resides in the township; John, Lizzie, 
now Mrs. Ale, of West Rlue Township; Fred, 
Hattie and Minnie. Mr. DeWester was one of the 
first settlers of Adams County, and has been a wit^ 
ness of the wonderful growth of the same. He 
passed through the three seasons of grasshopper 
raids, the largest and hardest in 1S74, and still 
thinks there is no State like Nebraska. He was 



road overseer for a number of years, and aids with 
a ready hantl and willing heart all laudable enter- 
prises. 

Ira G. Dillon (deceased). Nature seems to have 
intended Mr. Dillon for a long and more than ordi- 
narily useful life, but alas for human hopes and ex- 
pectations, while just in tiie meridian of life his 
career was closed forever. He was born in Hudson , 
Mich. , August 26, 1836, and was a son of Michael 
and Margaret Jane (Griswold) Dillon, who were 
pioneers and farmers of Michigan. Ira G. Dillon's 
j^juth was spent on his parents' homestead, he re- 
ceiving favorable opportunities for obtaining an 
education in the public schools of his native State, 
which opportunities he did not fail to improve. At 
the age of twenty-four years he was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Cornelia Davis, but their wedded life 
was of short duration, for she died August 25, 
1868, leaving two children: Ina May, wife of John 
P. Doar, a prominent lawyer of Lincoln, Neb. ; and 
Flora, who is now deceased, her death occurring 
Juh" 27, 1865. Soon after his marriage Mr. Dillon 
went to Saginaw, where he was engaged in the lum- 
ber business until his removal to St. Louis, Mich., 
where he followed the calling of an architect and 
builder. Here on July 20, 1867, he espoused Miss 
Laura P. Brudige, a native of Ohio, and a daughter 
of M. and Harriet (Parmelce) Brudige, the father a 
native of York State, and the mother of Ohio. Mrs. 
Dillon is a ver}' finely educated lady and is a grad- 
uate of Oberlin College, Ohio, and finished her 
musical education in Pennsylvania, in which State 
she spent two years perfecting herself in this art, 
following it as a calling several years prior to her 
marriage. Eight of her aunts were graduates of 
Oljcrlin College, and one, Eliza Parraelee, is a 
wealthy and talented lawyer of New Portage, Ohio. 
In 1871 Mr. Dillon came to Nebraska, and being, 
possessed of great energy and much ability, he was 
not long in securing a comfortable competeucv in 
his new location. He first settled on a homestead 
one and a half miles east of Juniata and after erects 
ing a good residence, setting outorchards and other- 
wise improving his property he, at the end of five 
years, moved to Juniata where he bought propertv 
and built him a comfortable residence. He was first 



^ 



236 



HISTOKY OF NEBllA.^KA. 



engagi'd in wntracting and building after eoiiiiug to 
the county, and erected many of the principal dwell- 
ings of tlic town. In the occupation of handling 
grain, lumber and coal, he was in partnership with 
J. M. Sewell for some time, and during this time 
they erected the first grain elevator of the place. 
Later he was associated in business witli a Mr. Cole 
for about two years. He was an active politician 
and was the first marshall of Juniata, always ready 
to promote the interests of the town and county. 
He was in every respect a self-made man and his 
death , which occurred March 12.1 SS4, was uni\ersalh' 
regretted. He left an estate for his family valued 
at some $25,000, and in every way was a most 
worthy man, a kind father and a considerate hus- 
band. He was a member of the Baptist Church 
and his widow belongs to the Congregational Church. 
To them were born the following family: Lorena 
Mary, born September 15, 1869, is a teacher of 
music at Crete; Margaret Jane was born March 23, 
1872, and is attending Doane College at Crete; 
Grace Wilber was born January 12, 1879; Herbert 
Michael was born February 6, 1881, and an infant 
daughter who died unnamed. 

William H. Dillon, hotel proprietor, Hastings, 
Neb. It is a fact long since recognized as an axiom 
that nothing adds so much to the success and happi- 
ness of the community as a well kept hotel. It is, 
therefore, with pride that we accord the space in 
this volume for one of the best and leading hotels of 
the commonwealth. Mr. Dillon was originally from 
Delaware County, Iowa, where his birth occurred 
on December 16, 1841, and is the son of Gilbert D. 
and Mary (Schoonover) Dillon, natives of New York. 
The father was born in 1800, came to Iowa in 1836 
and established the first bank at Dubuque. He was 
one of the pioneers and a leading citizen of Delaware 
County. His death occurred in 1874. The mother 
was born in 1815 and died on the old Iowa home- 
stead in February, 1875. Their family consisted of 
six children, William H. being third in order of 
birth. His Iwyhood days were divided between 
assisting on the farm and attending the common 
schools, where he received a fair education. Later 
he attended college at Epworth, and after finishing 
there he went to Dubuque, in March, 1864, and 



clerked in a dry goods store for three years. After 
this he was on the farm two years, and then em- 
barked in the dry goods business at Worthington, 
Iowa, where he continued for two more years. He 
then sold out and for nine years was in the insurance 
business, lieing special agent and collector for a 
number of jx'ars for the Watertown Fire Insurance 
Company, of New York. In 1879 he engaged in 
the grocery business at Hopkinton, Iowa, and con- 
tinued at this until 1883, when he sold out and emi- 
grated to Nebraska. He purchased 160 acres in the 
Indian Reservation and later sold out, and in August, 
1885, he came to Hastings. He continued at the 
insurance business until Februar}-, 1886, when he 
engaged in the hotel business and ran the New Eng- 
land House for one year, and ran the Commercial 
Hotel for two years. In February, 1889, he took 
charge of the Bostwick, and this he has since con- 
ducted. It has gained a just celebritj- since coming 
under the present management, its trade taxing its 
accommodations to the utmost. A hotel could not 
be conducted in a manner more pleasing to its regu- 
lar customers and the traveling public. He was 
married in Magnolia, Iowa, in 1871, to Miss Nellie 
Haj-ward, the daughter of Rev. W. H. and Lj'dia 
Hayward, and the fruits of this union have been two 
children: Grace G. and Hany H. In politics ^Mr. 
Dillon is a Republican, and he is a member of the 
A. 0. U. W. 

Gen. Caleb J. Dilworth. In the history of 
Adams County, Neb., In its development, growth 
and prosperit}', no man has taken a more prominent 
part than Mr. Dilworth. His career during life has 
been such as to give encouragement to young men 
without means, for his present competence has been 
gained 0(jly through his own efforts, and he is now 
well and favorably known throughout Adams 
County, where he is successfully occupied in the 
practice of law, being associated in Inisiness with a 
Mr. Smith, and his son William A. Dilworth. He 
was born in Mount Pleasant, Ohio, April 8, 1829, 
and is a son of Abraham Dilworth. who was born in 
Pennsylvania in 1793, and died in Rushville, 111., 
in 1832, having settled in that State'the year before, 
being a pioneer of Schuyler County. He was a 
lawyer by profession, having been admitted to the 



'y 




s L> 



l):u- at Steubeuville, Ohio, as early as 1829, and for 
some time he was iu partnership witli W. A. Rich- 
ardson in the practice of his profession. The 
paternal granclfatlier of Gen. Dilworth, Caleb l)y 
name, was a native of Pennsylvania, and died at 
iMount Pleasant, Ohio, in 1832. Martha (Judkins) 
Dilworth, the mother of the immediate subject of 
this sketch, was born in Raleigh, N. C. , in 1796, 
and died iu Kansas in 1 888. Geu. Dilworth began 
his legal studies at an early day, and in 1848 was 
admitted to the bar at Lewiston, III, where he re- 
mained practicing his profession until 1862, when 
he joined the Federal Army to assist in the preserva- 
tion of the Union , and went into the service as lieu- 
tenant^colonel , commissioned August 27, 1865, of 
the Eighty-fifth Illinois Infantry; was ordered to 
Louisville, Ky. , and until the close of the war was 
in the Army of the Cumberland, and participated in 
the following bloody battles, besides many minor 
engagements not mentioned: Perry ville (Ky.), Stone 
River, where he was commissioned colonel of the 
Eightj'-fifth Illinois on June 18, 1863; Chickamauga, 
Missionary Ridge, and while on the Atlanta cam- 
paign was in the battles of Resaea, Rome, Pumpkin 
Vine -and Kenesaw Mountain, after which, Novem- 
ber 15, 186-1, he was commissioned brevet briga- 
dier-general, and was assigned to the Third Brigade, 
Second Di^^sion, Fourteenth Army Corps, aftei-ward 
taking part in the battle of Peach Tree Creek, 
and iu the campaign ending at Jonesboro. where he 
was severely wounded in the neck. The winter of 
1864 he spent in Chattanooga; then went to Coving- 
ton, where he remained until hostilities ceased, re- 
ceiving his discharge in June, 1865. He was 
severely wounded three times, but fearless in the 
discharge of his duty, a trusted and faithful com- 
manding officer, he was beloved and respected by all. 
Upon his return from the war he resumed the prac- 
tice of law at Lewiston, 111., but in 1870 removed to 
Nebraska and located at Lincoln, two years later 
settling in what was then Phelps County, but still 
continuing his practice in the above named city. 
From 1873 to 1877. however, his practice was con- 
fined to Phelps County, and in 1874 he was elected 
district attorney for the Second Nebraska district,' 
which then eml)raced the two southern tiers of 



counties from the Missouri River to the Colorado 
line. After serving iu this capacity two terms, in 
1878 he was elected attorney general of the State 
of Nebraska, discharging the duties of this office 
also two terms. In the month of .Tanuaiy, 1883, 
he came to Hastings, and has since been a meml)er 
of the legal firm of Dilworth, Smith & Dilworth, 
well known in Adams and many surrounding coun- 
ties. Gen. Dilworth has always been a radical Re- 
publican, and has ever supported the men and 
measures of his party. He has been very success- 
ful in the practice of his profession, and is now one 
of the weathy land holders of the State, being the 
owner of 2,600 acres of land in Phelps County. 
November 25, 1853, he wedded Miss Emily Phelps, 
a native of Missouri, by whom he has a son named 
William A. , a member of the above firm. 

Lafayette Dominy, farmer, Hansen, Neb. Mr. 
Dominy is one of the much respected and esteemed 
citizens of Adams County , and one of the pioneer 
settlers of the same, locating on his present farm 
3Iarch 2, 1876. He was bom in Brookfield Town- 
ship, La Salle County, 111. , in 1844, and was the 
seventh of a family of nine children, the result of 
the union of Nathaniel and Philinda (Finch) Dominy, 
natives of New York. The parents were married in 
their native State, and in 1836 emigrated to La Salle 
County, 111. , where the father entered land and cul- 
tivated the soil. They were early settlers of that 
State and experienced some of the hardships en- 
dured by the pioneers. They came overland from 
New York, and after reaching this State were 
obliged to do their marketing at Chicago, when it 
took five days to make the trip. Mr. Dominy made 
that State his home until 1880, when he moved to 
Nebraska and settled in Hansen. His death oc- 
curred in November, 1887. His excellent wife still 
survives him. Grandfather Dominy owned a farm 
on which was fought a battle of the War of 1812. 
He was an early settler of La Salle Countj', where 
he passed his last days. Lafayette Dominy was 
early instructed in the mysteries of farm life, and 
received his education in the schools of La Salle 
County, III. He commenced fanning for himself iu 
that county and was married in Brookfield Town- 
ship, of that county, in November, 1867. to Miss 







Sarah A. Smith, a native of Pennsylvania, and 
daughter of Jlort-an and Mary (Kane) Smith, also 
natives of Pennsylvania. Her parents emigrated 
to Piitman County. Til. . where they remained but a 
short time, and then moved to La Salle County, of 
the same State, and settled in Brooklield Township, 
where the father tilled the soil until his death in 
1857. The mother is still living and resides in 
Jewell County, Kan. Mr. Dominy moved to Adams 
County, Nel)., in 1876 and is now the owner of a 
good farm of 320 acres, and is also engaged in 
raising fine thoroughbred short horned cattle. He 
has a good orchard on his place and is prosperous 
and contented. He votes with the Republican party 
and is active in politics. He was township treasurer 
for some time and assisted in the organization of the 
townships. Jlr. and Mrs. Dominy are members of 
the Presbyterian Church at Hansen. Their union 
has been blessed by the birth of six children, three 
of whom are now living: Charles M. , Flora 51. , died 
in April, 1879, at the age of four j-ears; Eva N. , 
died in April, 1883, at the age of nearly four years; 
Edward M., Lewis M. . died in May, 188G, at the 
age of fourteen months, and Arthur L. JMr. Dom- 
inj-'s market for years was at Hastings, l)ut now 
his marketing is done three-fourths of a mile from 
his home. 

Jesse Doty is a well known agriculturist of 
Adams County, Neb., and was born in Butler 
County, Ohio, in 1840, being the eldest child born 
to John and Eliza (McBride) Doty, and grandson of 
Jesse Dotj', one of the pioneers of Butler County, 
Ohio. John Doty was born in Ohio about 1812, 
and his early career was spent as a tiller of the soil, 
but he is now engaged in the liverj' business at Ox- 
ford. He and wife became the parents of five chil- 
dren: Jesse, Agnes, Aaron, Jane and Charley; but 
after her death in 1849 he (in 1850) married 
again, and became the father of five more chil- 
dren: Frank, George, William, David and Ida. He 
is a Republican in his political views. Jesse Doty, 
the immediate subject of this sketch, attended the 
schools of Oxford, and in 1862 enlisted in Company 
A , Eightj'-sixth Ohio Infantr}-, but after receiving 
his discharge at the end of three months he, in 1864, 
again entered the army, this time becoming a mem- 



l)er of Company B, Fifty -fourth Ohio Infantrj-. 
During his term of service he took part in the fol- 
lowing engagements: Resaca, the Atlanta campaign, 
and on December 3, 1864, was taken prisoner at 
Statesboro, Ga. , and for three months was kept in 
captivity at Florence. After receiving his discharge 
in 1865 he returned to Ohio and engaged in farm- 
ing, and was married the same year of his return to 
I\Iiss Eraeline Poyner, a daughter of Jesse M. and 
Emily (Jones) Poyner, the former born in Georgia 
and the latter in Ohio. ]Mrs. Doty was born in the 
■■ Buckeye State," in 1842, and by Mr. Doty has 
become the mother of the following children: Louis 
E. , Homer A. (married to Miss Maud Hileman, of 
Hastings), Orlia, Spencer V. (who died in 1887). 
Ira R. and Jesse L. After his marriage 3Ir. Doty 
moved to Indiana, luit at the end of seven jears re- 
turned to Ohio, and in 1878 came to Otoe County, 
Neb. , where he was engaged in tilling the soil until 
1887, since which time he has been a resident of 
Adams Count}-. He bought the farm where the 
present insane asylum is now located, but the same 
year sold out to the State and purchased his present 
property, an improved farm of 160 acres. He gives 
considerable attention to stock raising, and makes a 
specialty of Poland China hogs. His property has 
been acquired through honest and persistent endeavor, 
and his farm is admirably conducted. He is a Re- 
publican, a member of the G. A. R. , and he and 
wife are members of the Congregational Church. 

"William A. Dilworth. A truth that must every- 
where be conceded is that keen perception, sound 
judgment and a determined will, supported by per- 
severing and continuous efforts, will surely result in 
success in whatever occupation one may be engaged. 
No young man possessing these qualities need go 
through the world unknown or poor. He is sure to 
reach the top, and if, as in the following case, the 
possessor be honest and moral, he need have no 
fears for his future. Among the 3ounger mem- 
bers of the legal profession of Adams County, and 
one of its rising lawyers, is Mr. W. A. Dihvorth, a 
member of the well known law firm of Dilworth, 
Smith & Dilworth. He was born at Lewistown, 111. . 
October 28, 1854, the only child liorn to the union 
of Gen. C. J. and Emily Dilworth. His early bo^-- 



V 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



239 



hood daj-s were spent in his native town, where he 
attended the public schools. In 1870 he came with 
his parents to Lincohi, and entered the University of 
Nebraslia. In 1877 he began the study of hiw, con- 
tinuing until he had attained a proficiency in the 
legal profession when he was admitted to the bar, in 
1880, at Sidney, Neb. , and immediately- entered 
upon his chosen calling in Phelps and Dawson 
Counties, Neb. , continuing there for two 3-ears. In 
1882 he went to the Black Hills, and in connection 
with James W. Fowler opened a law office at that 
place, which, however, was discontinued the next 
year. He then came to Hastings where he organ- 
ized the firm of Dilworth, Smith & Dilworth, which 
has been continued successfully ever since, and 
where he has established a reputation, which for a 
young attorney is very flattering. In 1881 Mr. 
Dilworth was married, selecting as his life compan- 
ion Miss Alice Morton, a native of Michigan. This 
union was blessed with one child, a bright and inter- 
esting little girl named Maude. In secret societies, 
Mr. Dilworth belongs to the Masonic fraternity, is a 
Knight Templar, K. of P. and Modern Woodmen of 
America. In his political views he is a stanch 
Kepublican, but is too deeplj' engrossed in his pro- 
fession to take a \-er3- active interest in politics. He 
is a man of keen observation, great tact and shrewd- 
ness, a good lawj-er, and enjovs a large and growing 
clientage, and is a very popular man. 

George A. Dreitzler, liver3-man, Hastings, Neb. 
This enterprising business man was born near War- 
saw, lud. , on September 27, 1865, and is the son of 
Jacob H. and Mary (Ertziuger) Dreitzler, the father 
a native of Germany and now a resident of Ne- 
braska. The mother was born in the United States, 
and died (in Indiana) when George Dreitzler was but 
nine years of age. The latter remained in Indiana 
until twenty-one years of age, and then emigrated 
to Hastings, Neb. , in July, 1887. He worked with 
his brother at the livery business for four months, 
and December 7, 1887, he bought his brother out 
and engaged in the business for himself. This he 
has since continued. He now has a well stocked 
livery barn, and holds the patronage of the entire 
neighl)orhood. It is situated on Third Street, 
between Denver and St. Joe Avenues. In politics | 



Mr. Dreitzler is independent, and supports those 
men who, in his judgment, are the best and most 
capable. He has made his own wa3' in life and 
deser\'es the credit and respect of all. 

William W. Dungan, furniture dealer, Hast- 
ings, Neb. Among American industries, that of 
furniture manufacturing has come to occupy a 
first place, and our goods are to be found in 
every foreign market. Of late years the furni- 
ture factories of the West have distanced all 
competitors, and not onlj' do they supply the 
whole Western continent, but dictate prices in 
Eastern markets, and control the trade of the 
South. Mr. Dungan, one of the prominent men of 
business in Hastings, has been dealing in furniture 
in that place since 1889, and has a complete line 
of goods, and makes a specialty of upholstering. 
He was born in Lawrence Count}-, Pa., on June 7. 
1836, and is the son of Thomas H. and Jane 
(Witherspoon) Dungan. The father w-as born in 
what is now West Virginia in 1797, and died in 
Lawrence County, Pa., in 1872. He was bj- oc- 
cupation a farmer. He was elected bj- the Whigs 
to represent Lawrence County, Pa. , in the Lower 
House of the Pennsylvania General Assembly-. The 
mother was Ijorn in what was then Beaver County , 
but is now Lawrence County, Pa., in 1803, and 
died in Lawrence Count}- in 1S51. The paternal 
grandfather, Robert Dungan, was a Virginian by 
birth, and died in Beaver Count}- when about eighty 
years of age. He was an uncompromising Aboli- 
tionist. Of the eleven children born to his parents, 
William W. was the seventh in order of birth, and 
six are now living. He was reared on a farm in 
Pennsylvania, and was a pupil in his native school, 
where he received a good practical education. In 
1855 Mr. Dungan came west, and lived for a short 
time at Leavenworth, Kan., after which he went to 
Jasper County, Iowa, and there he attended and 
taught school until June. 1861. At that date he 
enlisted in Company B, Fifth Iowa Infantry, and 
September, 1863, he was promoted to the rank of 
captain of Company E, Forty-ninth United States 
colored troops, serving in that capacity until ^March 
26, 1866, when he was mustered out of service as an 
efficient officer and a l)rave soldier. Returning to 



:7i' 



k. 



240 



IIISTOKV OF NEBRASKA. 



Jasper County. Iowa, after the war. he engaged in 
tilling the soil, and this he carried on until 1873, 
when he emigrated to Hastings, Neb. , and here has 
since resided. In 1878 he began the real estate 
business in Hastings, and continued the same until 
1889, when he embarked in the furniture business, 
at which he has been quite successful. He was 
married on October 15, 18G4, to Miss Bell Sturgeon 
of Jasper County, Iowa, but a native of Lawrence 
County, Pa., born January 13, 1846. Four chil- 
dren have been the result of this union: Harry D. , 
Mamie W. , William H. and Paul B. In politics 
Mr. Dungan is a Prohibitionist, and at one time 
represented what was then the Second ward in the 
city council. He and his wife are members of the 
Congregational Church. He is a member of the 
G. A. R. , and is a pioneer of Hastings. 

John P. Duncan is a prosperous grain, stock and 
coal merchant of Roselaud, Xeb. , and is in partner- 
ship with his brother. He was born in Elgin, 111. , 
September 14, 1845, being a son of P. W. Duncan, 
a native of Ireland, who came to the United States 
in 1841 and settled in Illinois, having previously 
married in Hartford, Conn., Miss Bridget Kingsley, 
who died when John P. was an infant. The latter 
grew to manhood in his native State, and after 
reaching his tenth year was a resident of Savannah, 
and is principally self educated, the most of his 
knowledge of books being acquired since reaching 
years of maturity. He learned the stone mason's 
trade of his father, and after starting out in life for 
himself worked at this trade in Illinois tip to 1870, 
coming to Neliraska in May of that year, and set- 
tling in Adams County, where he took up a home- 
stead in the southern part of the county, on the Lit 
tie Blue River, which place he still owns. Many 
fine improvements were made on this farm, which 
continued to be his home until 1887, since which 
time he has been a resident of Roseland, being one 
of the first liusiness men of the place. He has al- 
ways held to the principles and supported the men 
and measures of 'the Democratic party, and for a 
number of j-cars has held the position of supervisor 
of Silver Lake Township, and in 1888 was elected 
in Roseland Township for the same position. He 
was married in Iowa in 1878, and wedded his second 



wife in Illinois in 1883, her maiden name being 
Bridget Lougiiran. .\ daughter blessed his first 
marriage, named Frances, and his second union has 
resulted in the birth of four children: Stephen P. , 
MaryE., Anna and John William. Mr. and Mrs. 
Duncan are members of the Roman Caliiolic Church. 
Eben L. Dutton, farmer and stock raiser, IIol- 
stein. Neb. I'rominent among the esteemed and en- 
terprising agriculturists of the county stands the 
name of Mr. Eben L. Dutton, who was born in the 
village of Gray, Cumberland County, 3Ie. , on June 
19, 1844, and who is the son of Henry Dutton, a 
native of the same State and county. Ileniy Dutton 
was reared there and there married Miss Catherine 
M. Dolley, who was also a native of that State and 
county. He was a builder and contractor, and re- 
sided in Cumlierland County all his life, his death 
occurring in November, 1881, at the age of sixty- 
four. The mother is still living and resides on the 
old homestead. Eben L. Dutton passed his boy- 
hood days in his native countj-, and at the age of 
eighteen he began learning the mason trade, which 
occupied his attention for three years. He then 
went to Boston and was engaged in contracting and 
building for about three years, after which, in 1864, 
he came west to Illinois, located in Henry County, 
and was there interested with his brother in farming 
for two years. From there he went to Chicago and 
worked at his trade for three years, after whicli 
he emigrated to Nebraska in the spring of 1872. 
located in Adams County, six miles northwest of 
Juniata, and there tilled the soil. He improveil 
three farms in Adams County, and in the fall of 
1885 settled on his present tract of land, which he 
has improved and cultivated. He moved to Kene- 
saw in the spring of 1882, engaged in the hardware 
business, which he continued for three years, then, 
sold out and moved to his present farm. He is the 
owner of 400 acres of land, all under a good state 
of cultivation, has a comfortable residence, good 
out^buildings, and Is one of the prosperous men of 
the county. He rents some of his land, but still 
controls 120 acres near Kenesaw, and this year he 
has 65 acres in corn and 65 acres in small grain. In 
his political views 3Ir. Dutton affiliates with the Re- 
publican party, and has ever voted with the same. 



^f 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



241 



He has held the office of township ti-easurer, also 
township supervisor for one or more terms, and has 
served as a member of the school board ten consecu- 
tive years. He was commissioned in the Nebraska 
National Guards as follows: First lieutenant Mounted 
Infantry, March 13, 1878; second lieutenant of in- 
fantry, June 9, 1882, and as captain August 9, 
1884. He is deepl}- interested in educational matr 
ters, and is a liberal supporter of all worthy- move- 
ments. He was married in Adams County, Neb., 
in 3Iay, 1875, to Miss Sjivia E. Thompson, a native 
of the Bucke3'e State, but who was reared and edu- 
cated in Iowa. The Isketch of her father, A. S. 
Thompson, appears elsewhere in this work. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Button has been born one daughter, Lottie. 
.Air. Dutton is a Master Mason, and a man much es- 
teemed and respected. 

Levi Eddy, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. Mr. Eddj' is one of the pioneer settlers of 
Adams Count}', Neb. , locating on Section 20, West 
Blue Township, on October 25, 1872, and is one of 
the progi-essive, intelligent and respected citizens of 
this community. He was born in Cattaraugus 
Count}-, N. Y. , in 1835, and was the eldest of 
eleven children born to the union of John and 
Nancj' (Wheeler) Eddj", natives of Genesee County, 
N. Y. The father was married in his native State, 
was a farmer, and in 1853 moved to Walworth 
Count}', Wis. , where he opened up a farm. During 
the war he moved to Kock County, Wis., and there 
tilled the soil until October. 1866, when he moved 
to Eureka, Kan. , and died near Elk Falls of that 
State in 1879. The mother died at Cherryvale, 
Kan., in 1884. Levi Eddy was educated in the 
schools of New York, and under the training and 
influence of his father he was led to follow agricul- 
tural pursuits, which has been his chief occupation 
through life. He moved with his parents to Wal- 
worth County, Wis., in 1853, and from there, in 
1859, to Bureau County, 111., where he engaged as 
a farm laborer. In August, 1861, he enlisted in 
Lee County, 111., in Company C, Seventh Illinois 
Cavalry, and was assigned to the Western Dci)art- 
ment. He was in the battle of Nashville, Stone 
Kiver, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary 
Ridge, and in many skirmishes. He received a 



wound at Nashville, Tenn. , on December 16, 1864, 
but returned to service in the same year, and was 
through the entire service. He was honoral)ly dis- 
charged at Camp Butler, 111., on November 4, 1865, 
returned to Bureau County, 111., thence to Rock 
County, Wis. , and was married in Walworth County, 
Wis., in 1866, to Miss Isadore Wilkins, a native of 
Walworth County, Wis. , and the daughter of James 
and Hannah (Ferguson) Wilkins, natives of New 
Jersey. About 1840 her parents moved to Wal- 
worth County, Wis., being pioneers of that county, 
and there the father followed tilling the soil. He is 
still living, is eighty-four years of age, but the 
mother died in Wisconsin in 1877. After his mar- 
riage Mr. Eddy cultivated the soil in Wisconsin 
until coming to Nebraska in 1872, and here entered 
160 acres of land which he immediately commenced 
to improve, erecting a good house and excellent out 
buildings. He raises considerable stock, and is one 
of the wide-awake farmers of the county. He is not 
active in politics, but votes with the Repulilican 
party, is a member of the school board, being mod- 
erator, and has been road supervisor for years. He 
was here at the organization of the precincts, first in 
Denver precinct, then jMr. Eddy took an active part 
in forming West Blue precinct, and later West Blue 
Township. Socially he is a member of the Farmers' 
Alliance, and ]Mrs. Eddy is a member of the Jletho- 
dist Church. To their happy union have been born 
ten children, eight of whom are nqw living: Ida 
(now Mrs. Ulmer.of Hastings), Rosa (died December 
31, 1887, at the age of nineteen years), Warren 
Alice, Seba (died in 1885 at the age of eleven years), 
Dora, James, Ruth, Ira and Pearl. At the time 
Mr. Eddy built in Adams County there was no set- 
tlement between his place and Hastings, a distance 
of five miles, and the latter place was hardly a ham- 
let, containing one small wooden building with a 
number of sod cabins. Mr. Eddy has seen the com- 
plete development of the country, being one of the 
oldest settlers in West Blue Township, and has al- 
ways taken an active part in furthering all laudalile 
enterprises for the good of the same. 

Gordon H. Edgerton, one of the firm of Hum- 
phrey & Edgeiton, owes his nativity to Essex- 
County, N, Y. . where his birth occurred May 10, 



ihL 



242 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



1842, and is one of the prominent men of Hustings. 
His parents, Jonah and Permclia (Benedict) Edger- 
ton, were natives respectively of New York and 
Vermont, and removed to Hlinois where they settled 
in Knox County, in 1845. Both died in Illinois, in 
February, 1807, at the age of fifty-eight and forty- 
eight years, respectively. Of the nine children born 
to their union, five are still living, and Gordon H. is 
the eldest. One brother, RoUin, was a soldier in 
the late war, was taken prisoner at the battle of 
Murfreesboro, and was an inmate of Libby and An- 
dersonville prisons for some time. After his libera- 
tion he started home and died at Annapolis, Md. 
Gordon H. Edgerton attended the public schools of 
Knox County, 111. , and later entered an academy at 
Andover, 111. He then taught school for about 
three winters, and in January, 1865, he enlisted in 
Company E, One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, and served five months, being 
discharged at the close of the war. Returning home 
he remained there until the spring of 18G6, when he 
went to Colorado, and there remained until 1871, 
when he emigrated to Adams County, Neb. He 
first settled in Hanover Township, when there was 
but one family in the same, took a homestead and 
lived there until November, 1889, when he removed 
to Hastings. He is now the owner of 640 acres of 
land in Hanover Township, all well improved and 
cultivated. On October 26, 1889, he bought one- 
half interest in the Queen Citj' Roller Mills and has 
been very successful. He is a practical and thorough 
man of business, being upright in alibis transactions 
and highly esteemed both far and near. His mar- 
riage with Miss Elva Bird was celebrated in March, 
1876, and they are the parents of three children: 
Arthur, Goldie and Fay. In politics Mr. Edgerton 
is a Republican, and for two years was a county 
commissioner of Adams County. He is a member 
of the G. A. R. , and is one of the leading farmers 
of the county. 

H. Fred Einspahr, farmer, Kenesaw, Neb. 
There are manj- citizens of foreign birth represented 
within the pages of this volume, Init none are more 
deserving of mention than Mr. Einspahr, who is not 
onl}' one of the most sultstantial men of the county, 
but one whose career in life has been of particular 



interest. Mr. Einspahr was born in the province of 
North Dithmarschcn, Ilolstein, Germany, on Decem- 
ber 22, 1840, and is the son of Hans II. and Wiebke 
(Hansen) Einspahr, both natives of Ilolstein. The 
parents emigrated to America in 1863, locating near 
Chicago, 111., but later, in 1871, moved to that eitj- 
and there resided until 1885, when they removed U> 
Adams County, Neb. There they still reside, and 
are seventy-six and seventj'-eight years of age, re- 
spectively. H. Fred Einspahr attended the scliools 
of his native country-, where the children were re- 
quired to attend eight hours each day, six hours 
during the day time, and two hours in the evening 
at the night school. At the age of, fourteen years 
he was apprenticed to a merchant, with whom he re- 
mained four years. He then began the life of a 
sailor, and before leaving the sea had sailed in the 
German, English and American merchant marines. 
He visited the "land of the midnight sun," made 
voyages to Iceland and North Cape and the West 
Indies. While a sailor on the American merchant- 
man " Shymal of Boston" in 1862, he went on a 
voyage to the Mediterranean Sea, and was there pur- 
sued by the Confederate cruiser ' ' Sumter," com- 
manded by Capt. Semmes, but escaped by seeking 
refuge in the harbor of Gibraltar. In 1862 he 
landed in America, and came westward to Chicago 
to visit his relatives there. He soon determined to 
liecome a citizen of the United States, and signal- 
ized his devotion to his chosen countrj' by at once 
joining the American navy, serving on the " St. 
Clair" under the command of Commodore Porter. 
He was present at the bombardment of Fort Donel- 
son in 1863, and was in many other engagements. 
After the termination of hostilities he returned to 
Chicago, and for ssveral years was engaged in 
various enterprises in and near the city. He fol- 
lowed agricultural pursuits in Whiteside County, 
III, for three years, and in 1883 he came to Adams 
County, Neb., and located on his present land, 
which he had purchased in 1876. He now owns 
440 acres on Section 1 6 , Wanda Township, and has 
one of the finest farms in this section of the State. 
In 1864 he married Miss Lena Einspahr, and this 
union has been blessed l)v the liirtli of ten children: 
Bertha (now Mrs. Fred Beirow), John W. , Peter H. , 



-f^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



243 



Amelia (now Mrs. Frank Lukow), Herman G., Annie, 
Haas F. , Christian C. , Gustav H. and Otto C. C. 
The family are members of the Lutheran Church. 
Politicall}' Mr. Einspahr is a stanch Republican. 
In 1888 he was elected county supervisor, and was 
re-elected in 1889. He has also served as justice of 
the peace, and is a member of the board of education. 
Manford L. Elsemore, president of Hastings 
board of trade, nlanager for C. W. Dietz Lumber 
Companj', and secretarj' and treasurer of Hastings 
Dry Pressed BrLek Company, was born in Machias, 
Me. , on September 8, 1862, and is the son of Hiram 
P. and Martha J. (Vance) Elsmore, natives of Maine. 
The father is now flft^'-four years of age, has spent 
his life in the lumber trade, and is now a resident of 
Eau Claire, Wis. Mrs. Elsemore is fort}'-nine years 
of age. The family removed to Michigan in 1867 
and in 1875 to Eau Claire, Wis. Manford L. Ellse- 
more, the second eldest of five children born to his 
parents, first attended the public schools and later 
became a student at the Weslej'an M. E. Seminar}-, 
at Eau Claire, Wis. , from which institution he grad- 
uated in 1880. Mr. Elsemore comes from a long 
line of lumber men, and his first experience in this 
business was with his father in the woods of Wiscon- 
sin, in getting out the lumber and surve3'ing timber 
lands. He remained with his father until 1883, 
when he entered the emplo}- of the North Wisconsin 
Lumber Company, at Hayward, Wis., in the capac- 
itj- of book keeper, and continued in their employ 
until the fall of 1885, part of the time as book- 
keeper and later as salesman. He came to Hast 
ings in the fall of the last mentioned year, estab- 
lished the C. W. Dietz Lumber Company, and in the 
spring of 1888, in partnership with H. B. Kuowlton, 
the}' bought the interest of the Hastings Dry Pressed 
Brick & Tile Company and established that com- 
panj*. Their works are located at Bricktou, near 
Hastings, and they employ from thirt}' to sixty men. 
The production of 1889 amounted to about 5, 000,000 
brick. In the spring of 1889 Mr. Elsemore was 
elected president of the Hastings board of trade, of 
which he has been a member and director since its 
organization. He is a progressi\e and enterprising 
business man of Hastings, and in politics is a Re- 
publican. 



Rev. John Edward English, a distinguished mem- 
ber of the Catholic clergy, and rector of St. Cecelia's 
Church, of Hastings, was born at Kenosha, Wis., 
on April 14, 1855, and is the son of Thomas and 
Ann (Cootey) English, natives of Ireland. The 
parents came to the United States in early childhood, 
and as early as 1837 the}- settled in Chicago. They 
subsequently removed to Kenosha, Wis. , where Mr. 
English is now engaged in business. He is about 
sixty-five years of age. Rev. John E. English, the 
second eldest son, received the rudiments of an edu- 
cation in the public schools of Kenosha, from which 
he graduated at the age of sixteen years. He then 
spent two years at Prairie du Chien College, Wis. , 
and graduated from that institution at the age of 
eighteen years, afterward entering the University 
of Baltimore, from which he graduated with the de- 
gree of B. A. at the age of nineteen years. One 
year later he received the degree of BI. A. On June 
7, 1879, he was ordained a priest at the University 
of Niagara for the Omaha diocese, and on July 3, 
1879, he came to Omaha. His first mission was at 
North Platte, Neb. , his first territory embracing all 
of Western Nebraska. After a residence of two 
months at North Platte he was called to Omaha, and 
for five years was rector of the Cathedral under 
Bishop O'Conner. In October, 1884, he went to 
Exeter, Neb., where he remained until July 20, 
1 888, when he came to Hastings. Here he re-organ- 
ized the church, and was a leading spirit and super- 
intendent in the erection of the Sisters of Visitation 
Ijuilding. He is well known as one of the best oi'- 
ganizers in the West, is untiring in his efforts, and 
is popular as a priest and citizen. 

J. G. Evans, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. In this day too much can not be said in praise 
of those who were determined enough to face the 
privations and dangers of a new country in order 
that it might be reclaimed from its primitive condi- 
tion. In this work it is not desired to omit the 
name of Mr. E\'ans, who emigrated to Adams 
County, Neb., in 1879, and located in Silver Lake 
Township. He was originally from Lancaster, Pa. , 
where his birth occurred in 1857, and is the second 
of a family of eight children, four now living, born 
to John and Maria (("Jral>ill) Ev;nis, natives of 



244 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



tlic Kcystoue State. The father was a tailor and 
followed his trade in his native State until 1875, 
when he came to Nebraska, purchased IGO acres of 
land in Roseland Township, and in 1879 moved to 
Adams County, Neb. , whore he and wife now reside. 
J. G. Evans asssistod his father on the farm and 
received his education in the schools of Lancaster 
County, Pa. He moved with his parents to Adams 
Count}', Neb., and there began farming for himself, 
and in 1881 was married in that county to Miss 
Elizabeth B. Hargleroad, a native of Franklin 
County, Pa., and the daughter of Michael and Eliz- 
abeth (Brough) Hargleroad, natives of Pennsyl- 
vania. Mr. Hargleroad followed farming in his native 
State, and in 1875 emigrated to Adams County, Neb., 
settling in Cottonwood Township, where he home- 
steaded 160 acres. He now resides on that land, 
which he has greatly improved, liut the mother died 
in July, 1882. J. G. Evans tilled the soil in Silver 
Lake Township until June, 1885, when he bought 
It')!) acres of improved land, one of the first settled 
farms of the county. He raises some stock. He is 
not active in polities, but votes with the Republican 
part}'. To his marriage have been born three chil- 
dren: Daisy, John Raymond and Jacob Earl. 

John Earner, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. This gentleman owes his nativity to Picka- 
way County, Ohio, where his Ijirth occurred in 1845, 
and where he received his education. In May, 1861. 
at the first call for troops, he enlisted in Company 
B, Thirteenth Ohio Infantry, and ranked as a 
non-commissioned officer. He was the youngest 
soldier in his company, and his brother George was 
a member of the same company. John Earner par- 
tit-ipated in the following liattles: Shiloh, Corinth, 
i^Tryville, Ky. , Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission- 
ary Ridge and others. He was one of the brave 
men who charged in the center and broke the rebel 
ranks at the last named fight. During the winter of 
1863-64, he was at Knoxville, Tenn. , but later moved 
from tliat point to Ringgold, Ga. , thence to Resaca, 
where his brother was killed in 1864, from there to 
Dallas, Ga. , and Kenesaw Mountain. .Mr. Earner 
enlisted in May, 1861, and reached home in July, 
1864, the term of enlistment l)eing three years. 
During that time he was away from his post only 



about three weeks, and was then on the sick list. 
Returning from the war he engaged in farming and 
has followed this pursuit since. He was married in 
lS72toMiss CarolineM. Scroggin,daughterof Alfred 
and Sarah Scroggin, natives and old i-esidents of Illi- 
nois. To Mr. and IMrs. Earner ha-\e been born four 
children: Mary J., Bertha, Grace and Carl E. Mr. 
Earner emigrated to Blaine Township, Adams 
County, Neb., in 1874, and has 160 acres of good 
land all under cultivation. He raises a good grade 
of stock, and is prominently identified with the 
farming and stock raising interests of the county. 
He has been a member of the school board of Dis- 
trict No. 17, for twelve years, is interested in school 
matters and is determined to give his children every 
advantage for a good education. He was township 
clerk for the first two yeai'S after the organization, 
has held the office of justice of the peace two years, 
and is now serving his second term as township 
treasurer. In his political views he affiliates with 
the Republican party, and he and Mrs. Earner are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Be- 
ing one of the old settlers of Adams County, Jlr. 
Earner has witnessed many and rapid changes in the 
same since his residence here, and has aided materi- 
ally in all laudable purposes. Mr. Earner is the 
third of a large family born to the union of Samuel 
and Elizabeth (Emert) Earner, the father a native of 
Pennsylvania, born about 1813. He was a son of 
David Earner, also of Pennsjivauia. Samuel Earner 
followed agricultural pursuits and was successful in 
this occupation. Both he and wife were members of 
the Evangelical Church. Their children were named 
George, Solomon, John, Rebecca, Daniel, who en- 
listed in the army in Ohio, was killed at the battle of 
Resaca, Ga. , when fifteen j-ears of age. George and 
Solomon were both in the service, the latter receiv- 
ing a gunshot wound in the arm. The remainder of 
the children are: Benjamin E. , Susannah Mary. 
Louis W. , Cyrus W. , Samuel and Clara J. The 
father died in 1888, and his wife previous to this, 
in 1884. They were buried at Lincoln, Logan 
County. Ill 

Solomon Etivinger. From the brief sketch here 
given of the life of Mr. Eavinger it will be seen that 
his days have tieen de\oted to hard labor, and dur- 



■4-2-1- 



^ 



>^. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



245 



ing the years that he has • ' pursued the even tenor 
of his way " he has acoumuhTted sufficient means 
to keep himself and family in comfort, if not in lux- 
ury, the rest of their days. Born in Columbiana 
County, Ohio, February 12, 1847, he is a son of 
Abraham and Hannah (Spair) Favinger, who were 
native Penn.svlvanians, but after their marriage 
moved to Ohio, thence to Nol)le County, Ind. , 
where they spent the rest of their days, the father 
dying aljout 1873, and the mother a few j^ears later. 
Solomon remained with Ids parents in Nolile County 
until he reached manhood, but started out in life for 
himself in the State of Wisconsin, whither he went 
in 18(54, and for a period of fifteen years made his 
home in Outagamie County, being engaged in sur- 
veying, locating and dealing in real estate. In the 
fall of 1879 he removed to Nebraska and purchased 
the farm on which he is now residing. By subse- 
quent purchases his land now amounts to 495 acres, 
all of which is exceedingly fertile and nearly all 
well tilled. He has about 120 acres in corn, ninety 
acres in barley, forty acres in wheat, and sixty acres 
in oats, besides the land he has rented out. He 
has a new two-story residence, fair out buildings, 
and a good young orchard. In his political views 
he is a Republican, and has held some local offices 
in the township. He was married in Outagamie 
County, Wis., December 26, 1870, to Miss Louisa 
Berthier, a daughter of John Berthier. and by her 
has a family of five children: Edna May, Hubert F. , 
Charles N. , Cora A., and Blanche A. Mr. and 
Mrs. Favinger are memliers of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church. 

James B. Filbert, editor and publisher of the 
Adams County Tribune, Kenesaw, Neb. Gener- 
ally age and experience are essential to success and 
promotion, but in the example liefore us appears a 
young man who has risen without an}' especial for- 
tuitous circumstance, to the head of one of the rep- 
resentative papers of Adams County; and although 
he has but recently taken charge of this [xiper. The 
Adams Countv Tribune, his successful management 
of the same warrants the assertion that under his 
control and conduct, the paper is destined to exert 
an influence which shall be felt in literary circles in 
this vicinitv. Mr. Filbert is about thirty years of 



age, having been liorn in Greene County. Ind.. 
April 12, ISGO, and is the son of Joel and Rutli 
(Bowen) Filbert, both natives of Indiana, and de- 
scendants of prominent families there. The Filbert 
family is of English extraction, the ancestors com- 
ing to America and settling in Virginia about 1G07. 
James B. Filbert grew to manhood in his native 
State, and in 1879 came to Nebraska where, during 
1880 and 1881, he was principal of the public 
schools at Weeping Water and Louisville, in the 
meantime keeping up his studies in the State Uni- 
versitj-. He began the study of law in 1884 under 
the instruction of E. H. Wooley, of Weeping Water, 
and later with Senator Taggart, of Hastings, and 
was admitted to the bar in 188G, after which he be- 
gan practicing. In 1886 he came to Kenesaw, and 
for upwards of three years was proprietor of the 
Commercial Hotel there. In 1888 he purchased the 
Kenesaw Times, and changing the name to the 
Adams Count}' Trilmne, has since edited and pub- 
lished the same. On May 16, 1885, he married 
Miss Dorothea Schluntz, a native of Nebraska, and 
the result has been two children. Mr. Filbert is a 
Republican in his political views. 

Rev. J. Fleming, Ayr, Neb. Rev. J. Fleming, 
one of the oldest and most highly respected citizens 
of Adams County, and a man wlio for many years 
has been closely identified with the advancement 
and growth of Christianity in the community as an 
active, earnest minister of the gospel, is one of the 
honored pioneers of this portion of Nebraska. A 
Pennsylvanian by birth, he was liorn in JMifflin 
County on April 17, 1807, and is the second in a 
family of seven children born to the union of John 
and Mary (McEwen) Fleming. The father was born 
in 1763 in Pennsylvania, and was a farmer liy occupa- 
tion. He married Miss McEwen in 1805. and to them 
were born these children: Henry, now living in Wis- 
consin; Rev. J., Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Jane, Wil- 
liam M. and Sarah. The father was quite active in 
politics, was a Republican, and voted for John 
Adams and Thomas Jefferson. He and his wife 
both died in Pennsylvania, he in 1832 and she in 
1848. Both were members- of the Presbyterian 
Church. The Flemings and McEweus were of 
Scotch-Irish descent. John Fleming was a soldier 



-^ a 



^ 



246 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



in the War of 1812. nnd was under Cunimodore 
Pony. His father. Jolin Fleming, was horn in 
Pennsylvania, and his arundfather, Robert Fleming;, 
was a native of Ireland, who eame to America and 
settled with his parents in Pennsylvania in the reign 
of King George III. Rev. J. Fleming's early life 
was spent in Pennsylvania, where his aneestors for 
a number of generations had lived liefore him. He 
is a graduate of Jefferson College, and is also a 
graduate of the Princeton Theological Seminary. 
He started in his ministerial duties in 18.S2, and 
took a mission among the Indians in Indian Terri- 
torj'. He learned their language, had liooks printed 
in the same, and was among the Muskages for about 
six years. From 1839 up to 1850 he was pastor of 
Middle Tuscarora and Fairfield, in Juniata County, 
and from the last named date to 1875, he was mis- 
sionary at Mendota, La Salle Countj', 111. From 
1875 to the present time he has been located in 
Adams County. Neb. , and is a resident of Ayr. 
He married in 1832 Miss JIargaret L. Scudder, 
daughter of Dr. Seudder, of Princeton, N. J., and 
the fruit of this union was one child. Mary M. (now 
Mrs. O. C. Rogers, residing in Ayr Township, 
Adams Count}). Mrs. Fleming died in the Indian 
Territory in 1839, and in 1844 Mr. Fleming took for 
his second wife Miss Rebecca C. Patterson, daughter 
of James Patterson, Esq.. of Pennsylvania. To 
this second union have been born eight children, 
four sons anil four daughters: Anna J. (died in 
1885), Thomas C. Henry M., Agnes H. (died in 
1867), Ada R.. John A. J.. Sarah E. and William 
^I. Mr. Fleming has traveled very extensively over 
the country, and is a man of remarkable energy 
and braver}-, kind and gentle to all, and has done 
much for the church. For years no man has toiled 
harder to preach Christ than he. He has estaljlished 
many churches in the State of Illinois, a number in 
the State of Nebraska, and is one of the oldest 
ministers in the last named State. He settled in Aj'r 
in 1877 with his family, but had visited the county 
every year for some time liefore he located here. 
He built a hotel at Ayr in 1870, which was the 
second building erected in the town. 

Judge James H. Fleming has been a resident of 
Adams County, Neb. , for the past twelve jx'ars. He 



comes of Irish stock, as both his parents, "William 
and Jane (Cullen) Fleming, were born in the ' 'Emer- 
ald Isle," the former's birth occurring in 1816, and 
the latter's in 1818. In the year 1841 William 
Fleming first set foot on American soil, and until 
1845 he was a resident of Pennsylvania, after which 
he removed to Illinois, and now resides in Iroquois 
Count}- of that State. Judge Fleming is the second 
of his eight children, and was born in La Salle 
County, III., April 3, 1847, and from his earliest 
recollections his time was given to the monotonous 
duties of farm life. After attending the district 
schools for a sufBcient length of time he entered 
Wheaton College, which institution he attended 
three and one-half \ears. He afterward began the 
study of law in the office of Charles Blanchard, at 
Ottawa, 111. , and was admitted to the bar at Spring- 
field in 1876. Two years later he came to Hastings, 
Nel). , and entered upon a career of aetivit}- and use- 
fulness, and his reputation as a lawyer has become 
assured. Politically he has always been a Republi- 
can, and on this ticket was elected, in 1883, to the 
position of county judge; was re-elected in 1885, 
receiving the same honors in 1887, his term of office 
expiring January 9, 1890, when he returned to the 
practice of his profession. All through this long 
term of official life he has preserved his popularity, 
and has given to the county clean and faithful ser- 
vice, so that when he retired from the l)ench there 
was reason to view his official career with satis:fac- 
tion and pride. He has shown his approval of 
secret organizations by becoming a member of 
Hastings Lodge No. 50.1. 0. 0. F. , and p]nterprise 
Encampment No. 29, and also belongs to the A. 0. 
IT. AV. July 31. 1870, he was united in marriage 
to Miss Mary E. Cowles, a native of Illinois, born 
3Iarch 1, 1858, a daughter of Chauncej- H. and 
3Iargaret (Burtiss) Cowles, and two children have 
blessed their unif)n: William A. (born October 1 , 
1880) and Henry C. (born September 6, 1887). 

T. C. Fleming, farmer and stockman, Ayr, Neb. 
As might naturally be expected, mention is made in 
the present work of man}- citizens of Adams Count}' 
now prominent in their different callings who were 
natives of Pennsylvania, but none more highly 
esteemed or respected than T. C. Fleming. His 



®fv 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



247 



birth occurred in Mifflin in 1848, and he is the son 
of Rev. John and Rebecca (Patterson) Fleming. 
[See slvetch of parents on a previous page of this 
vohime. ] T. C. Fleming attended the schools of La 
Salle County, 111. , until sixteen 3-ears of age, when 
he went to an uncle in Pennsj-lvania, J. K. Patter- 
son, to learn the tanner's trade. After remaining 
there one year he returned to Illinois, and in 1864. 
filled with patriotic ambition, he enlisted in Com- 
panj- F, Forty-fourth Illinois Infantrj-, and was in a 
number of the principal engagements — Spring Hill, 
Tenn. ; Franklin and Nashville. He received a gun- 
shot wound in the right shoulder at the battle of 
Franklin, was disabled for a short time, and then 
again went into active service. He was discharged 
in November, 18C5, after which he returned to Illi- 
nois, and was here engaged in business for three 
j'ears. He selected as his companion in life Bliss 
Esther A. Cornell, daughter of Harvej- Cornell, of 
Lee County, 111., and was married to her in 1869, 
after which he tilled the soil for two jears in that 
State. In 1871 he emigrated to Nebraska and took 
up about 160 acres of land, which he has success- 
fully cultivated since. He came to this State in 
company' with 0. C. Rogers when all was wild and 
unbroken, when deer and buffalo were numerous; 
and he had the sincere pleasure of bringing down 
manj' of them. Wolves were also verj- plentiful. 
There was no settlement north of Spring Ranch, 
which is fourteen miles down the river, and there 
was no settlement between his place and the Repub- 
lican River. He immediately went to work to im- 
prove his land, erected a log house; and the first 
shingles to cover the roof of an^- house in the count}- 
were put on the same. The counti'y commenced to 
settle up, and in a few years thej* had all the neigh- 
bors thej' wanted. Mr. Fleming has a fine farm in 
Zero Township, also 240 acres in Ayr Township, 
and is the owner of about 600 or 700 acres in all. 
At present he is engaged in the dair}' business, and 
has been active in making cheese. He held the of- 
fice of surve\"or at an earl}' day, has been on the 
school board a number of times, and is deepl}" in- 
terested in the upbuilding of schools and churches; 
and, in fact, has done as much for the development 
and improvement of the county as any man in it. 



Politically Mr. Fleming's vote is cast with the Re- 
publican party. His marriage has been blessed by 
the birth of four children: Liew (a native of Illi- 
nois, who was but a j-ear old when his parents 
moved to Nebraska, but is now married and resides 
at Ayr), Ross, Harvej- and Agnes. 

M. J. Fonts, farmer. This gentleman was Ijorn 
in -Hancock, 111., in 1848, and is the eldest in a 
family of seven children born to the union of Dan- 
iel Perry and Emaline Perry Fonts, the father a 
native of Penns3-lvania and the mother of Maine. 
The father went to Illinois when a young man, was 
there married, and in 1852 went overland to Cali- 
fornia, driving three yoke of oxen. He made a 
settlement at Cloverdale, Cal. , and in 1879 went to 
Seattle, Wash. , where he now resides. His wife 
died in California in 1877. M. J. Fonts was reared 
to farm life until fifteen j'ears of age, and in 1863 
enlisted at Virginia City, Nev , in the First Ne- 
vada Cavahy, which was mustered into service at 
Churchill, Nev, LTpon being sent to Camp Douglas, 
Utah Ter. , he remained there engaged in the Indian 
warfare. He was in service for two j-ears and 
eight months, and was honorablj- discharged at 
Camp Douglas, Utah Tei-., in 1866. He then came 
to Che}"enne, where for a number of years he was 
engaged in teaming from that cit}- to Salt Lake, and 
thus has been on the plains from early bo3-hood, 
seeing frontier life in all its phases. He commenced 
farming for himself on his present property at an 
early day, has hunted butfalo all over Adams 
County, and has trapped all over this vicinity. lu 
his early farming days Blr. Fonts was obliged to go 
sixtj- miles to get his plows sharpened. He was 
married in Adams County, Neb. , in Januarj', 1876, 
to Miss Maria Wiswell, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, 
and the daugliter of G. W. and Maria (Watson) 
Wiswell, natives of Vermont and Ireland, respect 
i\ely. Her parents were married in Wisconsin, and 
the father was a railroad engineer on the St. Louis, 
Iron Mountain & Southern, running from St. Louis 
to Pilot Knob. In 1869 he came to Thayer County, 
Neb., entered land, but later wont to work for the 
Union Pacific, running from Rawlins and Green 
River. The parents arc both living at the present 
day, the mother on the homestead and the father in 



.|v* 



248 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Oregon. After his maiTiage Mr. Fonts began fann- 
ing on his present property, which consists of 100 
acres innler cultivation. He was among the first to 
erect a frame iiouse in the township. He is not 
active in politics, but votes with the Democratic 
party, although in local matters he votes for the best 
interests of the county. He is a member of the G. 
A. K. Mr. Fouts has seen the entire growth of the 
county, and has assisted in all laudable enterprises 
for the good of the same. At the time of settle- 
ment there were no railroads nor towns, but now the 
country is thickly populated. He was a great hunter 
for many j-ears, and continued this pursuit up to the 
time he was married. He is deeply interested in 
educational matters and assisted in organizing the 
school district. To his man'iage have been born six 
children: Henry Ashley, Frances Grace, Laura 
Ellen, Daniel Wolf and Don Carl (twins) and Nora 
Irene. 

F. M. Frink. farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. One of the young but successful agricul- 
turists of Adams County is he whose name appears 
above, and who has borne an influential part in pro- 
moting the various interests of the county since 
1874, when he iirst located here. He was born in 
New York, in 1852, and is the second of a family 
of five children born to the union of Sewell and 
Mariah (Tilley) Frink, natives respeetivelj- of Con- 
necticut and England. The father was engaged in 
farming in Illinois, and there he remained until 1856 
when he moved to La Salle County, 111. , where he 
continued that occupation. In 1880 he moved to 
Adams County, Neb. , and there he and his wife now 
reside. F. M. Frink was reared to farm labor and 
received his education in the schools of La Salle 
County. In 1874 he came to Adams County, Neb., 
purchased 160 acres of prairie laud and commenced 
improving the same. He was married in Mills 
County, Iowa, in 1878, to Miss Florence ^lellinger, a 
native of Ohio, and the daughter of Henry Mellin- 
ger, a native also of Ohio. Mr. Mellinger moved 
to Michigan, thence to Iowa and from there to Mis- 
souri, where he now resides. The mother ilicd 3'ears 
ago. After his marriage Mr. Frink settled on the 
farm where he now lives, and engaged in raising 
corn and oats. He is also interested in raising a 



good grade of Hereford cattU' and Poland China 
hogs. In his political views Mr. Frink votes inde- 
[)endently. He is a member of the Farmers' Alli- 
ance and takes a deep interest in all matters relating 
to the good of the county. He is active in school 
matters, and has given his children good educational 
advantages. His children are named as follows: 
Ray M. , Earl M. . Fretl and Albert. 

H. A. Fyler, merchant, of Hastings. As a man 
of business Mr. Fyler's name and fame is co-exten- 
sive with Adams County and the surrounding 
country. Every step of his financial and commer- 
cial career has been illustrateil with acts of liberal- 
ality, and with every step taken by the county towards 
higher development he has been closely identified. 
He possesses all the attriliutes necessary for a man 
of business, and especiallj' a merchant, for the suc- 
cessful merchant, like the artist or poet, is l)orn, 
not made. Possessing taste, discrimination and an 
aptitude for correctlj' reading human nature, he has 
been ver3' successful and stands on a sound basis 
among the business men of Hastings, l.ij whom he is 
regarded as one of the pillars of the city. He was 
born on a farm near Syracuse. Onondaga County, 
N. Y. , Januarj" 31, 1848, being a son of Alfred and 
Ruth (Gaylord) Fyler, and at the earl}- age of twelve 
years was compelled to take uj) the Ijattle of life for 
himself, and for this purpose left home and went to 
Michigan, where for a number of j'ears he spent the 
summer months in clerking for a small salary, and 
in the winter attended school. He continued thus 
to live until eighteen years of age, and bj' strict 
economy had contrived to save enough of his earn- 
ings to defray his expenses at a first-class commer- 
cial college for one term. At the end of this time 
he returned to his former position , where he remained 
five jears longer, then accepted a position as com- 
mercial traveler, and for sixteen j-ears was on the 
road, representing during this time some of the lead- 
ing wholesale houses in New York City, Chicago and 
Boston. In 1878 he engaged in the dry goods bus- 
iness at Three Rivers, Mich. . taking as a partner 
Charles Starr, of that place, but for five jears longer 
continued to travel, Mr. StaiT conducting the store 
at Three Rivers. This enterprise proved a success, 
and at the end of the five years 3Ir. Fyler came to 



-^l^ 



ADAMS COU:STY. 



249 



Hastings, Neb., and in tlie spring of 1886 opened a 
large dry goods store, his store building being erected 
under his own personal supervision, and in dimen- 
sions being 44x135 feet. Plis stoclv comprises the 
best goods to be found in tlie New Yorlv marlvet, is 
of the latest style and is disposed of at very reason- 
able prices, and his is an establishment in which the 
people of Hastings feel much pride, for it is one of 
the most extensive of the kmd in the AVest, and with 
the exception of Omaha is the finest in the State. 
The office work and accounting are in charge of H. 
A. Chapman, and he reports a business of !$175,000 
done during the year 1889. J. H. Beifuss has the 
management of the dress goods department, and is 
an artist in store and window decorating, and lioth 
these gentlemen have been in Mr. Fyler's employ 
since the business was established. He also has 
fifty-seven other employes. His business success 
has been remarkable, and the confidence reposed in 
him by the people, and the interest he takes in the 
advancement and welfare of Hastings and Adams 
Countj-, are rarely equalled at the present day. He 
has always been a Republican in politics, and socially 
is a member of the JIasonic fraternity. On June 
12, 1883, he was united in marriage to Miss Hattie 
Arnold, of White Pigeon, Mich., a daughter of 
Oliver Arnold. 

Edward F. Gettle is a proper representative of 
the energetic young business men of Juniata, which 
element has done and is doing so much for the 
advancement of the material interests of the place, 
and is one of the foremost hardware merchants of 
the county. He was born in Michigan in 1857, and 
is the only child of John H. and Adelaide (Cutter) 
Gettle, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and 
New York, the former a tailor by occupation. In 
1860, they removed to the State of Illinois, and here 
the father still resides, the mother having died in 
1883. The former served three years in the Army 
of the Cumberland in the late Civil War, and was a 
true and ti'usty soldier to the cause he espoused. 
Edward F. Gettle was reared in town and attended 
the public schools until he attained his fifteenth year, 
at which time he dropped his books to learn the 
tinner's trade in the town of Lena, working as an 
apprentice for three years. He then followed his 

16 ^ 



trade in various places for a year or two, and the 
j"ear 1879 found him in Juniata, Neb. , which place 
has since been his home. He first worked for a Mr. 
Pickaril for a period of three years, and after spend- 
ing a short time in Kansas, he returned to Nebraska 
and worked one year in Hastings, after which he 
established his present business. He carries a full 
stock of shelf and heavy hardware, and manufac- 
tures a great deal of his own tinware, his stock of 
goods being valued at $3,500. He is a Mason, 
belonging to Juniata Lodge No. 42, and is also a 
memlier of James Laird Camp, Sons of Veterans. 
Although not an active politician he was elected, in 
the fall of 1888, to the office of township supervisor, 
and was re-elected in the fall of 1889. In 1882 he 
was married to Miss Ada D. Allen, a daughter of 
Col. E. M. Allen, and by her has two children: 
John Edwin and Fannie A. 

John C. Giddings is a representative agricul- 
turist of Adams County, Neb., and acquired the 
principal part of his knowledge of the calling from 
his father. Rev. Uriah J. Giddings, who, in addition 
to being a tiller of the soil for some time, was a 
Methodist Episcopal minister. The latter was mar- 
ried to Miss Amanda Stafford, a daughter of Jona- 
than Staflford, their union taking place in 1838, and 
by her he became the father of eight children: 
Moses, residing in California; Sophronia (Mrs. Dress- 
back, of Lanark, 111.), William (in Hale, Jones 
County, Iowa), Mar3- (Mrs. Chase, of Chicago, 111.), 
John C, Frank (living in Hale, Iowa). Luc\- (Mrs. 
Shannon, of Bloomington, 111.), and Fred (who died 
in 1857). Rev. Giddings was born in New Hamp- 
shire, being a son of Fetus Giddings, of Connecti- 
cut, but afterward moved to Pennsylvania with his 
parents, and spent the early part of his life in that 
State. He settled in Warren County, 111. , in 1836, 
and for five years followed fanning, after which he 
entered the ministry, becoming a member of the 
Canton, 111. , conference, and was engaged in preach- 
ing the Gospel the remainder of his life, his death 
occurring in 1883, and his wife's in 1858. He was 
first an old line Whig in politics, but later became a 
Republican. After the death of his first wife he 
married Martha E. Rose, daughter of ^latthias 
Rose, of Illinois, and by her reared a son and daugh- 



f 



^ <« 



250 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ter: Frederk-k (nt Noniinl, Ill.),:iiiil Josephine (Mrs. 
Jones). John C. Giddings, the immediate subject of 
this slieteh, was born in Kickapoo County, 111., in 
1840, and was the fifth child born to his father's 
first union. His school daj's were spent in his native 
State, and in 18G3 he started out to fight the battle 
of life for himself, and farming has been his princi- 
pal occupation ever since. He was married in Rock 
Island County, 111., in 1872, to Livona C. Philleo, a 
daughter of Addison N. and Mary (Rosenberg) 
Philleo, and by her has the following family of 
children: Clarence. Charles, Jennie, Frank and 
Emmet. After farming in Illinois until 1880, he 
worked in the lime kilns of Port Byron, III, for 
two years, after which he came to Adams County, 
Neb., and purchased eighty acres of land, which he 
has since increased to 160 acres. His land was per- 
fecMy wild at the time of his purchase, but he now 
has it well improved and stocked and makes a 
specialty of raising short-horn cattle and Poland 
China hogf . Like the majority of Adams County's 
citizens he is public spirited, and assists all good 
works, not only by his influence but also financially. 
He is a Republican in his political views, and he and 
wife are members of the JMethodist Episcopal 
Church, and attend services at Ayr. 

J. Goding, farmer and stock raiser, Pauline, 
Neb. The name that heads this sketch is that of 
one of the well known residents of Little Blue 
Township, who, like many other settlers of the 
count}-, came originally from Illinois, where his 
birth occurred (in Adams County) in 1840. His 
parents, Parker and Laura (Ross) Goding, were 
natives of Maine, and were married in that State in 
1837. From there they moved to Adams Count}^, 
111., settled on a farm and there resided until 1856. 
when they moved to Jo Daviess Count}-, 111. , where 
the father was engaged in merchandising at "Warren. 
He died in 1867, and his wife in 1879. Of the four 
children born to their union, Hourj- is liaggage 
master at Warren, 111. , J. is our subject, Marcellus 
resides in California, and Luther, who started west 
in 1878, was murdered at Council Bluffs, Iowa. 
J. Goding's youthful days wei-e passed in assisting 
on the home place, and in attending the common 
schools of Adams County, 111. Later he attended 



school at Warren, and there finished his education. 
At the age of nineteen j-ears he started for Pike's 
Peak, going overland, and in 1850 came to Ne- 
braska, and thence to Galveston, Tex. From there 
he went to New Orleans and back to Warren by 
the Mississippi River, traveling 3,000 miles that 
year. Later he commenced tilling the soil in Illi- 
nois, and in 18G2 was married in Jo Daviess 
County, of that State, to Miss Sarah Ann Conley, a 
native of Oneida Count}-, N. Y. , and the daughter 
of James and Sarah (Loveland) Conley, the father 
a native of Ireland, and the mother of New York. 
Mr. Conley was a farmer by occupation and in 1861, 
at the breaking out of the war, he enlisted in the 
Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry, but on account of fail- 
ing health was discharged at Fort Donelson, and re- 
turned to Illinois. He came to Nebraska in 1873, 
settled in Adams County, Little Blue Township, and 
there his death occurred. The mother died some 
years ago. Mr. Goding tilled the soil in Illinois 
until 1873, when he came to Nebraska, entered 
eighty acres of land, erected at first a sod house, 
and later a good frame building. Hastings was 
then a small hamlet, and Juniata was the county 
seat. Mr. Goding had to go to Hebron to mill, a 
distance of sixty miles. In politics he affiliates 
with the Republican party; has been township con- 
stable for one year, and has also filled the office of 
road supervisor. He is a member of the school 
board, and takes an active interest in educational 
matters. To his marriage have been born seven 
living children: Laura, now iMrs. Parkins, of 
Pauline; Henry, married and resides near by; John, 
resides in Hastings; Eva, now Jlrs. Smith, of this 
township; Jonas, Mattie and Luther. Mr. Goding 
experienced the grasshopper raids of 1874, and lost 
his team; but in spite of all drawbacks, he has been 
quite successful. 

John Gordon, farmer and stock raiser. Hastings, 
Neb. The subject of this sketch, well and favor- 
ably known to a host of acquaintances in this com- 
munity, was born in Scotland in 1840, and was one 
of six children, the result of the union of Robert 
and Martha (Pollock) Gordon, both of Scotch-Irish 
descent. The father was born in Scotland, was 
maiTied there and there passed his last days. The 



ft) 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



251 



mother died in Nebraska in 1880. Both were mem- 
bers of the Episcopal Church. Their children were 
named as follows: Mary A., James, in Nebraska; 
Robert (deceased), Matilda J. , in Canada; William 
(deceased) and John. The latter when a small boy 
came to this country with his mother and settled in 
]Massachusetts. He learned the tailoring trade while 
j^oung, and followed it for a number of j^ears. He 
was married iu 1860 to Miss Mary Thompson, a 
daughter of John Thompson, of Ontario, Canada, 
and nine children were the fruits of this union: 
Jane, now Mrs. McNeal, living in Hanover Town- 
ship, Adams County, Neb.; Robert AVilliam, died 
in 1889; John, at home; Matilda, at home; Addie, 
at home; Martha M. , Freddie, died in 1881 ; Charles 
■ E. , and Henry A. Mr. Gordon emigrated to Hast- 
ings, Neb., in 1875, took up the land where he now 
lives, it being a timber claim, and now has a fine 
farm. He has been in the State about seventeen 
years and has seen many changes during that period. 
He had some experience with the grasshoppers, and 
has been through some of the severe storms of that 
State, but for all that thinks that Nebraska cannot 
be beaten. On first coming to Nebraska Mr. Gor- 
don worked at the tailor's trade in Hastings for a few 
years, but later settled on his farm. Hastings at 
that time consisted of only a few houses. 3Ir. and 
Mrs. Gordon are members of the Episcopal Church. 
He has been a member of the school board of the 
district and was elected as supervisor of Hanover 
Township in 1890. He is a Republican in politics 
and a public spirited citizen. 

Charles Grebe, farmer and stock raiser, Juniata, 
Neb. In mentioning those of foreign birth who 
have become closeljr associated with the farming find 
stock raising interests of Adams County, we should 
not fail to present an outline of the career of Mr. 
Grebe, for it is one which has fully borne out the 
reputation of that class of industrious, energetic 
men of Prussian nativitj', who have risen to promi- 
nence in different portions of this country. He was 
born December 4, 1845, attained his growth in his 
native country, and remained with his father until 
reaching mature years. He served for two j'ears, 
from 1864 to 1866, in the German Army, and after 
being discharged came to the United States. He 



resided in Illinois in the spring of 1867, working on 
a farm in Logan County, and there remained for 
about five 3'ears, when he moved to Nebraska. He 
entered a farm in Adams County, in the year 1872, 
commenced improving the same, added to it, and 
now has 320 acres of as good land as is to be found 
in the township. He served as magisti-ate one year 
and for two years held the position of supen-isor in 
Roseland Township. When 5Ir. Grelie came to 
this country he was in debt one hundred dollars and 
had nothing but his clothing. He now has an ex- 
cellent farm and is considered one of the most suc- 
cessful agriculturalists of Roseland Township. He 
is a member of the Lutheran Church. In 1883 Mr. 
Grebe returned to Prussia, visited his parents, Fred 
and Louisa (Landau) Grebe, both natives of Prussia, 
where the father died in 1885, and spent the sum- 
mer in visiting different portions of the old country. 
His mother is still living. 

Peter Griffith. Adams County, Neb. , has long 
had the reputation of being one of the best agricul- 
tural regions in the State, and not only do the 
fanners here give much attention to this industrj', 
but devote much of their attention to stock raising 
also, and are usuallj- men of enterprise and intelli- 
gence. Prominent among those who have done 
their full share in advancing every interest of the 
county is Mr. Griflith, who has resided here since 
March, 1874. He was born in Wj-oming County, 
N. Y. , September 15, 1836, and is a son of Aseph 
and Elizabeth (Granger) Griffith, who were born, 
reared and married in the "Empire State " The 
father was a carpenter b}' trade, Imt his career was 
brought to a close quite suddenly in Peunsj-lvania, 
where he was residing with a son, in April, 1856. 
He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was a man 
who possessed mam' sterling traits of character, strict 
integrity being one of his principal characteristics. 
His wife died in April, 1853, having borne him six 
sons and three daughters, one of the daughters dving 
at the age of eighteen j-ears and one in infancy. 
Peter Griffith is the youngest of the family, and un- 
til nineteen years of age resided in his native county, 
receiving the advantages of the common schools (as 
well as private instruction). He removed to 3Iercer 
County, III, and after attending school at Rock 



' "i^ 



s \ " 



z^z 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Tsland for some tiiiic engaged in teaching school, 
which occupation continued to be his principal 
means of livelihood until his removal to the State of 
Nel)raska in the ^-ear named above. His homestead 
consists of 160 acres of excellent laud, well im- 
proved with good luiildiugs, orchards, etc., and for 
some time in addition to tilling this land he was en- 
gaged in "teaching the young idea." He was mar- 
ried in Mercer Count}-, 111., October 15, 1S(^9. to 
Miss Jennie Eckley, a native of Fulton County, 111., 
who was reared and educated in Mercer Countj-, a 
daughter of George Eckley. ^Ir. and Mrs. Griffith 
have a daughter, Amna Jlaj', who is one of the 
county's most successful educators, and are rearing 
two orphan children: Lloyd B. and John W. , who 
take the name of Gritflth. One is now ten 3-ears of 
age and the other, two years. In 1862 Mr. Griffith 
joined Company K, One Hundred and Second Illinois 
Infantry, but was on detached duty most of the 
time, acting as clerk at Gen. Hamson's headquar- 
ters. He received his discharge at Chicago in 
June, 1865, being now a member of the G. A. R. 
He is a Republican in his political views, but 
latterly has acted and voted for Prohibition. He 
and wife are members of the jMethodist Episcopal 
Church, and he is an active worker for the cause of 
Christianity. 

II. C. Hansen, Hastings, Neb. There are times 
when glancing over the life records of persons that 
it seems absolutelj- necessary to use that often 
abused phrase, " self-made man," and this is true of 
31 r. Hansen. He is of foreign birth, a native of 
Denmark, born March 31, 1852, and the son of 
Anderson and Sophia Hansen, both natives of Den- 
mark, where the mother died. The father is still 
living, and is a resident of that country. H. C. 
Hansen crossed the ocean to the United States when 
fifteen years of age, located at Omaha before there 
were any raih-oads, remained there for a short time, 
and then went to Iowa, where he remained for two 
j-ears. After this he returned to Omaha and farmed 
for one 3-ear. For nearly twent}- years Mr. Hansen 
has been manager for some of the best business 
houses in the different cities; was seven years with 
Van Brant & Sons, of Council Bluffs, and for six 
years he has represented F. H. Pugh in Hastings. Mr. 



Hansen, the youngest of nine children, came to the 
United States without money, relatives or acquaint 
ances, and had but ninety cents when he readied 
Omaha. He is a first class business man, and 
manages the large estaljlishment of Mr. Pugh with 
ability and wisdom. He is very much pleased with 
Hastings and the United States, and has no desire 
to return to Denmark. He was married in 1877 to 
Miss Emma D. Niemann, a native of JIadison. Wis., 
born October 2, 1862, and the daughter of Henry 
A. and Dora (Meyer) Niemann, who are now resid- 
ing in Ii'win, Iowa. In politics Mr. Hansen is 
Democratic, He is a meml)er of the I. 0. 0. F. , 
the K. of P. , and a member of Uniform rank. He 
is one of the popular men of Hastings. 

Michael E. Hargleroad, farmer and stock raiser, 
Holstein, Neb. This honored and respected resident 
of Adams County is accorded a worthy phice in this 
volume, for he is one of the representative men of 
the county. His occupation during life has been 
that of a fanner, and he is now living on his fine 
farm of 320 acres, one mile from Holstein. Mr. 
Hargleroad was born in Franklin County, Pa. , 
on Novemlicr 18, 1824, and is the son of John and 
Elizabeth (Etter) Hargleroad, both natives of Penn- 
sj'lvania, the former born in Lancaster Count}-. The 
elder Hargleroad was a cooper by trade, liut in con- 
nection carried on farming, and resided in his native 
State until 1833, when he received his final summons. 
Michael E. Hargleroad was reai-ed in Franklin 
County, Pa. , and was earl}' initiated into the 
duties of farm life. In 187-t he moved to Hunting- 
ton, Ind. , and came west to Nebraska the same 
year, where he entered land. He settled on his 
present property, and has one of the finest farms in 
the county, on which are a neat frame building, good 
barn, sheds and outljuildings. He has about two 
acres in orchard and has an excellent variety of 
fruit. He was married first in Pennsylvania, in 
1849, to Miss Elizabeth Brough, a native of Penn- 
sylvania, born in Adams County. She died on July 
8, 1882, leaving ten children: Christian P., Michael 
A., John C, William B., Frank E. , Harvey B., 
Katie (wife of George Coover), Susannah B. (wife of 
August Hohlfeld). Sarah (wife of Sol. Martin) and 
Elizalieth (wife of Jacob Evans). Mr. Hargleroad 



^' 



V 



raised a good average crop last year, and is cue of 
tlie firstrclass farmers of his towasliip. 

Cliristiau P. Hargleroad, farmer and stock raiser, 
Holstein, Neb. Mr. Hargleroad was originally 
from Franklin County, Pa., where his birth oc- 
curred December 5, 1852, and is the son of M. E. 
Hargleroad, a native of Pennsylvania, whose sketch 
immediately precedes this. Christian Hargleroad 
was early taught the duties of farm life, and it was 
but natural perhaps, that when he was starting out 
in life for himself he should choose agricultural 
pursuits as his future occupation. He received 
a good common school education, and this he has 
greatly improved by self study since reaching years 
of maturity. He moved with his parents to Ne- 
braska, in the spring of 1875, settled in Adams 
County, and entered land in Cottonwood Township. 
Later he sold this place and purchased his present 
property, which consists of 160 acres of good laud 
two miles from Holstein. He has a comfortable 
house, good out buildings, and has a fine young 
orchard of a select variety of fruit. In his political 
views he affiliates with the Republican party, and 
has held a number of local positions in the town- 
ship. ■ He was elected assessor of Cottonwood Town- 
ship, and sen-ed in 1879 and 1885, and re-elected in 
1886, but did not qualify, and was elected town- 
ship treasurer in 1887. He was elected in 1880 and 
served as magistrate one term, and also served as a 
member of the school board. :Mr. Hargleroad was 
married here on January 9, 1881, to Miss Mary A. 
Evans, a native of Pennsylvania, and the daughter 
of John Evans. Mrs. Hargleroad was reared and 
educated in Lancaster County. To this union have 
been born two children: Proe and Maria M. Mr. 
Hargleroad is one of the young but very successful 
and progressive farmers of the county. He raised 
forty-five acres of corn last year, thirty acres of 
Ifarley, twenty-five acres of wheat and ten acres of 
oats. He also has some of the place in timothy. 

:\Iichael A. Hargleroad. Among the worthy 
citizens of Adams County, Neb. . none are more 
deserving of mention than Mr. Hargleroad, whose 
residence within the borders of this county has 
extended over a period of sixteen years. During 
this time he has been a hard working, industrious 



man, and has served his county in various capacities, 
and the success which has attended his labors in the 
conduct of his official afl'airs is such that naught but 
words of commendation have been bestowed upon 
him. He is one of the first members of the board 
of supervisors of Adams County, and has been 
school moderator of his district for three years. 
He was born in Franklin County, "Keystone State," 
July 13, 1854, and is one of a family of six sons 
and four daughters born to Michael E. and Eliza- 
lieth (Brough) Hargleroad, both of whom were born 
in Franklin County, and left their Pennsylvania 
home in 1874 to seek a home in the far West. They 
settled in Cottonwood Township, Adams County, 
Neb. , and here engaged in the occupation of hus- 
bandry. The mother is now deceased, having passd 
from life in full communion with the Dunkard 
Church. Michael A. Hargleroad was reared to man- 
hood in this locality, and was married here to Miss 
Sadie E. Conley, a daughter of James and Martha 
E. (Banta) Conley, natives of Wisconsin. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hargleroad have been blessed by the birth of 
two sons: Charles and Robert. 

R. J. Harrenstein has long been considered one 
of the leading agriculturists and stockmen of Adams 
County, Neb. , and it may be said that he fully 
deserves the success which has crowned his efforts. 
He was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1844, being 
the third child born to C. G. Harrenstein and Galy 
Heddinga, his wife, the former of whom was a suc- 
cessful merchant and died in the town of Hinte in 
1889, at the age of eighty-three years. His wife 
died in 1883 at the age of seventy-four yeai-s. 
Their children are: Garret, Sarah, R. J., Bernhard. 
John and Allie. In the year 1868 R. J. Harren- 
stein started out in life to do for himself, and think- 
ing the New World offered better advantages for an 
ambitious and enterprising man, he came to the 
United States and settled on a^farm near Freeport, 
in Stephenson County, III., but in 1872 he removed 
to Grundy County, Iowa. Here he was married the 
same year to Miss Swancy Deacon, a daughter of 
Sebelt Deacon, of Illinois, and two years after the 
celebration of his nuptials he settled in Hanover 
Township, Adams County, Neb., taking up laud to 
the amount of eisjhtv acres. He has since pur- 



*^ 



254 



HISTOItV OF XKBKASKA. 



chased 120 acres, and now has a fine, well improved 
and stocked farm. BeniiC one of the early pioneers 
here he experienced many hardships in securing a 
comfortable home for his family. l>nt lieinii persist- 
ent, energetic and frugal, he met with tlie success 
his labors merited, and is considered by all to be a 
substantial citizen of the count}' and a good friend 
and neighbor. Schools and churches find in him a 
liberal patron, and in his political views he has been 
a Republican since coming to this country. He and 
wife are members of the Reformed Church, and have 
become tlie parents of the following children: Tiny, 
the eldest, dieil in 1875; Galy, Tiny, Cornelia, 
Frida, Sarah, Anna and Bora. 

Micliel Antony Hartigan is a prominent member 
of the Hastings bar, and his name is identified with 
the welfare of that city and Adams Count}'. He 
was born in Carbondale, Luzerne County, Pa., 
July 12, 1849, and was the eldest of ten children 
born to William and Katlileen (Ragan) Hartigan, 
the former of whom was born in Ireland in 1817, 
and the latter in Pennsylvania, in the city of Phila- 
delphia, in 1824. William Hartigan came to the 
United States at the age of twelve years, and first 
located in Schuylkill County, Pa., and after 
reaching a suitable age, was for a number of j-ears 
superintendent of the Lackawanna Iron & Coal 
Compan}-, at Scranton, Pa. Later he engaged in 
farming and this occupation now receives his atten- 
tion. John Ragan, the maternal grandfather, was 
born in the ''Emerald Isle," but was exiled during 
the troubles of 1798, and upon reaching the shores 
of America he settled in Pennsylvania, where he 
died in 1865, at the advanced age of one hundred 
and nine years. Jlichel Antony Hartigan re- 
mained on the farm until fourteen j'ears of age, and 
on June 20, 1863, joined the Pennsylvania Reserves, 
and took part in the bloody battle of Gettysburg, 
where he was severely wounded, and from the field 
of battle was taken to the hospital at Fort Schuyler, 
N. Y. Upon his recovery he returned home and 
entered St. Joseph's College, at St. Joseph, Pa., 
with the intention of preparing himself for a priest, 
but this college was burned on January 1, 1864, 
and Mr. Hartigan then entered Owego Academy, 
at Owego, N. Y. , where he remained four years and 



eight months, during which time he lived in the 
house of Hon. John M. Parker, a judge of the New 
York supreme court. Sul)sequently Mr. Hartigan 
entered the University of Notre Dame, at South 
Bend, lud. , and in 1878 graduated from this insti- 
tution in the literary anil law departments, receiving 
the degree of LL. B. Prior to this, in March, 
1869, Mr. Hartigan had wedded Miss Martha Cran- 
dall, at Cold Water, Mich., and in this State he 
made his home until 1878, at which time he came 
to Nebraska, and was an active legal practitioner of 
Plattsmouth until 1888, when he came to Hastings. 
Here he has become well known, and is already 
ranked among the leading lawyers of the State. He 
is a stockholder in the City National Bank, also the 
Hastings Electric Light & Power Company, for 
both of which he acts as counsel, as well as for the 
Eastern Banking Company. He has always been a 
Republican in politics, and during his residence in 
Blichigan was elected three different times as county 
superintendent of schools, one term as circuit court 
commissioner, and three times as maj-or of Reed 
City, the place of his residence. He is liberal in 
his religious views, while his wife, and children, 
who number six, are members of the Episcopal 
Church. The names of the latter are: John C, 
Kathleen, Michel A. , William B. , Anna and Gil- 
more (twins). 

Philander E. Hatch, junior member of the firm 
of Norton & Hatch, bankers of Kenesaw and Mad- 
rid, Neb. , is a native of Connecticut, born at New 
Milford, July 25, 1861. His parents, John and 
Diana Louisa (Canfield) Hatch, were both natives of 
Connecticut, where they now reside, and where the 
father is extensively engaged in farming. Philander 
E. Hatch attended the public schools, and after- 
ward entered Whittlesej''s Seminary at New Preston, 
Conn. , where he completed his course. At the age 
of fourteen j-ears he accepted the responsible posi- 
tion of station and express agent in the employment 
of the Shepaug Valley Railroad, and after having 
spent two years here he entered the comnie:cial de- 
partment of Yale Business College, where by close 
application he finished the usual six months' course 
in four months, graduating in 1877. Following his 
graduation he accepted a position as assistant book- 



\) fy 



keeper with Sargent & Co. , of New Haven", and re- 
mained tliere nearlj' two years. He then became 
boolvkeeper for Peck & Bishop of the same place, 
and later was head bookkeeper for H. B. Armstrong 
& Co, , where he remained till failing health com- 
pelled him to resign. In April, 1887, he came to 
Keuesaw, and became a member of the present 
Arm. On November 7, 1883, at Gnilford, Conn., 
he was united in marriage with Miss Elouise C. 
Norton, a native of Guilford, Conn. , and a daughter 
of Henry E. and Lucy A. (iMunger) Norton. [For 
particulars of parents see sketch of Henry E. Nor- 
ton.] One child, Florence E. , whose birth occurred 
on August 20, 1887, is the result of this union. 
iMr. and Mrs. Hatch are members of the Presby- 
terian Church, and have the respect and esteem of 
all acquainted with them. In 1889 Mr. Hatch was 
elected clerk of Keuesaw Township, and is at present 
clerk of the village of Keuesaw. He has also served 
as a member of the town board. He is a K. of P. 
John G. Hayzlett, merchant, Kenesaw, Neb. 
Jlr. Hayzlett, one of the oldest settlers and promi- 
nent business men of Kenesaw, is a native of Vir- 
ginia, born March 5, 1830, and is the son of An- 
drew and Catherine (Huggard) Hayzlett, who were 
l>c>th natives of Virginia. In 1831 the parents re- 
mo\ed to Indiana, located in Hancock County, where 
they resided until 1853, and then removed to Iowa. 
They settled in Linn Count\-, and there the father 
died in 1886 at the age of eighty-five years. His 
widow followed him to the grave in 1888, being 
ninety-one years of age at the time of her death. 
Their family consisted of three sons and one daugh- 
ter, John G. being the eldest. He grew to matu- 
rity with his parents, receiving such limited advan- 
tages for an education as the district schools of that 
early period afforded, and when twenty-one years of 
age he began farming, which occupation he followed 
in Indiana until 185-4, when he removed to Linn 
County, Iowa. Previous to this, on March 20, 1851 , 
he married ]Miss Eleanor K. Hatfield, a native of the 
Old Dominion, who died in 1872, leaving seven 
children. In 1857 Mr. Hayzlett began merchan- 
dising in Linn County, and in 1867 he was elected 
sheriff of that county, filling the office in such an 
alile and efficient manner that he was twice re-elected, 



holding the office longer than any other person 
before or since. Previously he had been elected 
justice of the peace, and had served in that capacity 
for several years. In 1862 he enlisted in Company 
F, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was 
elected first lieutenant of the company. He partici- 
pated in the battle of Port Gibson, bombardment of 
Grand Gulf, Champion's Hill, Black River, Vicks- 
burg, was present at its capture, and was in the 
battle of Jackson. In 1863 he resigned his com- 
mission and returned to his home. He was never 
wounded during service. On May 2, 1876, he was 
united in marriage to Jliss Jennie L. Platner, a 
native of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Hayzlett are 
both respected members of the Presbyterian Church 
of Kenesaw, of which he is an elder, and is also 
superintendent of the Sabbath-school. Mrs. Hayz- 
lett is active in woman's work, and takes a deep 
interest in all charitable and benevolent enterprises. 
In 1888 she was elected a delegate, from Nebraska, to 
the national meeting of the W. C. T. U. , held in 
the city of New York. In 1878 Ur. Hayzlett came 
to Kenesaw, where he purchased a farm and also 
established himself in the mercantile business in the 
young town, being among the earliest inhabitants of 
the place. He has since continued in the mercantile 
business, and enjoys the confidence and patronage of 
a large circle of acquaintances. In 1878 he was 
appointed justice of the peace and was the first to 
hold that office in Kenesaw. He has since been 
several times re-elected, and has held the position 
continuously since, with the exception of about two 
years. He is a member of the G. A. R. , and is also 
a member of the Masonic Fraternity, Kenesaw Lodge 
No. 144, and Mount Nebo Commandery No. 11, 
Hastings, Neb. 

S. L. Heaps, farmer and stock raiser. Pauline, 
Neb. Mr. Heaps, one of the pioneer settlers of Lit- 
tle Blue Township, homesteaded 160 acres of land 
on Section 20 in 1872, and is now one of the sub- 
stantial and enterprising citizens of the county. He 
was born in Henry County, 111- , in 1S51, and was 
the eighth in a family of nine children born to the 
union of ^Y. G. and Hester (Green) Heaps, natives 
of Pennsylvania. The father was one of the sturdy 
sons of toil, and in 1846 moved to Henry County, 



> ''y ' 



•^-^ 



®^_ 



i5(i 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



III. , where he bought land at Government price, com- 
mencecl iniproviiii;' it, and there made hi.s permanent 
home. Tlie mother died in Illinoi.s in 1886. Of 
tiieir ehiklrcn, C. L. , married, and resides in Illinois; 
Barbara, now Mrs. Wolf, resides in Henry County, 
III.; W. T. , married, and resides in Hayes County, 
Kas. ; I. G., enlisted, in 18G1, for three years in 
Company I, Twenty-seventh Illinois Infantry, served 
three years antl held the rank of first lieutenant; he 
was wounded at Pittsburg Landing, and then at 
Island No. 10 he was taken prisoner and confined in 
Atidersonville for six months; at the expiration of 
his term of enlistment he recruited a company' — 
Company I, Twentj'-seventh Illinois Infantry-, and 
was made captain of the same; he served until 
cessation of hostilities; he is now traveling for a 
journal company; John B., enlisted in Company A, 
One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois Infantry, for three 
years; he was killed at Resaca, Ga. , on May 2, 
1864, and is buried in the South; Jlary, now Mrs. 
Maxwell, a widow, resides in Illinois; Martha is now 
Mrs. Arnold , of Little Blue Township, Adams County, 
Neb.; S. L. and J. P., married, and the latter re- 
sides on the homestead in Illinois. S. L. Heaps 
was reared to farm life and educated in the schools 
of Henry County, III. He commenced farming for 
himself on his homestead in 1872, and improved 
his farm as he could. He also taught school 
in Adams County, and thus made most of his time. 
He was married in February, 1876, in Illinois, to 
Miss Mary E, Twyer, a native of Canada. Her 
death occurred in September, 1881. To this union 
were born two children: Aldis and Elton. S. L. 
Heaps' second marriage took place in Henry County, 
III., in 1883, to Miss Anna E. Luhmann, a native 
of that county, and her death occurred in Jauuar}', 
1888. Two children were the fruits of this union: 
Guy and Leroy. ]Mr. Heaps was married at What 
Cheer, Iowa, in 1889, to Mrs. Mollie Killion, nee 
Henry, who was reared in that State. She has tw^o 
children by her former marriage: Stella and Ray 
Killion. In the spring of 1876 Mr. Heaps erected 
a frame house, and has taken pains to set out a good 
orchard. He has good barns and outlniildings and 
a pipe laid in the house furnishes them with both 
soft and hard water. Mr. Heaps is quite deeply in- 



terested in stock raising, making a specialty of 
Hereford stock and lia\ing a good grade of Norman 
horses. He is active in politics, and votes with the 
Republican party. He is chairman of the Republi- 
can central committee, and has been supervisor two 
terms, after which he resigned. He is a member of 
the Farmers' Alliance. He owns the store and hall 
in Paulina, and Is one of the prominent citizens of 
the community. His farm consists of 400 acres of 
good tillable laud. 

Michael Hess, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. Among the many residents of foreign birth 
in Adams County, Neb., none are more deserving of 
mention than the subject of this sketch. He was 
born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1840, and was the son 
of Thomas and Barbara (Balling) Hess. The father 
was born in 1800, was a farmer by occupation, and 
was married in Germany to Miss Balling, which 
luiion rt'sultcd in the birth of four sons and one 
daughter: Thomas, Barney-, Barbara, Michael, and 
John, who left his native countrv for America, 
located in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1870, and is there 
engaged in the hotel business, Michael Hess re- 
mained in his nati\e country until thirt}'-one years 
of age. From twenty-one till twenty-eight years old 
he served as soldier in the Second Cuerasier Regi- 
ment, Prince Adelbert, in the Army of Bavaria, 
and fought in the War of 1866 on the Austrian side 
against the Prussians; and in 1871 emigrated to 
the United States, settling in Leland, Mich., and 
while there worked in a blasting furnace. He was 
married in 1871 to Miss Margaret Menninger, 
daughter of John Menninger, and in 1872 he 
mo\ed to Nebraska, locating where he now resides. 
He entered 160 acres of land, and now has all well 
improved and all under fence. He has five children 
living and two deceased, Emile and Anna B. being 
the ones deceased, and the following are now living: 
Bertha, born in Michigan in 1872; Hattie, born 
in Neln'aska in 1874; Alexander^ born in Nebraska 
in 1877; Amelia, born in Nebraska in 1870, and 
Barbara, who was born in 1881. All the children 
are at home. AVhen Mr. Hess first moved to Ne- 
liraska the country was all in prairie, and his nearest 
neighbor was miles distant. Since then there have 
Ix'cn many improvements, and Hastings has built 



■V 



-^ "\ )^ 




up very rapidly. He likes the fouiitry, and expects 
to make it his home. He and his wife are members 
of the Catholic Church. He is interested in politi- 
cal matters, and is a Democrat in his principles. 

John D. Hcye, farmer and stockman, Hastings, 
Neb. John Henry Heye, the father of the subject 
of this sketch, was a native of Germany, and was a 
carpenter by trade. He was married in his native 
country to Miss Geske Janssen, also a native of 
Germany, and to them were liorn the following- 
children: John D. , Anna, Lena, and an infant s<in 
(name not remembered). The parents died in the old 
country in 1868 and 1864, respectively. They were 
members of the Lutheran Church. John D. Heye 
passed his school days in Germany, and was mar- 
ried in that country in 1858 to Miss Anna M. 
Boltjes, a daughter of Fred and Mina Boltjes, 
natives also of Germany. John D. Heye crossed 
the ocean to the United States in 1864, settled in 
New York City, and there remained two years. In 
1866 he came west and settled in Ogle County, 111.. 
remained there for eight years, and in 1874 moved 
to Nebraska, settling in Blaine Township, Adams 
County. In 1877 he purchased 480 acres of land, 
and now has this fine tract of land under cultivation 
and well improved. He has been very successful in 
farming and stock raising. To his marriage have 
been born ten children, the first three of whom were 
born in Germany: Lena (now Mrs. Stimbert, re- 
sides in Kansas), John (married to Miss Mary Hil- 
bers and resides on his father's place in Blaine 
Township). George (deceased), Louis F. (married to 
Miss Katie Johnson and lives in Adams County), 
Henry (at home), Minnie Anna (in Kansas with her 
sister), Dedriek (at home), Lizzie (at home), Herme- 
nia (at home), and August (also at home). Mr. and 
Mrs. Heye are members of the Lutheran Church, and 
active workers in the same. He has been a mem- 
ber of the school lioard of his district for three 
years, and is a man who is generous to all worthy 
enterprises. He was here during the grasshopper 
season, and being one of the pioneers, has witnessed 
the rapid development of the country. In politics 
he affiliates with the Democratic party. 

Herman Hil)l)eler. farmer and stock raiser, 
Hastint^s Neb. Mr. Hibbeler is another of those of 



foreign liirth who ha\-e come into this county and 
made for themselves a comfortable home, becoming 
respected citizens of the community. He was born 
in Oldenburg, Germany, in 1831, spent his boyhood 
days in his native country, and in 1869 came to the 
United States. He settled in Omaha, Neb., and 
followed the stone mason trade. He was man-ied in 
Nebraska in 1871 to Miss Sophia Roskamp. daugh- 
ter of John and JMary (Danneman) Roskamp, who 
had a family of eight children: Catherine, Annie, 
Margaret, Mary, John, Sophia, Christiana, Herman, 
all born in Germany, where they spent their child- 
hood. Two of them are in the United States, 
Annie in Omaha, Neb. , and Sophia, wife of Her- 
man Hibbeler, the subject of our sketch. The latter 
came to this country from Germany in 1870. Two 
children were l^orn to Mr. and 3Irs. Hibbeler; Mary, 
born in 1872, and Henry, in 1878. Mr. Hibbeler 
moved to Hastings, Neb., in 1872, followed the 
plasterer's trade, and plastered some of the first 
houses in that town. This pursuit he followed for 
twelve years, and in 1884 moved to his farm in 
Hanover Township, which he had taken up as timber 
claim in 1872, and which consisted of eighty acres. 
Aside from this he is also owner of property in 
Hastings, and all his property has been the result of 
honest, industrious lalior. He is a Democrat in his 
political views, and he and wife are members of the 
Lutheran Church. He is one of the pioneers of 
Adams County, and says that when he first settled 
here it was all prairie land. Mr. Hibbeler's father. 
Christian Hibbeler, was a native of Germany, and 
was a successful agriculturist. He was married to 
Miss Catherine Danneman; and to them were born 
eight children; Herman, Mary, Anna, Sophia, Ded- 
riek, Henry, Ludwig and Mattie, all in Omaha with 
the exception of Anna, Sophia, Henry and Herman, 
the first three of whom are in Germany. 

Charles E. Higinbotham. The magnitude of the 
real estate business in Hastings, and the incessant 
activity in the market, have enlisted the services of 
many of her most responsililc men, among the num- 
ber being Mr. Higinbotham, who was born in Dane 
County, Wis., April 19, 1861, being the eldest of 
three children born to George W. and Ann (Thomp- 
son) Higinbotham. the former of whom was born in 



4 ^ - 



fv" 



258 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Pennsylvania, and died in Dane County, Wis., in 
1871. Mrs. Higinbotham was born in Scotland, 
and in early life came to the United Stsites, and is 
now a resident of Sutton, Neb. , having moved there 
from Wisconsin, in November, 1874. Charles E. 
Higinbotliam was thirteen 3ears of age at this time, 
consequently- the greater part of his education was 
received in this town. For two years he attended 
Doane College, of Crete, Neb. , after whicli he re- 
mained for one year In Sutton, then spent the three 
succeeding years in traveling throughout Nebraska 
in tiie interest of the Walter A. Wood harvesting 
machines. In 1884 he came to Hastings, and 
since that time has devoted his attention to the real 
estate and collecting business, at which he has done 
exceptionally well. He is acknowledged by all to 
be an excellent financier and, possessing unquestion- 
able integritj', those entrusting their interests to him 
may rest assured they will receive the most prompt 
and careful attention. Socially he is a member of 
the Knights of Pythias, and being a member of the 
Republican party, his fii-st presidential vote was 
cast for James G. Blaine, in 1884. His marriage 
to Miss Etta M. Cox was celebrated in Feliruary, 
1884, she being born in Wayne County, Ind., in 
1861, and by her he has two little daughters: Ethel 
and Clara. 

George W. Hill is recognized as a careful, ener- 
getic agriculturist, and by his advanced ideas and 
progressive habits, has done not a little to advance 
the farming interests of Adams County. He was 
born in Huntington County, Ind., January 29, 
1849, a son of John and Mary (Beard) Hill, Ijoth of 
whom were born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and died 
in Huntington Countj-, Ind. , tlie former's death 
occurring in 18G3, at the age of tifty-five j-ears, and 
the latter's a year later, also aged fifty-five. George 
W. Hill is next to the youngest of their five chil- 
dren, and in youth became familiar with the details 
of farm work on the old homestead in Indiana, and 
received the advantages of the common schools. 
Owing to failing health he concluded to seek a 
ciiange of location, and in 1873 came to Nebraska 
and settled in Hastings, and being favorably im- 
pressed with Adams County, determined to make it 
his home, and in 1874 settled on his present farm 



of 160 acres, which is situated two miles southwest 
of Hastings. His land is well improved with neces- 
sary buildings, fences, etc., and has also a good 
bearing orchard, and it is only necessary to give a 
glance over Jlr. Hill's possessions to see that his 
farm is admirably managed. In 1872 he was united 
in the bonds of matrimony to Miss Lydia Smith, a 
daughter of John and Nancy (Ilutsel) Smith, by 
whom he has two cliildrcn: Harlenand Alice. Mrs. 
Hill was born in ^lianii County, Ohio, April 3, 
1849. Mr. Hill has always identified himself with 
the Republican party, but is not an unreasonable 
partisan. 

S. M. Hoagland, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings, Neb. It is a fact unnecessary of denial that a 
person is better fitted to follow the occupation with 
which he became familiar early in life than to 
engage in an undertaking learned in later years. 
This truth is liorne out by the career of BIr. Hoag- 
land, who from a boy has known all the minute de- 
tails of agricultural life. To this acquired know- 
ledge may be added a natural faculty for that call- 
ing, for his father, John Hoagland, was also an 
agriculturalist, and a very successful one at that. 
The elder Hoagland was a native of New Jersey, 
born in 1789, and by his marriage to Miss Rachel 
Metier, became the father of twelve children: 
Jonathan J., Matilda, William, S. M., Elizabeth, 
Mary, Jonas, Harris (was killed at the battle of 
Fredericksburg when twenty-two years of age), John 
P. , Emeline, Angeline and Annie (who died in in- 
fancy). jMr. and Mrs. Hoagland were members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. The former died 
in Pennsylvania in 1856, and the latter at Hastings, 
Neb. , in 1889. S. M. Hoagland received the rudi- 
ments of an education in the common schools of 
Pennsylvania, and subsequently attended Dickison 
Seminary, after which he was engaged in teaching 
and clerking. He selected for his companion in life 
Miss Mar}' Davis , of Welsh and Pennsylvania Dutch 
descent respectively, and the daughter of John and 
Mary (Rarrig) Davis, and was united in marriage to 
her in 1858. The result of this happy union was 
the birth of eight children: Georgiana, now Mrs. 
Dillow; John, a member of the fire department at 
Hastings; Rachel E., in Chicago; Milton, a grocery- 



e/ - 



i" 

® 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



259 



man at Hastings; Clark, at home; S. Grant, at 
liomu; Ella C. and Fraukie, at home. Mr. Hoag- 
land purchased a farm in Pennsylvania and there re- 
mained until 1875, when he moved to Lee County, 
111. After farming there until 1878 he emigrated 
to Adams County, Neb., and settled on the prairie, 
where he now resides. He bought 160 acres of 
railroad land, all now under cultivation, and at the 
present time one of the finest tracts of land to be 
found in the county. He has a fine house, a good 
substantial barn, and all the modern improvements. 
He has made a success of farming in Nebraska, and 
likes the State and people. He is a strong 
advocate of the temperance question, and is one of 
the leaders. He is at present holding the office 
of assessor of his township, and it is his fifth 
time. He has been on the school board; has 
been justice of the peace, and is a man who 
takes an interest in all things for the good of the 
country. He has always been a Repulilican, and 
his vote was cast with the Prohibition party last 
election. He and Mrs. Hoagland are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

W. C. Hodges, farmer and stockman, Le Roy, 
Neb. Mr. Hodges was born in Mentor, Lake 
County, Ohio, in 1831, and is the son of Erastus 
and Lavina (Utley) Hodges, both natives of Massa- 
chusetts, and born in 1808 and 1817, respectively. 
The father left his native State and went to Ohio, in 
1818, with his parents, Cimniou and Petty (Burnett) 
Hodges, and was here married about 1829 to Miss 
Utley. To this union were born these children: W. 
C. , Benjamin F. and James IL, the last two now 
residing in Ohio. Erastus Hodges was a Republican 
in his political views, and was a delegate to the con- 
vention that nominated iMartiu Van Buren for Presi- 
dent in 1844. He was deeply interested in political 
matters, l:)ut did not let it interfere with his farm- 
ing interests. He died in 1884, and the mother 
in 1878. Our subject's mother was the daughter 
of Hamilton Utley, and the sister of Col. Wil- 
liam L. Utley, of Racine, Wis. W. C. Hodges 
assisted his father on the farm and received 
his education in the schools of Ohio. About 1852 
he started out for himself as a carpenter and followed 
this trade for some time. In August, 1861, he en- 



listed in Company B, Forty-first Ohio Infantry, and 
participated in some of the principal battles: Shiloh, 
Corinth, Stone River, Missionary Ridge, Lookout 
Mountain, and was drum major of the Forty-first 
Ohio Regiment, for one year. He came home in 
18G5. He was married while home after his first 
enlistment to Miss Ellen Hawes, daughter of Enos 
and Betsey (Morton) Hawes, all of ^Massachusetts. 
Mr. and Mrs. Hodges reared four children: Lou M. , 
now Mrs. L. R. Fowler; LeonE. , married to Gertrude 
Rosenburgh and resides at Cleveland, Ohio; Willie 
C. and Lavina. Mr. Hodges followed the carpenter 
trade and was also postmaster at Ford, Geauga 
County, Ohio, for eighteen years. In 1884 he emi- 
grated to Adams County, Neb. , bought one-half of 
Section 36, on the east, and has greatly improved the 
same. He votes with the Republican party, was a 
member of the State convention in 1888, and has 
attended the county convention a number of times. 
In 1888 he was elected township supervisor and has 
held that position ever since. During 1886 he was 
justice of the peace of the township. He is a mem- 
ber of the school board and a first class citizen. His 
wife died in Nebraska in 1889. She was born in 
Ohio in 1839. He is a member of the G. A. R. at 

AjT. 

Carl Robert Hohlfeld, farmer, stock raiser and 
blacksmith, Holstein, Neb. Among those in this 
country who have come from other continents and 
have made for themselves homes, the men of Ger- 
man origin and birth should not be overlooked. 
Carl Robert Hohlfeld, a native of Saxony, Germany, 
was born on January 12, 1843, and is the son of 
Carl G. and Christina (Kinzel) Hohlfeld, both na- 
tives of Germany. The family emigrated to the 
States in 1847, locating first in Wisconsin, Sheboy- 
gan County, where they remained until 1873, when 
in the fall of that year they moved to Nebraska, and 
settled in Adams County. There the father died 
in 1885, but his wife is still living. Carl Robert 
Hohlfeld was early taught the duties of farm life in 
Wisconsin and Illinois, and in the fall of 1861 he 
enlisted in the Ninth Wisconsin Infantry. He was 
in active duty until discharged, at the expiration of 
his term of service, January, 1865, with the rank, of 
corporal. He was in the battle of Prairie Grove, 



200 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Ark., also in the battles of Gen. Price's raid and in 
man}- skirmishes. After the war he returned to 
Wisconsin, and soon after moved to Illinois, where 
he remained until coming to Nebraska in 1873, 
being the first settler of Cottonwood Township. He 
has now 400 acres of good laud all in a state of cul- 
tivation, and has an orchard of some 200 trees, 
from which he got about eighty-five bushels of 
apples last fall (1889). He was married in Illinois, 
in March, 1866, to Miss Elizabeth Wiegant, a na- 
tive of Hesse, Germany, and the daughter of Con- 
rad Wiegant, a native of Germany. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Hohlfeld were born seven children: Fred, Gus- 
tavo, Bertha, Henry, Charles, Anna and Edward. 
Jlr. and Mrs. Hohlfeld are members of the Lutheran 
Church, and he is a member of the G. A. R. , and a 
Democrat in politics. He was elected sapervisor in 
1888 and served two terms, and ha.s also been a 
member of the school board. 

Charles Hohlfeld, farmer and stock raiser, Rose- 
land, Neb. On November 17, 1849, in Milwaukee, 
Wis. , there was bom to C. G. and Christina H. 
(Kinzel) Hohlfeld, a son, who is taken as the sub- 
ject of this sketch. The parents were born in 
Saxony, Germany, and emigrated to- the United 
States in 1848. They located in Wisconsin, where 
they resided until 1873, and then moved to Nebraska 
and settled in Adams County on a farm. There the 
father died on May 25, 1885, but his wife is still 
living. Charles Hohlfeld was reared to mature 
3'ears in Sheboygan Count}' , Wis. , and remained 
with his father until fifteen years of age, when he 
went to Illinois, and there worked on a farm with a 
lirolhor-iu-law. He remained in that State for about 
ten years and then, in 1873, moved to Nebraska, 
arriving in Adams Count}' in November of that year, 
hi the spring of 1874 he was afflicted with fever 
sores on his left limb, and was obliged to have this 
amputatetl at Omaha in the following spring. 
Although he has but one leg Mr. Hohlfeld has carried 
on his farm and has been very successful. He has 
his place well cultivated and has IGO acres of land in 
one tract, all in a good state of cultivation and about 
four miles from Roseland. He has good buildings 
on his place, a young Ijearing orchard, some small 
fruits, etc. Mr. Hohlfeld is Democratic in his polit- 



ical views and adheres firmly to that part}-. He was 
elected assessor in 1879 and re-elected in 1887, and 
has made two assessments of Roseland Township. 
He was elected clerk of the township in 1880 and 
re-elected in 1888 and 1889. He was a candidate 
for Representative at one time, and received a very 
flattering vote, having run ahead of his ticket. Mr. 
Hohlfeld was married in Adams County on October 
20, 1882, to Miss Anna M. Bunde, who was born 
and reared in Prussia, and who was a daugliter of 
Ludwig and Caroline Bunde. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Hohlfeld was born one son: Oscar Louis. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hohlfeld are members of the Lutheran Churtii 
and he is a member of the I. 0. 0. F. 

U. C. Holderman, farmer and stockman, Trum- 
bull, Nel). This enterprising citizen resides on Sec- 
tion 12, West Blue Township, Adams County, Neb., 
where he homesteaded 160 acres of land in the 
spring of 1873. He was born in Cedar County, 
Iowa, on December 6, 1844, but was reared in John- 
son County of that State. He was the youngest of three 
children born to Christian and Mary (Coe) Holder- 
man , the father a native of Pennsylvania and the 
mother of Indiana. When a young man the father 
went to Ohio, from there to Iowa, where he was mar- 
ried, and where he carried on the milling business, 
on Cedar River. He was both a millwright and a 
cabinet maker by trade, and his death occun-ed in 
Cedar County, Iowa, in 1845. His widow still sur- 
vives him and resides in Iowa. U. C. Holderman 
was educated in the schools of Johnson County, 
Iowa, was early initiated into the mysteries of farm 
life, and when it became necessary for him to start 
out in life he chose agricultural 'pursuits as his call- 
ing. In August, 1862, in Johnson County, Iowa, 
he enlisted for three years in Company A, Twenty- 
second Iowa Infantry, and was mustered into service 
at Iowa City. He was first assigned to the Western 
department and participated in the battles of Cham- 
pion's Hill and Vicksburg. He was transferred to 
the Army of the Potomac and was in the battle of 
Winchester, Fisher Hill, Cedar Creek, etc. He was 
discharged at Savannah, Ga., on July 6, 1865, and 
returned to Johnson County, where he was married, 
in 1868, to jMiss Myra Morse, a native of Johnson 
Countv, Iowa, and the dauohter of Nathaniel and 



:^: 



Emily (Parks) Morse, natives of New York and In- 
diana, respectively. Mr. Morse was a farmer, and 
settled in Johnson County, Iowa, in 1839, entered 
land and bought his property at the land sales in 
Dubuque. The father died in 1847 and the mother 
is still living and resides in Hastings. After his 
marriage Mr. Holderman remained iu Iowa until 
1873, and then, as before stated, moved to Adams 
County, Neb. He has improved his farm, planted 
gi-oves, an orchard, and is now burning wood raised 
on the farm. He now owns 400 acres of good tilla- 
ble land, and besides his farming interests is also 
engaged in raising considerable stock, making a 
specialty of the Galloway breed. He is active in 
politics, votes with the Repuliliean party, and his 
first vote was cast while he was iu service during the 
war. He has been a member of the school board 
for about ten years, and takes an active interest in 
educational matters. He is a member of William 
H. Harrison Post No. 283, G. A. R., at Trumbull 
Neb. , and is adjutant of the Post. He and Mrs. 
Holderman are members of the Jlethodist Episcopal 
Church at Trumliull. To their marriage have been 
born six children; Hubbard, Emma, Myra, Lydia, 
aiiles and Grant. When he first settled in Adams 
County there was but one settler on the road to 
Hastings from his place, a distance of ten miles. 
He is practically a self-made man, having accumu- 
lated all his property by his own exertions. 

Frank D. Hollingsworth, live stock dealer. Hast- 
ings, Neb. What is usually termed genius has lit- 
tteto do with the success of men in general. Keen 
perception, sound judgment, and a determined will. 
supported by persevering and continuous etlort, are 
essential elements to success in any calling. One 
is led to these reflections by a study of the life of 
the above mentioned gentleman. Mr. Hollings- 
worth owes his nativity to Keokuk, Iowa, where Ms 
birth occurred on September 12, 1854, and is the 
eldest of five children born to the union of Zebulous 
and ^lari'ia (Davey) Hollingsworth, natives of Leb- 
anon, Ohio, and Terre Haute, Ind., respectively. 
The parents now reside at Keokuk, Iowa, and the 
father is engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is 
about sixty-seven vears of age and his wife about 
sixtv three years of age. Frank D. Hollingsworth 



first attended the public schools of Iowa, and later 
became a student at the Iowa State University, at 
Iowa City. At the age of sixteen years he began 
the stock business, buying and shipping, and suc- 
cessfully continued the same in his native State un- 
til 188.5. He shipped to the markets of the South, 
and was one of the best known stock dealers in 
Iowa. He came to Hastings, Neb., in 1885, and 
has since continued the stock business, buying and 
shipping horses and mules to the South, and finding 
a ready sale in Georgia. For nineteen years he has 
been engaged in this business. November 16,1881, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Hattie, daughter 
of L. J. and Maria Rogers, natives of Pennsylvania. 
:Mr. Rogers died in Hastings, Neb., in August. 
1888, and the mother now resides with her daughter, 
:ilrs. Hollingsworth. The latter was born in Salem. 
Iowa, on March 7, 1862. To Mr. and Mrs. Hol- 
lingsworth has been born one child, Elizabeth, 
I whose birth occurred on March 28, 1883. Mr. and 
! :Mrs. Hollingsworth have a pleasant home at 617 
I Saunders Avenue. 

David J. J. Hornliack is a worthy and represen- 
tative agriculturist of Adams County, Neb., and 
acquired" his knowledge of the calling from his 
father, Jacob Hornback, who was also a tiller of the 
soil, and this knowledge of the calling was put to 
practical experience on the old homestead in Ken- 
tucky. He was born in Bath County of that State 
in 1832, and is the third of eight children born to 
his father's union with Elizabeth Bradshaw, who 
was a cousin of Gen. Bradshaw, and died in 1856. 
Jacob Hornback was a Kentuckian, and served 
throughout the Blackhawk War. The youth of 
David J. J. Hornback was unfortunately deprived 
of any favorable opportunities for oljtaining an 
education, and he never received a day's schooling 
until after he was twenty-one years of age. When 
sixteen years old he went with his father to Illinois, 
they being pioneers of Menard County. Upon 
attaining his majority he began farming for himself, 
and after his father's death he took charge of the 
family, consisting of five small children, to whom 
1 he nobly devoted many of his youthful years, rear- 
ing them to maturity. He was married in 1857 to 
:Hiss Harriet Perkins, who died aliout a year later. 



^ 



2&2 



IIISTOllY OF NKBKASKA. 



leaving :iii infant son. Saniuel. Al><)nl thi;^ time 
Mr. Horn back bousilit sixty acres of hind, and was 
actively engaged in following the plow when the 
Rebellion broke out. Tn 1861 he enlisted in Com- 
pany E, Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, and was in 
the battles of Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, Lamar, 
Pittsburgh Landing, both battles of Corinth, Holl3- 
Springs, siege of Vickshnrg, and received his dis- 
charge at Springfield, 111., September IG, 1865. 
He was in thirteen bloody combats and was twice 
wounded, first at Shiloh, and then at Champion's 
Hill. After the close of the war he returned to his 
farm, and on September 29, 1865, was mamed to 
>Iiss Sarah Ennis, a native of Maryland. iNfr. Horn- 
back continued his farming operations in Illinois 
until 1876, when he traded his land for 243 acres in 
Ilall Count}', and soon after moved on his new 
possessions, where he made his home for three 
years. Since that time he has resided in Adams 
Count}', Neb. , and is the owner of 480 acres of land 
two miles west of Pi'osser. On this property he has 
erected good buildings, and 360 acres are under 
cultivatk)n, well stocked, he owning ten head of 
horses and mules, eight head of cattle, and eighty 
head of hogs. In March, 1885, a party of robbers 
came to Mr. Hornback's house, thinking to secure 
money which he was supposed to have in his pos- 
session, and although a revolver was pointed at his 
head and he was threatened with instant death, did 
he not comply with their wishes, he firmly refused 
to give up a farthing of his money, and they were 
humane enough not to put the threac into execution. 
.^lr. Hornback recognized them notwithstanding 
their disguises, and brought action in law against 
them, which resulted in their conviction. He has 
ever been a stanch Republican, and is a member of 
Prosser Post of the G. A. R. In addition to his 
farm he owns a business house and stock of general 
merchandise in Prosser, of which he became the 
owner in June, 1889, making his purchase of his 
son Charles D. , who established the house in 1888. 
To Mr. Hornback and his wife the following family 
have been born: Samuel J. , John C. , M. E. Stan- 
ton, deceased; Dora, wife of Ed Duffy; Charles D., 
Isaac J., Wesley, M. Luviua, Sarah M. . and four 
children who died in infancy unnamed. 



H. A. Howe, postmaster. Ayr, Xel). Mi-. !b)ue 
was originally from Cornwall, Litchfiehl County, 
Conn. , where his birth occurred in 1 847, and is the 
youngest child born to the union of Levy and Ercjn- 
tha (Spencer) Howe, natives of the same place as 
their son, and born in 1801 and 1802, respectively. 
The father was a shoemaker by trade, and followed 
this in the town of Cornwall for many years, or until 
his death in 1870. The mother received her final 
summons in 1862. Both were members of the 
Baptist Church, and in his political views the father 
affiliated with the Democratic party. Of the seven 
children born to their union, four are now living: 
Dyre, Levy, Eliza and H. A.; two died in childhood, 
and C}ntha died at the age of twenty-five years. 
H. A. spent his early life in his native State and 
received a fair education in the common schools. lu 
the fall of 1876 he started West and spent the winter 
in Indiana. In 1877 he came to Nebraska, located 
in Adams County, six miles south of Juniata, and 
in company with a young man, Albert Peck, who 
came with him, bought railroad land which they 
farmed for two years. In 1879 Mr. Howe came 
to Ayr, and has been engaged in business here ever 
since. In 1884 he took the post office under Presi- 
dent Arthur's administration, and has held that posi- 
tion ever since. The country was new when he 
first came to Nebraska, and Hastings was but a small 
place. Mr. Howe has traveled a great deal, but is 
confident that there is no climate or soil to equal 
that of Nebraska. He has been successful since 
coming to this State, and now owns the land on 
which he first settled when coming here, 160 acres, 
all well improved. His success is chiefly owing to 
good business ability. Like his father, 3Ir. Howe is 
a stanch Democrat 

Harm H.' Idus, farmer and stockman, Hastings, 
Neb. Mr. Idus is numbered among the younger of 
the successful and rising agriculturists of this 
county, but none have a brighter future or will make 
better use of their advantages. He was born in 
Germany in 1850, and was the son of Harm G. Idus 
and Anna Idus, both natives of that country. The 
father's l)irth occurred in 1805, and he is still living 
in the old country, at Arick, Osfrigsland. The 
mother died in 1879. Their children were named 






AK 



>>. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



263 



as follows: George, in Germany; Ilium II., and Di- 
vert, died in Nebraska, in 1885. Harm II. Idus 
spent his younger da3'S in Germany, and in 1870 
emigrated to Illinois, and settled in Livingston 
County, near Cliatsworth, where he worked for a 
very jiroininent farmer. In 1874, when starting out 
for himself, it was but natural perhaps that he 
should choose agricultural pursuits as his calling in 
life, for his father before him had been very suc- 
cessful in this occupation, and had early taught 
Harm H. all the duties of the same. He rented 
land for three years, and in 1877 came to Neliraska, 
and bought railroad land, 160 acres in Hanover 
Township, which he has improved very much since 
that time. He was married in 1873 to Miss Lizzie 
Dutten, daughter of John Dutten, and the fruits of 
this union have been five children: Johanna, John, 
Harm, Olvert, and Anna (deceased). Mrs. Idus 
died in Nebraska, in 1881, and in 1882 Mr. Idu.s 
married Miss Lumke Johnson, daughter of John 
Johnson and E. Forke Bruns, who live in Glen- 
ville, Clay County, Neb. Mr. Idus has four chil- 
dren bj' his last wife: Lizzie, Attie, Minnie ana 
Frank. jMr. Idus has been quite successful since 
coming to this State, and is now one of the 
substantial and independent farmers of the town- 
ship. He has a fine lot of stock, especially some 
Durham cattle, and his place shows that thrift and 
energy have not been neglected upon it. He likes 
Nebraska better than Illinois, or any State in which 
he has hitherto resided, and is prominent in assis1> 
ing in all enterprises for the good of the county. 
He is a Democrat in politics, and he and wife are 
members of the Lutheran Church. 

Peter T. Jacobseu, although just in the prime of 
life, has made his waj- to the front ranks among the 
energetic farmers of this county, and owing to the 
attention he has always paid to each minor detail of 
his work, he has accumulated a fair share of this 
world's goods. He was born in Denmark in 1847, 
being the third of eight children born to Jacob 
Peterson and Aganetha (Johnson) Jacobsen, who 
died in their native land in 1872 and 1878, respects 
ivel}'. The father was a successful farmer. Peter 
T. Jacobsen's first start out in life was to join the 
Danish Army in 1869, but at the end of eighteen 



months he left the service and began tilling the soil, 
after which he followed overseeing, for Mr. Nelson, 
of Bakkaskoy, Init in 1881 embarked on board a 
ship for the United States, and soon after landing 
came to Nebraska and purchased eighty acres of , 
improved land in Hanover Township, where he has 
since made his home. In 1882 he married Anna 
Margaret Anderson, who had come from Denmark 
to the United States at the same time as himself, a 
daughter of Peter Anderson, and l>y her has two 
little daughters: Aganetha and Sedse Christena. 
Mr. Jacobsen has taken out his naturalization 
papers and expects to make this country his perman- 
ent home, being much pleased with the State of 
Nebraska, and especially with Adams County. He 
takes a great degree of interest in the welfare and 
progress of his adopted county, and is ever found 
ready to assist worthy enterprises. He and wife 
are members of the Lutheran Church, and he is a 
deacon in the same. 

Charles Jesse was born in Germany, in 1838, 
and was the eldest of a family of three children 
born to Charles G. and Susan (Kermes) Jesse, who 
were also born in the old country, the father's birth 
occurring in 1818. He died in 1848, having been 
an agriculturist by occupation, his wife's death 
occurring in 1885, both being members of the Luth- 
eran Church. Their children are: Charles, ^linnie, 
who died in Germany, and August, who is follow- 
ing farming in his nati\-e laud. Charles Jesse at- 
tended school in his native town of Schoulaute, and 
in 1857 came to the United States with the expecta- 
tion of bettering his financial condition, and set- 
tled in Marshall County, 111. , where he made his 
home for sixteen years. He first worked as a farm 
hand, then engaged in tilling the soil on his own 
account in 1865, but in the spring of 1873 he came 
to Adams County, Neb., and took up 160 acres of 
land in Zero Township. His farm now comprises 
240 acres of fine land, and his property is excel- 
lently improved with good buildings, fences etc., 
and is also well stocked, his hogs numbering sev- 
enty-five and his cattle thirty. His property has 
lieeu acquired through his own exertions, and he 
deserves much credit for the admirable way in which 
he has baffled with adversity, for on coming to thi.s 



2G4 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



(•(Hiiitiv lu^ had luit littk' means, was a stranger in a 
stranire hind, and was unaciniahited with the English 
hinguage. lie is deei)ly interested in tlie welfare of 
his adopted land, and esperi.illy of Adams County 
and the State of Nebraska, where he expeets always 
to make his home. He has been a member of the 
sehool board for eight years, belongs to the Farmers' 
.Vlliance, and is an earnest member of the Lutheran 
Cluireh. His marriage to Miss Malinda Brewer 
took |)lace in 1S08, she being a daughter of John 
anil Merinda (White) Brewer. She was born in 
Illinois, and b^' Mr. Jesse is the mother of the fol- 
lowing children: Edward, AVilliam, JIary, Palina. 
Joseph, Elmer. Birlie and Aliee. The last two are 
twins. 

(reorge B. Johnson, manager and principal 
stockholder, also secretary and treasurer of Hastings 
Electric Light & Power Companj-, was born in 
Owego, N, Y, , November 20, 1862, and is the son 
of William and Caroline (Herrick) Johnson. The 
father was born in the Empire State, and died in 
Hastings, Neb., in 1886, at the age of sixty-seven 
years. The mother was born in Pennsylvania, and 
is now a resident of Hastings, and is sixty-f^ur 
years of age. George B. Johnson was the sixth of 
eightchildren by his father's second marriage, and 
received a common school education. The family 
moved to Hastings, Neb., in 1876, and George B. 
assisted his father in the duties of the farm until 
twenty -one years of age, after which he engaged in 
the grain business in the employ of H. M. Oliver & 
Co. , and later with W. M. Vastine. In the fall of 
1886 he embarked in the business for himself, and 
continued the same until 1889, being very success- 
ful. In 1887 he also engaged in his present busi- 
ness which has, through his untiring efforts, been 
brought up from one of no consequence and loss of 
money to a thriving and successful standard. It is 
now a well established plant. Mr. Johnson selected 
as his companion in life 5Iiss Anna Cook, of New 
York, who became his wife in 1886. The}- have 
one child, Irene Lois. Mr. Johnson is a Republi- 
can in politics, and he and his wife are members of 
the Presbyteiian Church. He is one of the progres- 
sive citizens of Hastings, and a man of unusual 
business abilitv. 



William .V. Jimes, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings, Neb., came originally from Middlesex County. 
Conn. , where his birtii occurreil in 1830. He is the 
son of William !>. and Caroline (Stark) Jones, na- 
tives of Connei'tient. The father followed agricul- 
tural and mechanical pursuits all his life in Connect- 
icut, and died in that State in 1877. The mother 
died many years ago. William A. Jones attained 
his growth in his native State, and there received 
tlie rudiments of an education. Subsequently he 
attended Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Mass. , 
and also attended commercial school under the 
tutelage of Nii'holas Harris, at Hai-tford, Conn. He 
was then engaged as secretary and treasurer of a 
manufacturing company at Ton-iugton, Conn. , re- 
maining there a number of years, and in 1856 he 
moved to Knox County, 111., locating at Altona, 
where he was engaged in teaching school. After 
remaining thus employed for six years he moved to 
Toulon, Stark County, where he taught one year. 
He then returned to Altoua, where, in 1864, he was 
appointed superintendent of Aurora schools, remain- 
ing in that capacity for six years and giving excel- 
lent satisfaction. Mr. Jones was married in Litch- 
field County, Conn., in 1852, to Miss Caroline E. 
Wilson, a native of that county, and the daughter of 
Darius and Clarissa (Treadway) Wilson, natives of 
Connecticut. Mr. Wilson was a mechanic by trade, 
was married in Connecticut, and in 1860 moved to 
Knox County, 111, He and wife both died at the age 
of eight}' j-ears, he in 1880 and she in 1881, The 
maternal grandmother of 3Irs. Jones, Aurelia (Gil- 
lette) Treadwaj", remembered seeing Gens. Wash- 
ington and Lafayette. The maternal grandfather of 
3Ir. Jones was Stark by name, and he was a de- 
scendant of Gen. Stark. In 1870 Mr. Jones was 
elected president of the Indiana State Normal School 
at Terre Haute, Ind. He was the original organizer 
of the same. He remained with this institution 
until 1880, when he resigned. Although it started 
with an enrollment of sixteen pupils, at the above 
mentioned date it numbered 600. and was in a flour- 
ishing condition when Mr Jones resigned. In 1883 
Mr. Jones moved to Adams Count}-, Neb., where he 
has since made his home. He takes an interest in 
politics. His first presidential vote was cast for 



Ajf 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



265 



J- 



Gen. Seott, Whig. He voted with the Republican 
[jiirt}- from its formation until 1888, when, accord- 
ing to conviction, he became a free trader, voted 
with the Democratic party and was u candidate for 
State Senator. By his marriage Mr. Jones became 
tlie father of five children (four living): Maiy Eliza- 
lieth, died in Indiana at the age of sixteen yeai-s; 
Walter, married, and resides in Hall County, Neb. ; 
Winthrop, Albert and Carrie, at home. Mr. Jones 
takes an interest in educational aflfairs, and his chil- 
dren have had the advantages afforded by good 
schools. He is one of the progressive farmers and 
stock raisers of the county, and is uni\-ersally re- 
spected. When he first came to Adams County, 
Neb., Mr. Jones purchased 320 acres of land with 
250 acres under cultivation, and to this he has since 
added 160, making 480 acres in this and Hall 
Counties. He has made mau^- improvements in the 
way of Imildings, and makes a specialty of the dairy 
I)usiness. His barns will shelter 100 head of cattle 
and twenty head of horses. 

Thomas T. Jones, farmer and stock raiser, Paul- 
ine, Neb. Among tliose who have been a witness 
to the growth and development of the country in 
the last seventeen years stands the name of Thomas 
T. Jones, who settled on a tract of land, ICO acres, 
on Section 30, Little Blue Township, on March 10, 
1873. He erected a dug out and sod house com- 
bined, and commenced improving his place. He 
was born in Wales in 1846, and was the eldest in a 
family of eight children born to the union of 
Thomas T. , Sr. , and Ellen (Owens) Jones, natives of 
England and Wales, respectively. The father was 
a farmer and laborer, and remained in the old 
countiy until 1881, when he came to Adams 
County, Neb., where his death occurred in 1884. 
The mother resides with our subject. The latter, 
when a bo}', was a farm laborer, and later was en- 
gaged in slate quarrying. Previous to coming to 
the United States, on August 14, 1869, he was 
married in Wales to Miss Margaret Davies, a native 
of that country, and the daughter of Pierce and 
Jane (Williams) Davies, also natives of Wales. 
Her father, when a young man, worked in the slate 
quarries, and later became manager and slate mer- 
chant. He died in Wales, in Julv. 1882. The 



mother is still living and resides in Wales. Thomas 
T. Jones, Jr., in June, 1871, took passage on a 
steamer at Liverpool, England, and after a pleasant 
vo3-age of ten days landed at New York, and from 
there went to Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa, 
where he was engaged at farm labor. There he re- 
mained until coming to Nebraska as before men-' 
tioned. He has added to his farm from to time, 
and is now the owner of 560 acres, all in a good 
state of cultivation, and has it nearly all paid for. 
He is also engaged in raising a good grade of stock, 
and fattened a car load last j'ear. He is a Republi- 
can and is active in politics, is a member of the 
board of supervisors, and is now serving his third 
term, two in succession. He and wife are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church in their district, 
and are much esteemed members of the same. To 
their union have been born nine children, six now 
living: Thomas, Jennie, David, Nellie, Ann and 
Pierce. Three died in infancy. Mr. Jones passed 
through the grasshopper raids of 1874 and 1875, 
and everything looked discouraging, but he was not 
a man to l)e disheartened. He kept at work and is 
now enjoj-ing the fruits of his labor. 

Campbell D. Jones, farmer and stock raiser. 
Blue Hill, Neb. The career of JMr. Jones illustrates 
to a marked degree what can be accomplished where 
the qualities of industry and close application are 
supported by a willful determination to move forward 
in the afl'aii-s of the world, and a willingness to do 
himself what others might leave for some one else 
to perform. Born in Crawford County, Pa., in 
March, 1852, Mr. Jones is the son of Charles and 
Sarah (Oliver) Jones, natives of Pennsylvania and 
New Jersey, respectively. The father was a suc- 
cessful farmer and moved to Knox Countj-, 111., 
where he located in 1861. He was a contractor on 
the railroad, and died about 1862, The mother 
died about 1872. Campl)ell D. Jones was reared 
and educated in Illinois, and from there moved to 
Nebraska in 1872, where he homesteaded a farm. 
He was one of the first to t;\ke a claim in Silver 
Lake Township, and he afterward went to Saline 
Township, where he remained about five months. 
He then returned to his claim and in 1873 put perma- 
nent improvements on the place which he has made 



»l4u- 



266 



HISTORY OF XKHRASKA. 



his home ever siiico. Tie has 160 acres all well 
cultivatecl, and has the requisites for a comforta- 
ble and happy home. Re hud about fifty acres in 
corn last year ami forty acres in small grain. He 
was married in Adams County Decemlier 26, 1880, 
to Miss Sarah Mattoek, daughter of Rol>ert Mattock, 
and a native of Kalamazoo, Mich. , although she 
was reared principally in Iowa, and was but fourteen 
years of age wiien she cauie to Nebraska. To the 
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Jones were born three 
ciiildron: Katie, Ernest and Robert R. 

James C. Kay, a leading citizen of the ' ' Queen 
City" was born in Yorkshire, England, and like 
all his countrymen he possesses an unlimited amount 
of pluck and enterprise. His birth occurred June 
23, 1826, he being a son of John and Ann (Cousins) 
Kay, who were also born in England, in 1776 and 
1780, and died in New Haven, Conn., in 1857 
and 1862, respectively. James C. Kay is the tenth 
of their eleven children and is the only one now 
living. In the j'ear of 1846 he emigrated to the 
United States, and for almost one year he was a 
resident of York State, after which he removed 
to Connecticut, where he made his home for about 
eleven years, learning the moulder's trade in the 
meantime. In 1857 he came West, or to what was 
then the West, and purchased a farm in Lafayette 
County, Wis., and was there actively and success- 
fully engaged in tilling the soil until 1881, when he 
came to Hastings, Neb., having previously purchased 
propertj- here. He has been actively engaged in 
buying and selling real estate since his sojourn in 
Hastings, and is now the owner of two excellent 
farms in Adams County, near Hastings, besides nine 
houses, twenty-one improved lots, an interest in two 
of the leading business houses in the city, and one- 
half section near Culbertson. He has made his own 
way in life and his start was obtained bj- working 
in a foundrj'. He is one of the most enterprising 
men of Adams County, and is highly esteemed by 
all. In 1888-89 he was a member of the Adams 
Count}' board of supervisors, and took a leading part 
in the affairs of that body, and to liiui must be ac- 
credited the first work in the erection of the Adams 
Countj- court house. In 1854 he was married to 
Miss Caroline Burgess, who was born in England. 



January 10, 1830, and was brought to the United 
States in 1848. They have seven children: Harriet 
E., James B. , Henry D., Albert U. , Charles F.. 
Ida S. and Minnie H. A son, John W. , died in 
1881 at the age of fourteen years. Mr. Kay is a 
stanch Republican in his jjolitieal views, and in 
1874 was made a Mason at Darlingtoij, Wi.s. , and 
became a Knight Templar in Mount Nebo Com- 
mandery in Hastings in 1883, being present at the 
Masonic conclave which was held in Washington, 
D. C, in tlic fall of 1880. He also belongs to the 
I. 0. 0. F. and tiie K. of P. 

Alvin H. Keller, pharmacist and physician, was 
born in Clarion County, Pa., April 4, 1853, and is 
a son of William Keller, who was born in 1818, also 
in the "Keystone State," and died there in 1883. 
His wife, formerly Catherine Kratzer, is a Pennsyl- 
vanian, born in 1832, and is now a resident of 
McCook, Neb. After attending the public schools 
for some time Dr. Keller became a student in the 
Clarion Institute, and at the age of sixteen 3-ears 
began serving an apprenticeship at the drug busi- 
ness in Oil City, Pa. , and after acquiring a thorough 
knowledge of the business he had charge of a drug 
store in Philadelphia for six years. Here, in 1876, 
he graduated from the Philadelphia School of 
Pharmacj-, and the following year took a special 
course in phj-sics and clinics in the same city. In 
1879 he determined to see what change of location 
would do for him in the way of acquiring wealth, 
and he accordingly came to Nebraska and took u\> 
his abode in Sutton, where he conducted a success- 
ful business for two years. He next entered the 
Omaha Medical College, from which he graduated 
in 1883; then returned to Sutton, continuing his 
former occupation, and built up an extensive and 
paying trade. He, however, disposed of his stock 
of goods in 1885 and located in Hastings, and in 
addition to carrying on a drug store has been en- 
gaged in practicing medicine for the past three years, 
and makes a specialty of urine analj-sis and the 
analysis of well and spring water. He is considered 
one of the best chemists in the State, and has com- 
piled charts of chemistry and pharmacy, materia 
medica and perpetual clinical index. He is the 
orginator of "the Keller Medicine Company, and is 



A 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



267 



one of the foremost memliers of the medical fra- 
ternity in Adams County, and keeps thoroughly 
apace with the times, being a warm advocate of 
farther advancement in the science. He is a Re- 
publican. In 1880 he was married to Miss Martha 
E. Brown, by whom he has two children: Edith ^M. 
and Samuel A. 

William M. Kelley, farmer and stockman. Ayr. 
Neb. William M. Kelley, whose life has been an 
active one, and who has by his own industry and in- 
telligent management secured a substantial footing 
among the citizens of this community, was born in 
Cass County, Ind., in 1844, and there he received a 
fairly good education. His parents, John P. and 
Margaret M. (Payne) Kelley, were natives of the 
Buckeye State. The father was born in 1810, and 
was a cabinet maker by trade, which occupation he 
continued, in connection with the carpenter trade, 
until his death, which occurred in Neliraska in 1876, 
whither he had moved in 1871. He was a successful 
business man and was a man who held a numlier of 
. public offices in Stark County, Ind. The mother 
died in Adams County, Neb. , in 1889. She was a 
member of the Christian Church, and he was a Uni- 
versalist. Their children were named as follows: 
Harriet (deceased), Samuel, William ^l , Sarah and 
Scott. William :M. Kelley started out in the battle 
of life for himself in 1866, and the year following 
was married to Miss Mary C. Speelmon, the daughter 
of Peter Speelmon, of Indiana. Jlr. Kelley followed 
cutting timber in Indiana until 1S71, and then emi- 
grated to Nebraska, and was one of the very first 
Settlers of Adams Countj-. He entered IGO acres of 
land, and in connection with farming hunted and 
trapped for the first six or seven years after coming 
to the State. This he found paid him well. The 
last buffalo Mr. Kelley shot in Adams County was 
in 1 874. He has killed many antel( )pes and trapped 
beaver, mink and otter. His married life has been 
l)lesscd liy the birth of six children; 3Iarion. Philip, 
Wilbur, Hartford, Winnilred and Lena. Mr. Kelley 
is a Democrat and takes a great interest in political 
matters. He has been a member of the school board 
in District No. 9,^ Zero Township, and as a matter 
of course is interested in educational affairs. He 
has witnessed the entire growth of the country, and 



has seen it change from a wilderness inhabited liy 
Indians to its present prosperous condition. In 1872 
he shot a buffalo in his door-yard, about thirty feet 
from where his house stands. He is one of the 
wide-awake fanners of the community, has his farm 
well stocked and has a fine orchard, together with 
plenty of small fruit. During 1888 he farmed 275 
acres of land, and in 1889, 330 acres. Mr. Kelley 
is a natural musician and is a fine performer on the 
violin. His children all inherit a taste for music, 
and they have an orchestra in their family of five 
pieces. He is taking pains to give each of his chil- 
dren a good musical education. 

James JI. Kent, a member of the firm of Kent 
& Courtright, of Kenesaw, Neb., and one of the 
prominent business men of that place, was origin- 
ally from Kendall County, 111., where his birth 
occurred in December, 1844. He passed his boy- 
hood days with his parents, and as they were pio- 
neers of two States his educational advantages were 
limited. Upon obtaining his majority he Ijegau 
farming, and in 1873 came to Nebraska in company 
with his two brothers, taking up a claim near Kene- 
saw. He is now the owner of 240 acres of land, 
and is one of the progi-essive and enterprising men 
of the county. In the fall of the last mentioned 
vear he brought his family out, and from that time 
lip to 1883 he resided on this farm. He then re- 
moved to Kenesaw and became a member of the 
present firm, purchasing the livery business of J. 
G. Hayzlett, the pioneer liveryman of Kenesaw. 
Mr. Kent is a member of the town board, has served 
as constable and deputy sheriff of Adams County, 
and is a man who takes a deep interest in all general 
improvement, especially in educational matters. In 
1871 he was married to Miss Henrietta L. Court- 
right, a native of Clinton County, Iowa, and the 
result of this union has been six children, one son 
and five daughters: Estella V., born in Cedar 
County, Iowa; Mary E., Hattie H., Jessie R. M., 
James M. and Pearl L. , born in Adams County, 
Neb. Mr. Kent is the son of ex-Senator J. M. 
Kent, of Cedar County, Iowa, and his wife, Mary 
{nee Fergusson). The parents first located in Ohio; 
in 1842 they moved to where Piano now stands 
in Illinois, and in 1852 moved from there to Iowa, 



3<1« 



9 ^ 



^ 



?(58 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



and loratfil in Cedar County, upon the farm he 
now owns. 

Darwin C. Kerr is one of the intelligent and well 
posted men of Adams County, and since 1883 has 
been the owner of the Gen. Bowen homestead, which 
comprises 1C4 acres, and is situated one-half mile 
from Juniata. He was bom in Lancaster, Erie 
Count}-, N. Y. , September 9, 1833, and is the sixth 
of nine children, five now living, bom to Moses and 
Naomi (Sprague) Kerr, who were born in Scotland 
and Rhode Island in 1800 and 1803, and died in 
Erie County, N. Y., and Illinois, in 1854 and 1879, 
respectivel}'. When quite a lad the father emigrated 
from his native land to Canada, and a short time 
later settled in Erie County, N. Y. , where he fol- 
lowed the occupation of a farmer, and spent the rest 
of his daj-s. Darwin C. Kerr received a common 
school education, but being of an enterj)rising dis- 
position he determined to seek his fortune in the 
West, and in 1854 emigrated to Jlinnesota, thence 
to Iowa, from there to Missouri, and from there to 
Parke County, Ind., where, in June, 1861, he 
enlisted in Company A, Fourteenth Indiana Volun- 
teer Infantrj', and served until December, 1862, 
when he was discharged on account of phj-sical dis- 
abilit}'. After regaining some of his wonted 
strength he became an employe of the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quiucj- Railroad, first as station agent 
at St. Augustine, 111., then at Riverside, next at 
Avon, anijl still later at Galva. He was connected 
with the railway service for eighteen years, and was 
one of the popular employes of the Burlington road 
for many j-ears. After giving up his work he 
farmed in Illinois for two years, after which he came 
to Adams County, NTeb. He is a Republican in 
polities, and during 1888-89 was a member of the 
countj' board of supervisors, and discharged his 
duties in a highly efficient manner. He was made a 
Mason at Avon, 111., in 1866, joined the I. 0. 0. F. 
in Aurora, N. Y. , in 1854, and is also a member of 
the G. A. R. October 8, 1865, he married Miss 
M. B. Vertrees,a native of Pike County, 111., born No- 
vember 3, 1839. and a daughter of John and Nancy 
(Bradbury) Vertrees, natives, respectivelj-, of Ken- 
tuckj- and Ohio, The father now resides in Gales- 
burg, 111., aged seventv-cight vears, but the mother 



(lied in 1SS7 at the age of seventy-three. To !Mr. 
and Mrs. Kerr the following children have been 
born: Mary E., born at Avon, 111., September 15. 
1866; Frank Y., born at Avon, November 16, 1867, 
died at Avon March 6, 1869; Kate L., born at 
Galva, 111. , October 6, 1869, now the wife of C. F. 
Roj-ce, and Charles, who was born in Galva, Decem- 
lier 17, 1871. Mrs. Kerr is a member of the 
Christian Church, 

Charles Frederick Keutzer, general merchant. 
This gentleman is identified with the business inter- 
ests of Adams County, and is a man of much en- 
ergy, push and enterprise. He was born in Hesse 
Darmstadt, Germany, near Frankfort-on-the-Main, 
December 13, 1849, being a son of Jacob and 
Elizabeth (Hepting) Keutzer, who came to America 
in 1864, and made a home in Peru, 111., where 
their death occurred February- 5, 1872, and July 
16, 1871, respectiveh", both lieing earnest members 
of the Reformed Evangelical Church at the time of 
their demise. The father was a merchant tailor by 
occupation, and upon his death left two sons: 
Charles F. , the subject of this l)iogi-aphy, and John 
George, who died in his twentj'-eighth year at Peru. 
A half-sister, Caroline Yost, now Jlrs. Keutzer. 
resides near that place. Charles Frederick Keutzer 
received a fair English education, and in his youth 
acquired a thorough knowledge of merchandising. 
After following the occupation of agriculture in 
Illinois, until 1878, he came to Adams County, 
Neb., and continued this calling until September, 
1889, when lie left his farm to engage in merchan- 
dising in Holstein, and here has built up a good 
trade. He was married in Peru, September 28, 
1871, to Miss Mary Annie Peters, a daughter of 
Christian and Mary (Mueller) Peters, both natives of 
Germany, and bj- her became the father of the fol- 
lowing children: Oscar George, a student in a com- 
mercial college; Ottillia Rosina, Orwin Charles. 
Olinda Louisa, Ora Belle, Otto Henry, Gustav and 
Olga Augusta, Mr, and Mrs, Keutzer attend differ- 
ent churches, but in reality are believers in the doc- 
trine of the Reformed Evangelical Church. Mr. 
Keutzer has served on the school board of his dis- 
trict for many years, and has been justice of the 
peace two j-ears, liesides holding a number of other 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



209 



local offices of trust. He is a member of the Blue 
Lodge in the JIasonic fraternity, and also l^elongs 
to the Modern Woodmen of America. 

Matthew Klein, farmer and stock raiser, Rose- 
land, Neb. Among the many representative citi- 
zens of foreign birth in the count3-, none are more 
respected and esteemed than Mr. Klein, who owes 
his nativity to Prussia, Germany, where his birth 
occurred on February 2, 1843. He is the son of 
Nick Klein, a native of Prussia, who was married in 
the old country' to Miss Barbara Klein, also a 
native of Prussia. The familj- emigrated to the 
United States in 1873, located in Ohio, where they 
remained for several years, and then moved to Kan- 
sas, locating at Beloit, Mitchell County. There the 
father died in 1889, respected and esteemed by all 
who knew him. The mother is still living and 
makes her home in Ohio. Matthew Klein was 
reared in Prussia, and learned the trade of mason 
and plasterer after coming to the States, whither he 
had emigrated in 1864. He first located in Lake 
County. Ind., but in 1868 went to Chicago, where 
he worked at his trade for nine years. He was 
there during the great fire in 1871, and six years 
later moved to Adams Count}-, Neb. He located 
first in Hastings, where he resided for about four 
years, working at his trade, and then, in 1881, 
moved out to his place which he had bought when 
first coming there. He has 320 acres of fine land, 
all in one tract and under a good state of cultiva- 
tion. He has a comfortable home and all the con- 
veniences necessar}' to carry on the same. He was 
man-ied in Hastings, Neb., in 1881, to Miss Katie 
George, a native of Prussia, where she was reared. 
To them have been born seven children: John, 
3Iarj-, Katie, Mattie, Nick, Anna and Barbar}-. 
^Ir. and Mrs. Klein are members of the Catholic 
Church, and he is a member of the school board. 

W. Klingaman, farmer, Pauline, Neb. Mr. 
Klingaman, one of the pioneer settlers of Little 
Blue Township, and a man universally respected by 
all acquainted with him, owes his natiWty to Colum- 
bia County, Pa., where his birth occuiTcd in 1837, 
and remained on his father's farm until nineteen 
years of age. He then went to Philadelphia, where 
he learned the carriage-maker's trade, and from 



there, in 1860, to Louisa County, Iowa, settling 
near Columbus City, Iowa, where he continued his 
trade. He was united in marriage at Lisbon. Linn 
County, Iowa, to Miss Mary A. Bussard, in 1S63. 
a native of Pennsylvania, and the daughter of Joseph 
and Catherine (Gotshalk) Bussard, natives of Penn- 
sylvania. The father is a minister of the Evangeli- 
cal faith, and quite a prominent man. He moved to 
Louisa County. Iowa, in 1856, and settled in Colum- 
bus Cit}- Township, in 1863 going to Lisbon, Linn 
County. From that time he devoted all his time 
and talents to the ministr}-. He is now located at 
Independence, Iowa. The mother died at Spring 
Run, Iowa, in 1878. After his marriage Mr. Kling- 
aman enlisted, at that place, on Deceml)er -t, 1863, 
for three years, or during the war, and was mustered 
into service at Burlington, Iowa. He was assigned 
to the Western department, and was engaged in sev- 
eral hard fought battles, serving under Gens. Steele, 
Conby, Washburn and the famous Gen. Custer. He 
was honorably discharged at Austin, Texas, in Feb- 
ruary, 1866. Mr. Klingaman crossed the gulf to 
New Orleans, thence by river to Davenport, Iowa, 
where he was mustered out and received his dis- 
charge. After this he came to Adams County in 
1876, where he entered a tract of land and set out a 
good orchard, at first living in a house built of logs 
and sod, but has now erected a good and substantial 
frame building. He owns 247 acres of land, and is 
engaged in the raising of stock. He is also one of 
the owners of a cheese factory, which he is engaged 
in running at Le Roy, and which is a very fine thing 
for the farming community. During the year 1889 
Mr. Klingaman manufac.ured 26,000 pounds of 
cheese. He is not active in politics but votes with 
the Republican party. He has been township treas- 
urer for two 3-ears. He takes an active interest in 
educational matters, and was a member of the school 
board for some time. He is a member of the G. A. 
R. Post at AjT, being one of the charter members, 
and he is a strong temperance advocate. He and 
wife are Evangelical in belief. He is a member of 
the Masonic fraternity, Hastings Lodge No. 50. To 
his marriage were born ten children, eight of whom 
are now living: Oliver, engaged in the agricultural 
implement businesss at Blue Hill. Neb. : Laura, now 



r 



270 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Mrs. A. D. McNeer, of Blue Hill, Neb.; Joseph, in 
Sun Francisco, Cal. ; Charles, Wesley, Burt, Frank, 
who (lied in 1884 at the age of five years; Lloyd 
(Jarfiekl, Raymond Bliss and Fred. Mr. Klingaman 
came to Xohraska with very limited means, and has 
made all his property by his own pluck and industr3'. 
Wiicn lie first settled in Adams County, Hastings 
contained but two or three small stores and no bank. 
He mortgaged his team the first year for a sack of 
flour, but since then he has surmounted all oljstacles 
and is in a very prosperous condition. He was the 
seventh son of twelve children born to the union of 
Jacoli and Lydia (Furry) Klingaman, natives of 
Pennsylvania. The father was a millwright and a 
liridge carpenter, antl worked for the railroad, erect- 
ing bridges. He moved to Ohio in 1845, in Auglaize 
Countj-, where he was engaged in tilling the soil. 
He was killed 1)}- a runaway' team. The mother 
died in the Kej'stone State in 1842. 

John Kohl, farmer and stock raiser. Hastings, 
Neb. Among the many prominent citizens of for- 
eign birth now residing in Adams County, very few, 
if any, are more respected than Mr. Kohl, who was 
originally from Rhineshire, Geniian3-. His mother 
died when he was j'oung and his father died in Illi- 
nois, in 1889. The latter, Jacob Kohl, emigrated to 
the United States, and settled in Boston in 1852, but 
moved from there one year later and settled in Mar- 
shall Count}', near Lacon, 111. Of the seven chil- 
dren born to his marriage, John is the eldest, then 
Charley, Jacob, died in 1875; Fred, Henry, Michael 
and August. John Kohl was born in the old coun- 
try in 1842, and was nine years of age when his 
parents came to the United States. He secured a 
fair education in the schools of Boston, Mass., and 
in 1859 emigrated with his parents to Illinois. He 
began to fight life's battles for himself in 1863 
as an agriculturist, and was married, in Illinois, in 
1871, to ^liss Mary Roth, a native of Woodford 
County, 111., and the daughter of Christopher Roth. 
The fruits of this union have been four living chil- 
dren: Charley A., Frank F. , Anna M. and Clara E. 
They lost two, Minnie and Elizabeth. Mr. Kohl 
emigrated to Nebraska in 1S75, bought eighty acres 
of land, and in 1889 increased this by an addition of 
IGO acres of excellent prairie land. He is one of 



the progressive fanners of the county and owes his 
success to his own industry and perseverance. He 
and wife are members of the German Lutheran 
Church, in whidi the}- are active workers. He is a 
Democrat in his political views. He is interested in 
educational matters, and has been moderator for tlic 
school district in District No. 8. 

Mortimer N. Kress, is a resident of Ayr. Neb. 
There are a number of men prominently identified 
with the gi-owth and prosperity of the county, liut 
none among them are more deserving of mention 
than Mortimer N. Kress. He owes his nativity to 
Williamsport, Lycoming Couutj', Pa., where his 
birth occurred in 1841, and as earh" as 1865 he 
moved to Colorado, where the stirring life he ex- 
perienced on the plains is faithfully outlined in ar.- 
other i)art of this volume. He was a great hunter 
and tr.apper, and although he killed his last buffalo 
in Adams County, Neb. , in 1873, he still continued 
to hunt and trap in Kansas, Colorado and Texas to 
1880. He has spent seventeen years of his life on 
the plains, and as might naturally be supposed he 
has seen some exciting and stirring times. JIany 
and interesting are the stories related l\y this gentle- 
man of the seventeen j-ears spent bv him on the 
plains, where his bed at night was either in the 
shadow of a camp-fire or frequently' under the starry 
canopy of heaven. He is pleasant and agreeable in 
conversation, and is well known and respected 
among the old settlers of Nebraska to-da^'. At the 
time of the trouble with the Indians in 1873 he took 
quite a prominent part, and his name was in all the 
papers of the country. In 1880 he gave up his 
nomadic habits, and was united in marriage to Miss 
Helen Moote, whose acquaintance he had made 
while on a trip to Canada after coming west. She 
was the daughter of Isaiah and Mary A. Jloote, of 
Canada. After marriage Jlr. Kress ran a livery barn 
and hotel at Ayr, besides a store, and for some 
years past they have resided in that village. Thej' 
are the parents of two children: Lena and Guy. 
Mrs. Kress is a member of the Presbyterian Church. 
In his political views Mr. Kress is a stanch Republi- 
can, and is interested in all the affairs of the county. 
He is a charter member of the G. A. R. Post at 
Ayr. and is at present the chaplain. He was elected 



V 



,[> 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



271 



assessor of Ayr Township in 1889. Mr. Kress was 
the first settler in the county, and has been a wit- 
ness to the rapid development of the same up to the 
present time. As a hunter and trapper he is of 
more than local repute, and is acquainted with every 
foot of land for miles around. He is at present liv- 
ing in retirement in Ajt. 

F. W. Lanfear, manager of the grain firm of 
Oliver & Baker, Hansen, Neb. Although Mr. Lan- 
fear in his active career thus far during life has not. 
perhaps, amassed the wealth that has fallen to the 
lot of others, he has gained to an unlimited extent 
the confidence and esteem always awarded integrity, 
honor and industry. He was born in Oneida, Knox 
County, 111., in 1861, and came to Nebraska in the 
fall of 1882, where he entered the emploj' of the 
above mentioned firm. He was married in Hall 
County, Neb., in May, 1887, to Miss Ruby Free- 
man, a native of Illinois, and the daughter of David 
Freeman, who was originally from New York. Mr. 
Freeman moved from his native State to Illinois, and 
thence in an earlj' day to Hamilton Count}-, Neb. , 
where he received his final summons. Mr. Lanfear 
is not active in politics, but votes with the Repuli- 
licau party. He has seen a vast change in the coun- 
try since coming here, and has assisted in every 
laudable euteri)rise for the development of the 
same. Although young in 3-ears, he is oue of the 
promising business men of Hansen, and has built up 
a good grain ti-ade. He is the third of a familj- of 
five children born to the union of William and 
Saloma (Carr) Lanfear, natives of New York. His 
father was a farmer and followed this occupation in 
his native State until 1860, when he moved to Knox 
County, 111., and there continued his former pursuit. 
His death occurred in 1877. but the mother is still 
living and resides in Knox County, 111. 

Ezra Langevin , president of the Wholesale Gro- 
cery Company, of Hastings, Nel). , was born at Ver- 
chere, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, twenty- 
four miles below Montreal, on the St. Lawrence 
Kiver, August 8, 1842. His parents, F. X. and 
(Catherine (Girard) Langevin, were also born in Can- 
ada, the former's birth occurring in October, 1809, 
and his death in June, 1888. His grandfather. 
Victor Langevin was also a Canadian, liorn in 1749, 



and was a captain in the English Array, when Gen. 
Montgomery made his raid into that country in 1 77.5. 
He died at the age of ninety-one years. The great- 
grandfather was a Frenchman, who emigrated to 
Canada in 1737, settling on a farm twenty-four miles 
below Montreal, on the St. Lawrence River, which 
farm has been in possession of the family up U) the 
present date, a period of 152 years. Ezra Lange- 
vin is the eldest of ten children, and resided on the 
old homestead on the St. Lawrence until he attained 
his eleventh year, when he was taken to St. H}-a- 
cinthe, and in January, ISGl, came to the United 
States, being a resident of Fort Edward, New York, 
until 1878. Since that time he has resided in Hast- 
ings, Neb. , and has since given his attention to the 
grocery business, being for some time a member 
of the firm of Langevin & Plamondon. Since 
the fall of 1889, however, he has been in the 
wholesale grocerj" business under the title of the 
Hastings Wholesale Grocery Company, which is 
incorporated and has a capital stock of $20,000. 
He has a new business block located at the corner 
of First Street and Denver Avenue, which was 
liuilt in 1889, and is verj- conveniently arranged, 
lieing 44x49 feet. Being compelled to make 
his own way in the world he has succeeded 
admirably, for which he deserves much credit. He 
is a Democrat in polities, and in 1886 was elected a 
member of the citj" council from the First ward, and 
was re-elected in 1888, filling this position to the 
satisfaction of all concerned. October 6, 1879, he 
was married to Miss Octavia Guilmette, who was 
liiirn in Assumption, 111., October 10, 1860, and 
their union has resulted in the birth of four children: 
Arthur (born May 1, 1881), Victor (born June 7, 
1882), Agnes (born April 19, 1885), and Florence 
(born January 15, 1890). Mr. Langeviu and his 
wife are prominent members of the Catholic Church. 
His mother was born in April, 1818, and died in 
Canada in 1862. 

Dirk G. Lay is one of the wealth}- farmers and 
stockmen of Hanover Township, Adams County, 
Neb., and like the majority of native Germans is 
thrify, industrious and frugal. He was born in 
Hanover, in 1832, being the third child born to 
Geerd and Geeske (Huisenga) La}-, the former of 



■7^ 



1- 



^1 



■k. 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



wlioin was a carpenter liy trade, and a man of excel- 
lent business qualifications, becoming quite wealthy 
by his successful business ventures. He died in his 
native land in 1875. followed by his wife in 1S7S, 
both having been members of the Reformed Church. 
The names of their children are as follows: Tllderk, 
Geertge, Dirk G., Lammert, Klaas, Twaantje 
Geesko and Sarah. Liiie all German youths Dirk 
G. Lay received a good education, and while still a 
resident of his native land was married, in LStiS, to 
Sliss Margaretha Bouwniann, liy whom he became 
the father of the following chlidron: George (mar- 
ried and residing in Hanover Townsliip, the father of 
four children, Margaret, Menno, Katie and Johan), 
Alliertus (married and also residing in Hanover 
Township, the father of two children, Dirk and 
Dena), Lammert (married, a farmer of Hanover 
Township), Simeon (who died in 1S7S), Aalericli and 
Katie. Mr. Lay came with his family to the T'nited 
States in 1868, and settled in Illinois, but after a 
nine months' stay there emigrated to Iowa, and made 
a location in Grundy County, where he remained 
six years, following the occupation of farming. In 
1874 he came to Adams County, Neb., and took up 
160 acres of school land on a lease, and by good 
management and strict attention to every detail of 
farm work, he has now in his pos.sessiou 800 acres 
of land, all well improved. Three years after locate 
ing here he bought 160 acres at $8 per acre, and 
three years later purchased anotlier 160-acre tract 
at about $1 1 per acre, and the following jear pur- 
chased 160 acres more, paying the sum of $11 per 
acre for this land also, and in 1886 bought 160 
acres at $27.50 per acre. He is a Republican, a 
man of keen business foresight, public spirited in 
every respect, and is a worthy member of the Pres- 
byterian Church, which he assisted in organizino- 
and contributed liberally toward building. He was 
called upon to mourn the death of his estimable 
wife November 9, 1887, and is still living with his 
two children, .\alericli and Katie, on his farm which 
lie first occupied. 

IVter Lebrie, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. This enterprising young agriculturalist is 
also numbereil among the substantial and prosies- 
sive citizens of the count}-, and his thorougli 



familiarity with agricultural pursuits has placed him 
prominently toward the front among the farmers of 
the townsliip. He owes his nativity to Canada, 
wiiere his birth occurred in 1854, and is the son of 
John and Ellen (Hawley) Lebrie. The father was 
born ill Canada in 1812, and followed farming the 
principal part of his life. To his marriage were 
born these children (four of whom moved to Ne- 
braska): Phero, Exivia, Exalia, Peter, Francis, 
Frederick and Edmond. Several died in infancy. 
John Lebrie moved to Illinois in 1855, .settled in 
Christian County and made that his home. Peter 
Lebrie passed his boyhood days in Illinois, and in 
1874 moved to Adams County, Neb. , where he now 
lives, and where he entered 160 acres of land, all 
now well improved. He chose for his companion in 
life Miss Eliza Ganreral, daughter of Prosper Gaii- 
reral, and was united in marriage to her in Nebraska 
in 1878. To this marriage have been born four chil- 
dren: Heniy, Anna, Lizzie and Eddie (all at school). 
There were but few houses comparatively in the 
county when he first settled here, but many and 
great have been the changes since then. He takes 
a deep interest in religious and educational matters, 
and, in fact, all laudable enterprises tending to the 
good of the county. He and wife are members of 
tile Catholic Church, and in his political views he 
aHlliates with the Democratic party. 

Herman Lepin, proprietor of the Lepiu Hotel, 
Hastings, Neb. In respect to hotels Hastings is 
especially favored, and to the traveler in these 
Western states the name of Lepiu has about it the 
ring of a familiar and tried friend, for its reputation 
as a model house has extended far and near. The 
proprietor, Mr. Herman Lepin, was born in Germany 
in 1832, and Adams County is indeed fortunate in 
having among her foreign-born element men whose 
industry, strict attention to business, economv and 
perseverance have produed such substantial results 
in the diflferent affairs with wiiich they have con- 
nected themselves. He emigrated to the United 
States iu 1852, located at Lowell, Lake County, 
Tiid. . and was engaged in mercantile business at 
tliat place for nineteen years, but also conducted a 
grist, saw and woolen mills for eight years of that 
period. In 1S71 he was engaged as traveling sales- 



:rv:: 



^1 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



273 



mau in the hat and cap business at Chicago, and in 
the fall of 1873 he removed to Hastings, Neb., as 
general agent for McCormiek's haiTesting machines, 
which position he filled for one j-ear. After this he 
was engaged in the hotel business, but was burned 
out September 16, 1879, subsec|uently building his 
present hotel. He opened the same under the style 
of " Lepin Hotel" on January 1, 1880, and his 
house is one of the most popular in the city. He 
has the best accommodations for forty persons, the 
service is polite and attentive, and everything makes 
it as comfortable as a home. He was married in 
186-t to Miss Hermiue Westenuanu, who was born 
in 1842, and they have one child, Louise. In poli- 
tics Mr. Lepin is a Democrat, and socially he is a 
member of the A. F. & A. M. 

Warren Letson, hardware merchant, Hastings, 
Xeb. In giving descriptive accounts of the sub- 
divisions of Hastings' trade, we find none occupying 
a more important position than that of the subject of 
this sketch, Wan-en Letson. He owes his nativity 
to Kenton, Ohio, where his liirth occurred on JIarch 
16, 1843, and is the son of C. B. and Jane (Huston) 
Letson. The father was a native of New Jersey, 
and died in Iowa in 1872 at the age of fift3--eight 
years. The mother was born in Pennsylvania, is 
now a resident of Nevada, Iowa , and is sixty-three 
years of age. Of the six children born to their 
union Warren Letson is second in order of birth, 
He came to Iowa with his parents in 1858, received 
a common school education, and in 1874 emigrated 
to Hastings, Neb., where until 1884 he was engaged 
in the lumber business. After this he embarked in 
his present business, under the firm name of Dallas 
& Letson, which continued for five years. At the 
present time Mr. Letson is alone in the business and 
is doing remarkaljly well. He selected as his com- 
panion in life Miss Cella Baughn, a native of the 
Buckeye State, born in 1853, and their marriage was 
solemnized in 1874. They are the parents of three 
children: George A. , Flora and Helen Frances. In 
his political views he afHliatcs with the Democratic 
party. He is one of the old settlers of the county. 

George A. Lindsay, Kenesaw, Neb. Among the 
many citizens of foreign birth within the limits of 
Adams County is the subject of this sketch. Mr. 



Lindsay owes his nativity to Augushire, Scotland, 
where his birth occurred near Montrose on December 
17, 1843. His parents, John A. and Jane (Mitchell) 
Liudsaj-, were both natives of Scotland, where they 
lived and died. Their familj- consisted of three 
sons, George A. being the youngest. At the age of 
fourteen j-ears he began to learn the machinist trade, 
serving an apprenticeship of seven years, after which 
he began working at his trade at Dundee, and there 
remained until 1868. Then, in companj- with his 
two brothers, Alexander and Thomas, he came t<> 
America and landed at New York. From there they 
journeyed westward and located at Irvingtou, Neb. ; 
thence to Washington County, Neb. , where they 
took up land near Kennard. Thomas still resides 
there, but Alexander removed to California in 1889. 
George A. resided in Washington County, where he 
was engaged in agricultural pursuits, until 1873, 
and then removed to Juniata, where he still con- 
tinued to till the soil until 1881. He then moved 
to Kenesaw and engaged with J. M. Sewell & Co. , 
doing an extensive business in the buying and ship- 
ping of grain from this point. In 1873 he married 
Miss Ann Eliza Brosius, and the fruits of this union 
have been a son, Arklej' N. B. Mr. and Mrs. 
Lindsay are members of the First Presbj'terian 
Church of Kenesaw, and he is a trustee in the same. 
In his political views Mr. Lindsaj- aflSliates with the 
Republican partj-. He comes of a sturdy line of 
ancestors, whose sterling integrity of purpose has 
manifested itself in his success. 

Alfred Linegar, fanner and stockman, Hastings, 
Neb. Mr. Linegar on starting out in life for him- 
self chose as his calling the file maker's trade, which 
he carried on for seventeen years. Later he en- 
gaged in the pursuit of farming, and to this end has 
put forth all his energies, and not without sul)stiin- 
tial results. He was born in Birmingham, England, 
in 1836, and was married in his native countiy 
about 1861, to Miss Mary Galliers, daughter of Ed- 
mond Galliirs, a native of England. In 1867 3Ir. 
and Mrs. Linegar crossed the ocean to the United 
States, first settled at Dwight, III., and there fol- 
lowed agricultural pursuits for one year. He then 
moved around for some time, but at last settled at 
Yorkville, Kendall Countj-, 111., where he remained 



274 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



until 1883, cultivating the soil all the time. In 
1883 he emigrated to Nebraska, located in Blaine 
Township, and there he now resides. He purchased 
ItiO acres of land, onh' a few acres of which were 
improved, went to work on it and now has a good 
house, substantial outbuildings, cribs, etc. , and 
has a nice orchard. To his marriage were born fiAe 
living children: Ada (now Mrs. Iluxtable, of Blaine 
Township), Ernest (died in 1886), William, Carrie, 
Alfred and Walter. Blr. and Mrs. Linegar are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
are esteemed and respected by all who know them. 
Mr. Linegar takes much interest in the upbuilding 
of schools and churches, and lends a ready hand to 
all laudable purposes. He was the fourth of ten 
children born to Samuel and Mary (Bevens) Linegar, 
the father being a manufacturer of buttons in his 
native country (England). Both parents are de- 
ceased, the former in 1856 and the latter in 1887. 
and both in England. Their children were named 
as follows: Eliza (deceased), Harriet (deceased), 
William (residing in Blaine Township, Adams 
County, Neb.), Alfred, Edward, Charles, Mary. 
Alice, Nellie and Fannie. 

William ]\I. Lowman has been identified with the 
interests of Adams County, Neb. , for some time, 
and probabl}- there is no man within its limits who 
is as extensively engaged in the real estate business 
as he. He first saw the light of daj' in Stark 
County, III. August 11, 185C, being the second of 
four living children born to Davis and Anne M. 
(Williams) Lowman, the former of whom was born 
in Highland County, Ohio, Februarys, 1827. He 
was united in marriage in Knox County, 111. , April 
27, 1833, to Miss Williams, and made Stark Countj' 
his home until 1878, when he settled in Hastings, 
Nel)., and from that time until his death was one of 
tiie most active business men in this portion of the 
State, conducting a very extensive real estate liusi- 
ness. He was universallj' respected as a man of 
sound judgment, strict integrity and pro^essive 
views, and in matters pertaining to the welfare and 
advancement of Hastings and Adams County he 
was ever read}- and willing to do all in his power. 
Careful, prudent and economical, he was open 
hearted and uenerous withal, filled with the ' ' milk 



of human kindness," and his many acts of charity 
endeared him to the hearts of all who knew him. 
In the death of 3Ir. Lowman, which occurred in 
October, 1886, the city lost one of her best citizens, 
and the church to which he belopged an earnest 
worker. Out of respect to his memory the mayor 
caused the following proclamation to be issued: 
'■ Out of respect to the memory of D. Lowman, who 
for eight years has been one of our most active and 
esteemed citizens, I most respectfully request the 
business men of the city to close their respective 
places of business from 10 to 11 o'clock A. M. , 
October 28, this being the hour of the funeral. 
Samuel Alexander, maj-or. " The widow of Mr. Low- 
man was born in England, and now resides in Den- 
ver, Col. William M. Lowman, whose name heads 
this brief sketch, received an excellent education in 
Wheaton College, of Whcaton, 111., and later entered 
Eastman's National Business College, at Pough- 
keepsie, N. Y. , from which institution he graduated 
in March, 1877, coming the following j'ear to Hast- 
ings, where he has since been dealing in real estate, 
in which work he was associated with his father 
until the latter's death, and has since been alone. 
He is also interested in stock raising, and the man- 
ner in which he conducts his affairs shows that he 
inherits many of his talented father's sterling busi- 
ness qualifications. He is vice-president of the Ger- 
man National Bank, and is treasurer of the Adams 
County Agricultural Society. He is a Republican, 
and cast his first presidential vote for James A. 
Garfield. In September, 1881, he was united in 
marriage to jMiss Florence 51. Garratt, who was born 
in Belleville, Ontario, in 1863. Thej- have one 
child, Vera (born December 7, 1882). 

James B. McCleer}' (deceased). Nature seems 
to have intended Mr. McCleery for a long and more 
than ordinarily useful life, but he was cut down in 
the full vigor of his raanliood October 4, 1889, at 
his farm in Little Blue Township, when fifty-one 
years of age. He was born in Warren, Trumbull 
County, Ohio, and was the second child born to 
Daniel and Mary A. (Adams) JlcCleerj-, the former 
a native of the " Kej'stone State" and a hatter by 
trade. About 1835 he moved to Ohio, and settled 
at Warren, where he followed his trade, was married, 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



275 



and reared a familj- of six children: Adams, James 
B. , Anna, Daniel, John and Samuel. About 1860 
he moved to Kansas, thence to Colorado and still 
later to Montana, where he died in 1875. James B. 
McCleery spent his youth in his native State, and was 
twenty years old when he went with his parents to 
Kansas. About the year of 1858 he started out in 
life for himself, and in 1871 removed to Adams 
County, Neb., where he entered ICO acres of land, 
and was married in 1874 to Miss Carrie Arnold, a 
daughter of Oscar and Maria (Deviney) Arnold, 
natives of York State, and Henry County, 111. , 
respectively. The father removed to the latter 
place in an early da}^ becoming one of its pioneer 
settlers, but in the month of April, 1888, he died in 
Webster County, Neb., whither he had moved in 
1874. His wife survives him and resides in Webster 
County. Mr. McCleery was elected sheriff of Adams 
County in 1873, serving until 1877, and a portion 
of this time lived in Juniata, and the rest of the 
time on his farm. At the expiration of his term 
of office he retired to his farm and entered ex- 
tensively in the occupation of farming and stock 
raising, his operations meeting with very flattering 
results, and he became the owner of 1,400 acres of 
laud, and had 400 acres under an excellent state of 
cultivation. In 1884 he was elected on the Repub- 
lican ticket to the office of treasurer of Adams 
Count}-, and this position filled with ability' and to 
the satisfaction of all concerned for four years. Not 
only was he interested in the political affairs of the 
county, but in social matters as well, and he was a 
generous contributor to schools, churches and other 
worthy enterprises. He was a member of the Ma- 
sonic order, having advanced to the Commandery, 
and lielonged to Juniata Lodge. In 1861 he enlisted 
in Companj' M, First Colorado Cavalry, for three 
years, and served faithfully' and well until 1864, 
when he received his discharge. From the time he 
left the service until he came to Adams County, Neb. , 
he was dealing in cattle throughout the West, and 
on coming to Nebraska lirought a large drove with 
him. Since his death his widow has successfully 
managed his farm, and with her reside her children, 
whose names are James C. , John W. . Carl K., Daniel 
11. , Mary G. , Thomas T., Carrie G. and Edna M. 



Willis Pearson McCreary, attorney-at-law. This 
member of the Hastings bar is to the ' ' manor born, ' 
and is a true type of the progressive, business-like 
and painstaking lawyer, is concise in argument and 
thoroughly posted in legal lore. November 8, 1854, 
was the date of his birth in Lawrence County, Pa. , 
and he is one of two children born to Pearson and 
Nancy (Dean) McCreary, both natives of Lawrence 
County, Pa., the former's birth occurring in 1829 
and the latter's in 1831. Mr. McCreary's father 
died in the State of his birth in 1856. He followed 
the occupation of farming and stock dealing through- 
out life, his onlv brother having died the year pre- 
vious. His mother and two daughters (by second 
husband) lost their lives in the terrible railroad 
disaster at Chatsworth, 111., on August 10, 1887. 
In 1865 the family removed with her from Pennsyl- 
vania to Iowa, where she made her home for man}- 
years. Willis P. McCrearj- first attended the country 
schools and later entered an academy of Lee County, 
finally supplementing his education with an attend- 
ance at the State Universit}- at Iowa City, gradua- 
ting from there June 28, 1876, in the law departs 
ment. In July of that jear he opened an office in 
Cedar Rapids, where he continued the practice of 
his profession until 1884, at which time he came to 
Hastings, and is now a member of the law firm of 
Capps & McCrearj-, which association was formed 
in 1886. Being compelled to make his own way in 
life, he first engaged in teaching school, continuing 
for two winters after he had reached the age of sev- 
enteen years, but concluded that this was rather a 
laborious way of making money, and accordingly 
fitted himself for the practice of law, in the prosecu- 
tion of which he has succeeded far bej^ond his ex- 
pectations. He is a Republican in politics, and 
since 1883 has been a Mason. In 1878 he wedded 
Mary B. , daughter of William Greene, of Iowa, 
her birth occurring in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October 
20,1858. They have three children : Mary Pearson, 
Willis M. and Dorothy. 

H. B. McGaw, farmer and stock raiser, Hast^ 
ings, Neb. This most successful and progressive 
agriculturist is a nati\e of the Buckej^e State, his 
l)irth occurring in Stark County in 1842, and is the 
sou of John E. and Anna (Earl) McGaw. The 



-®r>y 



27(i 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



f:itlu'r was born at Chainbersburg, Pa., iu 1813, was 
;i minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
ministered to the spiritual wants of his fellowmen 
all liis life. He reared a family of five children: 
Carroll (in the east), Hugh (in Pittsljurgh , Pa. ), Mary 
(now ?Irs. MeLaiu, wife of Prof. B. W. McLaiu, of 
Athens College, Tennessee), H. B. , and Homer L. 
(who is a public man and is living in Pittsburgh, 
Pa.). The mother of these chikhi'n died in 1869, 
but the father is still living and makes his home in 
Athens, Tenn. The paternal grandfather of our 
subject, James F. MeGaw, was a soldier iu the War 
of 1812. II. B. McGaw's early life was passed in 
Ohio, and at the breaking out of the war he enlisted 
at MeConnelsville, Ohio, in Company C, Ninety- 
seventh Ohio Regiment, Volunteer Infantry, Capt. 
S. S. Scott, under Col. I. Q. Lane. He enlisted for 
three years, entering as a corporal, and was pro- 
moted to tlie rank of sergeant. He was in the bat^ 
ties of PeiTyville, Stone River, Missionary Ridge, 
Lookout Mountain and in some skirmislies. He was 
discharged in July, 1865, and afterward went to 
Pittsburgh, Pa. , thence to Iowa, and later settled in 
Benton County, near Cedar Rapids, where he fol- 
lowed agricultural pursuits. He resided in Iowa 
for about eleven j'ears. He was married in Penn- 
sylvania to Jliss Julia A. Boyd, a native of Penu- 
S3dvania , and the daughter of Rev. John and Martha 
(Maelewain) Boyd, her father being a minister in 
the ^lethodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Boyd was 
the father of eight children, four of whom are now 
living. He now makes his home with his son-in-law, 
H. B. McGaw. The mother died in 1R66. To Mr. 
and Mrs. McGaw were born five children: Alice M. 
(teacher), Harold L. , Lulu, Mabel and Agnes. Mr. 
McGaw followed farming in Iowa until 1876, when 
lie emigrated to Nebraska aud settled on his present 
property, where he has eighty acres of hunl, all un- 
der cultivation. He has been a member of the 
school board for ten j-ears, was elected county super- 
visor in 1887 and sen'cd one term, and is at present 
justice of the peace. He is a member of the G. A. 
R. , also a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and is 
countj- secretary and treasurer of the same; is a 
member of the K. of L. , has been judge of the order, 
and is a man universal!}- respected. He was for- 



merly a Ke|)ul)lican iu liis political views, l)ut now 
votes for principle, not for partj^. He is interested 
in the upbuilding of schools and churches, and all 
things for the good of tlie county. When he first 
settled in Adams County deer, wolves, antelope , an<l 
all such game were abundant. 

M. J. McKenna, one of the pioneers of High- 
laud Township, Adams County, Neb., came to this 
county in 1875, settled where he now resides, and 
purchased 160 acres of prairie land. He owes his 
nativitj' to Tipperary Count}', Ireland, where his 
birth occurred in 1830, and is the eldest of six chil- 
dren born to Patrick and Catherine (Quinn) Mc- 
Kenna, natives also of Ireland. The father was a 
tiller of the soil, and died in his native countrj* in 
1842. The mother died in 1830. M. J. McKeuna 
was early taught the duties of farm life, and received 
his education in the schools of Ireland. Wheu 
twenty-one years of age he resolved to try his for- 
tune in the New World, and in March, 1851, he 
sailed from Liverpool on the vessel ' ' George A. 
Hapley, "making the trip to America in two months. 
He landed in Charleston, S. C. , remained there one 
year, and then moved to New York Cit}-, where he 
worked in a brick yard, and there remaiued until 
1856. In November of the jear previous he was 
married to Miss Blarv Delaney, a native of Tipp^r- 
arj' County, Ireland, and in 1856 he moved to Wis- 
consin, Dodge County, where he followed farming. 
He purchased and improved a good farm iu that 
State, but iu 1875 he concluded to make a change, 
and moved to Adams County, Neb. He is the 
owner of a good farm of 320 acres, in that and Hall 
Counties, all under cultivation. He is making a 
specialty of raising Poland Angus cattle and Nor- 
man horses. In his political views Mr. McKenua 
affiliates with the Democratic party. He is the 
present supervisor of Highland Townshi[), aud lie 
was also the assessor of the towuship for four or 
five years. He has alwaj-s taken a deep interest iu 
educational matters, aud was a member of the 
school lioard for five or six ^•ears. He is a mcmlier 
of tlie Catholic Church at Hastings, as was also his 
excellent wife, who received her final summons in 
August, 1880, they having been companions in life 
for nearly thirty-four years. She was a kind and 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



loviim wife and mother, and assisted her husband 
in all his work. Their family consisted of ten chil- 
ilrcn. nine now living: Catherine (now Mrs. Mon- 
tague, of Hastings), Patrick (married and lives in 
MeCook, Neb.), John (married and resides in High- 
land), Ann (now Mrs. Gamrean, of Hastings), 
Mar^', James, Edward, Joseph and Thomas. Wil- 
liam died in 1878, at the age of eighteen years. 

K. W. McKenzie, farmer and stockman of 
Adams Count}-, Neb. , was born in Nova Scotia in 
1847, being the fourth of eleven children born to 
the marriage of John McKenzie and Chri.stina Kerr, 
Ijoth of wh<jm were of Scotch descent, the father 
having been born in Scotland in 1815. When about 
seven years of age he went to Nova Scotia, and there 
reared the following family of children: Murdock, 
Elizabeth, Jessie, K. W., Annabel, Donald, Maggie, 
William, John, Mar}' J. and Hugh. After living in 
Nova Scotia until 1851, Mr. McKenzie removed his 
family to Upper Canada, and was engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits there until 1887, when his death 
occurred, his wife d^ing the same year. They were 
worthy and consistent members of the Baptist 
Church. K. W. McKenzie emigrated to Michigan 
in 1866, and was engaged in lumbering and carpen- 
tering in the northern part of the State until 1873, 
when he removed to Adams County, Neb., and took 
up a homestead claim of IGO acres, and by careful, 
painstaking and earnest labor, has increased his 
acreage to 400, it being well improved and excel- 
lently stocked. He has devoted all his time and 
attention to agriculture, and has met with moi-e 
than ordinar}' success, everything about his place 
showing that a wide-awake gentleman is at the head 
of affairs. His marriage occurred in 1870, at which 
time ^liss Sarah C. Curry, a daughter of Josiah and 
Jemimah B. (Bealier) Curry, became his wife. The 
parents were born in Ohio, and in 1878 removed to 
Webster County, Neb. Their cliildrcn are: JIar}- 
E. , Sarah C. , Jacob B. , Daniel W. and William D. 
^Ir. and Mrs. McKenzie have a family of four chil- 
dren: Pearl F., Ellis L. , Ethel May and Mamie C. 
Mr. McKenzie is a man who is interested in the 
improvement of his countj', and in his political 
views is a Republican. Since his removal to Ne- 
braska he has shot a number of bufl'aloes. 



Neil R. Macalaster, the subject of this sketch, 
has been a successful practitioner of dentistry in 
Hastings since 1885. Born in Oxford County, Me. , 
August 14, 1844, his parents, Peter and Ruth 
(Bryant) Macalaster, were also born in that State, 
the former's birth occurring in Oxford County, 
March 8, 1801, and the latter's in York County in 
1809. The father is now a resident of Lovell, but the 
mother died in 1878. Dr. Macalaster is the tenth 
of thirteen children, nine of whom are now living. 
His parental grandfather, Zaccheus Macalaster, was 
born and spent his life in Oxford County, Me. , liv- 
ing to a ripe old age. The maternal grandfather, 
Benjamin Bryant, was an Englishman by birth, and 
was killed at the battle of Waterloo. Dr. Neil 
Macalaster, after being reared to a farm life and re- 
ceiving his education in the common schools, left 
home and with the determination to acquire a better 
knowledge of the '■ world of books" entered Frey- 
burg Academ}', where his course was marked by 
rapid progress. In 1860 he went to Nova Scotia, 
and for five years was a resident of Halifax, during 
which time lie was in the office of his brother, Oris P. 
Macalaster, in the study of dentistry. At the end 
of this time he returned to the United States, and 
after a two years' residence at Freyburg removed to 
Portland, and with his brother, who had returned 
from Halifax, engaged in business under the firm 
name of Macalaster Bros. , which connection con- 
tinued from 1869 to 1878, when the Doctor pur- 
chased his brother's interest, and conducted the 
business alone there until 1885. on September 24 of 
that year moving to Hastings, Neb. , where he estab- 
lished his present office. He is one of the leading 
dentists of this region, and has obtained a liberal 
share of public favor, the best proof of his skill and 
talent. He is a member of the Nebraska Dental 
Association, and in his politics is Independent. He 
joined the I. 0. 0. F. in Lovell, Me., in 1868. but 
is now a member of Hastings Lodge. He was mar- 
ried in the "city of brotherly love" August 11, 
1876, to Miss Ella F. Barrows, born in Boone 
County, 111., November 1, 1854, and a daughter of 
Asahel and Arvilla (Nason) Barrows. Mr. Barrows 
was born in Vermont in the year 1829. Mrs. Bar- 
rows was born in New Hampshire in the year 1830. 



HISTORY UF XEUltASKA. 



k. 



Thcv are both living in Hastings. To Dr. and ^Mrs. 



Macalaster a son was born Febn 



12. ISST. and 



(lied July G. 18S7. His name was Melviii Lyman. 
Alvin T. IMec'ham, retired farmer. Koiiesaw, 
Neb. That a lite time spent in pursuing one occupa- 
tion will in the end result in substantial success, 
where energ}' and perseverance are applied, cannot 
for a moment be doubted, and such is found to be 
the case with Mr. Mecham. who from boyiiood has 
given his attention principally to agricultural pur- 
suits. He is at present the owner of ] fiO acres of 
the best land in this section, situated one and a half 
miles south of the village of Kenesaw, and is one 
of the progressive citizens of the count3-. He was 
born in Mercer County. Pa.. October 14. 1S34, and 
is the son of Caleb and Marj- (Currier) Mecham, 
both natives of Xew Hampshire, the father born in 
1810, and the mother in 1813. Both came to Penn- 
sylvania with their parents in 1817, and both were 
descendants of prominent families of New England. 
In the early dajs of New Hampshire the great-grand- 
father's family was massacred by Indians, two little 
sons alone escaping. When Alvin T. Mecham was 
sixteen years of age, he came with his parents to 
Illinois, and settled with them in Grundy County, 
where the father died in 1852. The mother still 
survives and makes her home with her daughter, 
Mrs. Thomas Farabee, at Juniata, Neb.. Of a 
farail}- of eight children, Alvin T. was second in 
order of birth. He attained his growth in Grundy 
County, and received his education in the subscrip- 
tion schools in Pennsylvania. In 1856 he married 
Miss Lucy Booth, a native of Trumbull County. Ohio, 
and the daughter of Trumau and Rebecca (Percj) 
Booth, natives of Connecticut. The Percj- family 
trace their ancestry in this countr}" back to two 
brothers, who came to America previous to the Revo- 
lutionary War and served in the same. Mrs. Booth 
was a niece of Lord Percy. Truman Booth and 
Miss Rebecca Percj- were married at Waterbury, 
Conn., in 1814. and emigrated to Ohio at an early 
day. There Truman Booth died. A number of 
years after, in 1854, the mother removed to Grundy 
County, 111., and there died in 1882, at the age of 
eighty-eight jears. Edward R. Booth and Oliver J. 
Booth, lirothers of Mrs. Mecham, had moved to 



Grundj- County in 184G. and were among the pion- 
eers of that county. Thej- received their final sum- 
mons there, and both were prominent citizens, hold- 
ing many positions of trust and honor in that county. 
After residing three j-ears in Livingston County, 111. , 
in ISGoMr. and Mrs. Mecham located in Kankakee 
County, 111. , and iu 1878 moved to Nebraska, loca- 
ting one and a half miles south of Kenesaw, where 
as before stated, they have IGO acres of excellent 
land. In 1883 jMr. Mecham retired from active bus- 
iness and removed to Kenesaw, where he has a 
pleasant home. Mr. Mecham is a carpenter by trade 
and has done consideraljle contracting and building 
in Kenesaw. To his marriage have been born two 
children: Chloe R. (now Jlrs. Horace G. Armitage, 
of Kenesaw), and Clinton Percy (who is man-ied, is 
a fai-mer, and resides in Kenesaw). 

E. E. Merritt, editor of the Daily and Weekly 
Nebraskan, comes of a long line of New England 
ancestry, and was born at Burlington, Vt. , February 
6, 1845, with a twin brother named Edgar. He is 
a son of Crittenden and Sarah (Ranney) Merritt, 
who moved West in 1851, and located in Janesville, 
Wis. , moving from there to Sparta, Wis., in 1857, 
their first year's residence at this place being on a 
farm. The father died May 20, 1876, at the age of 
seventy years, and the mother in April, 1SG3, at the 
age of fifty-five years. E. E. Merritt, the immediate 
subject of this memoir, attended the public schools 
until he was fourteen years of age, but March 21, 
185S1, began serving a regular apprenticeship at the 
printers' trade in the office of the Sparta (Wis. ) Her- 
ald, continuing there until 1861 when he went to La 
Crosse, Wis., and finished his trade iu the Republi- 
can office, which was situated in the same building 
where '-Brick" Pomeroj- published the Democrat, 
and started on the road to fame. In the spring of 
1863 he acted as cabin boy on a steamer plying be- 
tween Memphis and Vicksburg. and a year later en- 
listed as a private in Company G, Fortieth Regi- 
ment. Wisconsin Infantry, and during the summer 
of that year was stationed on picket duty in the 
rear of ^lomphis, and was present when Forrest 
made his celebrated raid into that city. In the fall 
of that year he was mustered out of service and re- 
turned to Wisconsin, and during the winter of that 



^1 






ADAMS COUNTY. 



279 



year worked on a paper called the Union Flag, which 
was published at Neillsville, Wis. , a lumbering town 
on the Black River, and the county seat of Clark 
County. In the spring of 1SG5 he went to St. 
Louis, Mo., and after " subbing" on cases, obtained 
a regular situation as a compositor on the Pemoorat. 
'In the fall of 1806 he returned to Neillsville. Wis. , 
and with John S. Dore founded the Clark County 
Journal, but returned to St. Louis four mouths later, 
again working on the Democrat, before the Globe 
was known. In the fall of 1867 he again returned 
to Neillsville, and started the Clark County Eepuli- 
lican, and there continued as its edit(jr and proprie- 
tor until the spring of 1874, when he sold out to C. 
J. Cooper. He wtis deputy untler the census mar- 
shall of the State in 1870 and gathered the statistics 
of Clark County, and was elected for the district of 
Jackson and Clark Counties as assemtilyman member 
of the Lower House of the State Legislature in 1872, 
sen-ing during the winter session of 1873. He was 
chairman of the committee on Legislative expendi- 
tures, and was a mem-ber of printing, privileges and 
elections standing committees. He removed to the 
State of Iowa in the summer of 1875. and became 
editor and proprietor of the Victor Index. In the 
winter of 1878 he was second assistant of the Iowa 
Senate, and in the spring of that year was appointed 
postal clerk in the railway mail service on the Iowa 
Centi-al Raikoad, running between Mason City and 
Ottumwa, continuing the publication of his paper at 
the same time. In the fall of 1879 he moved with 
his family to Ottumwa, soon after moving his office, 
and in connection with AVilliam McClelland estab- 
lished a job office. About 1880 he left the road, 
sold his office, and became city editor of the Ot- 
tumwa Democrat, and later occupied the same posi- 
tion on the Ottumwa Courier. In 1882 he returned 
to the road by new appointment, and by special leave 
of absence from the post office department sened 
during the summer of 1883 as secretary of the 
Repul)liean State central committee under Chairman 
W. A. McGrew. In January, 1885, he was promoted 
to the position of head clerk between Burlington and 
Council Bluflfs, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quiney 
Railroad, but resigned this position the May foUow- 
iuo- Cleveland's inauguration and became State agent 



for an insurance company, and secretary of the 
Wapello County Agricultural Society. In the fall 
of 1883 he leased a half interest in the Mitchell 
County Press, at Osage, Iowa, but gave it up the 
following January, and went to Huron, Dak. , where 
he compiled a directory of that city, at the same time 
doing more or less work on the Daily Huronite, the 
following summer taking a directory of Watertown, 
Dak. , and for a short time became a traveling cor- 
respondent of the Sioux Falls Daily Press. In 1886 
he organized the Dakota Gazetteer and Business 
Directory Company, and was its manager. He can- 
vassed the lines of the Northern Pacific & Manitoba 
Railroads in Dakota, and in the spring of 1887 went 
to Sioux City. Iowa, and was city editor of the Daily 
Tril)une throughout the summer. In the fall of that 
year he came to Hastings, Neb., and the following 
January accepted the position of city editor of the 
Daily Gazette Journal, but this position resigned on 
August 1, and with John A. Creath bought of Dr. 
H. P. Fitch, the Nebraskan, then a weekly paper. 
On November 13, 1888, the day after the failure of 
the Gazette-Journal, they started the Daily Nebras- 
kan, which paper is regarded as one of the best in 
the State. Mr. Merritt and Mr. Creath are admira- 
ble newspaper men, and their progressive ideas are 
reflected in every corner of their paper; and its man- 
aaement, which has had a most flattering increase 
in its circulation since it came into their possession. 
On November 30, 1871, Mr, Merritt was united in 
marriage to Miss Mattie A. Williams, at Homestead, 
Johnson County, Iowa, and theii- union has been 
blessed in the birth of three children: JIabel (born 
September 21, 1872), Maude (born April 23, 1876), 
and Edgar C. (born February 13, 1878). 

Nicholas Metzer, farmer and stock raiser, Hol- 
stein. Neb. The estate upon which :Mr. Metzer now 
resides, and to which he has given such close at- 
tention in the cultivation, embraces 400 acres, with 
alx)ut 300 acres under cultivation, substantial and 
convenient buildings being a leading feature of these 
improvements. He is numbered among the thi'ifty, 
foreign-born residents of the county, having been 
born in Bavaria, Germany, on November 6, 1837. 
His parents, Martin and Barbara (Google) Metzer, 
were also natives of that counti-y, and emigi-ated to 



V 



280 



llLSTOltV OF XEBllASKA. 



the Stak's in 1S51, localiiig in Wisconsin. TIktc 
both parents died in Washington County. Nicliolas 
Metzcr came witli his parents to tlie United States, 
and resided with them until about fifteen years of 
age, wlien lie Ix'gan working out liy tiie montli. 
After ii'rowing up lie engaged in tlie brewery busi- 
ness in Washington County, Wis., and eontinued at 
this for several years. Tn 187.3 he sold out and 
moved to Nebraska, settled in Adams County, and 
entered land adjoining the town of Holstein. He 
afterwards sold this and bought his present prop- 
erty. He filled the ofliee of township collector and 
treasurer for some time, and to the satisfaction of 
all. While living in Washington County, Wis. , he 
was married, in 1SG3, to Miss Pauline Hohlfeld, a 
nati\e of Crermany, liut who was reared in AYiscon- 
sin. To this union have been born seven children: 
George, Alma (wife of Charles Kune), Frank, 
Adolph, Charles, Hattie and Oscar. Mr. and Mrs. 
Metzer are members of the Lutheran Church. Mr. 
Metzer enlisted in the Ninth Wisconsin Infantry in 
1861, and served until discharged for disability in 
18G2. 

J. C. F. Milliken, farmer, Hastings, Neb. Mr. 
Milliken, who is also numbered among the substan- 
tial and representative citizens of Eastern birth in 
Highland Township, came originally from Greene 
County, Pa., where his birth occurred in 185(5, and 
is the fifth of seven children Ijorn to the marriage of 
Jonas and Elizalieth (Hughes) Milliken, natives of 
the Keystone State, where they are still living, the 
father engaged in tilling the soil. J. C. F. Milliken 
assisted his father on the farm, received his educa- 
tion in the schools of Pennsylvania, and commenced 
farming for himself in his native State in 1880. 
He was married in his native county that year to 
Miss Bell Kineiiart, a native of Greene County, 
Pa., and the daughter of W. H. and Ruth A. 
(Bowen) Rinehart, natives of Pennsylvania. Fler 
parents are lioth living, and the father is a promi- 
nent stock dealer. In 1883 Mr. Milliken and fam- 
ily moved to Adams County, Neb., purchased IGO 
acres of land, with twenty-five acres in tillable con- 
dition, and now have it all under cultivation. Mr. 
Milliken is raising a good grade of cattle, and is one 
of the progressive men of the county-. He is the 



present township assessor, elected in 1888, and has 
also bi'cn school treasurer two terms, being (juite 
active in educational matters. He is active in pol- 
itics, votes with the Republican party, and he and 
wife are worthy meml)ersof the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. To their union were born three children: 
(Jeorge, Lauren and Ruth. 

James P. Miltiraore keeps an exceptionally com- 
plete livery, feed and sale stal)le in the city of Hast^ 
ings. Neb., and is a native of York State, where he 
was born January 10, 1842, being one of two sur- 
viving members of a family of children born to 
Pardon and Elmina (Lampson) Miltimore, who were 
also born in that State. They died in the State 
of Wisconsin, the father in Jonesville, and the 
mother in Albany. James P. Miltimore, at the 
very early age of seven years, was cast upon the 
world to seek his own fortune, and for a number of 
years found it most difHcidt to secure a livelihood. 
Having always been of an ambitious disposition, he 
put his heart in his work, and as time went on suc- 
ceeded in accumulating considerable means. For a 
number of j-ears prior to his coming to Adams 
County in June, 1873, he was engaged in the grain 
business in Wisconsin, but on coming to this county 
he settled about four miles from Hastings and 
opened a livery stal)le in the town, also carrying on 
a draj- and transfer business, and being industrious 
and prudent he soon established an excellent busi- 
ness. This calling received his attention until the 
fall of 1881, after which he spent a number of years 
in buying and selling horses, and in 1887 opened 
the livery stable which he is now successfully con- 
ducting. His stables are excellently fitted up with 
all kinds of vehicles, among which are two hand- 
some hearses, and the animals which he keeps are 
all in excellent condition and are readj' for use at all 
times. For some time during the war he drove a 
government team , and for one year was a member 
of Company I, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 
and is now a member of the G. A. R. His mar- 
riage to Miss Eliza Rawley was celebrated in 1870, 
but he was called upon to mourn her untimely death 
three years later, her body being taken to Wisconsin 
for burial. In 1880 Mr. Miltimore espoused Miss 
Idell Willoughby, by whom he has three children: 



e> V 



•k 

-■--»- 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



281 



Giaevra, James L. and Bliss W. (the last two being 
twins). 

John D. Mines, city treasurer, Hastings, Neb. 
A glance at the lives of many representative men 
whose names appear in this volume will reveal 
sketches of some honored, influential citizens, but 
none more worthy or deserving of mention than 
John D. Mines. This gentleman was originally 
from Ingersoll, Canada, where his birth occurred on 
July 9, 1856, and is the son of Robert and 
Christina (Morrison) Mines, who were of Irish and 
Scotch descent. John D. Mines was reared and 
educated in his native country, and there learned 
the trade of cutter in a tailoring establishment. At 
the age of eighteen he came to the United States 
and followed his trade in Chicago until 1878, when 
he emigrated to Lincoln, Neb. , and thence the fol- 
lowing year to Hastings, where he has followed the 
occupation of cutter for the large clothing and mer- 
chant tailoring establishment of Barnes Bros. He 
is a Republican in politics, and was elected city 
clerk in 1886, serving two years. He was then 
elected treasurer in 1888, and this position he now 
fills in an able and efficient manner. He was mar- 
ried onNovember 21, 188.3, to Miss Irene E. Myers, 
a native of West Virginia, and to this union has 
been born one child, a daughter. Hazel C. Jlr. 
Mines is a member of the 3Iodern Woodmen Order 
and K. of P. , and is recognized as one of Hastings' 
eminent and most successful young business men 
and citizens. 

Hon. Hugh Carter Minnix is a man wlio seems 
to be well adapted to the occupation of a planter, 
and in the pursuit of this calling, as well as in the 
occupation of stock raising, he has been more than 
ordinarily successful. He was born in Waterloo, 
Fayette County, Ohio, January 7. 1830, and is a son 
of Elijah B. and Rachel (Dyer) Minnix, who were 
born in West A^'irginia, and came from near Win- 
chester. The ^Minnixes date their advent in this 
country to about the time of the Revolutionary War, 
when a worthy memlicr of the family , probably the 
first of the name in America, did honoralile service 
as a soldier in that memorable war. The presump- 
tion is that he settled in Virginia, married, and had 
bom to him Elijah B., the father of the subject of 

18 



this sketch. Rachel Dyer was a daughter of Isaac 
Dyer, a soldier in the War of 1812, from Virginia. 
Hon. Hugh Carter Minnix was one of two sons and 
three daughters, only himself and two sisters now 
living, and his earliest recollections are those of 
spending his time upon the home farm and in at^ 
tending the common schools of his native State. In 
1857 he located in Champaign County, III, and was 
engaged in the occupation of agriculture until the 
opening of the Civil War, and in 1862 enlisted in 
Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-fiftli Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, which company he helped to 
raise, and did honorable, service until the close of 
the war, when he was honorably discharged as a 
non-commissioned officer, on June 30, 1865, at Chi- 
cago. He was at Perry ville, Stone River, Chicka- 
mauga, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga, and was 
with Sherman on his march to the sea. After the 
war ^Ir. Jliunix returned to his plow in Champaign 
County, and here continued to make his home until 
1873, when he came to Nebraska and made invest- 
ments in Webster and Adams Counties, which in- 
terests have occupied his attention more or less ever 
since, as he buys and sells considerable real estate 
during the year. He was married in Fayette Countj', 
Ohio, to Miss Catherine Mouser, a daughter of Daniel 
and Elizabeth Mouser, natives of Virginia. Mr. 
Minnix and his wife have a family of six sons and 
two daughters, only the following of whom are liv- 
ing: J(5hn Q. (a substantial farmer of Logan Town- 
ship), Warren A. , and Elijah S. (a resident of Logan 
Township). William I. died at the age of ten 
months; Hugh C. was a blacksmith by trade, and 
died in his twenty-fourth year; Elizabeth J. became 
the wife of William H. Remer, and died when twen- 
ty-eight years of age, leaving a son; Lydia A., who 
married W. E. Muuson, died in her twentj'-ninth 
year, leaving two daughters and a son. Mr. ■Minnix 
has alwaj-s taken an active interest in G. A. R. cir- 
cles, and held diflferent official positions in Rocky 
Face Post during its existence at iMorseville. He 
has been a member of the county board of supervi- 
sors for three years, and during the sessions of 
1887-88 he represented his county in the State Leg- 
islature, and served with credit and distinction on 
the committees of public lands and buildings, cities 



T^ 



it^ 



282 



HISTORY OF >KB11ASKA. 



aud towns, aiul claims, besides on several special 
committees. He is now president of the Agricultu- 
ral Society of Adams County, and is a member of 
the State Board of Agriculture. In bis political 
views he is a stanch Republican. In every walk of 
life he has been honorable and upright in his deal- 
ings, and is universally respected and esteemed for 
liis man}- worthy qualities. 

John B. Monlux, superintendent of city schools, 
Hastings, Neb. There is probaV)ly no man within 
the limits of Adams County who is deserving of 
more credit for the interest he has taken in its lie- 
half than i>ir. Monlux; and the brief facts here 
presented indicate to more than an ordinary degree 
the relations he has borne to the county's develop- 
ment, especially so in educational matters. He owes 
his nativity to Guernsey County, Ohio, his birth oc- 
curring near North Salem, July 18. 1855, and is the 
son of Samuel aud Agnes (Clark) Jlonlux, natives 
of Ohio County, Va., and Guernsey County, Ohio, 
respectively. John B. Monlux moved with his 
parents to Monroe, Jasper County, Iowa, in 1869, 
and there received a liberal education in the common 
and high schools. In 1873 he entered the Iowa 
State University, graduating from the classical 
course in 1878, and afterward taught school near his 
home until 1879. After this he became assistant in 
the high schools of Oskaloosa, Iowa, aud subse- 
quently became principal of the same, which he 
conducted for two years. For four years after this 
he was city superintendent of the Fairfield, Iowa, 
schools, and in 1887 he came to Hastings, where he 
has since filled his present position to the satisfac- 
tion of all. Under his management the schools 
have been thoroughly and carefully graded and 
now hold a high rank among the graded schools 
of the State. He is an able educator and a man 
universally respected. On August 8, 1888, he was 
united in marriage with a Miss Tillie E. Creeth, a 
native of Knoxville, III. Socially Mr. Monlux is a 
member of the I. O. 0. F. , and in his political 
views he affiliates with the Republican party. In 
religion he is a Cougregationalist. 

Eugene B. jMoore, furniture dealer, Kenesaw, 
Neb. Mr. Moore, one of the earliest settlers of 
Kenesaw, is a native of Syracuse, N. Y. , where his 



birth occurred on May 2G, 1845, l)eing the son of 
Oman ^Moorc, who was a native of the Green 
-Mountain State, and who, at an early day, moved 
with his parents to New York. There the latter 
grew to manhood, aud was united in marriage to 
Jliss Catherine Folts, a native of New York and a 
descendant of one of the pioneer families of that 
State. In 1859 they came to Illinois, settling in 
Fulton County, wjiere they resided until 187(), when 
the}' removed to Ndiraska and settled near Kene- 
saw. There the father purchased a farm ami there 
resided until 1883, wheu he received his final sum- 
mons at the age of seventy years. Mrs. Jloore is 
still living, is seventy-one years of age, and makes 
her home with her son, Albert C. , on the original 
homestead. Eugene B. Moore moved to Table 
Grove, 111., with his parents, in December, 1859, 
and received a limited education in the common 
schools. When about twenty years of age he went 
to Belvidere, 111., where he served an apprentice- 
ship at the wagon and carriage making trade, and 
then, in 1867, he returned to his home at Tal)le 
Grove, 111., where he established himself at his 
trade, conducting a general carriage and wagon 
making business until 1871. Then on account of 
failing health he was compelled to seek out door 
employment, and engaged at the carpenter and 
builder's trade. In 1874 he moved to Adams 
County, Neb., located on his present farm, adjoin- 
ing the city limits, and there he now resides. He 
had visited the place the preceding jear, and first 
purchased eighty acres, which he has since increased 
to 360 acres, and now has one of the best farms in 
the county. In May, 1889, he established his pres- 
ent furniture business in the town of Kenesaw, and 
is now the only furniture dealer in the place. Mr. 
Moore has taken an active interest in the general 
advancement of the town aud county, and is recog- 
nized as one of Kenesaw's leading citizens. He has 
served as a member of the board of public educa- 
tion, has also served as justice of the peace, and is 
a member of Kenesaw Lodge No. 144, A. F. <& 
A. M. At the time of his settlement there was 
but one house in Kenesaw, aud Mr. Moore and 
family lived in that the first summer of their resi- 
dence here. In 1868, on December 12, Mr. Moore 



s — 



^1 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



283 



-s],^ 



married Miss Martha J. Kellj-, a nati\e of Vermont, 
111. , her parents coming to Illinois from Kentucky, 
their native State. To JMr. and 3Irs. Moore have 
l)een born three children: Frank D. and Fred E. 
(liorn at Table Grove, 111., Januarj- 17, 1S70, and 
December 6, 1872, respectively), Pearl M. (Iwrn at 
Juniata, Neb. , May 4, 1879). The family are mem- 
bers of the Christian Church. 

Hugh A. Jloreland, a prominent citizen of Juni- 
ata, is deputy sheriff of Adams County, constable 
of Juniata Township, general collector and livery- 
man, and was born in Albany, N. Y. , in 1847, being 
the second of nine children born to Hugh and Pru- 
dence Moreland, whose maiden name was Jennings. 
Both parents were born in York State, and in 1848 
removed from Albany to De Kalb County, 111. , of 
which they were among the very earliest settlers. 
Mr. Moreland entered 160 acres of land, and like 
the majority of pioneer settlers had rather a hard 
time to make a living for a number of years, as the 
nearest market was Chicago, eighty miles distant, 
whither he hauled his products with ox teams. 
After living on this farm eight years he went to 
Minnesota and entered a piece of land near the 
present site of Chatsworth, and on his property 
erected the first house in .the township. One year 
later he returned to Illinois, but this time took up 
his abode in La Salle County, and here became the 
owner of a large farm, on which he is still residing. 
After working on his father's farm and obtaining a 
good practical education in the common schools, 
Hugh A. 3Ioreland enlisted in the Union army at 
the age of eighteen years (in 1863), becoming a 
member of Company K, of an Illinois regiment, but 
was soon honorably discharged, upon which he went 
to Iowa, and secured the position of brakeman on 
the Chicago, :Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and 
tliree years later began working on the Sioux City 
& St. Paul Railroad, being conductor on this line 
for three years, his train carrying all the ties with 
which to build the Winona & St. Peter Railroad. 
Upon his return to Illinois he engaged in farming in 
that State for about two years, after which he was 
connected with a railroad for some time, and in 
1875 came to Adams County, Neb., and for a period 
was engaged in farming and operating a threshing 



machine and corn sheller near Juniata. He next 
opened a livery stable, now one of the oldest in the 
town , l)ut two years later he began auctioneering and 
collecting, and since being elected to the position of 
constable these two occupations have received his 
attention. He was one of the leaders in securing 
the incorporation of Juniata, and served as its mar- 
shal until 1886, when he resigned.. He has been 
active in political matters, aud for about five years 
has held the position of deputy sheriff. He became 
a member of a company of militia in 1885, and after 
serving one year as a private he was chosen captain 
of Company F, Nebraska National Guards, but re- 
signed this position one year later. He has attained 
high rank in the I. 0. 0. F. , is a member of Juniata 
Lodge No. 79, and has been a delegate to the State 
convention. When Mr. Moreland was a boy he pur- 
chased a colt, which he broke and trained, and which 
afterward developed into a very fast animal, either 
as a trotter or runner. Many races were won with 
this horse, which afterward acquired an enviable 
reputation on the race track, and became especially 
famous at Long Island, and sold for $10,000. Mr. 
Moreland also owned -'Fannie Kemble," who won 
for him the three mile race at Behidere, and another 
horse with which he won the first race ever run on 
the track at Hastings, and the Fourth of July race 
at York. In 1889 he erected a fine livery stable in 
Juniata, which he also uses as a sale and feed stable, 
and is on hand every Saturday at his place of busi- 
ness ready to purchase desirable animals. He was 
man-ied, in 1880, to Miss Josie Hildebrand, a na- 
tive of Ohio, whose parents were early pioneers of 
Iowa aud Adams County, Neb. , and are now living 
in Dawson County of this State. Mr. aud Mrs. 
jMoreland have had born to them four children: Imo, 
Chub (who died at the age of sixteen months), Frank 
and one other. In 1882 Mr. Moreland erected his 
present residence in the town, and is also the owner 
of other valuable property. 

Benjamin 3Iorgan, farmer and stockman, Hast- 
ings, Neb. Originall}' from the Buckeye State, 
where his Ijirth occurred (in Perry County) in 
January, 1840, Mr. Morgan is one of the pioneer 
settlers of Adams County, Neb. His father, 
Samuel ^lorsau, was also a native of Ohio, and fol- 



>F1® — ^ 



V 



284 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



lowed the occupation of a I'aniior in that State. lie 
married Miss Mary Elizabeth Rose, who died in 
]S5(i, and tlie result of this union was seven cliil- 
dren, Benjamin being second in order of birth. Tiie 
father is still living and resides In Perry County, 
Ohio. Orandfather Rose was a soldier in the War 
of 1812. The above mentioned l'amil_y are Jacob 
(married and resides in Lincoln Country, Neb.), Ben- 
jamin (our subject), Elizabeth (deceased), Hannah 
(now Mrs. Tinker of Ohio), Peter (married and re- 
sides in Fayette County, Ohio), Rebecca J. (now of 
London, Ohio). Upon growing up it was but 
natural, perhaps, that Benjamin Morgan should 
adopt farming as his future occupation, and from 
the very fir.st he became acquainted witli hard work. 
He secured a fair education in the district schools 
of Ohio, and at the breaking out of the war enlisted 
in Company D, Tliii'ty-first Oliio Infantry, for throe 
years, being mustered into service at Camp Chase. 
He was in the battles of Murfi-eesboro, Logan, Cross 
Roads or Mill Springs, Perryville. Chickamauga, 
Pittsburgh Landing, Corinth, Lookout Mountain, 
Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain and 
others. He was under severe fire at Chattanooga, 
and was with Sherman to Atlanta. He was honor- 
ably discharged at Atlanta in September, 1864, and 
returned to Ohio. He was married in Perry County, 
Ohio, in 1865, to Miss Mary Jane Pace, a native of 
that county and the daughter of Miner Pace, one of 
the early settlei's of Ohio. Mr. Morgan followed 
farming in Ohio until he emigrated to Nebraska in 
1873, and there settled in Roseland Township. In 
1882 he sold out and purchased 160 acres in High- 
land Township, which he has since improved very 
much, erecting a good house and barn and, in fact, 
has all the necessary conveniences. He votes with 
the Republican party, but is not active in politics. 
He and wife are members of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church at Hastings. To their marriage were 
born eight children: Flora Jane (now Mrs. Emljrj' 
of Lincoln County, Neb.), Alice Elmira, Almeda 
Viola, Sylvester E. , Charles Chester, Arietta Leona, 
George and Barley Edgar. Aside from his success- 
ful farming operations Mr. Morgan is also deeply 
interested in raising stock, and is one of the prom- 
inent agriculturists of the county. 



William .Moritz, proprietor of Hastings Iron 
Works, Hastings, Neb. Of all the occupations 
engaging the industrious application of human 
thought, energy and endeavor, tiiere are none of 
more importance than that of the scientifically 
skilled machinist. Nor are tliere any affording so 
wide a scope for the products of genius, the benefi- 
cial exercise of God's best gifts to man — the intellect. 
The machinist is one who, educated in the laws and 
principles of mechanism, has the genius and skill 
to apply them so as to produce practical results, in 
the shape of machinery. Hastings has a numlier 
of these flourishing establishments, but none of more 
importance than that conducted by Mr. Moritz, 
who bought the Hastings Iron Works in 1889, and is 
now doing an extensive business. He employs 
about twenty hands and manufactures well boring 
and drilling tools, columns and full store fronts, 
hoisting elevators, bridge eastings, cast and wrought 
iron furnaces and general foundry work. Mr. Mor- 
itz is a native of Saxony, Germany, where his birth 
occurred August 23, 1859, and is the son of Charles 
and Mary (Stahlhad) Moritz, both natives also of 
Saxony, Germany, but now residents of Hall County, 
Neb. William Moritz came to the United States in 
1879, located in Hastings in 1885, and in the fall of 
that year established Hastings Iron & Brass Works, 
which he conducted successfully until October, 1889, 
when he established his present business. He was 
married April 9, 18G8, to Miss Mary Toebele, a 
native of Baden, and to this union has been born one 
son, William. In his political views Mr. Moritz 
affiliates with the Democratic party, and is one of 
Hastings' enterprising business men and citizens. 
He is a member of the K. of P. , and is Chancelor 
Commander of Teutonia Lodge No. 55. 

D. M. Morris, farmer and stock raiser, Hansen, 
Neb. This enterprising and successful agriculturist 
owes his nativity to Greene County, Pa. , where his 
birth occurred on March 10, 1840, and is the eldest 
of three children born to the union of Robert and 
Emiline (Mills) Morris, natives of Pennsylvania. 
The father is still living in his native State, and is a 
successful carpenter. The mother died in 1847. 
D. M. Morris' time in early youth was diviiled 
between assisting on the farm and in attending the 



A 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



285 



common schools of Pennsj-lvania. At the age of 
fifteen j-ears he came to Putnam County, 111. , thence 
to La Salle County, where he cultivated the soil, and 
from there to Livingston Count}-, of the same State, 
in 1859, where he continued his former pursuit. In 
August, 1861, he enlisted at Camp Butler, 111., in 
Company F, Thirty-third Illinois Infantr}-, for three 
years, and was mustered into service at Camp But^ 
ler. He was assigned to the Western department, 
and was in the battle of Frederiektown , Cotton Hill, 
Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, Black River Bridge, 
siege of Vicksburg, Fort Esperanza and manj- 
others. In January, 1864, he veteranized in the 
same company and regiment. He was in the battles 
of Mobile, Fort Blakely, and from there marched to 
Montgomery, Ala. , where he learned of the assassi- 
nation of President Lincoln. He was honorably 
discharged at Yazoo City, Miss., in October, 1865. 
He then returned to Livingston County, 111. , and in 
the spring of 1866 went to Greene County, Pa., 
where he attended college for eighteen months. 
After this he returned to Illinois, taught school in 
La Salle County for some time, and then followed 
the same profession in Ringgold, Iowa, and Nemaha 
Count}-, Neb. , spending two and a half 3-ears in the 
school room. In 1869 he came to Nemaha County, 
Neb., settled in Bedford Township, and in 1870 
purchased some land which he began cultivating. 
He was married in Livingston Count}-, 111. , iu 1871, 
to Miss Ella Perr}-, a native of that county, and the 
daughter of Sylvester and Jane Periy, natives of the 
Buckeye State. D. M. Morris sold out in 1882, 
and emigrated to Adams County, Neb., where he 
purchased 320 acres of laud, and is engaged in rais- 
mg stock. He takes an active interest in politics, 
and votes with the Republican party. While a resi- 
dent of Nemaha Count}-, Neb., he held several 
offices of public trust, and discharged the duties 
incumbent upon them to the satisfaction of all. 
Socially he is a member of A. J. Smith Post No. 
65, G. A. R. , Doniphan, Neb., Congress Lodge 
No. 173, I. 0. O. F. , Hansen, Neb., Enterprise 
Encampment No. 29, I. 0. 0. F. , Hastings, Neb. , 
and a member of Heli Conclave No. 1 , Heptasophs 
or Seven Wise Men, Supreme Ephor for the State 
of Nebraska. He was a representative to the Supremo 



Conclave of the LTnited States, which convened in 
Brooklyn, N. Y., in April, 1890. To Mr. Morris' 
marriage were born six children: Edward B. , James 
M. , Jennie B. , Emma Myrtle, Rhettie and Willie. 

William Munroe, farmer and stock raiser, Han- 
sen, Neb. This much respected and enterprising 
citizen is another of the pioneers of West Blue Town- 
ship, Adams County, Neb., locating in the same Oc- 
tober 24, 1872, on Section 8, where he homesteaded 
160 acres. He was born in the Province of New 
Brunswick in 1839, and was early initiated into the 
duties of farm life. In 1849 he moved with his 
parents to Rock County, Wis. , where he received the 
principal part of his education, and was married in 
July, 1861, to Miss Catharine Case, a native of 
Hebron, N. Y. , and the daughter of Merritt and 
Amse (Baldridge) Case, natives of Ohio and New 
York, respectively. Her parents were married in 
New York, and in 1842 moved to Rock County, 
Wis. , where the father resided for many years en- 
gaged in farming. In October, 1884, he came on a 
visit to his daughter, and died in November of that 
year. He was constable for many years. The 
mother died in Rock County, Wis., in 1844. Mr. 
Munroe followed farming for himself in Wisconsin 
until December 31, 1863, when he enlisted in Com- 
pany A, Thirteenth Wisconsin Infantry, and was 
mustered into service at Madison Wis. , assigned to 
the Department of the Cumberland. He was in re- 
served division of the Twentieth Corps at Decatur, 
Ala. , and was on garrison duty guarding the Ala- 
bama River. He was then taken sick, was in the 
hospital at Joneslioro, Tenn. , for some time, and was 
discharged from the hospital at Nashville, Tenn., in 
1865, returning to Rock County, Wis., May 14, of 
that year. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and 
in 1872 came to Adams County, Neb., where he 
entered 160 acres of land, which he immediately com- 
menced to improve, erecting a frame house and sub- 
stantial outbuildings. He lived in a covered wagon 
for six weeks, and in 1879 he purchased eighty acres 
of railroad land. Three years later he moved to 
this farm, erected a good house and barn, and now 
has 240 acres of excellent land in a good state of 
cultivation within six miles of the city limits. He 
raises considerable stock and is one of the progres. 






281) 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



sive men of the county. He takes an active part in 
politics, and his vote is cast with the Repul)lican 
party. He has been a member of the school lioanl, 
organized the school district and was school treasurer 
for four years. He is deeply interested in educa- 
tional matters as maj' be seen. He is a a member 
of the Farmers' Alliance, and is also a member of 
Strickland Post No. 13, G. A. R., at Hastings. 
Mrs. ;Munroe is a memlier of the Presbyterian Church 
at Hansen. To their union five children were born: 
Carrie A. (now Mrs. Funk, of Doniphan, Hall 
County, Neb. , and a teaciier in the school at that 
place, her husband being principal of Doniphan 
school), Cora (now Mrs. Jlontague, of Hall County, 
Neb.), Irving Eugene, George Albert, Nancy Amelia. 
Jlr. Munroe has seen maaj- changes in the countrj- 
since first settling here, and was living here at the 
time of the blizzard of 1873, which lasted for three 
days. He assisted in the organization of West Blue 
Precinct and Township, and assisted in locating the 
county seat at Hastings. He was the eldest of nine 
children born to his parents, John and Nancj' 
(Moores) Munroe, natives of New Brunswick. The 
father was a successful agriculturist, was married in 
New Brunswick, and soon afterward moved to Calais, 
Me. , where he remained until 18-19. He then moved 
to Johnstown, Rock County, Wis., purchased forty 
acres of land, and after remaining there for a num- 
ber of years moved to Masonville, Wis. , where his 
death occurred January G, 1874. He had kept a 
tavern at the last mentioned place. The mother is 
stilll living, and now resides in Doniphan, Hall 
County, Neb,, whither she moved in 1881. Their 
familj' consisted of the following children: William, 
James (was drowned in the Wisconsin River in April, 
1873), Eleanor (now Mrs Hudson, of Hall County, 
Neb. ), John B. (married and resides on Rock Prai- 
rie, Rock Count}-, Wis.), George (moved to Adams 
County, Neb., in May, 1880, and died in April, 1881, 
of consumption), Jane (now Mrs. Dykeman, of Hall 
County, Neb.), Charles (married and resides in Hall 
County, Neb.), Mary (now Mrs. Rood, of Highland 
Township, Adams County), and Henry (who died in 
Rock County, Wis. , about 1867.) 

Stephen A. Nash is one of the pioneers of Adams 
County, Neb. , and is actively engaged in farming' 



and stock raising. He was born in Columliia 
County, N. Y., May 22, 1844, and like the majority 
of the natives of the " Empire State " he is indus- 
trious, enterprising and intelligent. He is the 
eldest of three surviving members of a family of 
eight children born to Nelson B. and Melvina 
(Shutts) Nash, who were also born in York State, 
the former July 24, 1812, and the latter November 
3, 1813. In early life the father learned the trade 
of a clock maker in the Seth Thomas Clock Factory, 
but sulisequently gave his attention to farming, 
stock raising and the mercantile business. He died 
in Adams County, Neb., in 1882, still survived by 
his widow, who is an earnest member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and makes her home 
with her son. Stephen A. Nash was educated in 
the common schools, and worked on the old home- 
stead until August 29, 1864, when he entered Com- 
pany K, Forty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 
and served until the close of the war, being honor- 
ably discharged June 30. 1865. In the fall of 1866 
he entered the employ of the United States govern- 
ment as surve}"or of the lands belonging to the 
Osage Indians, and the following year was spent in 
trading with the Indians, after which he went to 
Wisconsin and remained until 1870. Since that 
time he has been a resident of Nebraska, but the 
first two years were spent in hunting buffaloes, be- 
ing an associate of ••Buckskin Charlej-," a noted 
hunter of the West. In 1872 he came to Adams 
County and took up a homestead claim, and in 
1882 83 purchased grain in Hastings, but since 18S7 
has given his attention to general farming and stock 
raising. He is a Republican. Mr. Nash is one of 
the leading agriculturists of Adams Count\-, and is 
the owner of 480 acres of valuable land 

F. V. Nash. As might naturally be expected, 
mention is made in the present work of many citi- 
zens of Adams County, Neb. , who were boi-n in the 
'• Hoosier State," and Mr. Nash is one of these, and 
his experience has been with the agricultural inter- 
ests of the count}-. Born on December 26, 1 852, 
he is a son of Nelson and Melvina Nash, «(<• Shutts, 
a short sketch of whom appears in the sketch of 
Stephen A. Nash. F. V. Nash is next to the 
voungest of their eight children, and has ever de- 



r 



lliL 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



287 



\-oted his time and atteiitiou to farming. It is the 
calling to which he was reared, and in which his 
father achieved success; and it is Init to be supposed 
that he would meet with sul)stautial results in the 
same capacity. His farm comprises a well improved 
tract of 200 acres, it Ijeiug situated about three miles 
southwest from the county court house. When less 
than two years of age he was taken by his parents 
to the State of Wisconsin, and there made his home, 
receiving his education in the common schools, until 
his removal to Adams County, Neb., in November, 
1872, where, the following J'ear, he began life on 
his own responsibility. Although a man young in 
years, he may be said to be an old settler of the 
county, and also one of its leading agriculturists. 
He is a Republican in politics, and in 1887 was 
elected clerk of Denver Township; was re-elected in 

1888, and also in 1889. Mr. Nash was married 
January 10, 1878, to Mary M. Babcock. They 
have one child named Rea, who was born April 3, 

1889. Mrs. Nash was born in Monroe County, 
Mich., in 1858, and came with her parents to Ne- 
braska in 1872. She is a daughter of Peter H. and 
Isabell Babcock, the latter of whom died in Adams 
County, Neb., in 1877. 

Silas W. Niles is one of the old settlers of Den- 
ver Township, Adams County, Neb., and is one of 
the sturdj', independent agriculturists of the same. 
His birth occurred in Madison County of the Empire 
State, September 24, 1840, and he is the youngest 
of eight living children born to the marriage of John 
Niles and Sarah Mosley, who were born in 1800 and 
1803, and died in Sterling, III, in 1882 and 1885, 
respectively. The paternal grandfather, who also 
bore the name of John, died in Madison County, N. 
Y. , at a ripe old age. Silas W. was reared in the 
Nutmeg State, and received an excellent high school 
education. Being quick to learn and of a rather 
studious disposition, he made rapid progress in his 
books, and upon starting out for himself was well 
fitted to make his own way in the world. He re- 
moved to the State of Iowa in 1855, and was en- 
gaged in tilling the soil in that State until 1874, 
when he came to Adams County, Neb. , and home- 
steaded his present farm of 200 acres, in Section 20. 
of Denver Township. He has greatly improved his 



property by buildings, fences, etc., since locating, 
and besides doing general farm work he gives con- 
siderable attention to the raising of stock, which has 
so far proved quite remunerative. He was married 
in 1864 to Miss Lois James, who was born in Vir- 
ginia in 1845, and by her is the father of four sons: 
John W. (a successful educator of Adams County-), 
Albert M. , Arthur and James I. Mrs. Niles is a 
daughter of James and Susanna (Ault) James, na- 
tives of ^Maryland, the former's birth occurring in 
1804. The mother died in 1863 when about fifty- 
two years of age. Mr. Niles is one of the well-known 
and highly respected men of the count}', and for 
several years has filled the office of justice of the 
peace of Denver Township. Although formerly a 
Republican in his political views, he is now a Prohi- 
bitionist. He and wife are members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. 

Christian Nissen, farmer and stockman, Hast- 
ings, Neb. A glance at the lives of the many rep- 
resentative men whose names appear in this volurac 
will reveal sketches of some honored, influential cit- 
izens, but none more deserving of mention than 
Christian Nissen. He owes his nativity to Denmark, 
where his birth occurred in 1838, and is the son of 
Nicholas and Martha Nissen. The father was a suc- 
cessful tiller of the soil, and both he and wife died 
when their son Christian was quite small. The lat- 
ter remained in Denmark until twenty-one years of 
age and then emigrated to Wisconsin, settled in 
Waukesha County, and there engaged in farming, 
and also followed the carpenter trade. He had been 
in tliat State about two years when the war broke 
out, and he enlisted, in 1861, in Company P, Fif- 
teenth Wisconsin Infantry, participating in the ba'- 
tle of Island No. 10, and was in a great many skir- 
mishes. He was then taken sick and was discharged 
in 1862 on account of disability. Returning to Wis- 
consin, he engaged in agricultural pursuits, also his 
former trade as a carpenter, and there remained for 
some time. In 1862 he married Miss Mary Holcar, 
daughter of A. Holcar, and to them were born 
twelve children, eight now living: August, Joe, 
Louisa, Mary, Christian, Jennie, Minnie and John. 
Tho.se deceased were named: Mattie, John. Nicholas 
and an infant. Mr. Nissen and famil}- immigrate I 



^<1® 



288 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



to Nebraska, settled on 11)0 acres, where he now 
lives, and has it all well improved. He likes the 
State and expects to make it his homo. He is mod- 
erator of the school district in which he lives, and 
has been a member of the school board several times. 
He and wife are members of the Lutheran Church, 
and both are deeply interested in religious and edu- 
cational matters. He is Republican in politics and 
a member of the G. A. R. Post at Hastings. He 
was one of the vcrj' first settlers of the townshij). 

Hon. Henry E. Norton, Kenesaw, Neb. Emi- 
nent success achieved through honorable endeavor 
affords one of the greatest sources of pleasure to 
him, who, in a retrospective view of life, traces his 
progress bv such tokens as deser^'e admiration and 
esteem. Such an enjoyment is afforded in its full- 
est sense to Mr. Henry E. Norton, of whose life but 
a brief summary is presented in this biographical 
sketch. The Norton family is known as one of the 
earliest families of Connecticut. AVhcn the JMaj-- 
flower lauded at Plymouth Rock with her precious 
load of weary pilgrims, who, in order that they 
might enjo}- the freedom of worship, and follow this 
after the dictates of their own conscience, left their 
native lands and pushed westward across the broad 
Atlantic, there was numbered among this little 
band, one, John Norton, in whose veins flowed the 
blood of the sturdy Scotch, and who, settling at 
Guilford, Conn., became the progenitor of the Nor- 
ton family in America. Henry E. Norton was born 
at Madison, Conn. , on August 3, 1830, and is the 
son of Jonathan E. and Eliza (Stone) Norton, both 
worth}' people of the same town and State, where 
the father died in 1880, at the age of eighty years, 
but where the mother now resides at the advanced 
age of eighty-five j-ears. Of a family of three sons 
antl three daughters born to this worthy couple, 
Henry E. is the third child in order of Ijirth. Grow- 
ing to manhood in his New England home, he in- 
herited those Puritanical principles of industrj' and 
sterling integrit}- which have ever characterized his 
after life. Young Norton secured his education in 
the high schools of his native place, and early pos- 
sessing a longing for active business, we find him 
when but seventeen years of age, acting in the 
capacity of traveling salesman, and in 1861 he 



became a raemljer of the general merchandising firm 
of Munger, Norton & Co. Two years later he en- 
gaged in the oil industrj' at Titusville, Pa. , as a 
member of the firm of Hale & Norton. The com- 
pany did a general business, pumping, refining and 
shipping petroleum, and were so successful, and 
their business increased so rapidly, that the follow- 
ing year they found it necessarj' to establish an 
ofBce at the corner of Maiden Lane and Water 
Streets, New York, Mr. Norton acting as general 
manager of the company. In 18G5 he went to 
Canada, and organized an oiling and prosijecting 
companj', at Oil Springs, Ontario. Soon afterward 
he returned to his native State, where he engaged 
at merchandising, also in the hard wood timber 
business for a number of j'ears. In 1879 he organ- 
ized the Guilford Enterprise Company, for the manu- 
facture of vegetable Ivor}- buttons, and was elected 
general manager, secretary and treasurer of the 
company. Mr. Norton not only took an active 
interest in the business development of his country, 
but also took a deep interest in politics, and in 1864 
represented Guilford in the General Assembly of 
Connecticut. He had become a stockholder in the 
Lyon's Rock and Lime Quarry Company, of Ljons, 
Col. , and in the spring of 1884 he went to the west 
to view his property', and was at once elected presi- 
dent of the company', which position he now holds. 
In 1884 he came to Kenesaw, Neb., and established 
the Kenesaw Exchange Bank, which opened for 
business November 11, of that year, with Mr. Nor- 
ton as president, and under his guidance has proved 
a success. The firm, first known as Norton & Fry, 
has since been changed to Norton & Hatch, who, 
in June, 1888, established the Madrid Exchange 
Bank. In 1859, at Madison, Conn. , he was united 
in marriage to Miss Lucj' A. Munger, a native of 
Madison, and also of old Puritan stock. The fruits 
of this union were two sons and one daughter: 
Elouise C. (now Mrs. P. E. Hatch, of Kenesaw, 
Neb.), Charles G. (who died at Guilford, Conn., at 
the age of fourteen years), and Ell)ert E. (assistant 
cashier of Kenesaw Exchange Bank, and a graduate 
of Yale College in the class of 1888). In 1880 Mrs. 
Norton passed to her last long sleep, and now lies at 
rest in the cemeterj' at (iuilford. Conn., she being 



■*—-n- 



:r^ 



€__ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



289 



at the time of her death a respected member of the 
Third Congregational Cliureh of that place. In 
April, 1885, at Atlantic, Iowa, was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Norton with IMiss Ella S. Talmadge, 
who died the following September, at Kenesaw. 
Neb. His marriage with Ln'"'a Gertrude Francis 
occurred on June 2, 1887. 'inis lady is a native of 
Thibodeaux, La Fourehe Parish, La. The familj- 
worship at the First Presbj-terian Church of Kene- 
saw, of which they are members, and in which 
organization Jlr. Norton is an elder. He has for 
many years been prominent in Masonic circles, both 
in the East and West, first becoming a member 
of the fraternitj' in 1861, when he entered into 
St. Albans' Lodge No. 38, at Guilford, Conn. He 
was made a Royal Arch Mason at Fair Haven, in 
1883, and the following year became a member of 
the New Haven Commandery No. 2, K. T. ■ He 
was prominent in organizing Kenesaw Lodge No. 
14-t, of which he is a charter member and was first 
Master. He is also a member of Mt. Nebo Com- 
mander}- No. 11, at Hastings, Neb. Since his resi- 
dence in Kenesaw, Mr. Norton has been prominently 
identified with all movements tending toward its 
advancement. A noticeable event in his career is 
the thorough principles upon which all his business 
ventures were conducted, and the eminent success 
with which they were attended. 5Ir. Norton is in 
ever}' respect a self-made man, and his achievements 
are due to his own personal efl'orts. His successful 
career in life furnishes for the younger generation a 
valuable example, showing, as it does, what may be 
accomplished by one having pluck and energy. 

Hon. Fred P. Olmstead is one of the leading 
lawyers of Adams County, Neb. , and is an example 
of what can be accomplished when the spirit of 
determination is exercised in connection with the 
every-day aflfairs of life. He was born in White- 
side County, 111., October 29, 1850, and is a son of 
Daniel C. Olmstead, who was born April 21, 1818, 
and removed from his native State to Illinois in 1833, 
where he spent a number of years as government 
contractor. In 1873 Adams County, Neb., became 
his home, and he is now one of the leading and en- 
terprising residents of Little Blue Township. His 
wife, who was formerly Miss Octavia Kendall, was 



born in the State of Maine, and in 1840 removed to 
Illinois. Hon. Fred P. Olmstead is the younger of 
two children, and from his earliest recollections was 
familiar with the duties of farm life. After receiv- 
ing an excellent knowledge of the common branches 
in the district schools of his native county, he en- 
tered Cornell College, Iowa, and was graduated 
from this institution in 1871. From that time 
until 1880 he was engaged in teaching school, a por- 
tion of the time being principal of the schools of 
Cleveland, 111., but in 1878 came to Nebraska, and 
as an educator became one of the best in the State, 
his reputation being made at Har\'ard and Grand 
Island. In 1882 he began farming and stock rais- 
ing in Little Blue Township, his operations in these 
branches of business resulting satisfactorily, but 
having previously acquired an excellent knowledge of 
legal lore, he passed an examination and in 1887 was 
admitted to the Adams County bar, since which time 
he has given this calling his undivided attention. 
In 1888 he became associated with 0. B. Hewett, 
in the law practice, and although he has acquired an 
excellent civil law practice he makes a specialty of 
criminal cases, in the handling of which he is very 
successful. Having always been a Republican his 
first Presidential vote was cast for U. S. Grant in 
1872, and on this ticket, in 1884, he was elected a 
member of the State Legislature by a majority of 
887, and was afterward made chairman of a special 
committee appointed to investigate frauds said to 
have been perpetrated on school lands and funds. 
He introduced a bill for the location of the Insane 
Asylum at Hastings, and upon the expiration of his 
term was returned to the General Assembly and 
became a prominent candidate for speaker of the 
House. He was chairman of committee on railroads , 
a member, of the judiciary committee, finance, ways 
and means, and also of common public lands and 
buildings. He is a total abstainer, and is a man 
who has through honest and consistent endeavor at- 
tained his present enviable position among the 
prominent men of Adams County. He is a man of 
commanding presence; is six feet two inches in 
height, and weighs 230 pounds. 

Henry W. Olmstead is a tiller of the soil and 
stock raiser of Little Blue Township, Adams County, 



290 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Xcl). , and is the youiigesl of four childron roaivil l)y 
Heniy and Sarah (Merritt) Olmstead, born in Ridge- 
field, Conn., and N(■^^■ York, in 1705 and 1787, 
respei'tivi'ly. Tlii' father was a son of Henry Olm- 
stead, and was also a farmer In* occupation, his 
death occurring in 1870, and his wife's in 1884. 
She was a daughter of Daniel Merritt, of Port 
Chester, N. Y. , and the children born to herself and 
Mr. Olmstead are as follows: Oliver, Daniel C. 
Mariat J. and Henry W. The latter began making 
his own way in the world in 1850, removing to 
Whiteside Countj-, 111., where he engaged in agri- 
culture, and four years later he united his fortunes 
with those of Bliss Sarah W. Oatman, a daughter of 
Daniel and Betsey Oatman of Virginia. 31r. Olm- 
stead removed to Nebraska with his wife and family 
in 1874, taking up a homestead claim of IGO acres; 
and owing to the energj' and enterprise which have 
ever characterized his efforts, he has become the 
owner of 336 acres of well improved and fertile 
land. Much of his attention is given to the raising 
of horses and broom corn. He has always assisted 
in matters pertaining to the improvement of the 
countj^; is a Republican in politics, and in addition 
to being treasurer of his district he is a member of 
his school board. He and wife have one son, 
Edward S. (who lives in Little Blue Township, near 
his father, and is conducting a poultry- farm). He is 
married to Ella C. loset, of Zero Township, Adams 
County. 

D. C. Palmer, liveryman of Hastings, Neb. 
Considering the fact that since Mr. Palmer's arrival 
upon the stage of human action he has been com- 
pelled to fight the battle of life for himself, his 
career has been more than ordinarily successful, and 
for the past three j'ears his time and attention have 
been given to his present calling, for the proper 
carrying on of which he seems to have a natural 
aptitude. Born in New Y^ork on June 28, 1835, he 
was the only child of Guj- Palmer and his first wife, 
the latter of whom died when her son was five years 
old. The senior Palmer married twice afterward, 
and is now living with his thrrd wife in the ■ • Empire 
State." D. C. was taught the intricacies of farm 
work on his farmer's homestead, and after starting 
out in life for himself this occupation continued to 



lie his calling for many years, in connection with 
which he conducted a butchering business. Both 
enterprises proved fairly remunerative, but becom- 
ing dissatisfied with his location he, in 1887, came 
to Hastings, Neb., ami opened a livery- stable, which 
he has since conducted in a highly successful man- 
ner. His earl^- education was acquired in the dis- 
trict schools of his native county and in the Caze- 
novia Seminary, which institution he attended one 
and a half terms, but his knowledge of matters and 
facts has not alone been confined to this, for by 
contact with the world and reading the current 
literature of the daj-, he would be accounted an in- 
telligent and wide-awake man in whatever com- 
munity he might cho.se to locate. Politically he is 
a Republican, and he and wife, whose maiden name 
was Lucinda E. Bard, and whom he married in the 
State of New York, are members of the Congrega- 
tional Church. To them have been born a family 
of four children: Prank, Charles, Herbert and 
Florence. Jlr. Palmer has had three half brothers, 
one of whom, D. W. Palmer, still survives, and is 
also a resident of Hastings. 

William H. Palmer has been connected with the 
farming interests of Adams County, Neb. , since 
March, 1878, and is the owner of 400 acres of valu- 
able land, the greater portion of which is under cul- 
tivation, his original purchase on coming here 
amounting to 420 acres. He was born in St. Joseph 
County, Ind. , in 1840, a son of James and Almira 
(Taylor) Palmer, and grandson of James and C\-u- 
thia (Palmer) Palmer and Adjanaza Taylor. James 
Palmer was born in Pennsylvania in 1794, and was 
married about 1820, becoming the father of the fol- 
lowing children: James S. , Adelliert B., Louisa, 
Alvina, Dorothea, Sophia, George W. and William 
H. The father of these children was a successful 
farmer, a soldier in the War of 1812, and in his po- 
litical views was formerly a Whig in politics, but 
at the time of his death in 18G1 he was a Republi- 
can. His wife died in Indiana in 1869. The earlj- 
life of William H. Palmer was spent in Indiana, and 
upon his marriage in 1864 he stiirted out in life for 
himself, and after farming in Lake Countj-, Ind., 
until March, 1878, he settled on his present proi>- 
erty in Adams County, Neb. He is a member of 



>> 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



291 



the Farmers' Alliance, and in addition to tilling his 
farm he has been engaged in running a threshing 
machine for the past eleven j-ears, and is now the 
owner of a fine steam thi'esher. His propert}' is 
finely improved and he has a good young orchard 
starteil. He is a Republican in politics, and is a 
school director iu his district. His wife was Miss 
Elsie L. , a daughter of Daniel and Alma (Cross) 
Strong, of York State. She was born in Indiana in 
1845, and has borne Mr. Palmer the following chil- 
dren: Martin D. (who was born in 1867, is married 
to Emma Taylor, and resides in Denver Township, 
Adams Count}), Alfaretta (born in 18CS, is now 
Mrs. Frederick, of Denver Township), Samuel C. 
(was born in 1870), Walter E. (in 1871), Hattie (in 
1873) and Alma (in 1883). Mr. and Mrs. Palmer 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

O. R. Palmer, a prosperous lumberman of Ju- 
niata, Neb., was born in Indiana County. Pa., in 
1851, being the youngest of seven children born to 
Henrj' and Sarah Palmer, who were extensive 
farmers, to which occupation their son, 0. R. , was 
reared. He attended the district schools near his 
home until he attained his eighteenth j'car, then be- 
gan fanning for himself on a fine piece of land con- 
sisting of sixty acres, which he had purchased. He 
soon after married Miss Salina Hice, whose native 
State was Pennsj'lvania, and on this farm he resided 
and made many improvements for seven years, then 
sold out and began farming near Morgantown, West 
Va. , but onl}- remained there a short time, and re- 
sided successively in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illi- 
nois, Missouri and Kansas, remaining in the latter 
State a period of eight years. In 1879 he located 
with four friends in Decatur County, Kan. , and with 
them built a house and broke up some land; but on 
September 30, Indians made a raid on them and 
killed Mr. Palmer's four companions, and he had a 
verj' narrow escape from death, being wounded 
twice. He managed to evade them, however, and 
succeeded in reaching Oberlin, where he told his 
story, upon which a party of men was formed to 
hunt the Indians down, and the result was two were 
killed. After this Mr. Palmer went to Glen Elder, 
Mitchell County, and spent three j-ears on a farm 
and one 3'ear in town, being engaged in the liverj' 



business, after which he went to Greelej', and en- 
gaged iu digging irrigating ditches. Still later he 
went to Beaver Canyon, where he was engaged in 
lumbering for the Utah Northern Railroad Company 
for one year, and from that time until October, 
1882, was engaged in freighting, hauling wood and 
hay in Glendale, Mont. At the last named date he 
located in Juniata, Neb. , and for five years gave his 
attention to the dray business and house moving, 
after which one year was spent iu the milling busi- 
ness. On May 1, 1888, he opened his present lum- 
ber j-ard in Juniata, and now deals iu all kinds of 
lumber, building materials and stone. Under his 
careful management and pei-severance the business 
has prospered, and he is now justly accounted one 
of the leading business men of the place, and has 
recently taken charge of the mill. In 1886 he 
erected a commodious and substantial brick resi- 
dence, the only one in the place, and here expects to 
make his home for years to come. He takes an in- 
terest in political matters, and has served several 
years as justice of Juniata, and has also been a 
member of the town council. He has passed all the 
chairs in the I. O. 0. F. , and is a member of Juniata 
Lodge No. 79. He and wife are the parents of the 
following children: Sarah M. , Carrie A., Salina J., 
Myrtle A. , Minnie Grace, Benjamin Roy (who died 
December 25, 1888, at the age of nine j'ears), Harry 
R. (born November 14, 1886) and George Russell 
(born October 5, 1889). 

G. W. Parks, farmer and stockman. Holstein, 
Neb. A life long experience in the channels of 
agricultural pursuits has contributed not a little to- 
ward the success which has come to the lot of Mr. 
Parks since he began farming for himself. He 
owes his nativitj' to Dearborn County, Ind. , where 
his birth occurred on April IS, 1838, and is the son 
of Zephaniah Parks, who was born in the Empire 
State in 1792. The latter went to Indiana when a 
young man, settled in Dearborn Count}', and was 
there married to Miss Leah Green, daughter of Eli 
Green, and granddaughter of Gen. Nathaniel Green. 
Later he moved to Illinois, afterward to Iowa, where 
he improved a farm in Johnson Count}-. He died in 
Poweshiek County in 1874; his wife in 1867. He 
served as a soldier in the War of 1812, being with 



'^ 



.t 



A 



292 



HISTOllY OF NEBRASKA. 



Gen. llarrisDii at the liattlc of tlic Tliainos. George 
W. Parks grew to mauhood principally in .Johnson 
Countj-, Iowa, received a good common school edu- 
cation, and afterward taught school for about two 
j'ears in that State. Later lie engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits in the last named county, continued 
at this for a numlier of years, and in August, 18(52, 
enlisted in Company B, Twentj'-eighth Iowa Infan- 
try, and served until discharged for disaliility on 
January 5, 1865. He enlisted as corporal, and was 
in the battles of Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, Big 
Black Kiver, siege of Vicksburg, Sabine Cross 
Roads and Pleasant Hill, La. ; was wounded in the 
foot and arm at Winchester, Va. He was perman- 
ently disabled, and after being discharged returned 
home. He taught school, and in connection carried 
on farming until he came to Nebraska in 1875. He 
arrived here in June of that year and located on his 
present property, which consists of 035 acres, about 
half of which is under a high state of cultivation, 
with osage hedge, orchards and good frame build- 
ings. Mr. Parks is a Democrat in politics; has held 
the office of justice of the peace, and has been a 
member of the school board. He was married first 
(in September 1, 1859, in Gentry' Count}-, Mo., to 
Miss Martha Caudle, who died in Nebraska in 1887, 
leaving nine children: Nettie, Russell, B. W. , 
Frank G. , Maggie, Ella, William S., Melville B. 
and Arthur E. Mr. Parks' second marriage occurred 
in Adams County, Neb., in October, 1888, to Miss 
Alice Linn, a native of Missouri, and the fruit of 
this union has been one child, a son, Alpine. Mr. 
Parks is an active member of the G. A. R. 

Luther B. Partridge, count}' clerk of Adams 
County, although a young man, has made his way to 
tlie front ranks among the enterprising citizens of 
this locality, and his name is identified with the well- 
fare and material and social happiness of Adams 
County. He was I)orn iu St. Joseph County, Ind. . 
March 3, 1858, and is a son of Harper and Eunice 
(Boyden) Partridge, who were liorn in Vermont and 
Massachusetts, in February, 1806, and March 20. 
1823, respectively. At an early da}' the Partridge 
familj' settled in Ohio, later in Indiana, thence in 
1805 to Niles. Mich. , and in 1878 came to Nebraska, 
settling in Adams count}', where the father's death 



occurred October 5, 1879, and where the mother is 
still living. Luther B. Partridge is one of their 
five children and I'eceived his early education in the 
schools of Niles, Mich. On coming to Nebraslva he- 
engaged in farming, which occupation received his 
undivided attention until 1882, when he came to 
Hastings, and for five years acted as clerk in a 
mercantile house. Politically he has always been 
an ardent RepuViliean, and in 1887 he was elected 
to the clerkship of Adams County, a position to 
which he was elected a second time in 1889 by a 
plurality of 608. He is a faithful, competent offi- 
cial , and possesses that strength of character and 
genuine merit which place him among the leading 
men of the county. He is Past Master in the 
^lasonic Lodge (Kenesaw No. 14), and also belongs 
to Hastings Lodge No. 28, of the K. of P. He 
was married March 25, 1873, to Miss Lucy K. Rob- 
ertson, a native of Indiana, and by her has one 
child: ElsworthN. 

Charles H. Paul. For the past eighteen years, 
since locating in Adams County, Neb., Mr. Paul 
has enjoyed the reputation of being not only pro- 
gressive in his views, but thoroughly posted on all 
matters of public interest. He has become well 
known for honorable, upright dealing, and has kept 
the name he bears pure in the sight of all. He was 
born in York County, Me., April 11, 1847, and is a 
descendant of William Paul, who left England, at 
Gravesend, in 1717, and settled at Taunton, Mass. 
The paternal grandfather was John Paul, born at 
Kittery,' Me., in 1770, and died on the old home- 
stead in that State, at a ripe old age. His son, 
John Paul, Jr., uncle to the subject of this sketch, 
went to sea in his youth, and during the War of 
1812 his vessel was at New Orleans, and was 
blockaded by the English. He was forced to aban- 
don his ship, and returned to his home in Maine on 
foot, the journey comprising nine months. Luther 
W. Paul, father of Charles H. , was born in 1817, 
in Maine, as was his wife, whose maiden name was 
Betsey Fall, her birth occurring in 1819. They are 
now residents of Great Falls, N. H. , and although 
quite aged they are yet hale and hearty. Charles 
H. Paul is the eldest of four children, and at the 
age of eight years was taken by his parents to 3Ian 



J, 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



293 



Chester, N. H., where he attended school uutil the 
breaking out of the late Civil War, at which time he 
enlisted in Company A, Seventh New Hampshire 
Volunteer Infantrj- (being at that time only fourteen 
years old), and with his regiment participated in 
seventeen hard fought battles, some of the most 
important being: Morris Island, S. C. ; Fort Wag- 
ner, S. C. ; Chester Station, Va. ; Olusee, Fla. ; 
Drurj's Blutf , Va. : Mine Run, Va. ; Deep Bottom, 
Va.; Fort Fisher, N. C, and Wilmington, N. C. 
After an honorable service of three years and ten 
months, he was discharged at Goldsboro, N. C. , as 
sergeant. He returned to New Hampshire, and for 
two and one-half years was clerk in the postofflee of 
Manchester, after which he entered his father's boot 
and shoe manufactory, remaining with him about 
one 3?ear and a half. The year 1869 found him in 
Lynn, Mass., where he was emploj-ed by a large 
manufacturing establishment as a shoe cutter. This 
citj' continued to be his home until 1872, when he 
settled in Adams County, Neb., engaging the fol- 
lowing j-ear in the boot and shoe business in Hast- 
ings, which occupation received the greater part of 
his attention for eight j'ears. In 1881 he was ap- 
pointed postmaster of Hastings, and served until 
his successor was appointed by President Cleveland. 
In 1887 he was elected treasurer of Adams County. 
He was honored b}" a re-election in 1889, with a 
majority of 710, in which capacity he is ablj' dis- 
charging his duties, and as an official has the 
implicit confidence of his constituents. Alwaj'S an 
uncompromising Republican, he has aided his party 
to the utmost, and in return his party has honored 
him with his present position. His union to Miss 
Eliza F. Durgin took place in 18G8. She was born 
in Compton, N. H. , in 1849, and she and Mr. Paul 
are the parents of two daughters: Ada and Blanche. 
K. Pearson, farmer and stock raiser, has been 
worthily- and prominently identified witli the farming 
interests of Adams County, Neb., since coming to 
this country in 1872. He was born in Sweden in 
1837, being the eldest of three children born to K. 
and Charley (Olson) Pearson, who were agricultur- 
ists in their native land. The mother died about 
1863, leaving three children: Anna (in Sweden), 
Ella (Mrs. Nelson, residing in Hastings, Neb.), and 



the subject of this sketch. The latter, upon his 
arrival in America, settled almost immediately in 
Adams County, on the farm where he now lives, and 
on taking out his homestead papers he found that it 
was No. 33, showing that only thirtj^-two home- 
steads had been taken up before. On this property 
he set energetically to work, and it now shows to a 
noticeable extent what years of industry, good man- 
agement and superior knowledge will do toward 
improving land. He has now a half section of 
superior land, all of which is the result of honest 
and conscientious work. He has been interested in 
all worthj' movements since coming here, and in his 
political views is Independent, voting rather for the 
man than the party. Ho has always been found 
ready to support the cause of Christianity and 
schools, and he and his wife are earnest members of 
the Lutheran Church. He was married in 1863, 
while in Sweden, to Anna Benson, and by her has 
three children: Charley, Barney and Henrietta. 

A. R. Pearson, farmer and stock raiser, Hastr 
ings. Neb. A representative citizen of Adams County, 
and a man recognized and respected as such where- 
ever known, Mr. Pearson is at this time largely in- 
terested in farming and stock raising, to which he 
has given his attention for many years. . He was 
born in Lenawee County, Mich., in 1848, and was 
the fifth in a family of nine children boi'n to David 
and Jane (Pickering) Pearson, natives of Lincoln- 
shire, England. The parents were married in their 
native countrj", and in 1836 emigrated to America, 
locating in New York, where they remained for two 
years. They then moved to Lenawee County, Jlich. , 
purchased land, improved it, and there the death of 
the father occun-ed in 1873. The mother still sur- 
vives, and resides on the old homestead. A. R. 
Pearson was earlj- initiated into the duties of farm 
life, and he was fortunate in securing a good educa- 
tion in the schools of Lenawee County, Mich. He 
was married in that county in 1875 to Miss Eola G. 
Saulsbury, a native of Lenawee County, Mich., and 
the daugliter of Levi and Cordelia Saulslnirv, natives 
of New York. Her parents moved to Jlichigan at 
an early day, and there they are now residing. 
After marrying Mr. Pearson farmed for one year, 
and then moved to Adams County, Neb., where he 



pui-chasc'd a fiinii of IGO acres. All this he has now 
under cullivation, and is also interested in stock 
raising. lie is active in politics and his vote is cast 
with the Kepubliean party. He has served as mag- 
istrate of his township sines 1885, and served as a 
member of the school hoard for six years, taking 
much interest in educational matters. He and Mrs. 
Pearson are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church in their own district. Mr. Pearson's and 
otlu'r families organized a church, which prospered, 
and now has thirtj'rfive members. JMr. Pearson has 
lieen church official for six years, and was Sunday- 
school superintendent for two years. He is a man 
who takes a deep interest in the progress of the 
countv. and his aid and means are liberally given to 
all laudalile enterprises for the good of the same. 
To his marriage were born the following children: 
Ethel, Earl and Effle. Ethel is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

M. Y. Perkins, another pioneer settler of High- 
land Township, came to Adams County. Neb., in 
April, 1873. settled on the farm where he now re- 
sides, and there he has since made his home. He 
first homesteaded eighty acres in Section 22, High- 
land Township, and this he has improved, added to 
and cultivated, until he has one of the best farms in 
the county. He was born in Bureau Count}-, 111. , 
in 1837, and was the eldest of four children born to 
Timothy and Cynthia (Perkins) Perkins, natives 
of Kentucky and Virginia, respecti\ely. Timothy 
Perkins went with his parents to Illinois at an early- 
day, and was reared to the arduous duties of the 
farm. He was married in Bureau County, 111. , and 
there engaged in agricultural pursuits. He took an 
active part in politics, and was a soldier in the 
Blackhawk War. His death occurred in 1865, and 
the mother's death occurred a numlier of years pre- 
\ious. Being reared to farm life, it was but natural, 
perhaps, that when it became time for M. Y. Per- 
kins to start out in life for himself, he chose that as 
his calling, although previous to this, however, he 
had made a journey to California (1864), overland; 
was five months on the road, and followed mining 
there until ISGO, when he returned to Illinois and 
engaged in tilling the soil, which has been his prin- 
cipal occupation since. He was married in his 



native county in 1860 to Mrs, Eliza Perkins, a na- 
tive of Nodaway County, Mo. , and the daughter of 
Jesse Blackburn, a native of Kentucky, and one of 
the pioneers of Maryville, Mo. Mr. Blackburn was 
a farmer by occupation, and died many years ago. 
M. V. Perkins cultivated the soil in Bureau County, 
111. , until coming to Adams County, Neb. , in 1873. 
He has good substantial buildings on his place, and 
the original eighty acres have been increased to 160 
acres, all of which is in tillable condition. He 
raises considerable stock, and makes a specialtj- of 
blooded animals, ha\ing a fine grade of Norman 
horses and Short-horn cattle, and taken all in all, 
he is one of the enterprising and progressive men 
of the county. He is a Democrat, and active in 
politics. Mr. Perkins aided in the organization of 
the township, is a member of the school board, and 
he and wife are members of the Christian Church at 
Hastings, Neb. To their union were born nine 
children: William, Isabell, Jane, Jesse (manied 
and resides in the township), JIartin, Fred, Lindsey, 
Ada and Emma. Mr. Perkins has seen the full and 
complete development of the county, and has killed 
Iniffalo near his farm. Hastings was but a small 
place when he first settled here, and it seems to 
have grown up like magic. He has aided in all 
enterprises for the good of the county, particularly 
so in educational matters. He is jjractically a self- 
made man. all his property being the result of his 
own exertions. 

Melancthon W. Peters, farmer and stock raiser, 
Hastings, Neb. Mr. Peters is a t3-pieal Nebraska 
citizen, sulistantial, enterprising and progressive, 
and such a man as wields no small influence in the 
community where he makes his home. He came 
originally from the State of New York, his birth 
occurring in Oneida County in 1835, and was the 
second in a familj' of four children born to the 
union of Amos and Polly (Miller) Peters, natives of 
Y'hitehall, N. Y. , and Kingsburg, Yt. , respectively. 
The parents were man-ied in New York, and in 
1842 the father moved to Calumet County, Wis., 
where he followed the trade of a stt)ne mason. His 
death occurred in 1855. The mother died in New 
York in 1839. Melancthon W. Peters was but 
seven years of age when he moved with his father 



<3) 



ai 



Af^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



205 



to Wisconsin, Diiilving tlw trip liy way of tlie Erie 
Canal and the lakes, and the principal part of his 
education was received in Calumet County, of that 
State. He commenced farming for himself in Fond 
du Lac County, Wis., and this continued until in 
1861, when he enlisted for three months in the 
ninety day service, first call, and began dutj- at 
Milwaukee, Wis., in April, 1861, in Company I, 
First Wisconsin Infantry. He was in the battle of 
Falling Waters, A'a. , and in July of the last named 
year he enlisted in Company K, First Wisconsin In- 
fantry, for three years, or during the war, being 
mustered in October 8, at Milwaukee, Wis. He 
was assigned to the Department of the Cumberland, 
and was in the battles of Lallahoma and Chieka- 
mauga. He received a gun-shot wound in the left 
shoulder, was taken prisoner and confined first at 
Belle Island, then at Libbj', and finally at Danville, 
Va. , where he succeeded in making his escape by 
digging a tunnel. He was re-captured at Black- 
water River and taken to the Libby pen. During 
the re-capture he received a gun-shot wound in the 
neck and wrist, and was retained in the miserable 
den for ten days, when he was returned to Belle 
Island. From there he was taken to Andersonville, 
on June 7, 1864, and confined in that terrible prison 
until about the first of September, when he was 
taken to Florence, S. C. He remained there until 
November 30, 1864, when he was paroled and 
returned to Wisconsin, with an experience in the 
Southern prison pens which he would not care to 
repeat. At the close of service he engaged in till- 
ing the soil, and in 1865 he was united in marriage 
to Miss Amelia Harmer, a native of Calumet County, 
Wis. , where they were married , and the daughter of 
Ira and Elizabeth (.Johnson) Harmer. Her parents 
were natives of New York State, and emigrated to 
Calumet County, Wis., in 1836, being the first 
pioneers of the county. The father died in 1872, 
but his excellent wife still survives him, and resides 
in Hastings, having moved from her Wisconsin 
home to Omaha, Neb. , in 1877, and thence to Hast^ 
ings, in 1878. Mr. Peters moved to Fond du Lac 
County, Wis. , in 1868, and to Adams County, Neb. , 
ten years later, where he now resides. He is not 
ver^- active in politics, but his vote is always cast 



witli the Republican party. He has been a member 
of the school board and takes much interest in edu- 
cational matters. To his marriage have been born 
nine children: Sherman, Jessie, Amos, John Wes- 
lej', Frank, Lillie, William, Elizabeth and Harry. 

Truman D. Phelps, farmer, Kenesaw, Neb. Mr. 
Phelps is one of the leading agriculturists of Wanda 
Township, and the energetic and wide-awake manner 
in which he has taken advantage of all methods and 
ideas tending to the enhanced value of his property, 
has had a great deal to do with obtaining the compe- 
tence which he now enjoys. He was born in Herki- 
mer County, N. Y. , on April 11, 1837, and is the 
son of Isaac^and Ruth (Vickery) Phelps, both na- 
tives of York State. Truman D. is the youngest of 
a family of five children, and when eighteen years of 
age he went with his parents to Trumbull County, 
Ohio, where he finished his education in the public 
high school of Warren. After this he was engaged 
in teaching and at various other occupations until 
1863, and in 1865 he removed to Grundy County, 
111. , where for the following ten j'ears he was a tiller 
of the soil. In 1875 he established a general mer- 
chandising business at Gardner, 111., which in 1878 
was conducted under the firm name of Pratt, Martin 
& Phelps, who two years later were succeeded by 
Phelps & Lewis. This firm continued until 1885, 
and during the summer of 1887 31r. Phelps traveled 
through the West, and becoming impressed with the 
great advantages oflfered by Adams County, he de- 
termined to locate there. Accordingly he purchased 
his present farm in Section 12, Wanda Township, 
and three and a half miles southeast of the village of 
Kenesaw. In September of the same 3"ear he brought 
his famllj- to Kenesaw, where thej' continued to re- 
side until the completion of their present fine resi- 
dence, when they located on the place in December, 
1887. Mr. Phelps has continued to improve his 
place until he now has one of the best improved 
farms and one of the handsomest farm residences in 
Wanda Township. He devotes much of his atten- 
tion to the raising of fine stock, and is recognized as 
one of the leading agriculturists of this region. His 
marriage with Miss Clara Griswold was celebrateil 
on January 26, 1862. She is a native of Truralmll 
County, Ohio, born September 23, 1843, and is the 



296 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



(laughter of Jesse and Siisaiiiiah (Mansell) Griswold, 
l)oth natives of Pennsylvania, \yho in 184(5 removed 
to Trumbull County, Ohio. There the mother dieil, 
and the father then made his home with his children 
in Grundy County, 111., and there died in 1874. 
The Phelps family arc of English extraction, and 
for generations have resided in America. One of 
the ancestors served in the Revolutionary War, and 
the father of our subject was in the V/ar of 1812. 
At the breaking out of the late war Truman D. en- 
listed in the Ohio Volunteer Militia, but was re- 
jected b}' the medical examining board. Politically 
Mr. Phelps is a stanch Republican, and- both he and 
wife are worthy members of the Baptist Church, be- 
ing active in works of charity and benevolence. 
Mrs. Phelps is a member of the W. C. T. U. , and 
is also a member of the W. R. C. They now reside 
on their farm near Kenesaw, where they have a 
pleasant home and are surrounded by the comforts 
of life. Their only child, William M. , who was 
born on Februarj' 9, 1876, resides with them, and 
adds to the sunshine of their lives. The family is 
universally respected and esteemed. 3Ir. Phelps is 
a member of the JIasonic fraternity. 

David S. Phelps by his superior management 
has become a well-to-do farmer and stock raiser of 
Adams County, Neb. Born in Bureau County, 
111., April 21, 1859, he is a son of E. H. and Mary 
(Morse) Phelps, natives respectively of Massachu- 
setts and Connecticut. When a young man, in 
1831, E. H. Phelps removed to Illinois, there being 
only seventeen families in Bureau Countj- at the 
time of his settlement, and he is now its oldest liv- 
ing resident. He was married in Illinois, and he and 
wife reared a family of three daughters and one son, 
two daughters being now residents of Adams 
Count}', Neb. David S. Phelps remained with his 
father until he was twenty years old, and besides 
receiving the advantages of the common schools 
was an attendant of the Princeton high school. Be- 
lieving that he could do better in Nebraska than in 
his native State, he came west in 1879 and located 
in Adams Countj', on the farm of 160 acres where he 
now lives. All his land is well fenced and under 
cultivation, fvud he has just built him a new resi- 
dence, and convenient to the house is an apple and 



peach orchard, consisting of 150 trees just commenc- 
ing to bear. His crop in 1889 was exceptionally 
large; and he is gradually accumulating means, and 
will eventually' be one of the wealthy men of the 
county, for he possesses all the requisites necessary 
to success, among which may be mentioned energy, 
enterprise and economy. His stock is all of a good 
grade, his cattle being of the Short-horn breed, his 
swine, Poland China, and he has a fine Clj'desdale 
brood mare. Being a Republican in politics, he 
has served as delegate to numerous county and 
State conventions, and he and wife are members of 
the United Brethren Church, in which he is class 
leader. His marriage to ^liss Fannie Frantz was 
consummated in Illinois, August 8, 1882, she being 
a native of and reared in Logan County, of that 
State. Her father, Isaac Frantz, is now deceased. 
Mr. and Mrs. Phelps have two children: Glenn (a 
lad of five years), and Zantie (a little girl three 
years of age. 

W. W. Philleo, a well known and highly es- 
teemed resident of Adams County, Neb. , is a son of 
Addison and Livonia (Cummings) Philleo, who were 
born in Torrington, Conn., November 27, 1804, and 
July 21, 1816, and died June 11, 1880, and Sep- 
tember 20, 1845, respectively. They were married 
in Winfield, Herkimer County, N. Y., and in 1836 
concluded to seek their fortune on the fertile prai- 
ries of the West, and settled on a farm near Port 
Byron, Rock Island County, Hi., their possessions 
consisting of a horse and one eight-inch cast-iron 
plow. They paid $40 for their horse, and after a 
time bought a cow at $80, and as they had only $135 
when locating here, they soon learned what it was to 
suffer for the necessaries of life, but in time became 
well-to-do citizens. To them four sons were born. 
Russell C. was born September 28, 1837, and was 
killed at the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, having 
been a member of Company D, Twelfth Regiment 
Illinois Volunteers. William Wallace (familiarly 
known as Scott or Scotch, a nick-name given him by 
his mother, who was of Scotch descent) was born 
June 8, 1840, a farmer, market gardener and nurs- 
eryman by occupation, having been a resident of 
Ayr, Neb., since 1872. He was married May 12, 
1870, to Miss Maggie Farris, of Coatesville, Chester 








Adams County Nebraska. 



J'^ — >- 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



297 



k^ 



County, Pa., her birth having occurred in Philadel- 
phia, Maj- 16, 1845, and their union has been blessed 
in the birth of four children: Livonia M. (born March 
17, 1871, married to Lou Fleming, March 2, 1889, 
a son of T. C. Fleming, of Ayr), Frank S. C. (born 
August 22, 1872), Wallaces, (born December 31, 
1875), and Ira D. (born July 2, 1877). The third 
child born to Addison Philleo was Thomas A. E. , 
who was born March 17, 1842, and was married to 
Maggie Cime, by whom he has three children: Li- 
vonia, Lil}' and Addison. This gentleman is a 
farmer by occupation, and is also engaged in stock- 
raising at Chenej^, Spokane County, Wash. The 
fourth child of Addison Philleo is Edgar A. , who 
was born September 19, 1844, a farmer and stock- 
man by occupation. He was manned to Miss Etta 
3IcDaniels, by whom he had five children. Addi- 
son's second marriage was on July 15, 1846, to 
Mrs. Marj' N. Williams, mee Rosenberg, a native of 
Canada, born December 24, 1821, this union result- 
ing in the birth of eight children: Emily L. (bom 
May 29, 1847, wife of M. A. Rosenberg, a farmer 
of Ayr, Neb.), Livonia C. (born April 3, 1849, wife 
of J. C. Giddings, by whom she has tive children: 
Clarence, Charles, Jennie, Frank and Emmet), Jane 
K. (born July 18, 1850, living in Port Byron, 111.), 
Bradford N. (born March 8, 1860, a farmer of 
Adams County, Neb.), Eveline L. (born February 
15, 1862, wife of Jesse L. Simpson, of Port Byron, 
111.), and Mordecai. Esther and Amanda are de- 
ceased. The father of Addison Philleo was Ar- 
temas Philleo, who was born in the State of New 
York, November 21, 1775, and died in November, 
1863. He was married December 11, 1800, to 
Miss Louisa Loomis, who was born September 23, 
1879, and died June 6, 1824, having borne her hus- 
band fifteen children. Phineas Philleo, the father of 
Artemas, was born in Norwalk, Conn., August 28, 
1749, married !Miss Silence Cummings, of York State, 
in 1770, their deaths occurring in 1789 and 1798, 
respectively, in the latter's native State. Samuel 
Philleo, the father of Phineas, was born in France 
about 1706, and. came to this country with his 
father, John Fillow, about 1708. The latter was a 
self-exiled French Huguenot, and was born about 
1667, and died in 1765. He came from Paris, and 

19 



was a glove maker and weaver by occupation. W. 
W. Philleo, the immediate subject of this sketch, 
saj's that all the Fillows, Philos, and Philleos, with 
all the variations and spellings of the name in this 
country, are the descendants of John Fillow. The 
family throughout are honest, industrious and law- 
abiding citizens, and although they can not claim to 
be descended from the French nobility, or to having 
achieved any very prominent place in American his- 
tory, yet wherever members of the family are found 
they are considered honored and useful citizens. 
Like the Jews, the Philleos have an ancestral pride 
in industry, and in fostering these hereditary habits; 
and in connection with this they are possessed of 
virtue, reliability, strength of character, and pros- 
perity. Historian Foude says, " There are but 
three ways of living: working, begging or stealing, 
and he who is not doing the one is doing the other." 
The Philleos seem to have chosen the former occu- 
pation of obtaining a livelihood, and are not ashamed 
to labor. Nearly every profession is represented, 
and in the famil}- are to be found able divines, physi- 
cians, lawyers and agriculturists, while the muse was 
not lacking in many. The first school taught in the 
neighborhood in which W. W. Philleo was born , was 
in charge of Annett Holmes, and consisted of a two 
months' term which Mr. Philleo had the good fortune 
to attend, while an older brother was obliged to stav 
at home and aid his father in plowing corn and pota- 
toes. His luck did not last long, however, for the 
following four or five years were spent in assisting 
his father on the farm, and in hauling logs for rails, 
and to a neighlioring sawmill, so that the entire 
schooling he received amounted to but about eighteen 
months. He was often called lazy by his father, and 
for no other reason than that he was of an inventive 
turn of mind, and was always trying to find the 
easiest way of doing his tasks. When about thir- 
teen j'ears of age, he was thrown from a horse, the 
fall nearly breaking his back, and owing to the fact 
that he could sit down only for a little while at a 
time, he could not attend school, so he got an old 
shot gun and during the spring and fall hnnted 
pigeons, becoming by the time he had reached his 
sixteenth year, one of the best rifle shots in his por- 
tion of Illinois, The following summer after receiv- 



- \9 



^ 



298 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ing his iujuiy, bis father and uncle thought they 
would make a printer of him, and so secured him a 
position in the ofliee of the first daily paper pub- 
lished in Rock Island, 111. , and here he learned to 
set type, and do the general dirty work of a print- 
ing office. He had lieen apprenticed for two years, 
and all went well until hot weather approached, 
when he ran away, and began hunting and trapping, 
and succeeded in laying up some money. In the 
spring of 1857 he began canvassing for two books, 
and in the first part of the season made lots of 
money, but in the fall and winter lost it all l\v the 
failure in the wild cat banks of those good old Dem- 
ocratic da3-s. During the winter of 1857-58, he 
attended school for two months in Port Byron , 111. , 
pa3-ing his own board and tuition, and while there 
improved his advantages to the utmost, as he had 
just begun to learn the value of an education. Up- 
on the approach of spring, he determined he would 
not return to the farm, and as the war in Utah 
Territorj^ was then in progress, he decided to go 
there and see what that countrj- had in store for 
him. His sole possessions then consisted of $15, a 
shot gun and a rifle. He traded the shot gun for a 
revolver, and finding a party of four young men who 
were going to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., he joined 
them, investing all the money he possessed in the 
expedition. His father strongly opposed this meas- 
ure, and ti'ied to dissuade him from his purpose, 
but of no avail, and finding that he was to start on 
April 14, he met him at Port Byron, and again used 
all his eloquence to persuade him to remain at home. 
Upon finding his efforts fruitless, he presented him 
with $5, and bade him God speed. After experi- 
encing a good manj' hardships, they at last reached 
Fort Leavenworth, where Jlr. Philleo hired out to 
the government as a driver, and accompanied the last 
detachment of cavahy that was sent out to reinforce 
Gen. Johnson, at Salt Lake City. After a few days 
he gave up this work, as he did not like the rough 
class of men he had fallen in with, and then went 
to work for Majors Russell and Waddell. breaking 
Texas steers, and getting trains ready for the plains, 
they having all the government contracts at that 
time. Owing to the great demand for ox yokes, he 
entered that business and made considerable money. 



After a time he went to St. Louis, but .■shortly after 
returned to Fort Leavenworth, going from there to 
Lawrence, where his four companions on his journe}' 
westward were sick with ague and had spent all 
their money, their investments in lands proving un- 
fortunate. Mr. Philleo purchased them provisions 
and medicine, then returned to Fort Leavenworth 
and went to work for Sam Bissell, who h:ul a large 
hay contract with the government. After remaining 
with him for about five mouths, he entered the em- 
ploy of Nichols & IMorton, eight miles south of 
Atchison, Kan., and hauled and rafted logs for 
them until June, 1859, then went to bull whacking 
for Jones & Cartwright, freighters to Denver, Col., 
and on his wa^- to that place, stopped at a house on 
the present site of Marysville, Kan., which was 
owned by a cripple who had previouslj^ run a saloon 
and gambling house in Port Byron. 111., in defiance 
of the law, and had at last been burned out by the in- 
dignant citizens. His whereabouts had remained 
unknown until he was discovered by !Mr. Philleo, 
whom he was verj' glad to see. His house was a 
sort of stopping place for men going and return- 
ing from the gold fields of Pike's Peak. In 1859, 
when Mr. Philleo was on one of his trips to Den- 
ver, Adams County, Neb., was being surve3-ed, and 
when they came back in the month of October, all 
the river and creek claims were taken l>y squatters, 
and also a great deal of the ui^land near the 
streams was also taken, the settlers being mostly 
parties returning from Pike's Peak and Salt Lake. 
In the fall of 1859, he went to work in Flood's Mill, 
Cass County, Mo., continuing until July 14, 1860, 
which was the j'ear of the greatest drouth known in 
the West. On that date he started for his old home 
in Illinois, never having written a line to his relatives 
during his absence. He rented part of his father's 
farm and settled down to work, but in the spring 
the Rebellion Ijroke out, and at the first call ft)r 
troops he, on April 14, left his team harnessed in the 
stable, and his crOps one-half sown, and started for 
Rock Island, where he was mustered into Company 
D, Twelfth Regiment Illinois Infantry, and after his 
term of three months' enlistment had expired, he 
joined Compan}' A, Thirty-seventh Regiment Illinois 
Volunteers, and was mustered into the United States 



_^ 9 



L> 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



299 



service at Chicago, III, August 21, 1861, and was 
honorably discharged September 23, 1863, by reason 
of promotion to second lieutenant of Company K, 
Twenty-second Regiment Corps D, Afrique, later 
the Ninety-second Regiment United States Colored 
Infantry, being recommended for promotion in the 
winter of 1864. to the regular army, but failed to 
receive such promotion as the following notice 

shows: 

"MoRGANZiA, La., January 28, 1865. 
Second LU-ut. 11'. II". PhUleo, 92nd U. S. C. Inft. 

Sir: — I have to inform you that you were not examined 
for promotion, as the surgeon's examination found you 
physically disqualified. 

By order of the Board, C. B. Gastell, 

Lieut. Col. 81st V. S. Col. Inf., Recorder. 
He remained with his regiment until May 16,1865, 
and was then mustered out of service by gen- 
eral order from the War Department, on account of 
physical disabilitj". He first served in Missouri, 
and while at Boonville was detailed with eightj- 
other men to catch and break a large number of 
horses and mules. Here his two 3-ears' experience 
on the plains served him in good stead as he was the 
onl}- man in his entire army who could throw the 
lariat. ' He made a dozen lariats and before night 
had every mule caught, and the soldiers had them 
harnessed. After holding the position of company 
teamster for one year, he was chosen wagon master, 
afterward becoming division wagon and forage 
master, holding this position until after the siege of 
Yicksb'urg. While at New Orleans he was detailed 
b}' Gen. Heron to take charge of a wagon train des- 
tined for the Red River campaign, and here received 
his commission. He was in the battles of Pea Ridge, 
Prairie Grove, siege of Yicksburg and the Red River 
campaign. After his return home from the war, he 
began the study of medicine, making the diseases of 
the ej'e a specialtj^ and what he learned has since 
served him well, for during a period of twent}^ 
years he has paid out but $15 for doctor bills, and 
that for services when he was not at home. He con- 
siders the practice of medicine the greatest humbug 
of the nineteenth centur}-. and surgery the greatest 
science. In the fall of 1870 he and A. C. Moore 
became associated in the agricultural implement 
trade, Crete, Neb., being their chosen place of bus- 



iness. At the end of two years jMr. Moore with- 
drew from the flrm, and Mr. Philleo continued alone 
until in 1874, when he failed on account of the 
drouths and grasshoppers. On May 16, 1871, he 
took up a homestead claim in Adams Countj', 
and had some breaking done that fall and the fol- 
lowing summer. His wife moved on this place 
July 22, 1872, his brother and a cousin living with 
her, and in the spring of 1873 he planted an orchard 
of 200 trees, a large quantity of small fruits, 
l)esides 10,000 apple grafts which did ver}- well, as 
the season was favorable. The next spring he en- 
larged his orchard, set out 20,000 grafts, but aU 
was destroj-ed that season by the drouth and grass- 
hoppers, which was rather discoiu'aging. In 1875 
Mr. Philleo went to work for the Walter A. Wood 
3Iachine Compau}-, and put his wages into apple 
trees and grafts, and soon had another orchard, 1 ,100 
trees and 20,000 grafts, beside 400 grape vines. 
This was in the spring of 1876, and all promised 
well, but grasshoppers came down from the North 
in immense swarms and destroj'ed every thing but 
one apple tree, and about 400 grafts. These he set 
out the following spring and notwithstanding con- 
siderable bad luck, which he had with them until 
1882, he has now a fine orchard of 2.700 fruit trees, 
and acres of gi-ape vines and small fruits, all of 
which he raises in quantities for sale. For a summer 
apple he recommends the Earlj- Harvest, Red 
Astrachan and Duchess; for fall, the Wealth}-, Haas 
and Snow, and for winter, Ben Davis, Pewaukee and 
Rowls Janet. Politicall}' he is a Republican, but 
would not vote for his best friend unless his views 
in regard to public measures were in accord with his 
own. In the fall of 1886 he was a candidate for 
the Legislature, but was defeated. J. B. Hartwell 
was nominated for Senator, and A. Y. Cole and H. 
C. Minnix for representatives. Mr. Philleo, think- 
ing to test the position of the candidates, drew up 
the following: '■ To the electors of Adams County: 
I hereby certify that if elected to represent Adams 
County in the next Legislative Assembly. I pledge 
myself not to recei\e fir ride on a pass from any rail- 
road company, nor will I solicit or receive one for 
an}- other person whomsoever, and that I will intro- 
duce or support a bill making it a felonv for any 



'y 



a A^ 



-ill 



soo 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



elected or appointed officer in the State of Nebraska, 
senators and representatives to tlie United States 
Congress included, to receive and ride on a pass, and 
that I will introduce or support a railroad freight 
bill for this State pro rata with the freights now 
charged from Omaha to the sea board, and will do 
all in my power to secure the passage of the same; 
also House Roll No. 329, of the session of 1885." 
This was a bill drawn by Mr. Philleo to compel rail- 
road and other corporations to make and keep in 
repair public crossings, which became a law in 1887. 
This he subsequently presented to the candidates of 
the Anti-Monopoly party, who were H. P. Fitch, 
H. Gr. Armitage and H. M. Palmer, and they hav- 
ing signed it he cast his vote and used his influ- 
ence for their election. In the winter of 1873 he 
drew up a petition to Congress asking for a repeal 
of the pre-emption laws, in lieu thereof giving a 
timber culture act. He had 1 00 of these petitions 
printed and sent to postmasters all over the State 
for signatures, and this petition was placed in the 
hands of Senator P. W. Hitchcock, of Nebraska, 
who at once drew up a bill in accord with the peti- 
tion (except that it did not repeal the pre-emption 
laws), which passed both Houses of Congress and 
became a law March 3, 1873. At this writing 
(March 6, 1890), there are several living in Adams 
Count}' who signed this petition and know the facts 
as set forth, but the credit of its passage has always 
been given P. W. Hitchcock, and Senator Paddock, 
who has amended it; while every tree that grows 
upon a timber claim is a living monument to W. W. 
Philleo. 

A. F. Powers, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings, Neb. This gentleman is another representa- 
tive citizen who owes his nativity to Illinois, his 
birth occurring in St. Clair County in 1829, and is 
the second in a family of eleven children, five now 
living, born to the union of John and Nancy (Ford) 
Powers, natives of Massachusetts and Connecticut, 
respectivelJ^ The parents were married in St. Clair 
County, III, whither John Powers had emigrated at 
the age of sixteen years, and here he followed farm- 
ing until 1834, when he moved to La Salle County, 
111. There he received his final summons in 1862. 
The mother died in Kansas in ] 874. Grandfather 



Aaron Ford was a soldier in the War of 1812. On 
both sides of the family, the Powers and Fords can 
trace their ancestors back to the M.'iyflower. A. 1*'. 
Powers was early taught the duties of farm life, and 
received his education in the district schools of Ij;i 
Salle County, 111. He commenced fanning for him- 
self at the age of twenty-five years, and continuctl 
thus employed until the breaking out of the war. 
He then enlisted in Brookfield Township, La Salle 
County, in 1865, in the Eleventh Illinois Volunteer 
Veteran Infantry for one year, and was mustered 
into service at Joliet. He remained with the 
Eleventh until it was mustered out. He was in the 
engagement at Fort Blakely, and was transferred to 
the Eight Illinois Infantry, being in the Red River 
country on garrison duty. He was honorably dis- 
charged at New Orleans in February, 1866, and 
afterward returned to La Salle County . 111. Previous 
to the war, in 1856, he had married Miss Margaret 
S. Leech, a native of Ohio, who died in Illinois on 
February 26, 1862, during which time he resided on 
a farm he had purchased in Brookfield Township, 
La Salle County, 111. By that union were born 
three children: Robert W. (married and resides at 
Culbertson, Neb,), John F. (died in 1860), and 
Aaron S. (died in 1802). Mr. Powers was married 
the second time in La Salle County, III. , on January 
1, 1867, to Miss Ann Clark, a native of Scotland, 
and the daughter of Thomas and Agnes (Nevin) 
Clark, natives of Scotland, who came to America in 
1861. Mr. and Mrs. Clark settled in Allen Town- 
ship, La Salle County, and here the father tilled 
the soil until his death, which occurred in June, 
1886. The mother is still living and resides in 
Livingston Couutj-, 111. , in the vicinity of Dwiglit, 
After his marriage Mr. Powers continued to reside 
on his farm in Brookfield Township until his 
removal to Adams County, Neb., in 1874. He 
entered 100 acres of land and bought a tree claim, 
and purchased railroad land. He commenced im- 
proving the farm, erected a good frame house and 
substantial outbuildings, and is now the owner of 
476 acres of good land, all in a good state of culti- 
vation. He raises some stock. He is independent 
in his political views, and votes for the best men 
and measures; he is the present super\isor of West 



-4-H — 



—s 



At=±r 



?k^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



301 



Blue Township, and is re-eleeted for tlie two ensu- 
ing years; he is chairman of the board of super- 
visors, also chairman of the building committee, 
and assisted in organizing the township. He yas 
justice of the peace from the organization of the 
precinct until elected to his present office, and has 
been a member of the school board, being quite 
active in educational matters. Socially- he is a 
member of the Farmers' Alliance. He and wife are 
members of the Presb_yterian Church at Hansen, 
Mr. Powers being one of the elders. To his second 
marriage were born nine children, five now living: 
John T. , Aaron C, Agnes May (died March 15, 
1879, at the age of eight years), James A. (died 
March 16, 1879, at the age of six years), Ann E. 
(died March 12, 1879, at the age of nearly four 
years). Bertha E. (died March 27, 1879, at the age 
of six months), Inez E. , Ida A. and Phoebe I. 
Mr. Powers is one of the earlj' settlers of the town- 
ship; has seen the full development of the county, 
and has assisted very much in the liuilding up of 
the same. He has taken a decided interest in every- 
thing for the good of Adams County; is progressive 
in his ideas, and is taking an active interest in the 
court house (being chairman of the building com- 
mittee), erected at a cost of about $66,587.50. 

C. R. Powers, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. In enumerating the enterprising and pro- 
gressive agriculturists and stockmen of this town- 
ship, Mr. Powers must not be overlooked. He 
owes his nativity to La Salle Count}-, 111, where his 
birth occurred in 1837, and is the son of John and 
Nancy (Ford) Powers, natives of Massachusetts and 
Connecticut, respectively. The father moved to 
Illinois in 1822, when a boj*, settled in St. Clair 
County, and was there married. He moved to La 
Salle County, 111., in 1834, and there followed 
farming for many years. He was magistrate for 
many years, and died in 1862. The mother sur- 
vived him until 1874. Their family consisted of 
eleven children, five of whom are still living. C. R. 
Powers passed his boj'hood days in the common 
schools of La Salle County, 111. , and commenced 
life for himself by fanning in Illinois. He was 
married in his native county in 1861, to Miss Phoebe 
R. Greenlees,-a native of New York, and the daugh- 



ter of Andrew and Rebecca (Dominy) Greenlees, 
natives respectivel}- of Scotland and New York. 
Her parents came to Illinois in about 1840; the 
father engaged in farming, and made that State his 
home until his death, which occurred about 1859. 
The mother is still living and resides on the old 
farm in Illinois. After his marriage Mr. Powers 
settled in La Salle County, and carried on farming 
until 1873. when he moved to Adams County, Neb., 
and there purchased 292 acres of wild land. This 
he has since improved, and has erected a good 
house and out buildings. He is engaged in raising 
and feeding stock, and is making a specialtj- of 
Short^horn cattle. He assisted in the organization 
of West Blue Township, and is a representative citi- 
zen of the same. He and 3Irs. Powers and family 
are members of the Presbjteriau Church, at Hast- 
ings. To his marriage were born five children: 
Clara R. , Mary, Ella, Robert and Arthur. Mr. 
Powers is a great temperance advocate. 

William Turner Putt, M. D. , is the present effi- 
cient sujjerintendent of the Parkview Cemeter}-, and 
was one of the leading spirits in its establishment. 
He was born in Torquay, Devonshire, England, Oc- 
tober 10, 1850, being a son of John and Sarah 
(Turner) Putt, who were also born in England, the 
former's birth occurring in 1823. He died at 
Lisbon, Kendall County, 111., in 1867, still survived 
by his widow, who is now sixty -seven years of age, 
and is a resident of Washington, Kan. Dr. W. T. 
Putt is the eldest of eight children, four now living, 
and came with his parents to the United States in 
1854, and took up his abode in Grundy County, 111. , 
subsequently removing to Kendall County, 111. ; he 
attended the public schools of Lisbon, and later en- 
tered the Jennings Seminary at Aurora, 111. He 
learned the carpenter's trade of his father, but in 
1869 he dropped his tools to take up the study of 
medicine, entering the office of Dr. N. G. Smith, at 
Lisbon, 111. After considerable preparatory study 
he entered the Electric Medical Institute, at Cincin- 
nati, Ohio, from which institution he graduated on 
May 13, 1874, locating the following June for prac- 
tice at Oswego, 111. , where he was a successful 
practitioner from 1874 to 1884. In March of the 
latter year he came to Adams County, Neb., and 



^^ 



1L£ 



302 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



until 18SG was engaged in fanning, since which 
time he lias been superintendent of tlie Parkview 
Cenu'lery, the hoautiful appearance of which is 
largely due to his untiring etforts, and no better man 
could be found to fill the position. In 1889 he in- 
vented and had copyrighted Putt's Atlas System of 
Cemetery Records, which is the most complete book 
of records ever placed before the pulilic. He owns 
six acres of fine land within the corp()rati<in of Hast- 
ings, and intends making many valuable improve- 
ments thereon in a short time. The Doctor is a Re- 
publican in his political views, and socially is a 
nicnd)er of the iNIodern AVoodmen of America and 
the 1. 0. 0. F. On February 10, 1876, he was 
married to Miss Catherine E. Hall, who was born in 
New Jersey, April 25, 1851, a daughter of John D. 
anil Gertrude (Carkhuff) Hall, also natives of that 
State. Dr. Putt and his wife are memliers of the 
Presliyterian Church, and the esteem which is ac- 
corded them is conceded by all to be well merited. 
Adam Reader, farmer and stock raiser, Ayr, 
Neb. Adams County- is indeed fortunate in having 
among her foreign-born element men whose indus- 
try, strict attention to business, economy and perse- 
verance have produced such substantial results in 
the different affairs with which they have connected 
themselves. Mr. Reader belongs to this class, for, 
originally from Germany, his location in this county 
dates from 1880. He was born in 1850, and is the 
son of Adam J. and Elizalieth (Rummel) Reader, 
both natives of Germany. The father's birth oc- 
curred in 1813, and he was married in the old coun- 
try to Miss Rummel about 1837. He was a weaver 
by trade, and followed this for many years in Ger- 
many. He came to the United States in 1854, 
located in La Salle County. Ill, about fifteen miles 
from Ottawa, and there tilled the soil. He died in 
185(5, and the mother, in Nebraska, in 1884. Their 
family consisted of the following children: John, 
Dorotha, Barbara, Adam and Fredericlc (who was 
born in Illinois.) Adam Reader assisted his mother 
on the farm in Illinois, received his education in the 
schools of that State, and in 1871 was united in 
marriage to Miss Mary E. Heilman, daughter of A. 
S. Heilman, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Reader bought 
land in Illinois about 1873, but sold it in 1S7it. and 



in 1880 emigrated to Adams County, Neb., .settling 
in Zero Township. lie jiurchased 320 acres of land 
in Section 11, and since then has added to this until 
he ^low owns (540 acres, which is well improved. 
The fruits of his marriage are: Henry A. . Lizzie A. , 
Celia J. , John F. , Freddie S. (deceased) and Char- 
ley A. (also deceased). 3Ir. Reader was elected 
moderator of his school dLstriet in 1881, and has 
held that position ever since. He was elected 
supervisor of Zero Township in 188G. held this 
position for three terms, and went out in ISOO. He 
is a RejHdilicau in his political preferences. He is 
active in church work, and he and wife are members 
of the Evangelical Church. His lirotlicr John was 
in the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry 
for three years during the late war, and was shot 
and killed at the battle of Hartsville, Tenn. 

J. E. Reed, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. Mr. Reed has been a resident of Blaine 
Township, Adams County, Neb., since 1878, and 
during that time has lived upon his neat and pleas- 
ant homestead of IGO acres, all under cultivation, 
gaining in the meantime a large acquaintance and 
the confidence of all who know him. His birth 
occurred in New Hampshire, in 1841, and he was 
the eldest of six children, the result of the union of 
Erastus B. and Bettie H. (Marks) Reed. The father 
was born in 1811, and died in New Hampshire in 
1867. He was a shoemaker bj- trade, but also fol- 
lowed farming, and was a man vmiversally respected. 
He and wife were both members of the 3Iethodist 
Episcopal Church, and he was trustee of the same 
for years. The mother died in 1854. They were 
the parents, as before stated, of six children: J. E. , 
Josiah M. , Mary J. , George C. , Lizzie and Anngen- 
ette. J. E. Reed remained in New Hampshire 
until twenty-one years of age, when he went to 
Lowell , Mass. , and there remained three years. In 
1865 he moved to Illinois with his parents, settled 
in Lee County, and there followed farming. A\'hile 
living in Lowell, Mass., he was married to .Miss 
Josephine Patton, of Bangor, Me. , and the daughter 
of Joseph Patton. To this marriage were born two 
children: Lizzie P. , and Addie F. (deceased). Mrs. 
Reed died in Illinois in 1868, and in 1871 Mr. Reed 
took for his second wife Miss Sarah Snodgrass, a 



V 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



303 



luitive of I'ennsylvaiiirt. ami the daughter of Joseph 
Snodgrass, who emigrated to Illinois in 1865. The 
fruits of this union were four children: James D., 
Arthur (wlio died January 30, 1889), Dwight L. and 
Ruby E. Mr. Reed's eldest daughter by his first 
wife is now the wife of Mr. Smith Luick, of Bel- 
mont, Wright Countj', Iowa. Mr. Reed emigrated 
to Nebraska in 1878, and named the township 
Blaine, on the day that James (i. Blaine was nomi- 
nated for president. Mr. Reed is active in political 
matters, and is a Republican in his views. He was 
a member of the school board for seven years, was 
supervisor during 1883, 1884 and 1885, and is a 
member of the Masonic fraternity, Hastings Lodge 
No. 5(1. He is also a member of the Farmers' Alli- 
ance. Mrs. Reed is a member of the Baptist 
Churcli. 

Enos H. Reed, contractor, was born in Livings- 
ton County, N. Y. , July 14, 1842, and is a son of 
Hiram and Anna (Roberts) Reed, both of whom 
were born in York State, the former in 1818, and 
the latter in 1S20. The father died in the month of 
Maj', 1842, but the mother still lives, and resitles in 
her nati\'e State. The paternal grandfather, John 
Reed, was born in Connecticut, but was an early 
settler of Livingston County, N. Y. , Reed's Corners 
lieing named after him. He died at this place about 
1838, his wife's death occurring in the same State 
when about eighty-seven j^ears of age. Enos H. 
Reed was reared and educated in Livingston County, 
and at the age of eighteen years, or in 1861, he left 
New York and emigrated to Jo Daviess County, 111. , 
where he followed farming for one year, after which 
he moveil to ilichigan, and was in the lumber busi- 
ness for ten years. In 1874 he removed to Colo- 
rado, and during a residence of nine years in that 
State was engaged in selling sewing machines and 
musical instruments. Since the fall of 1882 he has 
been a resident of Hastings, and has given his atten- 
tion to the grading of lawns. He was married, in 
1881, to Miss Pet Loomis, who was born in Niles, 
Mich. . in 1852. a daughter of Dr. Joel Loomis, who 
died in 1877. ■ Her mother, who was formerly Miss 
Virginia Brown, is still living, and makes her home 
with ]\Irs. Reed, being in iier sixty-fifth year. Mr. 
and Jlrs. Reed have three children: Orsen, Mj-ron 



and Charles. 3Ir. Reed is a Democrat, a Knight 
Templar in the Masonic fraternity, and is a member 
of the order of the M3'stic Shrine. Besides owning 
five houses and three vacant lots in the city of Hast^ 
ings, he also owns a one-half section of laud in 
Adams County, all of which has been accjuired 
through good management and industry. 

Samuel F. Reed is the owner of 280 acres of 
land, which is one of the finest farms in Adams 
County for successful agricultural purposes, and the 
admirable manner in which it is conducted shows 
that energy, enterprise anil good management are 
among its owner's chief characteristics. He was 
born in Harrison County, Ohio, in 1847, being the 
eldest of eight children born to Mitchel and Sarah 
(Foster) Reed, the latter a daughter of George Fos- 
ter, an Englishman. Mitchel Reed was born in the 
Buckeye State in 1827, and was one of a large fam- 
ily- of children reared by Samuel Reed. He was 
married in Ohio in 1846, and reared part of his fam- 
ily there, their names being: Samuel, Jennie (Mrs. 
Armstrong), William D. (now of Hastings, Neb.), 
Emmet, George, Frank, Ella (Mrs. Johnston), and 
Thomas. In 1855 3Ir. Reed moved to Iowa, and 
after residing in Wapello County until 1859 he re- 
moved to Page County, and settled on a farm, where 
he is still living. He and his wife are meml)ers of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is his political 
views he is a Republican. Samuel F. Reed spent 
his scliool days in Iowa, but in 1868 started out in 
life for himself, and was engaged in teaching school 
for several years. His marriage to Catherine Nich- 
olas took place in 1868, she being a daughter of J. 
J. and Lueinda (Lewis) Nicholas, natives, respect- 
ively, of Ohio and Indiana. 3Ir. Reed removed 
with his family to Nebraska in 1873, and first home- 
steaded 160 acres of land in Adams County, which 
by good management and strict attention to details, 
he lias since increased to 280 acres. His property 
is well impro\-ed and stocked with fifty head of cat- 
tle, 100 head of hogs and the necessary horses for 
a farm. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, 
and in politics he is a Republican, being elected on 
this ticket in 1887 to the office of township assessor. 
Besides holding the office of justice of the peace 
several years he has been a member of his district 



3(14 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



school board. His cliildion are: Eva (who is the 
wife of G. A. Graver, livinji- in Hayes County, Neb. , 
and is the mother of one child, Bertha), Floj-d, Orin, 
Mabel, Gertrude, Minnie and Samuel. 

Charles C. Rittenhouse is a professional architect, 
and is tlie oldest in tiic State of Ncln-aska in point 
i)f continuous labor at the business. His birth 
occuiTcd in Van Wert County', Ohio, Auoust 16, 
1852, and he is a son of M. M. and Christina 
(Meely) Rittenhouse, w'ho were born in Wayne 
County, Ohio, and Adams County, Pa., on June 5, 
1827. and in 1828, respectively. They are now 
resitling in Van Wert County, Ohio, and are pros- 
perous tillers of the soil. The paternal grandfather, 
Christian Rittenhouse, was liorn in Montgomery 
County, Pa., January 17, 1803, and died in Steu- 
ben County, Ind. , in August, 1889. Charles C. 
Rittenhouse is the second of six children, and from 
his earliest youth was reared to farm labor, receiv- 
ing a fair knowledge of books in the district schools 
near his home. From the age of seventeen until he 
had attained his majority he was engaged in teach- 
ing the " young idea " during the winter months, 
but in the spring of 1871 he began serving an 
apprenticeship at the carpenters trade, the compen- 
sation he received for his labor being $8 per month, 
and the time spent at the work, fifteen hours per 
day. After becoming a thorough master of the 
business he began contracting ou his own account, 
and the winter of 1875-7C was spent in the office of 
Tolau & Sou, architects of Fort Wayne, Ind. He 
remained in this city until August, 1877, when he 
came to Hastings, and in September, 1878, he 
opened an office of his own, being now the leading 
architect of Central Nebraska. The following are 
some of the most important buildings he has 
planned: Public school building, of Sidney, Neb.; 
public school building, York, Neb.; State Asylum 
for the Chronic Insane, Hastings, Neb. ; court house 
Ogalalla, Neb.; First National Bank, Holdrege, 
Nell.; Bartenbach's Opera House, Grand Island, 
Neb,; First National Bank, 3IcCook, Neb.; the Citi- 
zens' National Bank, and the puljlic school build- 
ings of Grand Island; the Methodist Episcopal Col- 
lege building. Central City. Neb.; and the following 
Iniildings in Hastings: Nebraska Loan and Trust 



Company's building, Kerr ()i)era House. Hastings 
College l)uildings, public scliool liuildings. the 
Masonic Hall and the Adams County court house, 
now in process of erection. Politicallj- Mr. Ritten- 
liouse is a Democrat, and in 188G was elected a 
member of the city council from the Second ward, 
and is at present acting mayor of the city. He is 
Past Master of Hastings Masonic Lodge No. 50, 
and is also a memlier of the I. 0. 0. F. In No- 
vember, 1879, he was united in marriage to Miss 
Vira Morse, who was born in Iowa City, Iowa, in 
1851, and by her has three children: Frank H. , 
Ralph G. and Charles C. 

0. C. Rogers, farmer and stock raiser, Ayr, 
Neb. For a period of nineteen years Mr. Rogers 
has been a resident of Adams County, and during 
that time he has seen the entire growth and devel- 
opment of the country. He came to Nebraska in 
company with Tom Fleming when there w-ere but 
five settlers in Adams County, and thev' hunted and 
trapped together for the first few years. Deer and 
bufl'alo were plentiful, wolves were also numerous, 
and Mr. Rogei's. with his unerring rifle, has brought 
down many of these animals. Mr. Rogers was born 
in Litchfield County. Conn., in 1838, and was the 
second in a family of five children, the result of the 
union of H. N. and Juniata (Hart) Rogers, natives 
of New York. The father was born about ISIO or 
1812, and was a blacksmith by trade, although he 
also owned a large farm in Illinois, wliither he had 
moved at an early date. He was a Repul)lican in 
politics, and both he and wife were memV)ers of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, he being class leader 
in the same. Both died in Illinois, the father in 
1866 and the mother in 1885. Their children were 
named as follows: T. H. , O. C. , Aaron, Phoebe 
and Henry. 0. C. Rogers' scliool boy days were 
spent in New Y'ork State, and at the breaking out of 
the war lie enlisted in Company G. Forty-fourth 
Illinois Infantry, and participated in the battles of 
Pea Ridge, siege of Corinth. Perryville. Stone River. 
Chickamauga. Chattanooga, Buzzard'.s Roost. Resaca, 
Marietta, i'eacli Tree Creek, Stone ^lountain. Burnt 
Hickory, Franklin, Teiin, , Nashville. Atlanta. Al- 
though he received fi\"e gun-shot wounds. ^Ir. Rogers 
never left the company, and has ne\er asked for a 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



305 



pension. He served faithfullj- for four years and 
four months, and was then honoralilj' discharged in 
Texas. Returning to Illinois he followed farming 
until 1871, when he emigrated to Nebraska and set- 
tled on Section 28, on 160 acres of good land, which 
he still owns. He was married, in 1873, to Mrs. 
Mary 31. Wilson, a daughter of Rev. John Fleming. 
Mr. Rogers is a member of the Gr. A. R. , and was a 
member of both the Odd Fellows and Masons. He 
is interested in the upbuilding of the county, and is 
active in educational and religious matters. He has 
been a member of the school lioard. His vote is 
cast with the Republican party. 

A. J. Rogers, M. D. To the skill and talent of 
this gentleman is due the appreciation and gratitude 
of hundreds, for he has built up an enviable reputa- 
tion as a practitioner of the " healing art," and has 
restored scores to health and hapjuuess. He was 
born in Henrj' County, Iowa, in 1851, and is the 
sixth of ten children born to Dr. Levi J. and Maria 
(Husted) Rogers, the former of whom removed from 
his native State of Peuus3lvania to the Hawkeje 
State in 1845, he being one of the pioneers of Henry 
County. After making his home there until 1885 
he came to Hastings, Neb., and was in the active 
practice of his profession up to the time of his death, 
which occurred in August, 1888. His wife still 
sun'ives him, and makes her home with her chil- 
dren. Dr. A. J. Rogers attended the village school 
at Salem, Iowa, until seventeen years of age, and, 
being desirous of acquiring a more thorough educa- 
tion, he entered Whittier College, of that place, and 
while in this institution did not neglect the opportu 
uities ofltered him. In 1879 he concluded to follow 
in his father's footsteps, and accordingly entered the 
College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Keokuk, 
Iowa, from which he graduated in March, 1881, as 
an M. D. In June of the same year he was married 
to Miss Sarah Lynn, a native of Iowa, and a daugh- 
ter of George W, Lj'un, one of the early settlers of 
Henrj- Countj', and soon after went to Afton, Union 
Count}-, where he entered actively ui)on the practice 
of his profession. Sixteen months later he removed 
to Letts, and after spending about the same length 
of time at this place he, in 1884, removed to Jlin- 
deu. Neb, , and eighteen months later to Blue Hill. 



After spending two years in the last named place he 
went to Hastings, and in November, 1888, located 
at Juniata, where his practice lias met with gratify- 
ing results, as it could not fail to do, for he is thoi'- 
oughly fitted by study and experience for a superior 
physician and surgeon. Socially he is a member of 
the IModern Woodmen, White Cover Lodge No, 
1240, and since locating in Adams County he has 
been deeph' interested in all matters pertaining to 
its welfare. He and wife have one child, Inez, 
aged seven years. The Doctor and two brothers re- 
sided in Red Oak, Iowa, one of whom, Elliott L. , 
has been auditor of Montgomer}- County for five 
years, and is now filling his third term. Prior to 
this he was postmaster of the town for nine years, 
liut resigned. He has alwaj's been a stanch Repuli- 
lican and an active politician of that county. The 
other Ijrother, Hiram S, , is in partnership with Dr. 
Hiatt, and they constitute the leading medical firm 
of Red Oak. Of the four sisters, two, Mrs. Barnes 
and 3Irs. Hollingsworth, resides in Hastings, where 
Mr. Barnes is a prominent clothier and Mr. Hollings- 
worth an active speculator. Another sister, Mrs. 
Phar, resides in ^linden, her husband being a lead- 
ing druggist of that place, where he has a fine store 
and a large patronage, Mrs, Pray, the youngest 
sister, is a resident of Chicago, her husband being a 
traveling salesman. 

Ur, S, Rohrer is a member of the well established 
and relialile firm of Cramer & Rohrer, of Hastings, 
Neb,, which firm was established in 1886. The 
subject of this sketch was born in Sterling, 111., 
February 5, 1859, and is an only child born to the 
marriage of B. F, Rohrer anil Esther Stauffer, both 
of whom were born in Pennsj'lvania, the formers 
birth occurring December 29, 1833, and the latter's 
in August, 1841, They are now residing in Ster- 
ling, of which place they are old and prominent set^ 
tiers. In this town I'r. S. Rohrer was reared to 
manhood, and here he recei\'ed his early education; 
but after passing a rather monotonous youth he be- 
came desirous of supplementing his primary educa- 
tion with a more thorough knowledge, such as could 
be obtained in more ad\-anced institutions of learn- 
ing, and in 1 878 he left the paternal roof and 
entered Knox College, at Galesburg, III,, where he 



V 



30G 



IILSTUKY OF NEBRASKA. 



spi'iit four years, his career being marked liy rapid 
a<lvaiic('inent. .M'lcr finishing his collegiate course, 
and lieing well verseil in the National game — base 
ball — he liegan making this his ealling, and played 
with some of the best teams in tiie West. In 1885 
he came to Hastings. Neb., as catcher for the Hast- 
ings club, and continued playing ball off and on 
until l.'-iST. In 1S85 he entered the emploj^ of A. 
H. t'ramor. and since 1886 has been in partnership 
with tills gentleman in the abstract business. He is 
a representative of the energetic young l)usiness 
men of the place, and possesses snfHeient energy, 
pluck and perseverance to insure his future suc- 
cess in life. Being a stanch Ilepul)lic.an in politics, 
his first presidential vote was cast for James (i. 
Blaine in 1884. December 26, 1887, was the date 
of his marriage with Miss Kate P. Forder, a native 
of Sterling, 111. , and a daughter of William Forder. 
She and Mr. llohrer have one child, a son named 
William U. 

James Ronian, familiarly known as " Pad 
Ronian,'' is the present proprietor of the Commer- 
cial Hotel, Hastings, Neb. According to the family 
record of the Ronian family, he was born at a quar- 
ter past thi-ee o'clock on August 22, 1828, in the 
city of Providence, R. I., and his mother, being 
sickly, did not furnish the proper amount of nourish- 
ment, so he naturally took to eating oysters, which 
produced a sudden growth, more in circumference 
than in height. After a period of ten j-ears his 
parents concluded to remove to New York, and as 
there were no railroads at that time, they embarked 
on the raging Erie Canal. After a long, tedious 
journey they landed in Buflfalo, N. Y. , and then 
moved back twenty miles in the wilderness where, 
on a clearing of only five acres, they commenced 
the toil and hardships of pioneer life. Thej- lived 
in a small log house, with a stick chimney, plastered 
with clay outside and in, and with a large flat stone 
for a hearth. Stoves were an unknown luxury at 
that day, and all their cooking was done with pot 
hooks and trammels. Often when the wind was 
high their chimney would not carry off the smoke, 
and as a consequence it was often black with smoke 
in the room. How little do we of the present day, 
with every -convenience around us, know of hard 



times. Then commenced a series of cold, rainj' 
seasons, with early frosts, that cut the corn off too 
early, and as that was the principal means of sus- 
tenance of fattening their pork, these animals would 
suffer severely if beech nuts were not plentiful. 
The mother always cut the hair of the children, and 
to get it even turned a quart bowl over the top 
of their heads and then cut around the edge of 
it. She did this even after they were grown. The 
young men of to-day go to a tonsorial artist (used to , 
be called a barber), pa}' ten cents for a shave, more 
than douljle that amount for a shampoo, twenty-five 
cents per hair cut. and fifty cents for a liottle of 
Oriental hair l)alin. after which they stand on the 
street corners, admire each other and talk of • ■ liard 
times," while their wives are at home sewing a Txit 
patch on their under garments. After a few years 
Mr. Ronian took Horace Greeley's advice to go West, 
and landed in 3Iontgomei'v County, Iowa, where he 
was engaged in the dairy l)usiness for a number of 
years. He also engaged in market gardening and 
agricultural pursuits, and met with excellent suc- 
cess; but on account of the ill health of some of his 
family, who were afflicted with asthma, he was 
advised by the doctore to trv a change of climate. 
He then moved to Hastings, and has been running 
the Commercial Hotel ever since. This is one of 
the leading houses in Hastings; in fact, the best 
known hotel in the West, and was never in better 
order than at the present time. He has fifty-four 
beds, all in fine order, and as the genial landlord re- 
marks: " Not a bed-bug in the house, for the rent is 
so high they would not stay." He has a corps of as 
good cooks as are to be found in the State, and he, 
himself, is a prince among hotel men; and is natur- 
ally suited and adapted to it. He keeps his help 
constantly under supervision, and sees that guests 
are properly cared for. Traveling salesmen receive 
special attention, and are made easy and comfort- 
able by Mr. Ronian, who possesses that feeling of 
kindly hospitality which characterizes the people of 
this State. He was married in 1852 to Miss Mary 
Eldridge, a native of New York, and three children 
have blessed this union: George, Jennie and Ger- 
trude. In politics Mr. Ronian is an out and out 
Repul)lican. His father, James Ronian, was born 



V 



ik: 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



30? 



in Ireland in 1800, came to the United States and 
settled in Rhode Island. His death occurred in 
1880. He was a tanner b}' trade. 

James A. Rose is a member of the firm of Rose 
Bros., plumbers of Hastings, Neb., and although 
he has onlj- been engaged in the plumbing business 
for the past four years, he has seen his business 
grow from insignificant proportions to its present 
admirable breadth, extending over a large area. 
He was born in Morgan County, Ohio, December 
25, 185-1, being one of the five surviving members 
of a family of seven children born to Peter and 
Elizabeth (Watts) Rose, natives of Ohio, and now 
residents of Adams County. His early days were 
spent in farm work, and his education was received 
in the district schools of his native county. He 
came with his parents to Adams County, Neb. , in 
1873, and with them settled on a fann ten miles 
southwest of Hastings, where he continued to re- 
main until 1879, at which time he came to Hastings 
and began selling wind-mills and pumps, adding in 
1886, as above stated, the plumbing business, which 
is proving a success financiallj*. He is a man of 
energetic and enterprising disposition, keeps thor- 
oughly abreast with the times, and being active in 
futhering the interests of the citj', is regarded as 
one of its pillars. He is a Republican, and in the 
spring of 1889 was elected a member of the cit}- 
council from the First ward, and is now a member 
of the finance committee. In 1879 he was married 
to Miss Lizzie IMartin, by whom he has five children: 
Etta, Frank, Lulu, Ralph and Guy. 

L. A. Royce, real estate, loan and insurance 
broker, Hastings, Neb. The magnitude of the real 
estate interests in this city and county and the 
activity in the market have enlisted the services of 
many of our most responsible men, and among the 
number is Mr. L. A. Roj-ce. He was born in the 
Buckej'e State in 1835, moved from there to Iowa, 
and in 1878 came to Hastings, Neb. , where he has 
since been engaged in the above mentioned liusiness. 
He has lieen quite successful, and is one of the pro- 
gressive and live business men of the place. 

J. W. Ruby, farmer and stockman, Pauline, Neb. 
Kentucky has given to Adams County many estima- 
ble citizens, but she has contributed none more 



highly respected, or more worth}- of honor and es- 
teem, than the subject of this sketch. He is one of 
the pioneer settlers of Adams County, and entered 
100 acres in Section 26, Little Blue Township. He 
first erected a dugout, but later a log house, and is 
now one of the enterprising men of the county. He 
was born in Louisville. Ky. , in 1842, and was the 
third in a family of thirteen children born to the 
union of George Washington and Tacy (Riley) RuV)y. 
natives of the Blue Grass State also, and descend- 
ants of old and much respected families. The 
father was one of the sturdy sons of toil, and at an 
e^rly daj' emigi-ateil to Keokuk, Iowa, where he 
fanned until his death in 1877. The mother is still 
living and resides in Keolcuk. Iowa. J. W. Ruliv 
passed the early years of his life in duties upon the 
home place, received his education in the schools of 
Iowa, and commenced farming for himself in that 
State. He was married in Cass County, 111., in 
1867, to Miss Lydia C. Abney, a native of Illinois, 
and the daughter of Paid and Elizabetii (Medlin) 
Abnej-, natives of Tennessee. Her parents emi- 
grated to Iowa at an early da}-, and to Adams 
County, Neb., in 1872, where they entered land. 
The father died in Boone County, Iowa, in 1S83, 
but the mother is still living. To Mr. and ^Mrs. 
Ruliy have been liorn five children: Edward F. (mar- 
ried and resides in Little Blue Township), Willie 
(married and resides at home), Alice (now Mrs. 
Fields, of this township) , Belle and Johnnie. J. W. 
Ruby cultivated the soil in Iowa until liis removal 
to Nebraska, since which time he has continued that 
pursuit. He was the first settler south of the Blue 
in Adams County, and Hastings was not heard of at 
that time. His nearest market was Beatrice, and 
there also was the nearest mill. >[r. Ruby is active 
in polities and votes with the Democratic party, Ijut 
is no oflSce seeker. He is a member of the Farmers' 
Alliance, and he and wife are members of the United 
Brethren Church. Being one of the first settlers of 
Adams County, Mr. Ruby has been a witness to its 
marvelous gi'owth. and it has not been so very long 
ago that the Indians were numerous here. He 
I came to this county with only a team and is now out 
of debt and the owner of a good fann. 

Alexander Rutherford, farmer and stockman of 



® k-. 



:l^ 



308 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Denver township; Adams County, Neb., was born 
near Belfast, Ireland, in 1838, being the eighth of 
ten children born to Thomas and Fannie (Stinson) 
Rutherford, both being born, reared and married in 
Scotland, removing to Ireland soon after tlie last 
named event, and there died in 1870 and 1882. re- 
spectively. Their children's names are: William, 
Thomas. Jane. James, John, Roljert, Alexander, 
Adam and Klisa. Alexander Rutherford was about 
thirteen years of age when, in company with his 
brother Robert, he came to the United States, land- 
ing at New Orleans. After spending one year in 
St. Louis they went to Rock Island County, 111. , 
where thej- found employment at farm work, and 
here Alexander was married in 1864 to Miss Anna 
Langdell. a daughter of William W. and Elizal)eth 
(Warren) Langdell, who were born in England and 
removed to Illinois in 1850. settling in Rock Island 
County, where they Ijoth died. In 1868 Mr. Ruther- 
ford and his wife removed to Poweshiek County, 
Iowa, and there he was engaged in farming and 
blacksmithing until 1879, when he came to Adams 
County, Neb., purchased 160 acres of land, and 
has since been engaged in tilling the soil. His land 
is well improved and stocked, and his residence is 
substantial, commodious and convenient. He is a 
member of the Farmers' Alliance, a Democrat in his 
politics, and a patron of all worthy enterprises. A 
family of ten children have been born to himself 
and wife: William W. (who died in 1866). Lizzie 
W., Adam, George, Alfred T. . Benjamin W. (who 
died in 1878), Harry T., Frank. Charley A. and 
Gracie (who died in 1885). 

Frederick J. Schaufelberger, M. D. This ener- 
getic gentleman, who has acquired a flattering repu- 
tation as a physician, was l)orn in Freedom, Beaver 
County, Pa. , April 28, 1850, and is a son of Jacob 
and Margaretha (Friteher) Schaufelberger, natives of 
Baden, Germany, who emigrated to the United 
States, settling first in Pennsylvania, and later in 
Hancock County, Ohio. Here the father plied his 
trade, that of wagon making, and also followed the 
occupation of farming until 1882, when he retired 
from active business life, and moved to Fostoria.Ohio, 
where he at i)resent resides. Dr. Schaufellierger re- 
ceived his education and rearing in Hancock County, 



Ohio, and liuislied his literar}' education in Heidel- 
berg College, Tiffin, Ohio. After being in the drug 
l)usiness in Fostoria, Oiiio, twelve years he, in 1881, 
began the study of medicine in tlie office of Drs. 
Henr}- & Meyers, and thus favored with excellent 
prejiaratory training, he entered the Jefferson ^ledi- 
cal College, of Philadelphia, Pa., graduating as an 
M. D. in 1884. After practicing in Fostoria, Ohio, 
for two and a half years, he. in October. 1886. came 
to Hastings, Neb. , and here his professional career 
from the first has been one of gratif3'ing results. 
The Doctor is a Repulilican. and his first presidential 
vote was cast for U. S. Grant. He is a member of 
all the Masonic bodies, belonging to the York Rite 
of Masonry in Hastings, Neb. , and is the present 
T. I. M. of Hastings Council No. 8. He is also a 
Past Master of Fostoria Lodge No. 288, A. F, & 
A. M., Fostoria, Ohio. The Doctor was married 
October 9, 1877, to Eva J., daughter of Jacob J. 
and Rachel A. (Harsh) Mj-ers. Mrs. Schaufelberger 
was born in Fostoria. Ohio, December 8, 1853. 
They have one child , Frederick J. , who was born 
February 9, 1881. 

B. F. Schlegel. hardware merchant, Kenesaw. 
Neb. I'l'ominent among the commercial resources 
of the town of Kenesaw must be included the 
trade carried on in hardware, etc. , and among 
those who hold a responsible position in this line 
may be mentioned the name of Mr. B. F. Schlegel, 
one of the successful business men of the place. 
He is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Northumer- 
land County, February 3, 1840, and is one of the 
early settlers of Western Adams County, Neb. His 
parents, Peter and Susannah (Bohner) Schlegel, were 
both natives of the Keystone State, where they 
passed their entire lives, and where the father car- 
ried on agricultural pursuits. The Schlegel family 
is of German descent, and have long been residents of 
Pennsylvania, the paternal grandfather being a sol- 
dier in the Revolutionary War. B. F. Schlegel's 
time was divided in early life in assisting his father 
on the farm and in getting a meager education in 
the common schools. When about seventeen years 
of age, he went to Erie County. Ohio, where he en- 
gaged as a farm laborer. In 1861 he enlisted for 
three months in Comjiany E, Eighth Ohio Yohin- 



"F 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



309 



teer Infantry, and at the expiration of liis term of 
enlistment he returned t» liis home, and later enlisted 
in Company H, Forty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania 
Volunteers, re-enlisting in the same company' three 
years later. He participated in the engagements at 
Winchester, Cedar Jlountain, Antietam, Cliancellors- 
ville, Gettj'sburg, Peach Tree Creek, and several 
other prominent battles. He was in Sherman's 
march to the sea, and at the time of his discharge, 
which occurred at Harrisburg on July 22, 1865, was 
serving as first sergeant. Soon after the close of the 
war he went to Ohio, and the following sjn-iug came 
to Neliraska, locating in Dakota County, where he 
remained two years. After spending the following 
year in Iowa, he returned to his Eastern home and 
later traveled extensively in the Northern and AVest^ 
ern States, finally selecting Kenesaw as his place of 
residence, locating there in 187S. He purchased a 
farm one mile east of the town, and devoted his at- 
tention to agricultural pursuits. He remained on 
his farm until 1888, when he moved to the town of 
Kenesaw, where he purchased his present hardware 
business in partnership with S. H. Smith, the present 
firm. In 1867 he married Jliss p]liza Combs, a 
native of Ohio, who died in 1868. In 1871 he mar- 
ried Miss Rosa A. Reed, a native of Penns3"lvania, 
and the fruits of this union have been one son and 
three daughters. Mr. Schlegel is a Republican in 
his political views, and his first presidential vote was 
cast for Abraham Lincoln, at Atlanta, Ga. , in 1864. 
He served as treasurer of Kenesaw Township for 
three j'ears, and has also Ijeen a memlier of the 
school board a numlier of times. He is a memljer 
of the G. A. R. , Kenesaw Lodge No 144, and is 
also a member of the Kenesaw Building and Im- 
provement Association. 

P. J. Schmitz is accounted a prosperous agricul- 
turist and stockman of Adams County, Neb. , and 
like the majority of the natives of Wisconsin he is 
progressive in his views, and possesses original and 
excellent ideas regarding the management and con- 
duct of his farm. He was born in 1861, and is the 
third child born to Henry and Catherine (Barbian) 
Schmitz, the mother a native of Germany. Henrj- 
Schmitz, also a native of German}', was born in 
1839. and in 1852 came to the United States, and 



settled near Janesville, in Rock County, Wis. , 
where he married and followed cabinet making for 
a living. In 1861, however, he took up farming in 
Grant County, Wis., and in 1874 moved to Adams 
County, Neb. , and in addition to taking up a home- 
stead claim also purciiased land, and now has a val- 
uable farm amounting to 560 acres, which is finely 
improved. He and wife are members of the Catho- 
lic Church. P. J. Schmitz spent his school days in 
Grant County, Wis. , but upon his father's removal 
to Nebraska he came also, and in 1881 began farm- 
ing for himself, contimiing three years, after which 
he followed tiie carpenters trade five or six years; 
then again resumed farming, which he expects to 
make his calling through life. He settled on his 
present farm in 1888, and has it well improved 
and stocked, and is considered one of the enterpris- 
ing young farmers of the county. He was married, 
in 1889, to Miss Aircie Lawhead, a daughter of Al- 
fred and Catherine (Flint) Lawhead. Mr. Schmitz' 
bi-others and sisters are as follows: John H. (who 
resides in Roselaud, Adams Count}-, Neb.), Mary 
(Mrs. Derricks, living in Adams County), Minnie 
(wife of G. M. Gatford, of Roseland). and Albert. 
Annie and Eva, at ho^ne. 

Henry Schnuelle, farmer and stock raiser. Hast- 
ings, Neb. In Sheboygan County, Wis., in 1854, 
was born to Fredrick and Rickie (Boedieker) 
Schnuelle, a son, who is now taken as the subject 
of this sketch. The father was a successful agricul- 
turist, is a Republican in politics and a public 
spirited citizen. He is a member of the Reformed 
Church. His wile, who was also a member of that 
church, died in 1880. They reared ten children to 
maturity: Fredrick, Rickie, Sophia (deceased), 
Henry. Simon. August. William, Anna, and Her- 
man and Caroline (twins). Henr\- Schnuelle was 
the fourth in order of birth, and as he grew up re- 
ceived instruction in the district schools of his native 
State. At the age of twent}--one years he went to 
Iowa, where he remained for three years, and then 
in 1877 he emigrated to Nebraska, where he bought 
160 acres, where he now lives. It was all prairie at 
that time, but this he has improved, and now has a 
fine farm. He was married in December, 1881, to 
Miss Minnie Haubrock, daughter of Charles and 



>> 



310 



HISTORY OF. NEBRASKA. 



Jjouisa llaubiock. and a native of Illinois. Her 
parents moved to Nebraska in 1878, settled in Han- 
over Townsliip, and there tliey are still liviufj. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Seluuielle were born tive children: 
Charley (born October 31, 1882), Clara (born March 
30. 1884), Willie (born December 20. 1885). JIurtha 
(born Auiiust ti, 1887). and Dora (born Fel)ruary 22, 
1889). Mr. Schnuelle is deeply interested in the 
ui)buildin<r of chnrches and schools, and the wel- 
fare of the county. He is honest and industrious, 
and all his propertj- is the result of hard work. He 
was elected supervisor of the town in 1885, and 
since then has held the offlee of town clerk, filling 
this position with credit and satisfaction. He is a 
Republican in politics. 

S. V. Scott has been identified witli the farminu; 
interests of Adams County, Nel). , since 1873, and 
since his first entry of 160 acres he has become the 
owner of 240 acres of well improved and well 
stocked laud. He was born in New Brunswick in 
1844, and was the fifth in a family of children 
raised by Thomas W. and Anne E, (Floyd) Scott, 
the former a native of Maine. His early life was 
spent in that State, but he was married in New 
Brunswick, and a family of eleven children lilessed 
ills union: John, Emmaline S. , William (deceased), 
Lydia (deceased), S. V., Thomas, David Y. , Wil- 
liam Z. , James (who died in infancy), Ida S. and 
Sarah A, Mr, Scott moved to Princeton, 111, , in 
1855, and in 1869 emip;rated to Poweshiek County, 
Iowa, settling on his farm of 300 acres of land. 
His wife's death occurred on August 11, 1880, 
Slie was an earnest member of the Baptist Church 
at the time of her demise. Mr. Scott then lived 
with his youngest daughter until his death, April 1, 
1888, S. Y, Scott was reared in ^cw Brunswick, 
and in 1855 emigrated to Illinois and settled near 
Princeton, in Bureau County, but moved iu 1867 to 
Iowa, and settled on a farm in Poweshiek County, 
remaining here until 1879, since which time he has 
been a resident of Adams County, Neb, His farm 
is one of the best in the county, and is well adapted 
to stock raising, which industry receives consider- 
al)le attention at Mr. Scott's hands. He is in ever}- 
sense of the word a self-made man. and the valualjle 
property of which he is now the owner has been 



acquired l)y hard and [lersistent endeavor. He is 
liberal in the support of worthy causes, is a Repub- 
lican in his political views and belongs to the 
Masonic Order, Lodge No, 50. He is unmarried. 

Hemy Shedd, furniture dealer of Hastings, 
Neb., is one of Adams Count3''s oldest residents, 
having come here in 1872. He was born in Oneida 
County, N. Y. , October 13, 1813, being a son of 
Dyer and Lydia (Pratt) Shedd, who were born in 
Connecticut and died in Oneida County, N, Y, , in 
1848 and 1846, respectively, Henry Shedd at- 
tended the schools of his native county, and while 
still a youth liegan life for himself, and the first 
year clerked in a store in Utica. After spending 
some time learning the carpenter's trade he became 
a contractor and liuilder, and this occupation he 
followed for three or four years. In 1862, full of 
zeal and enthusiasm for the cause of the Union, he 
enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Seven- 
teenth New York A'olunteer Infantry, and went out 
as second lieutenant, and a few months later was 
detailed from his regiment for special service, and 
at the end of two years was honorablj^ discharged. 
In 1865 he came to Illinois and made a location in 
Woodford County, where he was engaged in farm- 
ing, merchandising and carpentering until 1872, at 
which time he came to Adams County, Neb. , and 
homesteaded about four miles northeast of Juniata, 
In 1875 he came to Hastings, and that year and 

1876 were devoted to the grain business, but in 

1877 he formed a partnership in the sale of agricul- 
tural implements with Charles L. Stone, the firm 
name being Shedd & Stone, which connection lasted 
until 1884, at which time Mr, Shedd turned his at- 
tention to the stock business. From April 2. 1886, 
to Septemlier, 1889, he was assistant cashier of the 
Adams Couutj- Bank, and in October of the latter 
j'ear he opened a furniture estal)lishment in Hast- 
ings, and has a wholesale and retail stock, very com- 
plete and of the best quality. He is a Prohibition- 
ist, and on that ticket was elected, in 1885, to the 
position of mayor of Hastings, He was married in 
1866 to Miss Jennie Sandford, who was born in 
1838, and their union has been blessed in the birth 
of two daughters: Addie E. and Faimie, The mother 
of these children died on June 23, 1875, and Mr, 



^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



311 



Shedd espoused his present wife in Octol)er, 1887. 
She was a Mrs. Rose E. Fisher, born in Iowa in 1856, 
and is an earnest member of the Presbyterian Church. 
John J). Shellhamer, farmer and stoe'lv raiser, 
Holstein, Neb. The success which seems to attend 
Mr. Shellliamer's efforts in the farming and stocli 
raising industry is well merited, for no one is more 
thoroughly interested in this calling or gives it 
greater attention. He was originally from Colum- 
bia County, Pa. . where his liirth occurred on Octo 
ber 30. 1855. and is the son of E. C. and Eliza 
(Heavner) Shellhamer. natives of Pennsylvania, and 
both born and reared in Columbia County. Mr. 
Shellhamer was a contractor on public worlds in 
Pennsylvania for a number of years , and being of a 
roving disposition moved to Wisconsin about 1859. 
He lived there for two years, then moved to Virginia 
and resided in Fairfax for four years, after which 
he returned to Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County. 
Two years later he sold out and moved to Iowa, 
resided in Howard and Mitchell Counties for about 
ten years; and then again sold out, and in 1873 
emigrated to Nebraska. He followed farming in 
Adams County for some time, and then moved to 
Iowa, where he resided for four years. He is now 
residing in Arkansas. He was magistrate while in 
Adams County, Neb. John D. Shellhamer grew to 
manhood in Iowa, and came with his ^xirents to Ne- 
braska in 1873. He located on his present property 
in 1874. and now has IGO acres of land all in a good 
state of cultivation. Like the majority of the 
farmers of Adams County, he has good substantial 
Iniildings; has set out a small orchard, etc. ; has an 
acre of timber, and is in comfortable circumstances. 
Bj- his marriage, which occurred in Kearney County, 
Neb., November 15, 1885, to Miss Luella Wood, a 
native of Morgan Count}-. Ohio, there have been 
born two children: Ross and Stella. Mrs. Shell- 
hamer was the daughter of Abram Wood, of 
Kearney County, and previous to her marriage was 
a successful teacher in Kearney and Adams Coun- 
ties for a number of years. Her home is decorated 
with numerous evidences of an artist's handiwork, 
and the massive organ responds to her skillful 
touch. She is a member of the Christian Church, 
and an active Sundaj'-school worker. 



John Shierman, farmer and stock raiser, Hast 
ings, Nelj. There are many citizens of foreign birth 
represented within the pages of this volume, and 
among those deserving of mention is John Shier- 
man, who was liorn in Wittenberg, Germany, in 
183G, and who was the third child and only son in 
a family of five children born to Andrew and M:iiy 
A. Shierman, both of whom are now deceased, the 
mother dying in 1869 and the fatlier in 1872, and 
both being meml)crs of tlie Catholic Church. The 
father was a prominent agriculturist. Their children 
were named as follows: Mary J., Crescinth, John, 
Maggie and Catherine. John Shiermans time was 
divided in early youth between assisting on the farm 
and in attending the schools of his native country. 
Later he learned the carpenter trade, and in 1854 
emigrated to the United States, settled in Pennsyl- 
vania, and there remained eighteen months. He 
then moved to Illinois, settling in Douglas County, 
where he worked in a grist-mill and saw-mill for a 
few _years. He was married May 17, 1859, to Miss 
Maggie JIalone, and to them was born one son, 
William A. Mrs. Shierman died April 8, 1860. 
William A. died Oetolier 8, 1860. After losing his 
family Mr. Shierman was engaged in farming until 
1861. when he enlisted in Company I). Twentj'-first 
Illinois. Grant's regiment, and participated in the 
battles of Fredericktown. Perrvville. Winchester. 
Tullahoina. Tymu Gaj). Pine Jlountain. Chattanooga, 
Stone River. Chickamauga. and was with Sherman 
from Atlanta to the sea. He was also at Corinth, 
and participated in a great many skirmishes. He 
was discharged in 1804, and returned to Illinois, 
where he engaged in carpenter work. He was mar- 
ried, in 1865, to Miss Jennie R. Low. daughter of 
Rev. Samuel an<l Catherine Low. the father a native 
of Maine and the mother of New York State. Tlie 
former died in 1840. and the latter in 1861. Mrs. 
Shierman was born in Indiana in 1837. and was the 
y<iungest of the following children: Samuel, Marv. 
Catherine, Ann. William. Henry. Adelia and Jennie. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Shierman were born four children: 
Elton E. . John W.. Katie 0. and Nettie A. John 
Shierman emigrated to Nebraska in !March. 1873. 
and settled in Hastings, where thirty days after ar- 
riving he experienced the terrilile lilizzard mentioned 



_ * 



k. 



312 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



elsewhere. In 1874 he was also in the grasshopper 
scourge. After following the carpenter trade un- 
til 1882 he located on his present farm. He took a 
homestead in Little Blue Township in 1873. and in 
1882 he traded this for the 160 acres where he now 
lives. He lias l)een successful, and now has a com- 
fortable home, all the result of honest endeavor. In 
his political views he is a Republican, but in local 
politics he votes for principle and not for party. 

David Sliook, farmer and carpenter, Ilolstcin, 
Neb. Mr. Siiook is a native of Indiana, born in 
Dearborn County on November 11, 1820, and is the 
son of Jolm and Sarah (Harper) Shook, both natives 
of .Maryland. Mr. Shook was a contractor and 
builder, and moved from his native State to Indiana 
at an early day, being one of tlie earliest settlers of 
Dearborn County. He served in some of the Indian 
wars in Indiana, and afterward moved to Ripley 
County, where he cultivated tlie soil until his death, 
which occurred in 1841. His wife died in August, 
1800. David Shook was early taught the duties of 
farm life in Ripley County, Ind. , and was married 
there March 1, 1840, to Miss Indiana Deal, a native 
of the Keystone State. After farming there for 
several years Mr. Shook moved to Iowa (1855). 
located in Fayette County, and then^ continued his 
atcrieultural interests, but in connection followed 
contracting and building, which trade he had learned 
in Indiana. In 1870 he moved to Guthrie County 
of that State, resided there until 1884, when he 
moved to Nebraska and located on his present prop- 
erty on election day of that year. He has imjjroved 
his property; has 160 acres under cultivation and 
fenced; has a good house, substantial outbuildings, 
good orchard; and, in fact, is a first class farmer. 
In connection with his fanning interests he has also 
carried on the carpenter trade to some extent. He 
lost his first wife in Fayette County , Iowa, on No- 
vember 18, 1859, ten children having been born to 
this union, seven boys and three girls: Jacob D. , 
Charles W., William, Ezra, Gramdville L. , Albert 
W. , James P.. Mary J., Louisa A. and Isabell. Mr. 
Shook's second marriage occurred in Fayette County, 
Iowa, on July 12, 1860, to Miss Eliza Moffitt, a 
native of Ohio, born March 10, 1820, in Coshocton 
County, and the daughter of James and .Mary Mof- 



fitt. To this union were given three children, all 
born in Fayette, Iowa: Robert A., Josephine and 
David M. Mr. and Mrs. Shook and family are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
are much respected citizens. 

William J. Shriver is one of the intelligent and 
enterprising agriculturists and stockmen of Adams 
County, Neb. , and has been very successful in the 
conduct of his farm, which comprises 160 acres in 
Denver Township. His native birthplace is Noble 
County, Ohio, where he was liorn in 1848, the eldest 
child of Michel and Mary A. (Hughes) Shriver, and 
grandson of Amos and Caroline Hughes. Michel 
Shriver was born in Pennsylvania in 1820, but re- 
moved to Ohio in early life and settled in Noble 
County, where he married and reared a family of 
six children, four sons and two daughters: William 
J, , John S. , Michel E. , Mary E. . Amos E. and 
Luc}^ E. Mr. Shriver removed to Iowa County, 
Iowa, in 1867, and is still making his home there, 
being a Democrat in politics. William J. Shriver 
was married in the State of Iowa in 1873 to Miss 
Harriet J. Misel, a daughter of David and Martha 
(Trimble) Misel, all natives of the " Bucke^ye State." 
David Misel was born in 1823, his wife in 1827, 
and the latter's death occurred in August, 1880. 
Mr. Shriver and his wife have three children: 
David Russell, Amos Emanuel and J(jhn Wesley. 
In 1883 he removed with his family to Adams 
County, Neb., and settled on his present farm, 
which is situated about three miles from Hastings, 
it being well improved with good buildings, or- 
chards, etc., and well stocked, his cattle being of 
the Short-horn breed. He has alwajs supported 
worthy and feasible enterprises, and being enterpris- 
ing and industrious, he is an acquisition to the com- 
munity in which he resides. He is a member of his 
local school board, is a Democrat in his political 
views, and he and wife are members of the ^letho- 
dist Episcopal Church. 

Joseph R. Sims is one of the leading contractors 
and builders of Hastings, Neb. , and in speaking of 
his life occupation, perhaps the greatest compliment 
that could be paid him would be to point to the 
manv fine edifices which he has erected. His jtarcnts, 
William and Louisa (Stokes) Sims, were born in Eng- 



-■ g 



A 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



313 



land, Vint orossed the ocean to seek a home in the 
New World in 1848, settling in Scranton. Pa., 
where they were accidentally killed on July 3, 1861, 
before their plans for the future had fully matured. 
Joseph R. Sims received the advantages of the com- 
mon public schools in his youth, and although he 
was anxious to join the Union army during the late 
Rebellion, his extreme youth prevented the carrying 
out of his wishes until 1864, when he enlisted in 
Company C, Two Hundred and Third Pennsylvania 
Volunteers, and he did faithful service until June 
26, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. Re- 
turning from the War. he located In Scranton, Pa., 
whe'-e he entered upon a three years' apprenticeship 
at the carpenter's trade, and after completing his teiTU 
of service he worked at his trade in the Wyoming 
and Lackawanna Valleys until 1872, when he re- 
moved to Chicago, and here and at Grand Rapids, 
Mich., he continued to work at his trade for two 
years. The four following years were spent in his 
native State, and after a short residence in Iowa, he 
came to Hastings, Neb. , in the summer of 1878, and 
since has been connected with the building interests 
of the city. Some of the finest residences and pub- 
lic buildings of the place were erected by him, and 
he is, all will acknowledge, an adept at his trade. 
He has ever been an ardent Republican, and sociallj- 
is a member of the JIasonic fraternity, and is the 
present recorder of Mt. Nebo Commander}- No. 11, of 
which he is a member. 

A. P. and Will A. Slack are prosperous general 
merchants of Juniata, Neb. , and each of the mem- 
bers of this firm is an honored representative of the 
old and respected family whose name they bear. 
Their parents, A. W. and Nancy (Wheelock) Slack, 
were natives of New York, and the father was for a 
long time a carriage maker of Felts Blills, but is 
now retired. A. P. and W. A. Slack were born in 
Jefferson County, N. Y. , in 1858 and 1861, and 
were attendants at the common schools until thirteen 
and fourteen years of age, respectively. The former 
after starting out in life for himself began clerking, 
which occupation he followed seven years, but in 
1880 he came west, imbued with the idea that better 
opportunities were offered here for a young man of 
push and enterprise, and subsequent events have 



proved that liis suppcjsitions were correct. After 
following tile plow in Hall Count}' for one and a half 
years he came to Juniata, and the same length of 
time was spent in clerking for ^Ir. Bun, at the expi- 
ration of which time he entered the Bank of Juniata, 
and for five years acted as clerk, bookkeeper and 
teller. In Fel)ruary, 1888, he opened a grocery 
store, which he conducted until Octolier, 1889, then 
was joined by his brother, W. A. Slack, and J. R. 
Van Houteu, and they put in a stock of general 
merchandise valued at $7,000. Although this firm 
have onl\- lieen in business a short time they have 
succeeded in estaV)lishing a safe and renumerative 
trade, and their close attention to business, com- 
bined with a large and well selected stock of goods of 
the most reputaltle manufactures, together with rea- 
sonable prices at which they are disposing of them, 
have contributed largely to their success. In 1884 
A. P. Slack purchased property in Juniata, and on 
one of his lots Iiuilt him a good residence. He also 
owns a good farm in Dak(3ta. He was married, in 
1879, to Miss Ida Rhincr, a native of New York, 
and a daughter of C. B. Rhiner, who is at present 
in business in Juniata. Two children have been 
born to !Mr. Slack's marriage: Alliert and Walter. 
Both Mr. Slack and his wife are members of the 
Baptist Church, and politically he is a Republican, 
and in 1888 was appointed notary public. Will A. 
Slack began his career as a farm hand, but later fol- 
lowed the occupation of pedagoguing until he attained 
his majority. Shortly after his marriage he removed 
from his native State to Dakota, where he home- 
steaded 320 acres, but after proving up on his claim 
he came to Adams County, Neb., in 1885, and for 
some time was bookkeeper for W. D. Sewell, and 
afterward for D. H. Freeman. In 1887 he became 
associated with Mr. Freeman in business, the firm 
taking the name of D. H. Freeman & Co. , but at 
the end of about two j-ears, in October, 1889, he 
joined his lirother in the above named store, under 
the firm name of A. P. Slack & Co. , and as stated 
above they have become well known in business 
circles. Mr. Slack's wife, formerlj- Miss Hattie E. 
Smith, was born in York State, but her parents are 
now residing in South Dakota. Mr. Slack and his 
wife have Ijcon members of the Methodist Episcopal 



>^s 



ir^ 



A 



314 



HISTORY OP NEBRASKA. 



'^ 



Church since thej' were chiklren, and he, as well as 
his brother, is an active worker in the Sundaj'- 
school. He and wife have two sons and two daugh- 
ters: Ina, Ethel, Flo_yd and Leon. He also owns 
considerable town property and ICO acres of land 
three miles from Juniata, all of which is under cul- 
tivation. He is a Prohibitionist, and socially is a 
meralier of Juniata Lodge No. 79, L 0. 0. F. , of 
which he is secretary. 

George W. Slay is a farmer and stock raiser of 
Cottonwood Township, Adams County, Neb., and 
his well established characteristics of energy, perse- 
verance and iudustrj' have lirought him safe returns. 
He was liorn at JlcConuelsville, Ohio, November 
26, 185-lr, and is a sou of Henry and Catherine 
(Davis) Slay, who were also born in the " Buckej-e 
State." The Slays are of German origin, and the 
grandfather, John Slaj', was born in Pennsylvania 
and settled in Ohio at a very early period, his 
ancestors having come to this country, it is sup- 
posed, since the Revolutionary War. Catherine 
Davis was a daughter of George Davis, a native of 
Maryland, who settled in Ohio, at McCouuelsville, 
during the early history of that region. George W. 
Slay was one of a family of eleven children, of 
whom five sons and two daughters are now living, 
and grew to manhood in the State of his birth. 
After reaching his nineteenth jear he started out in 
life for himself, and after spending one year at 
farming in Grundy County, Mo., he went to Michi- 
gan and was employed in the lumlier regions of that 
State for one year. The following six mouths were 
spent at general labor in West Virginia, after which 
he went to Pennsylvania, thence six months later to 
Indiana, and after spending a year here he went to 
Illinois, and spent a year there also. After a resi- 
dence of six months in Wisconsin he returned to the 
lumber regions of INIichigau, and eighteen months 
later went on a visit to his old home. He worked 
for three years at railroading in Perry Count}', after 
which he farmed until 1883, in Grundy County, 
Mo. , and in September of that year came to Ne- 
braska and homesteaded his present property, which 
comprises 160 acres of fine farming land, nicely 
improved with good buildings, orchards, etc. While 
a resident of Grundy .Countj', Mo. , he was married 



to Miss Martha Shilling, a native of Ohio, and a 
daughter of Reuben and Hannah (Hopper) Shilling, 
natives of Wisconsin, and descendants of an old 
Scotch family. Mr. and Mrs. Slay have one son 
and two daughters: Herman A. , Ettie IMyrtle and 
Gracie May. The family worship in the Methodist 
Church, and Mr. Slay has held several local offices. 
Edwin Smith, farmer and stock raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. Mr. Smith owes his nativity to the Empire 
State, where his birth occurred in 1842. and is the 
second of five children, three sous and two daugh- 
ters, born to the union of John and Keziah (Hal- 
lock) Smith, natives also of the State of New York. 
The father is a farmer, and has followed this occu- 
pation successfully all his life. He was born in 
1820, and is now a resident of his native State. He 
is Democratic in his political principles, and is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of wliicli 
his wife was also a member. She was the daughter 
of Zebulous Hallock, of York State, and died in 
1885. Their children were named as follows: Cyrus 
B. , Edwin, Joseph P., Loduska M. and Ida B. 
Edwin Smith's school days were spent in New York 
State, and he was reared in Delaware County, al- 
though his native county was Greene. He started 
out for himself in 1SG3, liy enlisting in Company G, 
One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, 
he having moved to that State and settled in ;\Iar- 
shall County in that j'ear, and from that time he 
acted as scout and guard, taking prisoners liack and 
forwards from different places. He was discharged 
on October 20, 1864, after which he returned to 
Illinois, and there tilled the soil until 1876. He 
then emigrated to Adams County, Neb.. V)ought 
eighty acres of land, which he now has well im- 
proved and which is better stocked than almost any 
other farm in this part of the country. He is enter- 
prising, industrious, and cannot fail to be success- 
ful in whatever he undertakes. He was married, in 
1882, to Isabelle Campbell, ncc Herlinger, who had 
one child, Ira, the result of a former union. Mr. 
Smith is interested in all enterprises for the good of 
the count}', is school treasurer in his district, a 
member of the Farmers' Alliance, and in his politi- 
cal views is Democratic. He and Mrs. Smith are 
memliers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. IMr. 






ADAMS COUNTY. 



315 



Smitli likes the State, and expects to make it his 
permanent home. 

Judge B. F. Smith, attorney at law, a member 
of the firm of Dilworth, Smith & Dilworth, of Hast> 
ings, Neb., was born in Wayne County, Ohio, in 
June, 1847, lieing the seventh in a family of eight 
children of Nathaniel and Mary (Cope) Smith, who 
were of German descent; the father was a Lutheran 
minister. Both his parents died in 1851. B. F. 
Smith soon after removed with his grandparents to 
Steulien County, Ind. , and at an early age entered a 
printing office, and also learned the manufacturing 
of candy, and at the age of sixteen, in 1863, en- 
listed in Company H, First Michigan Sharpshooters, 
being attached to the Ninth Army Corps, in the 
campaign of 1864, and participated in the battles 
of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Bethel Church, 
Ox Ford, North Anne, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, 
in which last engagement he received a wound in the 
right arm from the bursting of a shell, which caused 
the amputation of the ann at the elbow. He was 
discharged from the service in December, 1864, and 
returned to his home in Steuijen County, Ind. , and 
soon after engaged in running as express messenger 
between Cincinnati and St. Louis. In 1866, when 
the cholera was raging in St. Louis, he returned to 
Steuben County, Ind., and entered the graded school 
of Angola, remaining there teaching school and 
studying law until 1871, when he was admitted, and 
in April of 1872, he removed to Juniata, Neb. , 
taking up a homestead four miles northeast of that 
place in Highland Township. He at once entered 
upon a career of distinction and success, and owing 
to his strong, good sense and knowledge of legal 
lore . he soon commanded a large patronage. He has 
made many improvements on his farm, which is a 
valuable piece of land, and after proving his title, in 
1874, he moved to Juniata, where he bought prop- 
erty and erected a dwelling, but in 1882 caused his 
present commodious residence to be built. He has 
always been a politician, and in 1873 his ability was 
recognized Ity the people, and he was elected probate 
judge, which office he held eight years. He has al- 
ways been a stanch supporter of Repuljlican princi- 
ples and has been a delegate to numerous conven- 
tions. In 1876 he formed a law partnership with 



James Laird, which continued until 1883, when the 
latter's interest was purchased by Gen. Dilworth, 
and the next j'ear W. A. Dilworth was admitted and 
the present firm formed. Judge Smith is a member 
of the I. 0. 0. F. , Juniata Lodge No. 79, and is a 
member of Hastings Encampment No. 50, and of 
Geary Post No. 81, G. A. R.. Miss Sarah Biggs- 
bee, of Indiana, became his wife in 1868, and to 
them have been born the following family: Jesse 
and Eugene are deceased, and Benjamin F. , Philip 
H. and Harrison Morton are living. 

J. W. Smith, M. D. , is well known to the many 
readers of this volume, and owes his nativity to 
Bakewell, England, where his bu"th occurred in 
1852, he being the elder of two children born to 
Thomas and .Mary Smith, the former of whom was 
a Wesleyan Jlethodist minister, and expounded the 
doctrines of his denomination for thirty-three years, 
dj'ing in 1874. His wife's death occurred in 1880. 
Dr. J. W. Smith often accompanied his father to 
the different parishes in which he preached , and thus 
acquired much valuable information, which stood 
him in good stead in later jears. His means of 
learning was not confined to this alone, however, for 
he attended the schools of Bakewell, excellent ones 
of their kind, and subsequently finished his educa- 
tion by graduating from the medical and theological 
departments of Wesley College, Sheffield. In 
1873-74 he preached the Gospel in England, but in 
1875 he came to the United States, and located at 
Franklin, N. Y. , where he continued his work for 
the Master for two years, and was then at Hampden, 
of the same State, three years. At the expiration 
of this time he came to Nel)raska, and for two years 
acted as principal of the schools of Orleans, being 
also pastor of a church there, after which he was 
transferred to Juniata, making this the scene of his 
ministerial labors for two years. Since that time he 
has practiced the profession of medicine in Adams 
County, his labors in this capacitj- being well pros- 
pered, and, besides, his own personal characteristics 
have drawn around him a wide spread popularity. 
Dr. Smith was married in New York, in 1876, to 
^liss Mary K. !Muhlachm, a native of Hampden, N. 
Y. , aud a graduate of the Albany Normal College, a 
refined and intellectual lady. Her grandfather was 



3?. 






ix: 



31G 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



one of the earliest settlers in Delaware Count}-, and 
her rqlatives are respected and prosperous citizens 
of that region. Dr. and Mrs. Smith have had five 
children: E. Russell (who died at the age of two 
years), Flo3d, Edith Pearl, Robert Arthur (died in 
infancy), and Walter J. 

H. N. Spencer, farmer and stoclv raiser, Ne- 
gunda, Neb. This successful and enterprising citi- 
zen, like the majority of people who claim the 
Buckeye State as their birth place, is enterprising, 
intelligent and thrifty. His liirth occurred in Ge- 
auga County, in 1825, and lie was the only child 
born to his parents, Orrin and Mehitabel (Hall) 
Spencer, natives of Connecticut. The father was a 
farmer by occupation, and when fifteen years of age 
he moved with his parents to Geauga County, Ohio, 
they being among the first white settlers to locate in 
Claridon Township. He was marrii'd in ( thio in 
1821, and afterwards tilled the soil. His death 
occurred in Ohio in 1874, and his wife's death 
occurred previous to this, in 1800. He was quite a 
prominent man and served the county in many posi- 
tions of trust. He was justice and director of the 
infirmary. Grandfather Spencer was in the War of 
1812, and went to Cleveland at the time of Hull's 
surrender. H. N. Spencer began farming at an 
early age, and secured a fair education in both the 
subscription and free schools of Geauga County. 
He was married in that county, in 1846, to Miss 
Rosett Utley, a native of Geauga County, and the 
daughter of Hamilton and Polly (Squires) Utley, 
natives of Massachusetts. Her father was a farmer 
and about 1816 moved to Geauga County, Ohio, 
where he remained during life. He was in the fac- 
tory business for many years in Massachusetts. He 
engaged in teaching in Ohio, and followed this pro- 
fession with success for about twenty years. He 
was justice of the peace for many years. His wife 
died in May, 185.3, and he in December of the same 
year. After his marriage Mr. Spencer settled in 
Ohio, and remained there until the fall of 1880, 
when he moved to Adams County, Neb. In 1862 
he enlisted for three years in Company F, Seventh 
Ohio Infantry, and was commissioned second lieu- 
tenant, and assigned to the Army of the Potomac. 
He was in several battles, among them being Chan- 



cellorsville and Gettysburg. In 1863 he was taken 
sick at Gett3'sburg, and during his sickness his wife 
made him a visit. In consequence of the battle of 
Chickamauga, Mr. Spencer was transfeiTed to the 
Armj- of the Cumlterland, and was in the battle of 
Lookout Mountain and Ringgold, where he received 
a gun-shot wound in the hip. He received a fur- 
lough and was at home for sixty days, and he now 
has the bullet. After returning he was in the battle 
of Resaca and Dallas, where he received a shell 
wound which put out one eye, and this ended his 
field service with the Seventh. He remained at 
Nashville, Tenn. , for some time, and was mustered 
out at Cleveland, Ohio, in Jul}', 1864. In August 
of the same year he received an appointment and 
recruited Company K, One Hundred and Seventy- 
seventh Ohio Infantry, and was appointed captain, 
He was assigned to the defense of the Nashville 
Railroad. He was in Murfreesboro, and was be- 
sieged by Gen. Forrest, and was in many skir- 
mishes. His regiment was later assigned to the 
Twenty-third Army Corps, and he joined in Febru- 
ary. He was at Fort Fisher, was at Wilmington, 
Goldsboro, and was in the battle of Town Creek. 
Mr. Spencer was honoralily discharged in 1865, at 
Greensboro, N. C. , after which he returned imme- 
diately to Geauga County, Ohio, but later went to 
North Carolina, where he remainetl six mouths. 
Subsequently he returned to Ohio and followed farm- 
ing there until 1881, when, as before stated, he 
moved to Adams County, Xeb. He purchased a 
prairie tract of land of 400 acres, and on this he 
has made many improvements. He has a fine stock 
ranch, well watered and with plenty of shade, and 
he raises considerable stock. He is not active in 
politics, and votes with the Republican party. He 
held the position of treasurer of Geauga County 
from 1858 to 1862, and was one of the prominent 
men of the same, taking quite an active part in 
politics. He is a member of C. A. Arthur Post 
No. 242, G. A. R., at Lawrence, Neb. Socially he 
is a member of the A. F. & A. M. , is a Chapter 
member, and is also a member of the Council. He 
has been a Knight Templar for thirty-five years, and 
has been High Priest and served in other capacities. 
To this union have been born two children: Flora S. 



^. 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



317 



(now Mrs. Hawlej-, of Eureka Springs, Ark.), and 
Lawrence U. , residing on tlie farm. Mrs. Hawley 
is a music teaolier and has a store in Eureka Springs. 

John H. Spicer, clerk of the district court of 
Adams County, Neb. , is a native of La Salle 
County III. , born September 26, 1857, and is the 
eldest of five children of E. H. and Eunice (Wood) 
Spicer, who were born in Pennsylvania, in 1828 and 
1S30. respectively, and arc residing in La Salle 
County, 111., where they settled in the year of 1854. 
Koger Spicer, the paternal grandfather, was born 
in the "Nutmeg State" in 179P, and died in New 
York in 1884. John H. Spicer commenced life as 
a farmer's lioy, but received fair advantages for ac- 
quiring an education in the schools of La Salle 
Country. In 1876 he concluded to take Horace 
Greelej-'s advice and " go West, " not particularly 
to grow up with the country, Ijut to obtain the 
"almighty dollar," and for this purpose settled on 
a farm in Adams Count}-, Neb., which he continued 
to till successfully nntil 1888. In the fall of 1887, 
he was elected clerlv of the district court, and his 
present term will expire in 1892. He has always 
been an earnest supporter of Repul^lican principles. 
In the year of 1883 he was united in marriage to 
Miss A. B. Scott, a native of Cedar County, Iowa, 
born in 1857. and by her has a family of three chil- 
dren, one son and two daughters — Erwin H., Minnie 
R. and Erma E. 

George W. Spicknall, Hastings, Neb. Promi- 
nent among the ver^' early settlers of Adams County 
stands the name of Mr. Spicknall, who settled here 
on August 10, 1870, on Section 30, Township 5, 
Range 11, now Silver Lake Township, and at a 
time when there were but nine persons in the county. 
He was born in Dearborn County, Ind. , on March 
19, 1839, and is the son of Leonard and Emilj- 
(Horum) Spicknall, the latter of whom was liorn in 
Vermont, and died in Indiana in 1871, at the age of 
sixty-five 3'ears. The father was born in Mar^'land, 
and died in Indiana in 1850. The}- were earlj^ set- 
tlers of Dearborn Count}-, Ind, George W. Spick- 
nall was the eighth of thirteen children, six of whom 
are now living. He assisted his father on the farm 
in his boyhood days, and in August, 18G1, he donned 
his suit of blue, and enlisted in Company K, Twen- 



ty-sixth Indiana Infantry, serving nineteen months 
in that regiment. lie was discharged for disability 
in the month of March, 1863. Recovering from his 
disaljility, he again re-enlisted in Company D, Sev- 
enth Indiana Cavalry, serving with said regiment 
until February, 18G6, when he was discharged as 
sergeant-major. He then returned home and en- 
gaged in farming in Indiana until 1870, when he 
emigrated to Adams County, Neb., and here carried 
on farming until 1883. In politics Mr. Spicknall is 
a Republican, and in the fall of the last mentioned 
year he was elected county clerk of Adams County, 
being re-elected in the fall of 1885. He and M. N. 
Kress, of A}t, are the only two men here now who 
were here in 1870. In 1886 Mr. Spicknall was 
united in marriage to Miss Susan M. Angevine, who 
was born in Dearborn County, Ind., in 1845. He 
has made his own way in life and has been success- 
ful in all his business ventures, and is now able to 
enjoy the fruits of his industry. He is a member 
of the Masonic fraternity, of Blount Nebo Com- 
mandery No. 11, K. T. , also a member of the Hast> 
ings Lodge of K. P. 

J. Turner Steele, M. D. , was born in Boston, 
3Iass. , November 10, 1857, being one of six chil- 
dren born to Joseph H. and Mary (Powers) Steele; 
the former a native of England, born in 1817, and 
now resides in Hastings, Neb. He came to the 
United States at the age of sixteen, and in 1859 re- 
moved with his family to Iowa, settling at Man- 
chester, where the mother, who was born in Ireland 
in 1818 and came to America at the age of twenty, 
died in 1867. In the high school of Manchester 
the early scholastic advantages of Joseph Steele 
were enjoyed, and later he became a student of the 
State University of Iowa, at Iowa City. His medical 
studies commenced in the office of Dr. B. H. Rey- 
nolds, of Manchester, and were continued there 
until 1879, when he went to Iowa City and 
completed his reading in the office of 0. T. Gil- 
lett, secretary of the State University, and for a 
short period he was engaged in the practice of medi- 
cine. Dr. Steele graduated from the State Univer- 
sity of Iowa , after which he entered Rush jMedical 
College, and graduated from there February 19, 
1884, and the following April came to Hastings, 



^ 



^'. 



-^ ^ 



Ll 



318 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



which place has since been his home. On Decem- 
ber ^S. 18S7. he man-led Loiiella. daughter of S. C. 
and Harriett Hughes, of Lexington, K3. , and to 
them was born one cliild, J. Hughes. Born in a 
city noted for the culture and intelligence of its in- 
hal)itants, he is one of the true type of New Eng- 
landers, and is a careful, consistent and thoroughlj- 
educated physician, and enjoys a high reinitation 
not only in his adopted city, but throughout the 
State. The Doctor is one of the few professional 
men that have been successful in financial affairs, 
and ranks among the first men in the city in busi- 
ness circles. By the purchase and sale of the Tay- 
lor farm adjoining the city limits, he inangurated 
the memorable boom of 1887, and was one of the 
heaviest operators in real estate, of which he is still 
a liberal holder. He is public spirited and enter- 
prising, and always to be relied upon in carrying 
forward any public or benevolent enterprise. He 
still enjoys a lucrative business, which is principally 
confined to a citj- and consultation practice, Lilie 
most men of spirit, the Doctor is a great admirer of 
good horses, and in the fall of 1887 established the 
stock farm known as Wile-Wood, situated two miles 
east and two south of Hastings, It is as pictur- 
esque and romantic a spot as the name it bears sug- 
gests, and with its towering bluflfs, winding streams, 
beautiful meadows and abundant groves of wile 
wood it is destined to become one of the most at- 
tractive resorts for lovers of fine horses. Of those 
horses now on the farai, Revenue heads the list. He 
is a beautiful mahoganj- bay, full sixteen hands 
high, with slight star in forehead; he was purchased 
of Col, Bruce, at Lexington, Ky. ; he is a son of the 
gi-eat su-e and race horse. Renown, first dam by im- 
ported Bonnie Scotland, He is without question 
the finest thoroughbred stallion in the State, and 
with the many fine brood mares and youngsters 
will undoubtedly make Wile- Wood respected. Dr. 
Steele is a Republican, his first presidential vote be- 
ing cast for James A. Garfield. He is genial, well 
read, and popular with all classes. 

David V. Stephens, the efficient postmaster of 
Juniata, Neb, , was born in Preble County, Ohio, in 
1844, being the eldest of the children born to James 
H, and Mary L. (Cleveland) Stephens, who were born 



in Ohio and Virginia, respectively, the fonner a 
wortliy tiller of tlie soil. In 1851 the family moved 
to Iowa, and in 1860 returned east, as far as In- 
diana, in which State the mother died. The father 
continued to make liis home here until 1882, when 
he removed to Adams County, Neb., and settled on 
an exceptionally fine farm of forty acres, one and a 
half miles east of Juniata. His present wife, whom 
he married in 1885, was a Jlrs. Carrie "\'on Riper, a 
native of New Jersej'. David V. Stephens was 
reared on farms in Iowa and Indiana, and was an 
attendant of the common schools until the opening 
of the Civil War, when he dropped all pursuits to 
take up ai-ms for his country. In 1863 he enlisted 
in Company C, One Hundred and Eighteenth In- 
diana Infantrj-, and was assigned to the Army of the 
Cumberland, under Gen. Burnside, and was in the 
battles of Cumberland Gap, Walker's Ford, Monroe 
Gap, after which he went to Knoxville, which place 
he reached shortly after the siege. From there he 
went to West Virginia . thence to Indianapolis, where 
he was honorably discharged and returned home. 
He soon after entered the high school at Waliash, 
Ind, , and this institution he attended during the 
summers of 1865-66, being engaged in teaching dur- 
ing the winter months, December 24, 1867, he was 
man-ied to Miss Nancy A. Thompson, a native of 
Indiana, and a daughter of the Rev, David Thomp- 
son, who was an old settler of Wabash Countj-, and 
treasurer of the same two terms. After his marriage 
Mr. Stephens bought a farm of fifty-six acres, and 
continued to reside on and till this farm for three 
years, after which he moved to Wabash, and derived 
in the store of D. Thompson, a grocer, then for the 
general merchants, Thompson & SnalveUy, remaining 
in the town until 1878, when he concluded to seek 
Dame Fortune a little farther west, and accordingly 
settled in Greelej-, Colo. , being engaged in tilling a 
farm of forty acres near the town. He continued 
to reside here three years, making many improve- 
ments in the meantime, but in 1881 sold his farm 
and came to Adams County, Neb. , and purchased a 
farm of eighty acres, three miles southeast of Juni- 
ata, which he sold in 1884, and moved to Hastings. 
After remaining here one winter he made a trip 
through the Southern States, with a view to loeat- 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



319 



ing, Init returned to Adams County, well contented 
to" settle down here. After farming for a short 
time he clerked for E. F. Gettle for over two years, 
and on December 7, 1889, was appointed postmaster 
of the town, and is now discharging the duties of 
this position. He has always been quite an active 
politician, a Republican by precept and example, 
and has held a uumlicr of minor offices in Adams 
County. He is actively engaged in church work, 
as is his wife, who is also a charter member of the 
W. C. T. U. Both are members of the Congrega- 
tional Church, and are the parents of fonr children: 
Frank M. (who is deputy postmaster), Clement V. , 
Eva May (wlio died at the age of twenty months), 
and an infant daughter. Nellie. 

William Stewart, farmer and stockman, Hast^ 
ings. Neb. Perhaps the most exciting and thrilling 
period of :Mr. Stewart's life was during his career as 
a soldier, and the lirief account here given of his 
service in the army will convey something of an 
idea of what was undergone by him. He is a native 
of Shelby County, Ohio, where his birth occurred in 
1842, being the fourth in a family of eleven children 
born to the union of Preston B. and Patsey (Ash- 
paush) Stewart. The father was born in Kentucky 
in 1S13, was married in his native State, and in 
1832 moved to Ohio, becoming one of the earliest 
settlers of Shelby County. He was a blacksmith by 
trade, and during his early settlement in that county, 
did considerable work for the Indians. He was a 
member of the 3Iasonic Fraternity, Stoke Lodge No. 
43, was Senior Warden of the same, and was deeply 
interested in all matters relating to his lodge, hav- 
ing aided in organizing several different ones. He 
died in Ohio in 1886. He was a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also his wife, 
who is li\ing at the present day. She resides in 
Ohio, is seventy-four years of age, and is still quite 
active. She was the daughter of William and 
Elizabeth Ashpaugh, the latter of whom lived to be 
one liundred and one years of age, her birth occui-- 
ring in 1749. and her death in 1850. Our subject's 
paternal grandfather lived to be eighty-five years of 
ao-e. The children born to Preston B. Stewart and 
wife are named as follows: Sarah. Joseph, Elizabeth, 
William. Maria, Williliy. :Martha A.. Rhoda. Charles, 



Perry and Harvey. William Stewart passed his 
younger days in his native State, and at the break- 
ing out of the war shouldered his musket, donned 
his suit of blue and enlisted in Company E, Forty- 
fifth Ohio Infantry, under Maj.-Gen. Stanley. He 
participated in twenty-seven general engagements, 
the principal ones being Resaca, Ga. ; Altoona Pass, 
Chattahoochie River, Atlanta, Ga. ; Jonesboro, N. 
C; siege of RocksviUe, Franklin, Tenn.; Chatta- 
nooga, Ind was in a great many skii-mishes. He 
was a private, and during his entire time of enlist- 
ment was never sick a day. He assisted in the cap- 
ture of Morgan in Ohio, and was one of the mounted 
scouts of the undertaking. He was captured in 
Tennessee in 1863, was confined in Libby prison six 
months, and experienced all the horrors of that 
place. When first taken he weighed 185 pounds, 
and when exchanged in the spring of 1S64 his 
weight was 100 pounds. After this he was unfit 
for^service for five months, but at the end of that 
period he returned to the same company in which 
he enlisted, and served until the close of the war. 
He was one of three who came out of 400 taken in 
his regiment. After his discharge, in 1865, he re- 
turned to Ohio, and was married the same year to 
Miss Caroline L. Wright, daughter of William and 
Caroline (Broderick) Wright, natives of Virginia and 
Vermont, respectively. Her father died in 1862. 
and her mother in 1S47. They were memljers of 
the Presbyterian Church. To Mr. and Mrs. Stew- 
art were born five children: Robert E. , Emma, 
Walter G. , :^Iinnie A. and Edmund H. While liv- 
ing in Ohio Mr. Stewart followed contracting, and 
in°1877 emigrated to Nebraska and settled at Hast- 
ings. Adams County. He moved to his present 
location in 1879. and has 160 acres of land all well 
improved and well stocked. He is quite deeply in- 
terested in the raising of blooded stock, and has 
some fine Durham cattle. He is a member of the 
Masonic Fraternity, Stokes Lodge No. 40, Port Jef- 
ferson, Shelby County, Ohio, and is a member of 
the Chapter of the same county in Ohio. He and 
wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. It 
was all a prairie when :Mr.. Stewart first settled in 
Nebraska, and he has experienced some of the 
severe storms of the State. 



^U »- 



>?". 



320 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Fred H. Stoelting is the proprietor of tlie Stoel- 
ting Hotel at Prosser, Neb. , whifli i.s one of the best 
conducted est:il)lishments of the kind in this part of 
the State. Althougli Mr. Stoelting began life with 
little means his career has been more than ordinarilj- 
successful, and for the past nine years his entire 
time has been given to his present calling, for which 
he seems to have a natural aptitude. His liirth oc- 
curred in Indianapolis, Ind., in the year of 1845, he 
being the fifth of thirteen children born t<> Christian 
and Susanna (Frink) Stoelting, l)Oth of whom were 
born in Germany. They came with their parents to 
the United States when they were children, and in 
this country the father learned the cooper's trade, and 
for some time operateil a large shop in Indianapolis. 
Later he established a shoe store there, which he 
successfully conducted a uumlier of years, and dur- 
ing this time he became intimately- acquainted with 
President Benjamin Harrison. After selling out his 
establishment in the city of Indianapolis, he removed 
with his family- to Wisconsin, where he purchased a 
large farm, on which he began farming on an exten- 
sive scale, andattheeudof a few years, after he had 
made many valuable improvements, he sold out for 
$16,000, and retired from active business life. He 
died in March, 1889, having spent a useful and active 
life, and is still survived \)y his widow. Fred H. Stoel- 
ting resided in Indianapolis until he reached the age 
of ten years, and up to that time had the advan- 
tages of the common schools. He afterward entered 
the Seminary at Sheboygan, Wis. , which institution 
he attended three years, and after the war had been 
in progress one year, he, in 1862 enlisted in Com- 
pany K, Twentieth Wisconsin Infantry, it being 
called "The Flying Division," and was in thirteen 
severe battles, among which may be mentioned Prairie 
Grove, Vicksburg, Yazoo City, Atchafalaj-a, Fort 
Morgan, French Creek, Spanish Fort, and was in the 
entire siege in front of Vicksburg. He was dis- 
charged at Galveston, Tex., on July 14, 1865, and 
returned to Wisconsin. He soon started for Mex- 
ico, but as the war was formally closed when he 
reached New Orleans, he went to Indianapolis, Ind. , 
and became foreman for a large establishment in 
that city. On August 3. 1868, he was married in 
Chicago, 111., to Miss Emma Deats, and soon after 



went to Shebo3'gan, Wis. . where he engaged in the 
saw mill business, and later ran a tug lioat on the 
lake for three years, a part of the time being captain. 
In 1878 he came to the State of Nel)raska, and set- 
tled in the southwest part of Adams County, where 
he took up a .soldier's claim, and on this farm made 
his home for three years, in the meantime making 
some valuable improvements. He still owns the 
farm, but at the end of the above mentioned time, 
he moved to Hastings and estal)lished the Pennsjd- 
vania House and the Queen City Hotel, which es- 
tal)lishments he successfully conducted for seven 
3-ears. In 1888 he came to Prosser. a portion of the 
town being laid out on land which he owned, and 
here he built the Stoelting Hotel, and also a livery 
stable, both of which he conducts in a highly suc- 
cessful manner. Besides his jiropcrty here he owns 
some business lots in Hastings, and may Ijc said to 
have prospered, notwithstanding the fact that he has 
met with numerous reverses, among which may be 
mentioned a fire which swept over his farm when he 
and his wife were residing thereon, it destroj'ing all 
his farming implements, and woukl have undoubt- 
edlj- consumed himself and wife had thej" not been 
residing in a sod house at the time. He has been 
acti\'e in all enterprises which tend to promote the 
welfare of the countj-, and was at one time a mem- 
ber of the detective force of the count}-, and assisted 
in bringing to justice a number of criminals. He 
has always been an active politician, and is a mem- 
ber of the Laird Post, G. A. E. , and belongs to 
Hastings Lodge No. 50, I. O. 0. F. 

Dr. 'M. W. Stone, the subject of this sketch, was 
born in Delaware Countj-, Ohio, December 11, 1837. 
His father's name was Stephen W. Stone, who was a 
son of William Stone, and he was the youngest son of 
Thomas Stone, of Marjdand, one of the signers of the 
Declaration of Independence from that State. His 
mother's maiden name was Emilj- Moore. She was 
the only daughter of Gen. Sidney Moore, of Dela- 
ware, Ohio. He attended school at Delaware until 
he was twelve jears old, then Lis father moved on 
a farm in the northern part of Delaware Countj-, 
where he resided until the fall of 1853, when he 
removed with his father's family to Washington 
County, Iowa. In the year 1857 he began the stud}' 



^ 



liL^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



321 



of medicine witli Dr. David A. Kittle, of Wasliing- 
ton. Iowa, and continued his studies in medicine 
wliile pui'suing bis studies in the high school in that 
city, during the \-car of 1858. In 1859 he returned 
to Delaware, Ohio, and there attended the Ohio Wes- 
leyan University for one year. He took his first 
course of lectures in medicine during the year of 

1860, and graduated at the Bellevue Medical Col- 
lege, New York City, in February, 1861. After 
completing his medical course he made quite an ex- 
tensive tour of the Southern States, going as far 
south as Texas, and while there came very near 
Ijeing caught Ijy the secession acts of the Southern 
States. When it became evident that a war was to 
result from the treasonable acts and rebellious atti- 
tude of the South, he at once returned to his home 
at Washington, Jowa, and on the loth day of July. 

1861, enlisted as a private soldier, in Company H, 
Seventh Iowa Infantry, and at once marched to the 
front in the defense of his country. In November 
of that same year, 1861, he was promoted to the 
position of assistant surgeon of the regiment. In 
this capacity he was with the regiment in the Ijattles 
of Belmont, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and Shiloh 
and other minor engagements. In the latter part 
of this year, 1862, he was transferred to the United 
States Volunteer Staff, and was on duty at Corinth 
and St. Louis until May, 1863, when he was again 
promoted and transferred to the United States Medi- 
cal Staff, and ordered to report to Gen. Rosecrans, 
then in command of the Army of the Cunilierland, 
for duty. He arri\-ed at the headquarters of the 
Arm}- of the Curalierland about August 15, 1863, 
and was assigned for dutj" to the division com- 
manded Ijy Gen. George H. Thomas, and was with 
them at the memoralile battle of Chickamauga, Sep- 
tember 19 and 20, 1863. where Geu. Thomas won 
the title of • ' The Rock of Chickamauga. '' On Sep- 
tember 21, 1863, he arrived in Chattanooga, and 
assisted there in organizing the hospital forces of 
what afterwards l)ecame one of the most important 
military points in the West. He remained at Chatr 
tanooga until after the battles of Lookout Jlountain 
and Mission Ridge, when he accompanied Gen. 
Thomas' forces on the campaign to Atlanta, and 
then returned with him to Nashville, and was in the 



notable battles of Franklin and Nashville, where 
Hood's arm}- met so signal a defeat that it was al- 
most annihilation. In February, 1865, he was 
ordered to Clarksville, Tenn. , to take charge of the 
general hospitals at that place, relieving Dr. Cooper, 
of the Eighty-third Illinois Infantry. Here he re- 
mained until Xovemlier, 1865, when the medical 
and hospital depot at that point was discontinued 
and broken up. Then he reported to the medical 
director at Nash\-ille, where he remained until Sep- 
tember, 1865, when he was granted a six mouths' 
leave of absence, with orders from the War Depart- 
ment to report to the C(immanding officer of the De- 
partment of the Platte, at Omaha, Neb. , at the expira- 
ation of that time. In accordance with those orders, 
on April 7. 1867, he reported to Gen. C. C. Auger, at 
Omaha, Neb., and was ordered on to the Western 
frontiers, with the Fourth United States Infantry. 
While on the frontiers he also served with the Thir- 
tieth and Twenty-seventh United States Infantry, and 
the Fifth and Tweutj'-second LTnited States Cavalry, 
and traveled over Western Dakota, Yellowstone Park, 
Montana, Washington Ten-itory, eastern part of 
Oregon, through Nevada to Reno, and from thence 
by rail to Sacramento, Cal. From Sacramento he 
went to Fort Yuma, from there to Tucson, Santa Fe, 
Fort Hayes, Kan., Denver. Cheyenne and to North 
Platte, Neb. On returning to North Platte he was 
assigned to duty with troops stationed there, and 
along the line of the Lhiion Pacific Railroad. In 
September, 1869, he was appointed surgeon of the 
Union Pacific Railroad, and resigned fi-om the regu- 
lar army in November, 1870. In March. 1871, he 
removed with his family to Polk County, Neb. , 
where he resided until 1877. when he moved to 
Saunders County, Neb. . where he engaged in the 
practice of his profession, and soon built up a large 
and lucrative business. He continued his residence 
at Wahoo from the date of his removal there to the 
present time, and his family still resides there. In 
1878 he was appointed surgeon-general of the State 
by Gov. Albinus Nance, with rank of colonel on 
the Governor's staff. This position he has held con- 
tinuously since, having been re-appointed bv Gov. 
James W. Dawes, and also b}- Governor John M. 
Thayer. On May 1. 1889, Gov. Thayer paid him 



"%' ^ 



V 



^1 



'ii 



322 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



the very handsome compliment of appointing him, 
without solicitation, superintendent of the Asylum 
for the Chronic Insane, at Hastings, Neb. 

Fredrick Stulken, farmer and stock raiser, Hast> 
ings, Neb. Another citizen of foreign liirth who 
has become prominently identified with the farming 
and stock raising interests of the countj' is Mr. 
Stulken, who was born in Holenliaugh, Germany, in 
1S44. His father, Halard Stulken, was a shoe- 
maker bj- trade, andmamed Lena Barker, who bore 
him seven children. The father died in 1851 , and 
the mother in 1S7S. Fredrick Stulken passed his 
boyhood days in his native countrj-, and in 1871 he 
emigrated to the United States, settling in Ogle 
County, 111. , where he remained five years. He then 
moved to Nebraska, settled in Blaine Township, 
Adams County, and bought 200 acres of land, all of 
which he has improved. To the original tract he 
has added enough to make 360 acres, and now has a 
fine place. He was married in Illinois, in 1876, to 
Miss Lena Lambus, a native of G-ermany, and the 
daughter of Orr Lambus, and the fruits of this union 
have been seven children: Lena, Henry, Anna, Au- 
gust, Mary, Minnie and Lizzie, all living and at 
home. Mr. Stulken is Independent in his political 
views, and alwaj's votes for the best man regardless 
of party. He and wife are members of the German 
Lutheran Church at Hastings, and he is active in 
religious and educational matters. He was living in 
Nebraska during the ravages of the grasshoppers, 
and being one of the pioneers, has witnessed the 
many improvements made in the last ten or twelve 
j-ears. 

H. B. Talbert, farmer and stock raiser, Trum- 
bull , Neb. Mr. Talbert owes his nativity to Shelby 
County, Ind. , where his birth occurred in 1842, and 
was the sixth in a familj- of ten children, the result 
of the union of Jesse and Hannah (Engle) Talbert, 
natives of North Carolina and Ohio, respectively. 
When a }'Oung man the father went to Indiana, was 
married there, and there followed agricultural pur- 
suits until the latter part of his life, when he en- 
gaged in trapping. His death occurred in 1878. 
He was a strong Abolitionist. His wife died in the 
same year. H. B. Talbert di\'ided his time in early 
vouth between assisting on the farm and in attending 



the subscription schools of Shelby County, Ind. At 
Indianapolis, in August, 1861, he enlisted for three 
years in the Third Indiana Battery, and was mus- 
tered into service at the above mentioned place. He 
was assigned to the Western Department and sent 
to St. Louis under John C. Fremont. During 1864 
he was in Mississippi on garrison duty, and later 
was under A. J. Smith, and joined the Red River 
expedition. He was honorably discharged at In- 
dianapolis in August, 1864, having remained until 
the expiration of his term of enlistment. He re- 
turned to Shelby County, Ind. , and was married in 
that county, in 1866, to Miss Matilda Rittenhouse, 
a native of Shelby County, Ind., and a daughter of 
William and Elizabeth (Young) Rittenhouse, the 
father a native of Ohio, and the mother of Indiana. 
Mr. Rittenhouse was reared in Sheli)}' Countj-, Ind. , 
and followed agricultural pursuits until his death, 
which occurred in August, 1846. His wife is still 
living, and makes her home near our subject. Mr. 
Talbert introduced tile making in Shelby Count}-, 
and followed that business for three years. In 1879 
he came to Adams County, Neb., homesteaded 160 
acres, and first lived in a dugout, to which he added 
a sod addition. In 1887 he erected a two-stoiy 
frame house, twenty-eight feet square, and has as 
fine a residence as any in the county. He takes a 
great interest in raising stock, and has good barns 
and outbuildings. In fact, his residence, barns, 
outbuildings, etc. , all indicate the quality of farmer 
that he is, and the same systematic condition of 
affairs about his home is apparent in his course as a 
man. Although not active in politics he is still a 
Republican in his views. He is a member of the 
school board of his district, and is a member of W. 
H. Harrison Post No. 183, G. A. R. Mr. and 
Mrs. Talbert are members of the Methodist Episco 
pal Church. The^- are the parents of seven children: 
Minnie F. , Edward Morton, Jesse H. , Elias F. , 
Cora Alice, IMyrtie E. and Charles W. 

Charles H. Tanner is a man who began life for 
himself poor in ))urse, l)ut who possessed a sutfi- 
cieutl}' determined spirit to bend the force of cir- 
cumstances to his will, and is now among the lead- 
ing ineml)ers of the .Vdams County bar. He was 
born in the ''Empire State" August 14, 1853, and 



^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



323 



is the elder of two children born to the marriage of 
William H. Tanner and Nancy F. Jones, also natives 
of York State, the former's birth occurring in 1822 
and the latter's in 1834. The career of Mr. Tanner, 
after his arrival upon the stage of human action, 
was rather uneventful, and like that of the majority 
of boys, was spent in the school room, graduating 
from the Academic Department of the State Noi'- 
mal School, at Cortland, N. Y. Being ambitious to 
make a name for himself, and thinking Horace 
Greeley's advice excellent, he, at the age of twenty- 
one years, came to Nebraska, and during four j-ears' 
residence at Lincoln was in the United States land 
office. In 1875 he began the studj^ of law in the 
office of Green & Ricketts, and in the year 1877, 
was admitted to the Lancaster County bar. In the 
spring of 1879 he settled in Hastings, where he at 
once entered upon a career of distinction and suc- 
cess, and took an active part in some of the leading 
criminal cases of the countj^ He was the leading 
counsel for the defense in the case of the State vs. 
Lizzie Aldridge, charged in the indictment with 
poisoning her husband. The case was tried at the 
June term of 1889, and resulted in her acquittal. 
Mr. Tanner has always l:)een a Republican, and in 
1886 was elected on that ticket to the office of 
county attorne}- of Adams County, for a term of 
two years. For ten j-ears he has held the position 
of United States Commissioner. He is a Mason, 
belonging to Lancaster Lodge No. 54, Lincoln, Neb. 
His marriage to Jliss Flora V. Trippe was celelirated 
in August, 1874, she being a native of Cortland 
Count}-, N. Y. , but he was called upon to mourn her 
death September 22, 1884. November 19, of the 
following year, he espoused Miss Hattie Fay, of 
Hastings, born in 1864, a daughter of William Fay. 
Frank J. Taylor is a farmer and stockman of 
Adams County, Nel). , who has met with good suc- 
cess in following his chosen calling, V)eing now en- 
gaged in tilling a farm of 160 acres, which he pur- 
chased in 1879. He was born in Lake County, 
Ind. , in 1859, lieing the third of five children reared 
by De Witt C. and Louisa (Palmer) Taylor, and a 
grandson of Adanijah and Lucy Taylor, and James 
and Almira Palmer. DeWittC. Taylor was born in 
New York in 1826, and was married in Indiana 



about 1850, and died there in 1888. His widow 
survives him and makes her home in Lake County. 
Their children are: Helen, Charles A. , Frank J. , 
Emma and William. Frank J. Taylor received ex- 
cellent educational advantages in early life, and lie- 
sides attending the common schools, was an attend- 
ant at Valparaiso. In 1880 he began farming and 
raising stock on his own responsibility, and the same 
year was married to Jliss Mary Fuller, a daughter of 
Robert and Delia Fuller, and emigrated to Neljraska, 
where he had previously purchased his farm. He 
lived with his wife on his farm until 1883, when, 
while on a visit to Indiana, his wife was taken ill 
and died in December, and was buried in tlie Lowell 
cemetery. He has made many improvements since 
locating here, and his farm is considered one of the 
best tilled and most fertile in the county. In addi- 
tion to this he has engaged quite extensively in buy- 
ing and selling stock, and has taught school since 
coming to the countv, being a warm patron of edu- 
cation. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, 
is a Republican in politics, and in 1890 was elected 
assessor of Denver Township, and treasurer in 1887. 
He and wife are the parents of one child, Jesse 
Clinton. 

Thomas A. Templeton, farmer and postmaster, 
Kenesaw, Neb. Mr. Templeton owes his nativity to 
Armstrong County. Pa., where his birth occurred 
on October 6, 1837, and is now following a calling 
that has for ages received undivided efforts from 
manv worth}- individuals, and one that always fur- 
nishes sustenance to the ready worker. His father, 
Thomas Templeton, was a native of Armstrong 
County . Pa. , and was a farmer and miller Ijy occu- 
pation. He married Miss Isabella Templeton. a na- 
tive of Huntington County, Pa., and to them were 
born ten children, of whom Thomas A. was next to 
the j-oungest. In his 3-ounger days the latter re- 
ceived the advantages of a good education, and when 
he was twenty years of age he Ijegan teaching in tlie 
public schools of the State. After that he entered 
the employ of the American Furnace Company as en- 
gineer. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company 
C, One Hundred and Thirt3--ninth Regiment, Penn- 
sylvania Volunteer Infantry, and the first duty of 
the company was to Inuy the dead after the second 



^^ 



324 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



battle of Bull Rim. He served as a member of the 
color guard, :uid was honorably discharged in June. 
1865. He participated in the battle of Antietam. 
and was at both engagements at Fredericksburg un- 
der Gens. Burnside and Hooker He was with his 
company when they made the famous thirt^y-sixmile 
march at Gettysburg, and after a brief rest of but 
two hours participated in the terrible assault upon 
Little Round Top. At the battle of the Wilderness, 
on the morning of 3Iay 12, 1864, he received a gun- 
shot wound in his right limli and had his shoulder 
blade broken. From these injuries he has never re- 
covered, but has been a cripple ever since. He is 
one of those old veterans whose maimed bodies and 
shattered health partly tell the tale of emancipation. 
After having received his wounds he was taken to 
the hospital, and when convalescent was appointed 
a member of the veteran reserve corps, where he re- 
mained until discharged. Returning to his home 
at the close of the war, he engaged at steamljoating, 
and while thus employed his wife. Selicia (Crow) 
Templeton, whom he had married in 1858, died on 
board the boat. In 1870 Mr. Templeton turned his 
attention to merchandising, which he followed at 
Boydstown, St. Joe and Bryam Center, Pa. , until 
1880, when he removed to Topeka, Kan., and there 
resided until 1883, at which time he came to Kene- 
saw, Neb., purchasing a farm on Section 14. In 
1868 he married Miss Annie M. Hutchison, a na- 
tive of Butler County, Pa. , and their union has been 
blessed by the birth of one son and three daughters. 
In May, 1889, Mr. Templeton was appointed post- 
master at Kenesaw, and at once entered upon the 
duties of this office. He is a member of Capital 
Lodge No. 3, A. O. U. W. . at Topeka, Kan. , and 
is also a member of the G. A. R. The familj- wor- 
ship at the Presbyterian Church, and are universally 
respected and esteemed. 

L. S. Terhune. The career of this gentleman as 
a farmer and stock raiser has l)eeu a successful one, 
and although he has resided in Nebraska only about 
four years, he has already made many acquaintances 
and friends. He was born in Fleming County, Ky. . 
in 1819, being the sixth of twelve children born to 
Barnett and Ruth (Carter) Terhune, who were born 
in New Jersey and \lrginia, respectively, the 



former's birth occurring in 1780. He removed to 
Kentucky during the earlj- history of that State, 
where he was married about 1805, and reared his 
family, whose names are as follows: Albert, Henry, 
Daniel. Thomas. Mary A., James, Luke S., John 
and Elisha. Three children died in infancy. James 
and Luke S. are the only ones now living, the former 
being a resident of Jasper County, 111. , where he 
and wife have reared a large family- of children. 
The father and mother of these children died in In- 
diana in 1849 and 1848, respectively, worthy mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Luke S. 
Terhune, the immediate subject of this memoir, re- 
moved to Brown County, Ohio, from his nati\-e 
State, where he made his home until he was twenty- 
one years of age, after which he took up his abode 
in Dearborn County, Ind. , and started to farming on 
his own account. In 1848 he wedded Almeda Cox. 
a daughter of Elisha and Lucinda Cox, of Dearborn 
County, Ind., Almeda being the eldest of the follow- 
ing children: Margaret (Mrs. Blasdel), Lafayette, 
Malinda, John and Elisha. The mother died in 
1886, at the age of eightj'-six years, but the father 
still resides in Indiana. Mr. Terhune and his wife 
have four children: Thomas (who died in 1881), 
Mary M. , Cora B. and Elisha. In 1858 Mr. Ter- 
hune removed to Richland County-, III, and later to 
Peoria Countj-, but since 1887 has been a resident 
of Adams County; Neb. The greater part of his 
life has been devoted to contracting and building, 
but he is now giving his attention to farming. He 
is a Republican, a member of the I. 0. 0. F. . and 
he and family worship in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. His farm is tilled bj- his son Elisha. who 
is married to Susie Furry, a native of Nebraska, by 
whom he has a daughter. Susan Almeda. 

Fred G. Test, M. I)., is one of the skillful and 
experienced physicians of the State of Nebraska, 
and is the assistant physician of the Asylum for the 
Incurable Insane at Hastings. He was born in Cler- 
mont County. Ohio, December 28, 1859, and is a 
son of Israel F. and Amanda M. (Moyer) Test, who 
were also born in the Buckeye State, and are there 
still residing, the former aged about sixty-three 
years and the lattter fifty-seven. After attending 
the common schools. Dr. Test entered the Ohio Wes- 



5 ">y 



It'jau University at Delaware, and upon leaving this 
institution was engaged in teaching the ' ' 3-oung 
idea" for some time. In 1882 he began his medical 
studies in the office of Dr. L. A. Merriam, and later 
attended lectures in the Ohio Medical College, at 
Cincinnati, and graduated therefrom in the month of 
March, 1886. After practicing in his native State 
for one year he came to Nebraska, in October, 1887, 
and first settled in St. Paul, Howard Count}', liut in 
June, 1889, was appointed to his present position 
b}' Gov. Thayer, and came to Hastings. He has met 
with the best success in the practice of his chosen 
calling, and is well fitted to successfully discharge 
the dnties of the position which he is now filling. 
He has always supported the principles of the Re- 
publican party, and socially is a member of the K. 
of P. , in which he is Past Chancellor, and in the 
month of October, 1889, he represented his lodge in 
the Grand Lodge of the State. 

Walter Theesen, farmer and stockman, Glen- 
ville. Neb. Among those prominently identified 
with the farming and stock-raising interests of Adams 
County stands the name of Mr. Theesen, who was 
born in German}- in 185-t, and is the elder of two 
children, the result of the union of Jacob and Lena 
(Deaken) Theesen, both natives of German}-. The 
father was a successful agriculturalist, and followed 
this occupation during his j-ounger dajs. He died 
in his native country in 1860. The two children 
born to his union were named as follows: Walter 
and Charley. After his death the mother was mar- 
ried in the old country to Dirk Geerdes, and in 1864 
emigrated to the United States, settled in Lee 
County, 111. , and here Mr. Geerdes followed farm- 
ing. They became the parents of one child, John. 
The mother died in 1889 in Nebraska, whither she 
had moved in 1874. Walter Theesen began life for 
himself in about 1877, although he had emigrated 
to Nebraska in 1873 or 1874, and had purchased 
railroad land in 1872. He was married in 1878 to 
jNIiss Maggie Snep, daughter of Henry Snep, a 
native of Germany, who came to the United States 
in 1865. Mr. Theesen has 400 acres of land, all 
well improved, and is one of the wide-awake, ener- 
getic farmers of the count}-. He was elected super- 
visor in 1887, and has been a member of the school 



board in District 71 for five or six years. He is in- 
terested in the building up of schools, and all else 
for the good of the county. In politics he affiliates 
with the Democratic party. He was in the county 
when the towns were organized. His brother 
Charley is located in Clay County, and his half 
brother John, who is young yet, resides in Hanover 
Township, Adams Count}-. 

Abel Spaulding Thompson, postmaster and phar- 
macist at Holstein, Neb. , was liorn in Delaware 
County, of the '-Buckeye State," March 25. 1832, 
and is a son of Matthew and Martha (Spaulding) 
Thompson, the former of whom was born in Cum- 
berland County, Pa., a descendant of those sturdy 
Scotch-Irish Presljyterians who settled in the fertile 
valley of the Cumberland near Carlisle, Pa., about 
the year 1794. Martha Spaulding was Ijorn in the 
"Green Mountain State," a daughter of Abel 
Spaulding, who served from that State in the Revo- 
lutionary War, and also in the War of 1812, after- 
ward settling in Delaware County, Ohio, during the 
very early history of that State. Mr. and IMrs. 
Thompson lived to a good old age, and reared a 
family of seven sons and two daughters to honor- 
able manhood and womanhood, five of the sons serv- 
ing in the Civil War. Aliel S. Thompson, the im- 
mediate suliject of this sketch, grew to manhood in 
his native State, and in early life learned the busi- 
ness in which his father was engaged, that of coop- 
erage, but upon the opening of the war he volun- 
teered his services in defense of the old flag, and 
enlisted in Company A. One Hundred and Twent}- 
third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and followed the for- 
tunes of that command through all the vicissitudes 
and hardships incident to army life until the close 
of the war. Upon his return home he resumed his 
former occupation, continuing until 1866, when he 
spent about six and a half years equally between 
Illinois and Iowa, after which he came to Nebraska 
and entered a homestead in Kenesaw Township, 
which he tilled for six years, leaving it to engage in 
the drug business at Kenesaw. serving Uncle Sam 
honorably for seven years as postmaster. He re- 
mained here until the spring of 1889, then came to 
Holstein, and is engaged in business, as above 
stated, also serving as postmaster here. He was 



r 



- > A >^ ^ 



326 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



uiarrieil in Wyandot County, Ohio (where he had 
• frown to manhood), to Miss Maria James, a native 
of tiiat fouiity and a daughter of John and Elizalieth 
(Miller) James, natives of Pennsylvania, and early 
settlers of Wyandot County. Mr. and Mrs. Thomp- 
son have three daughters: Luella A. (wife of Jlar- 
tiu Depriest, of Ogalalla, Neb.), Sylvia E. (wife 
of Eben L. Button, of Cottonwood Township), and 
Marie Antoinette (wife of Frank H. Cole, a builder 
by oeeupatiou). Mr. Thompson and his wife are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he 
is a member of Mathias Post No. 155 of the G. A. 
R., aud belongs to the Blue Lodge in the Masonic 
fraternity. 

J. W. Thornton, farmer and stock raiser. Hast 
iugs. Neb. Adams County is indeed fortunate in 
having among her foreign-born element men whose 
industry, strict attention to liusiness, economy and 
perseverance have produced such substantial results 
in the different affairs with which they have con- 
nected themselves. Mr. Thornton belongs to this 
class, for, originally from England, his location in 
this county dates from 1884. He was born in 1842, 
near Lancaster, in Westmoreland, of the union of 
John and Margaret (Braithwaite) Thornton, the 
other children besides himself being James, Fannie, 
Thomas, Alice, Ann (deceased), Robert (deceased). 
Richard (deceased), aud two who died in infancy. 
The father followed overseeing in the mills of Eng- 
land, and was quite successful in this occupation. 
He and wife were both members of the Episcopal 
Church. They moved to the United States in 1856, 
settled in Buffalo, N. Y. , and there remained until 
1859, when they moved to Illinois, settling in Grundy 
Couutj-, where the father died in July, 1870. He 
was a Republican in politics and a public spirited 
man. The mother is still living and makes her 
home with a daughter iu Michigan. J. W. Thorn- 
ton was about eleven years of age when he came to 
this counti-y with his parents. In 1866 he started 
out for himself as an agriculturist, aud has followed 
this ever since. He was married, in 1870, to jSIiss 
Henrietta J. Walker, daughter of Roliert Walker, 
who was one of the early settlers of La Salle County, 
III. and one of the first judges of election in 
Orundv Countv. He died in 1855. Mr. Thornton 



settled on a farm 'aw miles west of Morris, 111. , 
where he was very successful in agricultural pur- 
suits, I)ut in 1884 he concluded to try his luck in 
Nebraska. He located first in West Blue Town- 
ship, liut in 188G he came to Blaine Township, pur- 
chased 160 acres of land, and here he has since 
resided, perfectly satisfied with the State. He also 
owns 160 acres in Verona Township. He is a Re- 
pul)lican in politics, was elected treasui'er of the 
town in 1886. and has held this position for two 
years. He is interested iu all things for the good 
of the countj', and is uui\ersally respected. He and 
wife are members of the Baptist Church. While in 
Grundy County, 111. , .Mr. Thornton was town clerk, 
also school trustee for foui' years in his township. 
P. H. Thrasher, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings, Neb. What is usually termed genius has little 
to do with the success of men in general. Keen 
perception, sound judgment, and a determined will, 
supported by persevering and continuous effort, are 
essential elements to success in any calling. Mr. P. 
H. Thrasher was born in Monroe County, N. Y. , on 
September 8, 1831, and was the youngest of a fam- 
ily of twelve children, the result of the union of 
John aud Roxaua (Holdridge) Thi'asher, natives of 
Connecticut. The parents were married in their 
native State, moved from there to Monroe Couuty, 
N. Y. , and in 1844 to Sullivan County, Ind. , where 
the father cultivated the soil. Two 3-ears later he 
moved to McLean County, 111., and made that his 
home until his death, which occurred iu 1856. The 
mother received her final summons in 1850. Their 
children now living are named as follows: Elnathan 
(married and lives iu Indiana), Gersham (married 
and lives in Sioux City, Iowa), Thankful E. (now 
Mrs. Harlan, of Belle Plain, Iowa), and P. H. 
Thrasher (the subject of this sketch). The latter 
was reared to farm labor, and received his education 
in the schools of New York, Indiana and McLean 
Count}-, 111. When twenty jears of age he was 
united in marriage, iu McLeau County, to Miss Marj- 
E. Bessie, a native of Ohio, who bore him two liv- 
ing children: Roxy Ann (now Mrs. Grimes, of Liv- 
ingston Couuty, 111.), and Arthur (married and lives 
in Adams Countv, Nel).). Mr. Thrasher lost his ex- 
cellent wife in November, 1858, and in 1860 was 



^' 



A 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



327 



married in La Salle Count}-, 111. , to Miss Emma El- 
vira Coats, a native of La Salle Countj-, and the 
daughter of Peter A. and Eliza (Manville) Coats, 
natives of Connecticut, who at an earl}- da}- settled 
in La Salle Gounty, 111. Mr. Coats with his family 
took an overland trip to California in 1852, but 
returned in 1857, and settled in La Salle County, 
where the father made his home until his death in 
1859. His wife died in California in 1855. After 
marriage Mr. Thrasher settled on a farm in La Salle 
County, 111. , and there remained until 1883, when he 
moved to Adams County , Neb. , and located on his 
present place. In 1886 he purchased 160 acres of 
improved land, and has since been engaged in farm- 
ing and stock raising. ]Mr. Thrasher is quite active 
in politics and votes with the Democratic party. He 
was elected justice of the peace in 1889, and will 
be magistrate of the township. To his marriage 
were born six living children: Ida (now Mrs. Winter, 
of Garfield, La Salle County, III), Pliny (married 
and resides in Hall County, Neb.), Adna (now Mrs. 
Stebbins, of Ayr, Neb.), Nellie (now Mrs. George, 
of Hall County, Neb.), and Clara and Mortimore, 
who are still at home. Although not as early in the 
county as some, Mr. Thrasher has seen many and 
vast changes since his residence here, and has taken 
an active interest in all that relates to the good of 
the country. He was here at the organization of 
the township. 

George W. Tibbets is the senior member of the 
successful and widely known law firm of Tibbets, 
Morey & Ferris, of Hastings, Neb. He was born in 
Allegany County, N. Y. , July 25, 1848, and is a 
son of James and Lucy A. (Raymond) Tibbets, who 
were also natives of the State of New York, born in 
1S22 and 1824, respectively, the formers death 
also occurring there in 1876. George W. Til)l)ets 
received his education at Genesee Valley Seminary, 
N. Y. , and in the Iowa State University, but in 
1874 he turned his attention to the study of law in 
the otHce of Richardson, Fhmnigan & Smith, at An- 
gelica, N. Y. , and after a thorough preparation of 
three years, he was admitted to practice in all the 
courts of the State of New York. He then prac- 
ticed his profession in his native State until 1886, 
at which time he came to Hastings, and in April of 



that }-ear the law firm of Tibbets & Morey was estab- 
lished , Mr. Ferris becoming a member of the firm in 
January, 1890. Politically, Mr. Tibbets has always 
been a Democrat, and socially is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity. He was married August 2, 
1882, to Miss Mary A. Capron, a native of New 
York, l)y whom he has one child, Raymond M. 
Charles F. Morey, a member of the above named 
firm, is a native of Wyoming County. N. Y. , his 
birth occurring there on November 17, 1855. His 
father. Reuben Morey, was a Baptist clergyman, 
and was also a native of the "Empire State," his 
birth occurring in 1805. He was a graduate ot 
Brown University, and' was ever noted as a man of 
fine intellect, and in his ability as a minister was 
far above the average. In 1871 he moved with his 
family to Wisconsin, where the mother, whose 
maiden name was Abbie Bogman, died the same 
year, Mr. Morey passing away from life in the same 
State in 1880. Charles F. Morey received an 
unusuall}- good education, and was first a faith- 
ful and painstaking student in the Institute of 
Beaver Dam, Wis., and in 1879 graduated from the 
Chicago University, his course there being also 
marked by conscientious application. In 1877 he 
began his legal studies in connection with his col- 
lege work, and in 1882 was admitted to the Chicago 
bar, and, after a residence of four years in that city, 
he came to Hastings (in 1886), which place has since 
continued to be his home. His marriage was sol- 
emnized in June, 1883, his wife being Miss Anna 
31. Riordan, a native of Columbus, Ohio, by whom 
he has one child: Clive R. Mr. Morey is a Repub- 
lican in his political views. Elmer E. Ferris, the 
junior member of the firm, was born in Wisconsin 
in 1862, and, like Mr. Morey, was an attendant of 
Beaver Dam, Wis., Institute, and the Chicago Uni- 
versity, also graduating in the class of 1884. After 
spending one year in the Chicago Union Law Col- 
lege he, in 1888, came to Hastings and the same 
year was admitted to the Adams County bar, form- 
ing his present partnership in 1890. They have 
gained an excellent reputation throughout the State, 
and show ability and sagacity in the management of 
their cases. !Mr. Ferris was married July 6. 1889, 
to Miss Minnie F. Lum. of Wisconsin. 







HcniT Trier, liUe all native Germans, is enter- 
prising, indnstrioiis, frugal, and therefore success- 
ful. His birth (X'curred in Hesse Cassel, Erksdorf, 
December 12, ISaG, and he is a son of Valentine 
and Elizabeth (Linker) Trier, the former of whom 
was a farmer of good standing in his native land, 
and died aliout the year 1870. still survived by his 
widow. Henry Trier is the fourth of their six chil- 
dren, five sons and one daughter, and when only 
sixteen years of age he determined to seek his fortune 
in a new land, and upon reaching the United States 
he located at Peru, La Salle County , 111. , where he 
remained about eleven years, a portion of his time 
being spent in town, and the rest in farming. While 
there he invested in some farming property in Lyons 
County, Kan. , on Eagle Creek, and after tilling this 
property two years he sold out and returned to his 
Illinois home, and a few years later came to his 
present abode. He settled on his present farm in 

1885, but in the latter part of 1889 moved to Hol- 
stein, where he is now living. He was married in 
Peru to Mrs. Elizabeth (Peters) Keutzer, who was 
born in Peru, and their union has resulted in the 
birth of one son and three daughters: P^rama (Keut- 
zer), Louisa (Keutzer), George and Lydia Trier, 
Mr. and Mrs. Trier worship in the Lutheran Church, 
and Mr. Trier is a member of the Modern Woodmen 
of America. In addition to conducting his farm he 
is engaged in conducting a livery stable, which is 
one of the best in the county, and is pro\ing quite 
profitable. 

John Valentine, dealer in wines and licpiors, 
Hastings, Neb. Ever since his connection with the 
affairs of Adams County, Mr. Valentine has dis- 
played those sterling characteristics of men of Ger- 
man nativity- — industry, perseverance and integrity, 
that have resulted in awarding him a representative 
place in matters pertaining to this community. His 
birth occurred March 22, 1841, and he is the son of 
Harn and Auka (Hendrichs) Valentine, natives of 
German}-, the former born in 1811, and the latter in 
1809. The father died in his native countrj' in 
188-1, but the mother came to the United States in 

1886, settled in Adams County, Neb., and here died 
three weeks after her arrival. John Valentine re- 
ceived a thorousrh education in the schools of Ger- 



many, and tiierc fdllowcd agricultural pursuits until 
1865, when he came to the L^nited States. He se1> 
tied in Illinois, carried cm farming, and was also in 
the wine and liijuor business. He came to Hastings 
in December, 1880, and has since beeif engaged in 
his present business, at which he has been quite 
successful. He has a lirick building, 22x66 feet, at 
the corner of Hastings Avenue and First Street, 
which was erected in 1888. Mr. Valentine was mar- 
ried on December 5, 1870, to Miss Jurkea Engel- 
barths Siebens, who died at Jacksonville. 111., in 
1881, leaving two daughters: Auka and Anna. In 
1882 Mr. Valentine was marrie<l to Miss Anna Mal- 
steadt, and to this union were born five children: 
William. John. Martha. Cliris. and Mara. In poli- 
tics Mr. Valentine is a Democrat. 

William Van Boeuing belongs to that sturdy, in- 
dependent class, the farmers of Nebraska, and none 
of the residents of Adams County possess more 
genuine merit or worthy characteristics than he. 
He was born in Germany in 1838, and was one of 
nine children born to Simon and Elizabeth Van 
Boening. the former a prosperous farmer of Ger- 
manj-, who died in his native land in 1862. having 
been an earnest member of the Presljj'terian Church. 
In 1866 the mother came with the children to the 
United States and settled in Illinois, where her death 
occurred the following jear. Their children are: 
Cynthia, Egbert, William, John, Klaas, Emily, Lena, 
Tilda and Simon. William Van Boening farmed 
near Emden, Logan Count}', HI. , for seven years, 
and was there married, in 1874, to Mary Johnson, a 
native of Germany. Two yeai's later he removed to 
Nebraska, and bought land to the amount of 400 
acres, all under cultivation, and well improved with 
buildings of all kinds, all necessary stock, and good 
fences and orchards. He takes considerable interest 
in political matters, and is a Republican in his views. 
He and wife are memliers of the Lutheran Church, 
and to their union a family of three childi'en have 
been born: Rammar (married, and resides in Adams 
County), Simon (at home), and Ettie (who died at 
the age of two years). 

John Van Boening is a brother of the above 
named gentleman, and, like him, a successful tiller 
of tiie soil and a prosperous stock raiser. His l)irth 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



329 



also occiim'd in (iiTiiuiiiy in 18411. ami tliere lie. 
lik,' all (Icnnan yonths, received an excellent scbool- 
ino. In ISfUi he settled in Tazewell County, 111., 
and hciv ills wife, whom he had married just prior 
to leaving- Germany, died in 18C8. Her maiden 
name was Fankel (Kries) StiUker, and l)y Mr. Van 
Boeninif she became the mother of one child. Frank, 
who is at present residing with his father. Mr. Van 
Boening wedded his second wife in 1870, she being 
a Miss llebrieg Lolling, a daughter of -H. Lolling, 
of (iermany, who died there in 187(3. Her mother, 
Auke Lolling, also died there in 1849, having borne 
two children: Helirieg, and Arl)etta, who died in Ill- 
inois in 1S77. In 1876 Mrs. Van Boeniug came to 
the TTnited States, and with her husband emigrated 
to Nebraska in March. 18(;(1, where lie purchased 
100 acres of some of the Ijest land in Adams County. 
From ISOll until his removal here he had resided in 
Logan Ci>nnty. III. His labors have met with well 
merited results, and be is now one of the prosperous 
agriculturists of this county. He has always voted 
the Kepulilican ticket, and while a resident of Logan 
County, 111., held the position of sciiool director. 
He and wife arc members of the (lerman I'rcsliy- 
terian Church, and are the parents of the following 
named children: Swanetta. Harm, Kli/.abetli. Simon. 
Katie, .Vrbclta and Lena. 

Simon \'an Boening has resided on his [jresent 
farm of KKt acres in Section 23-0-9, Adams County, 
Neb. , since he made the purchase in 1880. His 
property is well improved, and the manner in which 
it is conducted speaks highly of his good judgment 
and ability as a manager. Born in Germany, in 
isr>7. he was the youngest of a family reared by 
Simon Van Boening. In 1809 he emigrated to the 
I'liitcd States, and settled near Lincoln, in Logan 
County. III. where he remained ten years, his at- 
tention being given to farming and stock raising. 
In 1879 he came to the State of Nebraska, settling 
in Hanover Townshii). and for two years made his 
home with his brother William, after which, in 1881. 
he bought and moved to his own property, which he 
has since been actively engaged in cultivating. His 
property has lieen accumulated by his own personal 
hard work, close application and good management, 
and he has transformed it from a vast extent of 
21 



l)rairie land to a finely tilled farm. This he deems 
one of the f:urest of farming commnnities. He is a 
Republican in |)olitics, and isa supporl(U-of scliools. 
churches, and all good works having for their object 
the uplniilding and development of iiis adopted 
home. He and wife are memliers of the flerman 
Presbyterian Chun-h, and he was its first trustee. 
August 28, 1881. Miss Ida Schmidt, a daughter of 
H. R. Schmidt, became his wife, she being a native 
of Peoria County, III. born .luly 21, 1800. They 
have four lioys: Hiram. Simon. Class and Crcorge. 
Mr. and Mrs. Van Boening aic highly resix'cted 
throughout the community. 

Jans Van Hove is a prosperous farmer and stock- 
man of Adams County, Neb., and from this lirief 
and incomplete view of his life record it will lie seen 
that his days from his earliest youth up have not 
been uselessly or idly spent. .\ native (ierman, he 
was born in 1827. and possess all the characteristics . 
of his race, that of stia-ling integrity, industry and 
frugality being among the number. His father, 
Tirde A^an Hove, was a sailor, and died in 1800; his 
wife, Catharina (). Van Hove, passing from life in 
her native land in 1884. Jans Van Hove was mar- 
ried in his native huid in 1858 to Miss ,\inia Dinkale, 
by whom he has reared the; following family: Tinle. 
Siemtje (Jlrs. Boontjer), Catharina, Cecntjc (Mrs. 
Dykhuiseu), Angenete, Kde and Jolian. l^pon first 
coming to the United States Mr. Van Hove settled 
in Ogle County, III. . in 18(;4, and after making that 
county his home until 1878. he came to Nebraska 
and purchased 100 acres of railroad land in Hanover 
Township, Adams County, and on this has since 
made his home, having imiiroved it to a very great 
extent. His property has been a<'(piired l>y honest 
toil, and he gives excry promise of becoming a 
wealthy man, if hard work and enterprise can acconi 
plish the desired results. He is a deacon in the 
Reformed Church, ami on the nin'thwest corner of 
his property has been erected a substant,ial church, 
in which he and his family, as well as their neigh 
bors, worship. Mr. Van Hove is indepemlenl in 
his political views. 

Frederick C. Van Veghlen, farnuT, stock raiser 
and furniture dealer. Tin' life of this well known 
gentleman affords an example which might well be 



"^^ 



•J'id 



HTRTORV OF NEBRASKA. 



imitati'il by the yoiiiij;' inoii of the |iics<'iit ihiy. 
I'poii startinsi out in life for liiiiist'lf it was with 
little means and as a farmer in ("oolc ("oiinty. 111.. 
and this occupation continued to recei\-e iiis atten- 
tion there until the spiin<>- of 1SS4, when lie came to 
Xeliraska and located on 1(10 aoi'es in Hoseland 
Township, Adams County, where his enterprises 
iiave resulted successfully. Itesides tilling his land 
he gives considerable attention to the raising of 
stock, especial!}- to the pr()i)agali()n of Hereford 
cattle, and is also engaged in dealing in I'm iiiture at 
llolstein. and his efforts to build u|) ami develop 
trade at this point have been \ cry snceessful. He 
was married in Kankakee t'ounty. III., to Miss 
Jennie M. Storrs, a native of Kssex ("ounty, N. Y., 
and a daughter of Hiram and .lane (Ferris) Storrs, 
also of that State, and well-to-ilo .igriculturists, now 
residing in Kankakee County. 111. Mr. and Mrs. 
Van Veghten have a son and daughter, named Carrie 
and Fred. Mr. Van Veghten is a mendicr of the 
Modern Woodmen of America. lie was born at 
Kagle Bridge, Rensselaei- County. N. Y. , on Decem- 
l)er 12, 1849, and is a son of (ieorge and Florilla 
(Crofutt) Van Vechten, who were liorn in New York 
and Vermont, respectively. The f.ithcr moved with 
his family to Maywood. 111., in IStil, but is now re- 
siding in Kankakee. His ancestors were among the 
I'arly Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam. His wife 
belonged to an old A'crniont family of Knglish and 
Scotch extraction. 

Napoleon B. Vineyard, [lolicc judge of the citv 
of Hastings, Neb., was liorn in St. Clair ('()unt\. 
111., February 10, 1835, being the only surviving 
memlierof a family of seven children iiorn to Ceoriie 
\V. and iOlizalicth (llendersliott ) \'ineyard. who were 
born in Faui|uier County, \'a. . in 1S1(», and Trum- 
bull County. Ohio, in ])eceml)er. 1S12. and died at 
iicbanou. St. Clair ('(iinit\. 111., in I.'-ll.'). and in 
Henry County. Iowa, in ISI!.'). respectively. The 
fatlier was a contractor and liuilder by occupation, 
and his father. Itoliert N'iucyard. was a \'iriiiniau 
by birth, liorn in 17.S0. and passed from life in St. 
Clair County. 111., in 1S40, he having move<l to this 
location as early as 1818, the year of its admission 
into the Cnion as a Stale. David Hendershott. the 
maternal grandfather, was born in Washingt<m ! 



County. I'a. , in 1 TSIl. and departed his lite in Henry 
Countw Iowa, in IStil. To this county Napoleon 
H. A'ineyard was taken by his parents at the age of 
nine, and here lie icmained ten years, receiving his 
education in the rominon schools. He then took up 
his abode in Iowa Ciniiity. and as he was alwa\s a 
stanch snppoi-ter of the liepublican party lie was 
electeil on that ticket in 185G to the otliee of conntv 
sheritf; was rc-cliTted in 1H5S. his term expiring on 
.January 1. ISCid. Octolier 1. ISIkJ, he was elected 
treasurer of Iowa County; was re-elected in 18(i5. 
and in May. IStiS, was a delegate to the National 
Republican convention at Cliicago. Prom 18()4 to 
1874 he was a delegate to all the Iowa State Con 
ventions. and in .June of the last named year he 
entered the employ of the federal government as 
special examiner of the pension luireau. This posi- 
tion he resigned in 1878, and in the following Octo- 
ber came to Hastings, Neb., and engaged in the real 
estate and insurance luisiness. in the conduct of 
which he was (piite successful. In the month of 
April, 1880. he was elected police judge of Hastings. 
His career has been characterized liy a noticeable 
devotion to the interests of the communities in 
which he has resided, and in his sphere of public duty 
he lias proven himself to be capable, popular and 
courteous. While a resident of Iowa he became a 
member of .Marengo Lodge No. 114 of the A. F. & 
A. JI. . in IS.'id. and is now a member of Hastings 
Lodge No. .'K). Chapter No. 28, Council No. 21. 
Fidueia Lodge of Perfection No. 3. He is a Scot- 
tish Rite .'\Iason of the 32°. and although he is only 
tifty-four years of age, he is probably the oldest 
Mason in Adams County. He is also a charter 
member of Hastings Lodge No. 28, K. of P. 
Since May, 1884, he has been the Hastings corre- 
spondent for the Chicago Tribune. November 1 . 
1858, he was inan-ieil to .Miss Ruth Dillon, who was 
born in Knox County, Ohio. November 111. 1830. a 
daughter of Israel and Mary Dillon. They have six 
children: Iliiber. Aggie. Amelia. Zulah. .lulia and 
i liolicrt. 

Warren II. Waldron is a Michigander by birth 
and liringing up. .-lud lias inculcated in him the ster- 
ling principles of the better class of citizens of that 
State. His career furnishes a striking illustration 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



331 



of the fact that no matter iu what channel a man's 
cai'eer may lie, a gooil eilucation is of undoulitcd 
lienefit. His elementary schooling was receivcil in 
his native county, Washtenaw, where he was horn 
November 22, 1850, but he also received the advan- 
tages of the public schools of Ann Arbor and Ypsi- 
hmti. Being brought up to the calling of a farmer 
liy his father, he has made that his oecui)atiou 
through life, and has been tilling the soil in Adams 
County, Neb., since 1874. His farm is situated 
about seven miles southwest of Hastings, and com- 
prises 400 acres of finely improved land, well 
stocked, Mr. Waldron giving especial attention to 
the propagation of Clydesdale horses, Hereford cattle 
and Poland China hogs. In iiis political views he 
was formerly a Republican, l)ut is now a Prohibi- 
tionist. In 1884 he was elected a member of the 
county board of supervisors, serving four years, 
and in 1889 was again elected to a two years' term, 
lie was married in 1875 to Miss Eliza Kenny, who 
was born in Washtenaw County, Mich. , January 30, 
1850, and liy her has two children: Clarence 1{. and 
Norris W. Mrs. Waldron is a daughter of John and 
Adelia (Queal) Kenny, who were born in A^ermont 
and Pennsylvania, in 1820 and 1827, respectively, 
and were among the fiist settlers of Washtenaw 
County. Mr. Waldron and his wife are members of 
the Congregational Church, and he is one of the 
re()rcsentative men of the county. Mr. Walilron's 
[larents, William and .Martha (Aj'res) Wakhun, were 
born in Seneca County. N. ¥., in 1814 and 1819, 
respectively, and are now residing in Jackson 
County. Mich. On February 28, 1880, they cele- 
brated their golden wedding, there lieing four gen- 
erations represented. Althougii a farmer formerly, 
he is now rctiri'd from active business life. 

M. 1''. Wallace, since his residence in Adams 
County, Neb., has figured conspicuously among the 
successful agricidturists of the region, and has won 
golden opinions for himself as a man and citizen. 
He was b(nii in Brown County. Ohio, near (Tcorge- 
town. about forty miles north of Cincinnati, in 1828, 
lieing the eldest of a family of seven children born 
to Nicholas and Sarah (Gates) Wallace, the former 
of whom was born in I\iyettc County. I'a., in 18((5. 
He was a tanner b\- tniile. and at an rarl\ (hi\' re- 



moved to Brown County, Ohio, where he married, 
but di<'d in Marshall County, Ind. , in 1875, his wife 
dying in Nebraska in 1887. They were members of 
the Seventh Day Advent Church, and iu his political 
views he was a Democrat. His imion. which took 
place in 1826, resulU'd in the birth of these children; 
Martin F. (the subject of this memoir). Margaret J. . 
Sarah, Henry, George, James and .\ugusta. The 
maternal grandparents, Martin and Sarah Gates, 
were born in Virginia. Martin V. \\'allace spent his 
school days in Ohio, and in 1M50 went with his par- 
ents to Indiana, where he started out in life for him 
self as an iron forger, then tni-ned ids attention to 
farming, commencing the latter occupation in 18(;i, 
continuing iu Indiana until 1873, when he emigrated 
to Nebraska, and enteied and purchased lOO acres 
of land iu Adams County, about two and a half 
miles from Hastings. At that time his property 
was wild prairie land, but is now finely inijjroved 
with good buildings, orcharil. etc. He has been a 
member of the school board of his district ever since 
he has been iu the State, and iu his i)olitical views 
is a Democrat. He was married in Indi.-nia, in 1855, 
to ]Miss Julia Bells, a daughter of Jo'hn Bells. Iml 
she died in 1858 in giving birth to a sou. Thomas, 
who died at the age of three months. Nellie, the 
daughter of Henry and Isabel (jaddis. became his 
wife in 1860, their children being nameil as follows: 
Frank (who resides in Lincoln County, near Wal- 
lace). Julia (who died in 1875), Etta (Mrs. lioriey. 
residing at Hastings). \Vill)ur L. (living in Box I'.iitte 
County), (Charles who died in 1873). Fdgar (li\in<i- 
with his parents). John, .\nna .May (who died in 
1870), Julius (at home). 15ennie (who dieil in 1 S74), 
and Bessie (who died iu 1876). 

L. J. Ware is cme of the pros|)eri>us ^-eneral mi'r 
chants of Prosser, Neli. . anil by his su(ierior man- 
agement and e.veellent business (pialilii'.-itions has 
become well known as a li'ading business man of 
the county. Born in \ermont. in 1851, he is the 
sixth of eight eliildren l)orn to Enoch and Tjonisa 
(Atwood) Ware, the latter of whom dieil when tlie 
subject of this sketch was a sm.-dl <-hild. The latlier 
was a farmer of \'erniont, and made his liome in 
that State until his ile,-itl\. being .-in ai'tive Kepnbli- 
can |W)litically . and a member of llie MellKidist 



^± 



332 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Episfopal Churi-'li ;il llic time (if his dralli. Fj. J. 
AVare, like so many of tlio substantial citizens of 
this county, was initiati'd into the mysteries of farm 
life in his youth, but up to the ago of eigliteon years 
he was also an attendant of the eommon schools, 
aciiuirins thereliy a fair knowledge of the common 
English branches. He then started out in life for 
himself as a coachman, but at the end of one year 
discontinued this occupation, and in 1S7] removed 
to Montgomery County. Til., wiierc he purchased 
120 acres of wihl laud, wliich he greatly im|)roved, 
.and on which he resided until ISS"). tlien sold out 
and came to Nebraska, settling in Hastings, where 
lie clerked for one year for A. .). Nowlan. He next 
located in Hansen, where lie opened a general mer- 
cantile establishment, and was thus engaged in busi- 
ness alone for one year, then formed a partnership 
with K. Hemenover, and the lirm took tlie name of 
Ware & Hemenover. After another year spent in 
this manner he sold out to his partner and came to 
the then new town of Prosser, where he opened the 
lirst general mercantile house, also purchasing a 
nuudier of lots and erecting a store building and 
residence. He has done exceptionally well and 
commands a large trade in the surrounding country. 
lie was married in 1872 to Miss Adelaide Mack, a 
native of New Hampshire, and by her has one chikl, 
Lena M. He and wife are active meml)ers of the 
.■Methodist Episcopal Churcii. and are also stanch 
supporters of the cause of temperance, Mrs. Ware 
being a member of tlie W. C. T. TI. . of which organ- 
ization she was the first president in Adams County. 
Nel). 

Jacob S. Way, farmer and stock raiser, Hast- 
ings. Neb. In Pennsylvania, in 1S42, tliere was 
born to .Jolm F. and 3lary A. (.Mastens) Way, a son, 
wlio is now talien as tlie subject of this sketch. 
He received iiis education in Oiiio. and in ISdH 
started out for himself as an agricidturisl. The 
same year he emigrated to Macon County, III., re- 
maining there one year, and then moved to Iowa, 
settled in Van Bureu County, and was there married 
to Miss Rachel Logsdon, the daughter of Lawrence 
and Naomi (Shatter) Logsdon, natives of Maryland 
and PeiHisylvania, respectively, and l)oth of German 
descent. Mv. Logsdon died in ISCO. In 1S72 ^Ir. 



Way moxcil to .\daiiis Couniy. Neb., took upeighly 
acres of land, and to this he a<lde(l until he had I5llt) 
acres; he now has Kid acres of as good land as is t<i 
be found in the county. He is also engaged (piite 
extensively in stock raising. He is honest and up 
right, and liy his enter|)rise and industry has been 
(|nite successful. He h.as seen the eomi)lete growth 
and di'\cliipMicnl ol the <'ountrv. and has been un- 
tiring in his efforts to further all enterprises for the 
advancement of the same. He and wife ai'c mem- 
bers and earnest woi-ki'rs in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and he is steward and trustee of the same. 
He has a church on his land which was erected in 
1SS4. and of wliiili he is class leader. To his mar- 
riage have been born these six children: John Ij. 
and William (twins, the latter married to Miss Mary 
Crane), George W., Mary N. , Eva L. . Charles, Ida 
B. and Harvey. As before stated Mr. Way is the 
owner of Kit) acres of land, and in 1889 he sold Kitt 
acres, and has located his three sons in Perkins 
County, on 160 acres each. Thus it may be seen 
what Mr. Way has been doing since a resident of 
Adams County. He also has money invested in 
propertj' in Hastings. In his political views he 
affiliates with the Farmers' Alliance, and votes for 
princii)le rather than party. He is a member of tiie 
Masonic fraternity, Hastings Lodge No. .")(!. and is 
a member of Hastings (Chapter No. 21. He is a 
member of Hastings Ijodge No. 43, A. (). I'. \V. 
In 1887 he held the oflice of supervisor in .\yr 
Township. He has been a member of the school 
board, and has held the office of treasurer for some 
time, and now holds the office of director. His par- 
ents, John F. and Mary A. (Masters) Way, were 
natives of Germany and I'enn.sylvania, respectively. 
The father was born in Wurtemberg. in 18K), and 
remained in his native country until seventeen years 
of age, when he emigrated to this country. He was 
a lilacksuiith li\ trade and was married in I'ennsyl- 
vania. in .March. 1837. to .Miss blasters, who was of 
German origin. Tlie mother died aliout 1851. in 
Ohio, whither they had m(i\ed that year, and the 
following year the father married Mrs. Caroline 
Huftill. who died in 1S78. His third marriage 
occuiM-e(l in 1S7!'. lie is still living and is seventy- 
four \eai's of age. To his first marriage weic born 



13 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



333 



three children: John H. (living in Nebraska), Eliza- 
lieth (deceased) and Jacob S. ; and to his second 
marriage also three cliildnii: George. Mary and 
Klizabeth. 

Edwin ('. Welister. treasnrer of the Nebraska 
Loan and Trnst Company, and one of the leading 
Freemasons of Nebraska, was born at Phelps, On- 
tario County, N. Y. , on April 20, 1850. His father, 
Isaac Catlin Webster, was born in Litchfield, Conn. , 
in 1808. and died near Phelps. N. Y. , in 1858. He 
was the son of James ^^'el)ster. a native of A'ermont, 
who <lieil at the age of eighty-six years. The Web- 
ster family trace their ancestors back to Gov. John 
Webster, who was born in England, emigrated to 
America in ISMi;, and was the fifth governor of the 
Connecticut colony. The mother of Edwin C. Web- 
ster, Armenia Burtis, was born in New York Citj' in 
1815. and died at Hastings, Neb., in 1889. Her 
father. Arthur Burtis, was born in the city of New 
York, was a prominent member of the Tammany or- 
ganization, and was for some time a memlier of the 
l)oard of aldermen, and well known as superintend- 
ent of jmlilic charitable institutions, .several of which 
he was instrumental in fouuiling. His death occurred 
in (Jeueva, N. Y. , in 1S35. Edwin C. Webster is 
the youngest son of seven children, four of whom 
are now rL\iug. He was reared on the farm, at- 
ten(K'(l the public scliools. and sulisc(|ueutly entered 
the Plicli)s high school. In ]8(i'.l he began clerking 
in the dry goods store of T. J. Lyman, at Phelps, 
N. Y., where he continued for three years, and then 
entered the employ of the (_)hio it Mississippi Rail- 
road at Cincinnati, in the freight department. There 
he continued until the spring of 1S74. when he came 
to Kansas City, and foi- some time was station agent 
in the employ of the Jlissouri Pacific Itailroad, at 
Belton. Later he was employed as liookkceper for 
the Kansas City Railroad Transfer Comi)any. In 
April, 1875. he went to Des Moines, Iowa, entered 
the employ of the Iowa Loan and Trust Company, 
beginning at the bottom, and at the time of his res- 
ignation was assistant secretary. iu January. 1881, 
he came to Hastings. Neb., and liecamc a member 
of the firm of James B. HeartweU & Co. In May, 
1882, he l)ecame the treasurer of the Nebraska Loan 
and Trust Companv. which i)osition he has since 



filled. He was made a Mason in Hastings Lodge 
No. 50, in .\pril, and dubbed a Knight Templar in 
the Asylum of Mt. Nei)0 Commandery No. 11, in 
December, 1882; took the fourteenth degree, A. & 
A. S. Rite, in this city, in Fiducia Jjodge of Perfec- 
tion No. 3. March 24, 1884; the thirty-second de- 
gree from Inspector General Robert C. Jordan, Oc- 
tober l(j, 1884, and December 15, 1888, he received 
the thirty-third degree at Omaha, in the southern 
jurisdiction, U. S. A., from Albert Pike. He is 
the only thirty -third degree Mason in Hastings. He 
was Master of Hastings Lodge in 1886, and in 1887 
he was High Priest of Hastings Chapter No. 21. R. 
A. M., also the first Master of Hastings Council No. 
3, R. & S. M. , and one of the leading spirits in the 
erection of the Masonic Temple in 1886, and in 
1889 Generalissimo of Mt. Nebo Commandery No. 
11, K. T. He was united in marriage at 'Galveston . 
Texas, on October 11 , 1875. to Miss Rosa E. Smith. 
a native of Charleston. S. C. . born on December 14. 
1853, and the daughter of Benjamin F. and Julia 
A. (Jaudon) Smith. Mr. Smith was a merchant and 
contractor, and died at (ialveston. Texas, in 1886. 
His wife was born in Charleston, S. C. , and now re- 
sides at Austin, Texas. Mrs. Webster is a niece of 
Judge Cole, one of the founders and leading men of 
(ialveston. Texas. To Mv. and .Mrs. Webster ha\e 
been born four children: Ivlna L. . Louis S. . James 
F. and Cornelius C. .^Ir. Wel)ster is a Republican 
in politics and one of the leading men of Hastings. 
George T. Wheat, faruu'r and stockman, Hol- 
stein, Nel). Nowhere in Logan Township is there 
to be found a man of mow energy or determined 
will or force of character than Mr. Wheat possesses, 
and no agriculturalist is deserving of greater success 
in the conduct and management of a farm than 
he. His birth occurred in Tioga County. N. Y.. on 
Juh- 27, 1843. and he grew to manhood in Illinois, 
whither his parents had moved in 185t>, and tlu-ri' 
remained until nineteen years of age. In August, 
1862. he enlisted in the Seventy-fourth Illinois lu- 
fantry, and served until discharged in June, 1865; 
during that time participating in the following en- 
gagements: Perryville. Stone River. Chickamauga. 
Missionary Ridge, Kenesaw Mountain, where he 
was shot through the left Iireast and disabled from 



V 



.•i:!4 



lIlSTOltV OF NEBRASKA. 



I'lirlhrr illltv. Ariel' licillLl iliscli;il'uccl lie rrlm'IU'(l 
111 IlliiKiis ;niil llir rollowinj;' yc;u' cnpiiicil in nilti 
vnliiiii' the soil, L:iUt he settled on :i farm in Win 
neliajio Connty and eoutiniied liis foriner pnrsnil 
nnlil 1 S7 1 . when lie moved to Nebraska, arriving in 
that Stale in May of that year. He located first in 
Wi'lister County, and, after a residence there of 
four years, renio\'ed lo his |ircscut residence in 1S75. 
lie has 1(J() acres of land, all in a jrood state of 
cultivation, has y'ood hiiildini;s, a good hearing 
orchard and is a iirospi'roiis and enterprising citizen. 
lie was mairied in Adams County on March 2S. 
1S7.5, to .Miss .Mary Sliellli'amer, a native of Wis^ 
cousin, and t he daughter of K. C. Shellhaiiici'. To 
this union have been boni two children: Charles and 
.Mice. Mr. Wheat is a member of the (1. A. II., 
and is a member of the relief corps, same organi- 
zation, lie has ever been a Itepublican in his [)olit- 
ical views, and was elccteil distrit't treasurer in 1.S7I), 
which jKisition he has held ever since, with the ex- 
ception of two years. His parents, James and 
Krminnie (Hall) Wheat, were natives of New York 
State, and he was a carpenter and contractor liy 
traile. lie moved to Illinois in 1S5U, located in 
Winnebago Ccjunty, and tluax! he still resides en- 
gaged in tilling tlu? soil. 

John While (deceased) was a prosperous farmer 
and stockman of Hanover Township, Adams County, 
Neh. , and was liorn in the "Emerald Isle" in 1817, 
in which cdiniliy liis parents li\'cd and died. His 
father, Arthur White, .iiid wile reared a family of 
seven children, of whom John was the eldest, and 
all ari^ now living in tin- United States, located at 
I'hiladeiphia. yVfter coming to the United States 
John White also resided In that city for many years 
and was married in I'hihidelphia. Pa., to Miss Kliza 
McCiilly. a daughter of John .McCully. of Ireland. 
To their union a family of se\cii children were born 
.•iiid all were reared in the State of reunsylvani.a, 
tlu'ir names being, Wesh'y .M. , .Martha (who died in 
ISS(I), Margaret (who died in Pennsylvania, in 
I.Si;*)). John. James, J<jseph and Lizzie (now Mrs. 
Coltriii). In 1,S72 Mr. White removed to Nebraska, 
and took up a homesti'ad of eighty acres in Han- 
ox ir Township, also pre-empting eighty acres more, 
lull here his career was closed forever, his dealh occiii'- 



ring in l.S,S7. He was a iiiaii whom all dclightcil to 
honor, bir he was the soul of honesty, was energetic, 
eiili'rprisiug and public spirited, furthering all worthy 
public enterprises to the best of his ability. He 
and liis wife were woilh\' uiciiibers of the Methodist 
Kpiscopal Church, and upon his death his third son, 
James, took the homestead in charge, and has since 
f.inued it on shares. The eldest son, Wesley M. , 
spent his younger days in Pennsylvania, there also 
receiving his education, but upon his father's re- 
moval to Nebraska he came also and homesteaded 
KiO-ieres on the same section as his father. Here 
lii^ was married in 1X71^ to Miss Amanda K. Abrams, 
a daughter of Joseph and Amanda (liowe) Abrams, 
the former of whom was a Pennsylvanian. Mr. and 
-Mrs. White have one child named Uoy A. After 
breaking up a portion of his laud .Mr. White suc- 
ceeded in obtaining a school and taught the ''young 
idea" in the first schocjl house built in Adams 
County. He also carried on farming, but later be- 
came an employe of tlic Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad Company, acting as conductor on 
that line for about six years. He was conductor of 
th(! first train that ran into York and Blue Hill, 
liuilding the road to the former place, l>ut in 1879, 
gave up railroading and returned to farm life. His 
brother, John H. , resides at Hastings, and was mar- 
ried to Ada Snodgrass, by whom he has four chil- 
dren. Joseph B. . another brother, is baggage mas- 
ter on the Tfnion Pacilic Railroad. Wesley White 
served in the Union army the last two years of the 
Rebellion, in Company D, Forty-seventh Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry, Second Brigade, First Division, Nine- 
teenth .'Vrmy Corps, and took part in a number of 
hotly contested engagements, among which may be 
mentioned Berry vi lie. Winchester, Cedar Creek, and 
numerous others. In January. 18G6. he was dis- 
charged at Charleston, S. C. He is a charter mem- 
ber of the Masonic bodge of Hastings, No. 5(1. and 
is one of the successful and intelligeiit residents of 
the county. 

S. li. Wliitiii.-iii. fanner and stockman, Hastings, 
Neb. Among the worthy citizens of .Vdams County 
whose merits are such as to entitle them to rei)re.sen- 
t;i1iou in the |)rcscut work, is .Air. S. B. AVhituiaii, 
the siibji'ct of this bi-ief notice. His connection 



IS k^ 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



335 



with the uiteiests of Adams County have contributed 
\ci\ materially towtird givino- him an extensive 
aei|u:iint:iiice. wliile his arc()inuio(hitin<r and agree- 
alile manners ha\e rendered iiim none the less popn- 
iai-. He is a native nf the Old D(.)minion. his birth 
oecurring in ISioT, and is the third in a family of 
children born to the union of David and Rebecca 
(Freeman) Whitman, the father a successful farmer 
by occui)ati<in. The latter was bora in New Hamp- 
shire, in IT'.Mi. and died in \'ermont. in 1874. His 
wife died in July. 1SS7. Their cluldren were named 
as follows: Freeman. John. Monroe, S. B. , Levi, 
llattie. Nelson and Lucy. S. B. Whitman was 
reared in the (ireen Mountain State. Orange County, 
and in LSIIl enlisted in Company E, Second Regi- 
ment Berdous Sharp-shooters, anil was in the battle 
of (Jainesville. two days at Bull Run. South Moun- 
tain, in a skirmish at Fredericksliiirg. Antietam, 
where he received a gun-shot wound in the right 
arm. and then went to Fairfax. Va. , where he was 
contined in a hospital. His wound |iroved to be 
very serious, and he was discharged in lSti2, on 
account of disability. He settled in Vermont, and 
in l.Si;3 was united in nnirriage to Miss Elvira Wood, 
a native of \'erm(>nt, and the daughter of John 
^Vood, also a native of that State, who died when 
ills daughter was ipiite young. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Whitman were born five children, three now living: 
.Mabel (now Mm. Olinger, who resides in Blaine 
Townshij). Adams County, Neb.), ('harlev (at home) 
and Maud (at home). !Mrs. AVhitman is a member 
of the Congregational Church. .Mr. Whitman emi- 
grated fnnn Vermont to Wisconsin in 18(JIj, settled 
in Fond du Lac County, and there remained for 
eleven years. He then came to Nebraska, settled 
where lie now lixcs.and is the owner of 1(10 acres of 
good land, all under cultivation. He has lieen road 
supervisor of the township, has been a member of 
the school l)oard for six years, and holds that posi- 
tion at the present, and is interestetl in all that per- 
tains to the good of the county. He is a Republi- 
can in politics, and is a menilicr of Silas ,\. Strick- 
land I'ost NO. 13, (jI. a. K. 

A. L. Wigton. secretary of the Cnion liifc In- 
surance Company ot Hastings, Neli. . has been a 
resident of Adams County for the past seventeen 



years. He was liorn in Delaware County, Ohio, 
January 19, 1841, and is a son of Z. F. and Mixv- 

garet (Harrison) Wigton. who wei'c born in Brad- 
ford County, Pa., and New Jersey, March 12, ISltJ, 
and August 17, 1815, and died at Malcom, Iowa, 
and Fonca, Neb., June!), 1870, and Ainil ], 1889, 
respectively. The paternal grandfather was William 
Wigton, a native of New England, who died in 
Delaware County, C)hio, in IStiti, at the age of 
seventy-eight years. A. L. Wigton received educa- 
tional advantages beyond that of the a\erage boy. 
and being a lover of books from his earliest youth, 
he made fah' progress in his studies while pursuing 
an academic coiu'se at Central College. Ohio. After 
leaving school he began teaching, and was discharg- 
ing these duties when the war cloud, which had .so 
long been hovering over the country, at last burst; 
but he was not enrolled in the service until 18G3, 
his previous application in 18(52 lieing rejected on 
account of severe sickness which he had passed 
through, and from which he had not thoroughly re- 
covered. He joined Company (i, Eigiity-eighth 
C)hio Volunteer Infantry, and at the enil of thirteen 
months he was honorably discharge(l t'oi' disability. 
In JIarcli, 18(55. he remo\ed from his native State 
to Iowa and took up his abode at Malcom, the occu- 
pation of farming recei\ing his attention for about 
live years, after which he, in August, 1871, engaged 
in the newspaper Imsiness. purchasing the Malconi 
Gazette, and six nn)nths later the Brooklyn Journal, 
successfullv conducting both until .March, IS73. At 
this date he came to Hastings, Neb., erected a 
Ijuilding and established the Hastings Journal, and 
with the exception of a shoil interruption has been 
in the newspaper business here ever since, being at 
present propricloi- of the Hastings Independent In 
1885 he assisted in organizing the I'nion liifc Insiir 
ance Company, and has since acted as its secretary. 
He has always been a stanch Republican, .and his 
first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln 
for his second term. In 1S74 he was electeil police 
judge and justice of the peace of Hastings, and also 
succi'ssfuUy tilled the position of superintendent of 
puiilic instruction of Adams County for two terms. 
In 1879 and ISSO he served a term in the State 
Senate, representing the counties of Adams. Web- 



:?3(i 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ster, NiiclcoHs and Thayer in this bocl_y. Hi' licloiigs 
to the 1. (). 0. F. , the G. A. K., and is an earnest 
uu'inhi'r of tlie Prosliyterian Clniicli. and was one of 
the lejidinji s|)irits in the establishment of the Col- 
lege al Hastings, and is now viee-presiilinl of liic 
board of trustees. On December 5, 18(i(i, lie was 
married to !^[iss Mary A. Hunt, a daughter of Rev. 
John and Sophia (Bingham) Hunt. Mrs. Wigton 
was lioiii ill Delaware County, Ohio. October 20, 
1847, and she and Mr. Wigton are the |)arents of 
three children: William H.. Clara L. and Harrison A. 
Dr. Josephus Williams, physician, Kenesaw, Neb. 
.Vmong the younger niendicrs of the medical pro- 
fession in Adams County is he whose name heads 
this sketch, and who is nlicady well established as a 
physician of merit and true worth, and regarded 
with fa\or by those older in years and experience. 
His birth occurred in .Miami Counl\'. Ohio, on iMay 
12, 1847, and he is the son of George and Martha 
(Rear) Williams, natives respectively of Pennsyl- 
vania anil Tennessee. When Dr. Williams was but 
six years of age he moved with his parents to Iowa, 
Tama County, and they were among the first settlers 
there. In 1884 they moved to Cherry County, 
Neb., and there they now reside. They thus lie- 
came pioneers of two States. Dr. Josephus Wil- 
liams received the advantages for an education fur- 
nished by the early district schools, and as his father 
was a farmer and miller by occuptition, he was 
taught this trade. Choosing the practice of medi- 
cine as a profession, he began to study under the 
instruction of his brother, Dr. David Williams. In 
187!) he came to Kenesaw, Neb. , and bcg:in prac- 
ticing, continuing the same until 1882, when he 
ciitcrcil the Omaha IMedieal College, from which in- 
stitution he graduated i(i 1883. The Doctor is one of 
Kciic.saw's pioneers. At the time that he first lo- 
cated here, the town consisted of four small houses, 
and he lias therefore been an eye witness of its sub- 
seipient growth and prosiieiity. In IStiS he mar- 
ried Miss Malccnia Conger, a native of Bureau 
County, 111. , and a daughter of J. R. Conger, one 
of the early settlers there. To Dr. and Mrs. W'il- 
liams have been born two children: Sarah K. (now 
Mrs. Dr. F. C. Brosius, of Kenesaw). and George 
Vj. .Mrs. Williams is a niciulicr of the .Mclhodist 



Kpiscopnl Cliureh. and is active in the women's 
woii<. Dr. Williams is a member of the Adams 
County .Medical Association, and in ]88(( served as 
coroner of .\dams County. In 18G4, when but six- 
teen years of age, he enlisted in Com|iany (i. Forty- 
seventh Reginu'iit Iowa Voluntt^ers, and was sta- 
tioned at Helena. .Vrk. At the ex](iration of his 
term of enlistment he was honorably discharged ;it 
Daven|H>rt. He is at present a member of the (I 
A. K, and is not only prominent in his profession 
Imt is a man who, by his genial and jjleasing man- 
ners, has won his way into the hearts of the people. 
C. C. Wilson, farmer and stock-raiser, Hastings, 
Neb. Highland Township is acknowledged by all 
to lie (iiic (if the best agricultural townships in this 
county, and as such its citizens are mi'n of advanced 
ideas and considerable prominence. .\ worthy man 
among this class is foiiml in the person of C. C. 
Wilson, who moved to Adams County, Nebraska, in 
1884, locating on a partly improved farm of ItiO 
acres, on wlii(^li he has made many anil \ ast im- 
provements since that time. He was born in Litch- 
field, Conn., in ISo)-), was the youngest in a lamily 
of three children bom trj Darius and Clarissa (Treak- 
way) Wilson, natives respectively of New York and 
Connecticut. The parents were married in the last 
named State, and there the father carried on the 
blacksmith trade until IStiO. when he moved to 
Ottawa. III., and there received his final summons 
in 18S(I. His wife died one year later. Their ehil- 
dreii were named as follows: Caroline (now .Mrs. 
Wiliam A. Jones, of Highland Township, .\dams 
County, Neb.), Charles (enlisted at Ottawa, III., in 
Waterhonse's Battery, in 18(;i2, was taken sick and 
died the following year). C. C. Wilson secured a 
fair education in the schools of Connecticut and 
worked in the factories of that State (iron foundry) 
until 18.")(;. when he moved to Knox County, 111. 
There he followed farming and there, in ISUS, he 
married .Aliss ^lary A. Preston, a native of New 
Jersey, and the daughter of Thomi)son and IMrs. 
Preston, natives of New Jersey, who iiioNed to Illi- 
nois and settled on a farm at an early day. There 
they remained the balance of their days. .\fb'rliis 
marriage, .Mr. Wilson followed farming, and in 
1884 nioxeil tn .Vilnius Cmintv. Neb., where he 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



337 



purchased Innd. erected Imildiugs, set out orchards, 
and is now one of thv progressive men of the 
countj-. He is also interested in stock raising and 
has a liigh grade of Sliorthorn cattle. He is not 
active in pohtics, luit votes with the Repuldican 
party. Mr. Wilson lost his excellent wife in Illi- 
nois in 1.S74. .She was a member of the Presby- 
terian ("iiiircii. To their union were horn r<iur chil- 
dren: Flank, Arthiu', Cora and Charles. 

Charles \V. Wilson, recorder of deeds, Hastings, 
Neb. Prominent among the eomparativelj- young 
men of -Vdams County, whose careers thus far have 
been lioth honorable and successful, is the subject 
of this sketch. He was born in Saratoga County, 
N. Y. , November 4, 1840, and is the son of George 
W. and Ann (Dragoo) Wilson, the former born in 
Massachusetts about 1820, and died in Wisconsin 
in 1850, and the latter born in New York about 1824, 
and died in Wisconsin the same jear as her husband. 
They removed to Wisconsin in 1840, and here the 
father followed the occupation of a lumberman. 
Charles W. Wilson is the only living representatixe 
of his father's children. He came West with his 
parents in 1846, settled in Wisconsin, and there re- 
ceived a good common school education. In August, 
lS(il,he enlisted in Company .\, Kighth Iowa In- 
fantry, and served through the entire war, participa- 
ting in the liattle of Shiloh. where after fighting all 
day on that memorable Sunday. April 0. 1S()2, 
.•ibout o'clock he was taken prisoner with Gen. 
Prestiss' whole division. He was kept a prisoner 
nine months; part of the time untler Wirz, of An- 
der.sonvillc notoriety. He was exchanged at Kieh- 
monil, uukIc a short visit home, and joined (irant's 
army in time to participate in all those battles which 
ivsultt'd in the ca|iture of Vicksburg. Was in the 
battle of Memiihis, and Spanish Fort, where Com- 
|)any A, of which he was a member, was specially 
detailed to lead the charge, which, after desperate 
fighting, resulted in the C'apture of that place. Fie 
was an active soldier in his regiment to the end of 
Ihc Kcliellion. i)artieipating in all its battles, and 
was honorably dischai'ged on i\Iay It, at Selma, 
Ala. . having been a gallant and faithful soldier four 
years and nine months. Ou September 10, 1800, 
he was marricil to Miss Mary C. IJenshoof. wlio 



was bom at Johnstown, Pa., in 1846. The fruits 
of this union have been two children: C. William 
and George E. After the war he located in Jackson 
County, Wis., an<l for three years was engaged in 
the stone constructing business, .selling out at that 
time. In 1809 he moved to Hardin County, Iowa, 
settled on a farm and there remained until the fall 
of 1871, when he came to .\dams County, Nel). 
lie located on the southeast (juarter of Section 18. 
Township 5, Range 10, enfere(l a homestead and 
there resided until his removal to Hastings, in De- 
cember, 1889. When he first settled in Zero Town- 
ship, there were but three families living there. He 
is at present the owner of half a section. In poli- 
tics he is an active Republican. He has always 
taken a deep interest in the politics of the countrj-; 
has been an active member in county and State con- 
ventions since the organization of the party, east- 
ing his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. In 1880 he 
was elected recorder of Adams County. The nomi- 
nation of ]Mr. Wilson for his present position was 
lirought about by the country wishing to be repre- 
sented, and he was chosen as against any one from 
the city (jf Hastings. Mr. Wilson is a member of 
the (i. A. R. He has been a resident of Adams 
County for more than eighteen yeai-s, and is one of 
its most respected citizens. 

John Winter is a man whom nature seems to 
have especially designed to \k- a [jlanter, for he has 
been very successful in the pursuit of this calling, 
and is now the owner of 640 acres of laud, nearlj- 
all of which is under cultivation, the home place 
consisting of 320 acres. This property has l)een 
acquired through his desire to keep out of the beatt^n 
path and to his adoption of new and improved 
methods, together with industry, good judgment and 
economy. He was born in Germany, September 7. 
1850. but being of an adventurous and enterprising- 
turn of mind, he emigrated to the Cnited States in 
1871, and first took up his abode in (Joodhue 
County. .Aliini. . remaining there three years, and in 
February, 1874, came to Adams County. Neb., and 
purchased his present pro])erty. He tills large 
areas of land each year, and in 1889 devoted 200 
acres to corn. 100 acres to wheat, 50 acres to bar- 
ley, and about 100 acres to oats. He is the most 



3< 



k. 



:{8S 



IIISTOKV OF \K 15 It ASK A. 



(•xtoMisi\e fniiiKT in Udsclniid 'I'owiisliip. ami cvery- 
lliiiii; alioiil Ills |>i(>|ii'rty shows that thrift, gocxl 
jihluiiiciil anil I'niMiiv aiv liic owiuM^'s chief eharai-ter- 
istiis lie has a u;<)0(l tvvo-storv hoiiso. a large 
liani. uuiihtous shells for his grain ami stcirU. anil 
has f\rrvlliin<u for the siiet^essful hanilliug of stoek. 
siirh as svinil |minps, etc.. this enterprise reeeiving 
murh i>r his attenlion for tlie past li\e yinirs. He j 
will ship aliiinl one ear loail of hogs this season and 
six of callle. lie is Irving to improve liis stoek, 
anil has among his ilro\e some line thoronghlireil 
I'oleil Angus cattle for lirceiling purposes. lie was 
married in April. ISTM, to .Miss .Mary K. Triester, a 
native of Wisconsin , and a daughter of William 
Triester. hy whom he has the following children: 
Anna. Katie. Nellie. .Maggie. Minnie. .John, .\ngust 
and I'Imma. Mv. and Mis. \Vinlei' arc mendicrsof 
Ihc l.nlhcran ( 'liunh. 

(icorgc \\'. Wolcutl. farmer. Kencsaw. Neb. 
There aie man\ incidents of peculiar interest ])re- 
sented in the career of >]r. Wolcott, which cannot 
1k' given in I he lirief space allotted to this sketch. 
Known over a large I'egion of country t]-ilintarv to 
Kencsaw. his reptitalion is that of a man honoralile 
and lelialile in every walk of life. He was origin- 
ally fiom ( hicida County. N. V.. where his liirth 
ociaincd on Uccenilier /!. ISf.'l. and is the son of 
.liisiah I', and Hannah (I'ui.ssell) Wolcott. His 
father was a farmer l>y ociMipaliou. and the carh 
life of our subject was s[)ent at hard labor, assistiiiii | 
his pai'cnts to make a livelihood from the stnbboi-n 
soil. liis educalional ad\autai;cs. like those of 
many a pioneer boy. were limited, the schooling re- j 
ciaved consisting of a few numths' atliaiilance at a ' 
I snbscriptioii school, wlierc each family paid a cer- 
tain sum |)er cai)ita for the children sent. On Au- 
gust 2!l. 1S(;2. both falhi'i- and sou enlisted in Com- 
pany 15. One lluudrcd and Forty-sixth New York 
\\)lunteers. and fouglit side by siiU' for the defense 
of their coimtry. until soon after the battle of l<'red- 
crieksburg. wlien the father died. George W. (jar- 
ticii)ateil in fourteen general engagements as follows: 
l"'reilericksbin-g. Chaneellorsville, (Jettysl)urg, where 
he participated in the terrible struggle of Little 
Itonud Top. Williamsport. I5risti>e Station, Happa- 
hannock. Mine Run, Battle of the Wilderness, where 



the lighting was so severe that in one hour one-half 
the regiment was killed, jjauiel Hill, Spotlsylvania 
Court House, North Aim Miverand i5cthcsda Church. 
He was taken prisonci- near Kichmnnd on .jnucli. 
ISdl, and coutincd for a short linu' at I'cmbrrlon. 
hamille. Iiilib\ and Florence pri.sous. and for three 
months was conliucd in the terrible prison pen at 
Auilcrsom ille. lie was paroled on December 10. 
1804. and was afterward exciianged. He was lion 
orably discharged in July. ISIi."!. alter which he 
iclnincd home and engaged in Ihc lumber and shin- 
gle manufacturing business, continuing at that until 
1873, when he I'ame to Nebraska and purchased his 
present farm of l(i(l acres in Wanda Township, and 
just outside the town limits of Kenesaw. He lakes 
an active interest in both the business and political 
affairs of his comuiimit\ . and has seixcd as justice 
of the peace, has also been a member of the election 
board, and was elected to his third term as assessor. 
He selected as his compauiou in life .Miss Celestia 

E. Hurr. ii nati\e of jjewis County. N. Y.. and a 
daughter of Mr. John and Abbey (Tnttle) Burr, both 
New Knglaiiilers liy bii'th. and was married to her 
on March 4, IStiti. To this union have been born 
seven ihildri'n: Krvin K. (deceased), Artiuir M.. 
Clinton .\.. Myrta H. . liariy F. .(iny F. and Abbic 

F. (deceased). Mr. Wolcott is a uiemlier of 
Matthias i'ost No. 1.")."). (1. .V. !!. . at Kencsaw. and 
akso a charter memlier of Keni'saw jjodge No. 144. 
A. F. & A. M. Both he and his worthy wife are 
members of the F'ree Bajitist Church, and the latter 
takes a deep interest in woman s woik. Slu' is a 
member of the Ladies' .Missionary Society, and is 
also a member of the W. C. T. V. 

.John \\diMls. farmer and stockm.in. .\vr. Neb. 
Every community is bound to have among its citi- 
zens a few men of recognized iuHiience and ability, 
who. b\- their systematic and careful, thorouuh man 
iier of work, attain to a success whii4i is justly lU' 
serve<l. .\mong this el.ass is Mr. Woods, a man es- 
teemed to be a prominent and substantial, as well as 
progressive, farmer of his township. Since 187(1 he 
has been a resident of .\dams County, Neb. , and 
since that time has liecu acti\-ely engaged in agricul- 
tural pursuits. He was born in iiawi-ciicc (Jounty. 
Kv. , July 1"), 184:5, and was reared and educated 



ADAMS COUNTY. 



339 



ill tliat cDuiity. His parents, .James anil Mary 
(Cains) Woods, were lioth natives of Kentuclvv, and 
the father was a hatter by trade, altiiouiiii lie was 
also interested in cultivating the soil in liawreiiee 
County. He sold out in IS.^'.I and moved to Arkan- 
sas, loeatiiig in Marion County, where he died in 
18G0. His wife survives him. and now resides with 
a daughter in Nelirasl<a. On Oelolier 10, ISOl, 
■IdIiu Woods enlistecl in tlie Fourteenth Iventueky 
Int'antry. I'nited States Kegiinent, and served until 
diseharged on January 31. IStlo. four months after 
the ex|)iration of his term of .service. He partici- 
pated in tlie battle of Kenesaw Mountain and the 
siege and surrender of Atlanta. While out on a 
scout he was taken pristmer in Kentucky, and held 
for six months, or until exchanged. He then re- 
turned to his home in Kentucky, hut soon after came 
west to Montana, wiiere he was engaged in mining 
and freighting for about four years. He returned to 
iiis native State in ISGO, and tlie following year, as 
lias Iteen mentioned, he eame to Nebraska. Here 
he has made his home ever since, and is the owner 
of 320 acres of land, all in a liody. and rich bottom 
land. He has it all cultivated and is doing well. 
In 1885 Mr. Woods liought a lot of heifers, and 
went west to start a cattle ranch in Montana, where 
he continued f(jr aliout two years. He moved his 
family out there and back in 1887, as the decrease 
in price of fat cattle disabled hiin financially. Mr. 
Woods was married here on July 31, 1873, to Miss 
Julia Duncan, a native of Illinois, and the daughter 
of Patrick and Ella Duncan. To Mr. and Jlrs. 
Woods have I)een born two children: Cora and !Mary 
K. . lioth attending school at Hastings, and now in 
their third year. Mr. Woods has served as a mem- 
ber of the school board, and is interested in educa- 
tional matters. 

George V. Work, attorney at law. also real 
estate, loan and insurance agent, Hastings, Neb. 
As a leading citizen of Hastings, Neb. , in its pro- 
fessional, business and social life, lending eminent 
strength to its l)ar, tone to its finance and grace to 
its .society, Mr. Work is second to no one in the 
city. He owes his nativity to Harrison County, 
Ohio, where his birth occurred on >larch 1 . 1830, 
and is the son of John A. and Margaret ((iallaher) 



Work, the father a native of Washington County. 
Pa. , born in 1813. He removed from Ohio to Iowa 
in 1852 and died in Jasi)er County, of that State, in 
1857. In early life he followed the cariienter trade, 
but later in life tilled the soil. The mother was 
liorn in the Keystone State in 1814, and is now a 
resident of Fairbiiry. Neb. (leorge ?\ Work is the 
second of iiine children, seven of whom are living; 
William t'r., (Jeorge F. . David C. . .Mary B., Alex- 
ander 31.. Anderson L. and Oria A. He first 
attended the public schools of his native State and 
afterwards spent some time at Wittenliurg College, 
in Jasper County, Iowa. In April. 1861. he en- 
listed in Company B, Fifth Iowa Infantry, known 
as the Jasper Drays, and on July 'J, of the same 
year, he was mustered into the Fifth Iowa, serving 
in that company until October, 18(i3. when he was 
mustered out to accept a commission as captain of 
Company E. First Iowa Infantry, of A. D. . after- 
wards changed to the Sixtieth Colored Infantry. 
He served until October, 1S(>5, when he was honor- 
ably discharged. He was at the siege of Corinth, 
New Madrid, Island No. 10 and luka. Miss., where 
he was woundetl. After the war he settled in Des 
^loines, Iowa, and for some time was connected 
with the Des Moines postofflce. and served as an 
officer of the Iowa Legislature for two sessions. In 
January, 1871, he removed to Arkansas, where he 
engaged in teaching, and was assistant secretary of 
the Arkansas Senate, taking part in the Brooks- 
Baxter war in that State in 1873-74. He continued 
at Little Rock until November, 1874. when he came 
to Hastings and here has since resided, with the ex- 
ception of two years, when he was a resident of 
Colorado. Since his residence in Hastings he has 
been engaged in the real estate business and fire and 
life insurance, representing the liest old line com 
panics. He was admitted to the bar in Ailams 
County in 1878, and to [jractice before the supreme 
court of Nebraska in 1881. He was married in 
Jasper County. Iowa, October 2(1, 18G3, to Miss 
Maggie K. Sturgeon, a native of Lawrence County. 
Pa., born in 1844. and to this union have been born 
five children: CharU's I.. Florence B. . (Jeorge W. , 
Roy D. and Edna E. In politics Mr. Work is a 
J'rohibitionist. He is a member of the (1. .\. R. , a 



340 



HISTORY OF NEBIiASKA. 



iiu'iiilier of till' (_\)n<;i'egatii)iial CIuiitIi, Mild lias liocn 
siiiHTiiiU'iulfiil of its Sunilav-school for tliiiteeii 
years. He lias hnon a resilient of Hastings for fif- 
Ifi'M vears and is oni' of tiie leading citizens of the 
saiiic. Ill 1S7.") lie was elected jlistiee of llie peaee 
and discharged the duties incninhent uiimi that 
olliei' for some yi'ars. In ]S,S2 and 1883 he was 
coiml\ judge of Adams County, was also for two 
terms city pnlici' .judge, and scrxed two years as a 
meinher of the city i-oiincil. 

.Mirahaiii ^'ea/.<•l is tiie ellicieiit cashier of the 
l'',\cliauge National Hank of Hastings, Ncli.. and is 
line of llie leadhig liiisiiiess men of the county. 
.Vfter atteiiiliiig llii' common schools ami linishing 
his education in (he llliuciis Industrial rnivia-sity. 
he came to Nebraska and located at Lincolu in 1S72, 
hut after a short stay rctiiriiecl In Illiunis, and for 
two years was engaged in ■ ■ teaching tlu' yt)uiig idea 
how to shoot," after which lie returned to Liiieoln 
and entered the ciii|il(i\ of the linn of Cobb & Mar- 
iliiet, remaining with them until the fall of 1S77. 
when he came to Hastings aiul established the K;X- 
ciiangc National Uauk, with which he has since 
lieen connected. In ISSd his marriage to Miss Kva 
Cox was solemni/.cd. She was born in Hidianapolis, 
hid. . ill ISC;;, and is a ihiugliterof A. W. and ]<]. F. 
( Uallard) Cox. Mr. Vea/.el is a Free-trader in his 
political views. He was born in Champaign County, 
111.. HiM-einlicr 28, 1851, being the s(ui of James 
and Mary (Spencer) Veawl, nativesof Clarke County, 
(>hio. the fornu'r's birth oetairring in February, 
1811, ;ind the hitter's ill ISl.'). .-ind died In Illinois 
ill 1888 and iHtKi, resiiectively. They removed to 
the Slate of Illinois in 18t(l, and were pioneer set- 
tlers of Champaign Coiiiit\'. 

.\aroii 1). Yociim is well known to the early resi- 
dents of the county, for he has been a resident of 
this locality for tlu' past eighteen years. He was 
born in Belmont t!ounty, Ohio, Hi'cember 0, 1842, 
and is the lifth of tugiit children, six of whom are 
li\ing. born to Samuel and .lane (Deweese) Yocinn. 
the tornu'r of whom was born in Ijaneaster Couutv, 
I'a. . in IStll. and died in Morgan Count\-. Ohio, in 



1878, having li\cd the lib' of a farmer. He. as 
well as his wife, was a member of the Quaker 
Cliureli, the latter of whom \vas boi-n in Helmont 
County, (»hio. in ISdII. :ni<l died at Lloydsville, 
()liio, ill ISlil) Her life was that of an exemphiry 
Chi'islian. and she was greatly beloxcd and respected 
by all who were so fortunate as to know her. .\aroii 
I). Yociiiii i'ecei\'cd the ad\autages that iisuall\ fall 
to the lot of the farmer's boy, that is he attended 
the district schools near his home, but his studies, 
.as well as his work on the fanu.wcri' internnited b\ 
the murinuriiigs of war, and in .\pril, 18(1], casting; 
aside all personal considerations, and thinking oiii\ 
of his country's peril, lu' enlisted in Company K, 
Seventeenth Ohio \'oluiitecr Infantry, at St. Clairs 
ville, Ohio, b>r the three months' service. At the 
expiration of this tim<' lu' re-enlisted, this time be- 
eoraing a member of Company E, Sixty-second Ohio 
Infantry for three years, and for faithful service he 
was commissioned first lieutenant on .\ugust 14, 
18C3. He veteranized February 4. lS(i4, and re 
enlisted in his old company and regiinent. upon 
which 111' w.as commissioned adjutant. At Hcep 
LJottom, \'a. , he received a serious wound, and was 
honorably discharged from the service in Heeembcr, 
18(1"), and reluriied to his home and friends with the 
consciousness of having been a faithful and trusted 
soldier. In 1872 he removed from Ohio to Adams 
County, Neb., and located on a homcsteail just east 
of the present site of Hastings, and here two years 
later lie began reading law in the office of Ash & 
Scolicld. and In the year 1S77 was admitted b) the 
Adams (.!ouiitv bar. and U> practice in the federal 
eourts in 1870. In 1874 he was elected a member 
of the board of county commissioners, serxingfor six 
years, and in 18811 was elected mayor of Hastings, 
and was again given this Iioiku' in I88S, which jjosi- 
tion he is now lilliug. He has always been a He- 
l)ubliean, a iirononiu'ed party man, and socially is a 
member of Hastings Lodge No, lit, K. of 1', He 
also belongs to the (J. A. K. He was married, in 
180(1, to Miss Anna 1'. Stralil, of Ohio, by whom he 
has a daughter named Alice, 



J^l 



^ s> 



CLAY COUNTY. 



341 



^ 



Cl-ay County 



-»•+<- 



CHAPTER XIX. 



K ,,.„.,< ■,„.N-POPI,I,ATION-EI.KVAT,OX»-AKIOA-RTVEUS AN,. STIfF.AMS-Pm-.SKAI, FoUMATION-GUA.SMOPPEU 

l>I,A<irKS-EFFECT.S OF SAME-StoKMS ANI. Bl.I/./.AUnS-DKSTKOYIXG ELKMK.NTS-EXPI.OKATION- 

PIONEKKS-AN Ol.l. SETTI.EhV ReMTNISCKNTES-InT.IAN- WAliKATtE-EVAf IATIOX .,k 

Spi!IN(; RAxriiE— Female Captives— Urbanization of Oi.d 
Settlers' Association. 




Ami I'ViMi i-iilin 
PorpcUial ivigird, sav<' wliat the zopliyrs lilami 
Bi-catlifil o"p|- tlie bliii' cxiiaiisi'.— 27i(>/Hwi/i. 



LAV County is known Con- 
oivssion;illy as To\vnslii[is f), 
Ci. 7 anil S west, in Raniivs 
:>. r,, 7 and S north. It is 
almost iliviiU'd iMiiially by Mk' 
lonjiitnilinal lino 21° west of 
Wasliini:;ton. botwft'n 40° anil 
l41° north latitude. The estimated area is 
[^ 571; s(iuare miles or 308, lUO aeves, and 
P^the estimated population is 14.795, this 
(^ I ^ total lieing based on the 2.7')^ votes east 
1 Sf" tor the eounty treasurer in November. 
P ISSt), multiplied by five. Tn 187(1 the 
if^^C population was 54; in 1S74, 3,622; in 
1875, 4.183; in lS7<i. 4.785; in 1877, 
5,052; in 1878. 7.012; in 1S7!). 9.373; in 
ISSO. 11.299 and in 1SS5. 14.157. The measured 
,.|,.vations above sea level are Sutton, 1,080 feet; 
Clay Center. 1.087 feet; Fairfield. 1,782 feet; Ed- 
uar. 1.728 feet; Glenville, 1 ,842 feet; Verona. 1.770 
bvl. an,l Sprino- Kanehe, 1,717 feet; all beh)W the 
olev.itions in Adams and Hall Counties. 



The Mttle IJlue enlei's the eonnty a point west 
of Spring- llanelie. Hows in a general course south- 
east, and leaves the county at Section 34. of Fair- 
licld Township, about five miles south of the town 
of that name. The west fork of Bii; Sandy Creek 
rises in (ilenville Town.ship. and tlowino; southeast, 
throuiih I'airtield, leaves the county in Section 34 
of liooan Townslii]). 

The head waters of the West branch of the Biii' 
Hlue wander through ],eicester and Harvard Town 
ships, and feeders of this stream run through liin 
coin and School Creek Townships. The South 
branch of the Big Blue rises in Lyini Township, 
with one stream coming down from Harvard City. 
and flows in a general eastern course to Sutton, where 
it follows a northwestern channel to its junction with 
the west branch south of Lushlon. In every sec- 
tion of the county pure waler is found at from forty 
to Kill feel; while numerous streams run through 
depressions in the (irairic. 

The soil is very productive, rccpiiring only little 
lalior fiom the husbandman to show most satisfac- 






"^p^ 



:U2 



HISTORY OK NEBRASKA, 



li)i-\ ri'siilts. It is rclMtcd tlial tliiriiii;' llic Icrrililc 
vrMiiif IsTl. land wliicli cdst SHI piT :ii-rc and 
SHOT piT acri' for hrcalvinsi'. cross-plDwiiisi'. si'cdiiii;'. 
liai'x I'stinir. slackiiiij and thrcKliins;'. almost paid I'oi' 
ilsi'ir that \cai'. 'I'lic soil is heavier and richri- than 
that of adjoininiiCoiintii's. and cviTV rcsidcnl aj;iii-nl 
linisl points to ('lav Coiintv as thi' paradise of fhe 
laniier. Tests of sugar beets ijrown near l'"airlield j 
in I SS'.I show 1.27 pov cent of sucrose; while a test 
liy L. Iv Wales, of Ivluar. of lieets ^rown in that 
si'etion of tlu' conntv. indiertte (J. 54 per cent. j 

'I'in' urasshoiiper [ilaaue of 1^*7 f. doserilu'd in 
the historx of Adams and Hall Connties, did not 
oM'rIook ('lav. Kverv erop, except the wheat and 
liarlev. then harveste<l. was eaten up. lea\ iuii the 
settlers in a condition almost a|>j)roacliing poverty. 
.\id rendered by Congress and the State, as well 
as liy the people, poured in to alle\iate tlu- dis- 
tress, and in the fall of 1S74 a I'onimittee of citizens 
was formed at Sutton to make an ei|uilalile distriliu- 
tion of this aid. namely: C. M. Turner. I". W. lloh 
man. 1>. (!. .Merrill, (reorge Stewart an<l J. Stein 
nietz. Sutton was selected as the depot for the <lis- 
triet whieh included parts of l''illmore. Voik and 
Hamilton Counties, and all Clay County. \V. .\. 
(iunn was prt'sident and .M. .1. Hull, \ice-president 
of the suli-( ommittee at Kdgar. in the district of 
which Har\ard was the depot. One-half a car-li>ad 
of I'nited States army elotliing w.-is distrilmted from 
Harvard, while from this |)oiut and Sutton, several 
cai- loads of coal and provisions were given out. 

The peoph' of necessity sutfered much fiom the 
res\dt of the insects' visitation, l)Ut they recovered 
in a snr|irisingly short time, and the following year 
found them in a position of comparative jirosperity. 

The distance from the great grain markets of 
Chieaijo, coupled with the high charges of the rail- 
road t-ompanies. have militated against the agricul- 
turists, not oidy of this section, hut also through- 
out the whole State. The land has produced al)Und- 
antlv, enough to supply Iweuty tinn's the nundier of 
inha'iitants of .Ndiraska; liut the prices ohtainalile 
for grain and other products have been so low as 
almost to oppo.se the idea of marki-ting farm pro 
(luce In Keliruarv. 1H!I(I. (Jov, Thayer and the 
people crieil out for better terms from the railroads. 



auil the railroad magnates consentc(l ri'lnctaut 1\ 
to a Ht per cent icduition in carrying charges. 
Throughout the country, iu l-'cbrnary, 1S!0(). great 
heaps of golden grain waiting shipment lu^ar every 
di'pot .and f.-irui house. toM \i-v\ plaiidy of t he Ikmiu 
Icons harvest of the year befoic. 

.\s tVu'est countries claim <-clclirated choppers: 
hemlock countries, famous bark-peelers, and mouu 
tain countries, hunters notorious and otherwise, so 
also do the rich corn lields of Nebraska claim heroic 
workers. In |ss!i-!Mi, .\lbert Walters picked and 
cribbed 1,750 bushels of corn in seventeen days for 
Hugh Loudin, and for Davis, superintendent of the 
poor farm, 3,994 bushels in thirty-three days. 

The blizzards of 1857-58 do not seem to have 
damaged person or property in this county. In No- 
vember, 1S71, .-i severe snow storm swept o\cr this 
section. During its progress a settler nanu'd .Mc- 
(loon, and his son. living three and a half miles 
south of Harvard, started for the village, and had 
almost arrived there, when the ohk'r McOoon became 
dazed with the cold and failed to keep up with th<' 
son. .\fter the storm a search was instituted, and 
his frozen body was found at the edge of the \il 
lage corporation. 

The blizzard of Aliril 111, IS7:>, commenced with 
a heavy, cold rain, which, during the night, changed 
to sleet. On the 14th the air was lillcd with a 
heav\. watcrv snow, and this, driven li\ the strong 
wind, pcnetratcil the heaviest clothing. The storm 
continued with unabating violence until the morn- 
iuii' of the Kith. Snow banks were as high as the 
house tops in many [ilaces, and the ravines and 
creeks were packed full of this |)e(adiar snowy sub- 
stance. Cattle growers suffered heavily, their stock 
being driven to death before the gale. A Mrs. 
Kelly, of School Creek precinct, ventured to a 
neighbor's, a few rods away, saying as she started 
out that she would die with her baby. Both were 
lost and were frozen to death. In the transactions 
of tlu' commissioners tlu' n;oues of many other suf- 
fi'i'crs are given, 

'I'lie hail storm of IS.si was as pluMionuaial as it 
was disastrous. It swept across the northern sec- 
tions from the northwest in the summer time, pound- 
ing into the earth the growing crops. This storm 



^ 



-»rv 



>> 



CLAY COTTNTY 



348 



cleared :i live milo (•(lurse. iiiid (hirini>' its I'lirtv- 
livc minutes udvimce througii llii' iinrllicni lowiisliips 
(iT Ilic coimty lol't iiotliiiiii' in llic w:i\' >>( crops iin- 
loiiclicil. 

'I'lie storm <>t M;iy (i, 1SS!(, destro^'eil n good 
(IcmI of property in and around Fairfield. Anawalt's 
new JLousc in Canada was blown tlown. 

'I'Ik' prairie tire of Xovenilier 14. 1S72, originateil 
ill a diiii-oul near Harvard, anil spread out t')w;v.-d 
llic .Morgan lioniestead. His stalile. I'our li()r.se.s. 
two cows and farm iiiipli'iiients were destroyed. A 
large area was liurned ovei' at tills time. 

The prairie fire of the same year was started liy 
tlie Burlington & Missouri lliver Railroad seetion 
men on the south side of the track. Some cinders 
were carried across the track by the wind, the tall 
grass caught flre, and from this \ery small liegin- 
ning the blaze spread out until it had licked up the 
prairie grasses almost to the banks of the I'latte 
River. Many residents lost lu-avily in tliis fire, liiit 
the losses were partly met by the railioad company. 

Ill .July. 1SS4. sparks from a St. Joseiih & 
Western Railroad locomotive set flre to the prairie 
one mile south of Fairfield, and, spreading to the 
farms of Horace Tibbits. .John I'almer and A. 15. 
i'almer. destroyed their crops, orchards, hav and 
other property. 

The prairie fire of April. ISS."). originated on tlie 
Lewis farm, five miles north of Kilgar. The people 
turned out in large numbers and organized to fight 
the fire, and at the bridge, near >L H. Cushings 
house, elected A. U. Jacobs caiitain. The work of 
back-firing, plowing and wet^sacking the |)rairie was 
carried out systematically and with success. In the 
chapters devoted to local history references are made 
to smaller jirairie fires. 

The exjiloration of this territor\' b\' the S|)auiarils 
in the long ago is legendary rather than historicil. 
In 173!) the French explorers placed on record an 
undoubted account of their travels along the Platte, 
and special I'xplorations beyond the valiew The 
names of the adventurers were Pierre and Paul .Mal- 
let. Philip iSobitaille. Louis Moven. Michel Rislot. 
.lo.seph liellccoiirt . .^hlnllel (iallicu and Jean ha\id. 
all from Quebec except !)a\id. Their mission was 
to establish trade with the Mexicans, and to find an 



easy route from tiie great lak<'s bi that country ; the\' 
gave the title L,i UIri, n I'hill, to this stream. 

Lewis and Clarke. () F.illon, Maj. Long, Fre- 
iiiout, the Argonauts, the pony express messengers. 
Halliday's stage drivers and the Indians and fur 
traders were the only travelers or temporary resi- 
dents here up bi 1S57, when the first irregular at- 
tempts to locate p<'rmaneiitly were made. 

The homesteaders or pioneers of LS71 to 1873, 
who resided on their original claims in ISSS, are 
named as follows and the location of their lands 
gi\en: .Mrs. A. S. Harding (husband deceased), 
from Illinois, settled on Section 22; J. W. Smith, 
from Illinois, on Section 28; Riley Thurber. from 
Ohio, on Section 34; J. W. Stacy, from Ohio, on 
Section 34; James Woodliead. from Wisconsin, on 
Section 8; Albert and William Woodhead. from 
Wisconsin, on Section 2; .Mrs. t'harles Hnrlbnt 
(husband deceased), from Michigan , on Section 14; 
Charles Ashley, from \\'isconsin. on Section S; 
Charles Bump, from Illinois, on Section 21; Peter 
Bures. from Illinois, on Section 32 (all the forego- 
ing in Township 5. Iiauge 5); J. N. JohiLson, from 
Illinois, on Seetion 4; A. Wiggins, from .Micliiiian. 
on Section it; R. Culp. from Illinois, on Section 
10; John .Marshall, from Illinois, on Section 22; 
William Trent, from Illinois, on Section 1) (all in 
Township 4. Range (i); Mason Hnngerford. from 
.Michigan, on Section 4. Township 5. Rano-e (i; J. 
Sanderson, from Wisconsin, on Secti<m 22; J. .L 
and ( ). W. McCloughen, from Wisconsin, on Section 
24; C. .V. Rush, from Illinois, on Section 14; H. 
H. Perry, fnjm Michigan, oii Section 10; S. I). 
Beck, from Illinois, on Section 10; Otto Siririi. from 
Illinois, on Section 10; II. Liiiseott. from Maine, on 
Section 12 (all in Townshi[) ,">, Range 5); J. (!. 
(Jraliam. from Illinois, on Section 2. Ranii'e 4. 
Township 5; S. T. Caldwell, from Illinois, on Sec- 
tion 4, Township 4, Range (j; William Prouty. from 
^lichigan, on Section 32. Township 4. Ranuc (i; 
.Mrs. Hanit'l Lenfest (husband deceased), from 
Maine, on Section 4, Township .'), Range 5; David 
Smith, from Missouri, on Section 22. Township 0, 
Range (!; J. H. Ilazlett. from lllini>is, on Section 
22. Township (i, Range (1; B. F. Nail, from Illinois. 
on Section 22, Township li, Range (J; .Mrs. L. (_rni_ 



V 



,1 



Hit 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



luiiii. 1111111 Illinois, oil Section 12, 'rowiisliip 4, 
KuiilTc .">; Jctr Ailcock, from Illinois, on Section .'54, 
Township ."), Raiiije fi; K. Noitluoii. from Illinois, 
on Section ;i4, Towiisliip 5, li;ingo ii; I). H. San 
liuni. I'loin Illinois, on Section 4, Townsliip 5, 
Huiiiieli; Jesse Dulton, troin Illinois, on S<'ct ion '^2. 
Township 4, Range (i: A. (!. Jacobs, from Ohio, on 
Section 12. Township 5. Hange (I: K. S. Smith, 
from Illinois, on Sc^ction 12, Township.'). Range (i; 
.\. .1. Long, from Indiana, on Section 2(1, Townsliii) 
5, Range 5; C. Ishani, from Ohio, on Section 4. 
Townshij) 5. Range .'>; S. Northrop, from Illinois, 
on Section l!4, Township 5. Range (i; I). Hssinger, 
from Illinois, on Section 2. Township 5, Range (i. 

The lirst settler of this county was John I?. Wes- 
ton, who in IS.'iT Idcatcil on Section I (1. Township 
5, Ranges, on the Little Blue, luiilt a log house 
and called the place ■■ I'awnee Ranche. " Prior to 
this time a spot at the month of Lilierty Creek, on 
the Klne, was a favorite camping ground for the 
mail carriers. In 185S James H, Lemon kept Lib- 
erty Farm Ranche here, as agent of Wells, Fargo & 
Co. , and in 1867 Benjamin and John Royce arrived. 
I n 1 S()4 James Bainter settled at Spring Ramhc 1 u 
the spring of 1870 came .\. I). Peterson, followed 
bv Louis Peterson and Jonas Johnson, .-ill Swedes. 
They were here in .\pril. 1S72. when the \'irgiiiian, 
John L. Lewis, arrived. This settlement was given 
the iKiiiie Lewis precinct, in lS7ii. On November 
1. 1^7:!, a Dane named I. C. Christianson settled in 
this precinct, and he is said to be the first of the 
sixteen l>aiies who were in the comity in 1SS2. In 
the summer of lS7(t two brothers named Norman, 
also natives of Sweden, settled in School Creek pre- 
cinct, .-ind ill the fall Jnlm Kennedy, an Ohioaii. 
located his homestead on Section 2. Towuslii|) S, 
P>ange 5. On January 27, 1871. A. K. Marsh Imilt 
a log house on the creek, lielow the .Xormaiis' dug- 
out, Mrs. .Marsh being the tirst white woman in this 
precinct. A. A. Covey, J. Steinmetz, the Ballzer 
brothers, I*". .M. . Charles W. . (ieorge and It. (1. 
Brown came prior to .Vpril 11. 1S71; W. Cuiiiiing 
•■ind his wife followeil in .May. and later came I!. L. 
(iarr and W. Iv Bcmis. The Conaul lirolliers ar- 
rived in Lincoln precinct in .May. 1S71. and on 
August 14, that year. W. T. .McKnight arrived. 



()rrin Conaiit was shot and killed hereon .Ma\ 111, 
1X75. by l>. .\. Smith, the trouble arising about the 
ownership of a claini. The same year (Jlcmille 
precinct claiincd llic |iioiiccrs. |).-iniel l''itcli, the 
trapper. J. W. Small, and Lei'oy S. Winti'is. B. I''. 
Ilocket constructed a sod-honsc on Section 2. Town- 
ship 7. Ilauge 7, in .May. |S7I. his conti'inporaiN 
settlers being W. II. Chadwick, J. I>. Afoore and L. 
J. Starbnck. C. 1). .Moore and .M. L. Latham ar 
ri\cd shortly after, and when the [irecinct was 
organi/.cil in IS"."), the name Lynn was given to it. 
Sutton pi'ccinct cl.-iims L. i'"rciicli. an Ohioan. as its 
first settler, in 187(1. lie built a dug-mit on the 
northwest quarter of Section 2, Township 7. Range 
."), and soon after was visited by ("apt. Charles White 
and Nellie Henderson, who rode from the West 
Blue in pursuit of an antelope, which they captured. 
H. W. (J ray, his sou and (J. W. Bemis arrived May 
4. 1S71; William and Henry Smith. J. S. Schem- 
merhorn. James Vromiin, the Angbergs, Hollings- 
worths, Brownells. Evans and .Maltl)ys came about 
this time. 

Leii'ester precinct was settled early in the winter 
of 1S71-72, iiy .Joseph Rowe, Stephen Brown, Wil- 
liam Woolinau and A. Woolmau. With William 
Woolman was his adopted child. Miss Ti'iiel(>\c 
Tibbies, who was drowned in . Vpril. 187(i. (i. W. 
Briggs and (Jeorge Midntire were the first settlers 
in Scott |)recinet, and in 1871 .lolm P. Scott was the 
solitary occupant of Lone Tiee (jn'tauet and the 
only settler for some time between School Creek and 
Spring Rauclii'. White Hlin postotlice was presided 
over by him from the fall of 1S71 until its removal 
to Fairfield. .lune 27, 1878. Reuben Peachy erect- 
eil a house for gener.-il mercantile purposes in 1S7(I, 
and was the first postmaster appointed in Clay 
County. After the re-estalilishment of the mail sei-- 
vice, Richard Baylcy. a lilacksmitli. located at the 
mouth of Buffalo Creek, followed liy II. .1, lliggins. 
In 1871 a water-mill was constructed near the Lib- 
erty Itanchc. liy .\l. .\|ills. Sheridan |in'cinct was 
settled in 1S72. liy John Vates. Patrick Nagle. R. 
Iliiliaid. R. M. Mariner, T, R. h:ider ami Dennis 
Lali.-inc. Logan precinct was lirst settled ii\' .Mbert 
Curtis. .March 7, 1871. Within a short time Riley 
Thiirber. .lolm Yandle, Wright Stacy, E. M. Isluim, 



-%H. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



345 



Niitluui Tiickc-r, A. Cliristisoii, Flt'trlu-r Page and 
the Pascalls arrived. J. B. Diiisiiiore came in May, 
1S72. The first settlement in Marshall |)recinct was 
made in Jul^" of this year by Flavins Norlhrnp, 
followed b}' W. S. , Addison and Warner Randall, 
J. Prawl and William ToUe. In November, 1871, 
J. K. Sanborn arrived in Edgar precinct as its pio- 
neer, followed by tiie Carrs. Jacob Ilitterbiish came 
in 1.S72 and was appointed postmaster in June, and 
the same month the Jones family arrived. In the 
pages devoted to local history and bio<i-raphy. the 
details of the various settlements througJKiut -the 
county are given. 

Tiie history of the early years of this division of 
Nebrasi<a is based largely upon tiie relations of 
James Bainter, just as the early history of Adams 
County is told by I5ill jvress. and of Hall County by 
William Stolley. Mr. i?ainter, writing in ISS'.). for 
the Fairfield News, gives the following sketches: 

After ai'ri\iug here 1 fduud a man named 
Lenard, who owned the ranche. having bought it of 
the RoiJCr boys, whose uncle had built it- in ISGO. 
I tradccl for it in January, 1S(!4, and muxi'd niv 
family in February. There was then no settlement 
in Clay County, except at Pawnee Ranche, and a 
stage dc|)ot at ijiberty Farm. During the fall of 
1H(!3 T hunted and tended the ranche. Fniigration 
west was very lieavy the entire year, |)riiicipallv 
men dodging the draft and going to Pike's Peak or 
any place where they could <'scape the war. Uuring 
this year there must have been an average of nearly 
3fM( teams daily. The Pony Express had liccu dis- 
continued, and stages were used and running, one 
eacli way daily. Theie were i)lenty of buffalo, elk, 
antelope, and thousands of wild furkev; but the lat- 
ter nearly all disai)pcared after the big storm (if 
.\pril, 1S7:!. 

'i'lic profits of the ranche business were wonder- 
fully good; everything sold by the pound; i>otatoes 
sold for live cents jjcr pound, the same for hay and 
other things in proportion. There were many In- 
dians around during the summer. {)rincipally the 
Pawnees and Cuiahas — all fi'iendly. 

In 1S()3 I was at Hackney Station, kept by a 
(ierinan named Myers, when a Pawnee came without 
an arrow. He said that two Sioux had chased him 



fro7n the Solomon, and would soon overtake anil 
kill him unless he could get some arrows. Myers 
had a lot of them, but would not loan him one. Ik- 
started to leave when the Sioux rode up, shot him 
dea<l, and after .scalping hha rode off. 

The winter of 1,863-04 w:is rough and cold, but 
the travel continued good. In the spring I planteil 
ten acres of cdimi. which promised well. Thissiiring 
the Sioux, in great numbers, made their appearance 
on a hunting trip. They continued to come at in- 
tervals until August, paying for their goods in pelts 
or cash. Their camp at this time was down, or in, 
the Indian Territory. .Vboiit the first of August I 
liegan to notice a change in their clemeanor. They 
seemed sulky and ill-natured, so that I became un- 
easy. I sent word to the ranchmen along the route 
to look out for them, and also wrote to Fort Kear- 
ney, informing Gen. Heath of their actions. He 
replied that thei'e was no danger, and that the In- 
dians were friendly. I continued, however, to pre- 
pare for them. On the morning of August 0, I was 
going north of the ranche. and while riding along 
saw an Indian comiug b>ward me. As we approached 
each other he suddenly left the path and. descend- 
ing a ravine, was at once lost sight of. Somethino; 
in his manner aroused my susiiicious, and getting 
off my mule I cautiously approached the i)lace where 
he disai)|)eared; presently I saw him, dismounted, 
and stretching his neck to see me. Twice I drew 
my revolver and could have easily shot him; but 
they had always been friendly, and I wouUl not be 
the first to kill. While deliating this ijucstiou he 
discovered me, and, leaping on his ponv. rode off, 
lying on one side of the pony, as Indians usuallv do 
when in danger of being lir(>(l ui)on. I knew now 
that l)nsiness had begini. He descended the ra\ine 
into Pawnee Creek, where he was joineil b\ two 
otliers. I then rode as fast as possible to my rauclic, 
and told my wife to get readv for an attack. My 
sou and hired man had gone to Pawnee Hanclie that 
morning, so my wife and 1 went to work, she to 
moulding more bullets an<l I to trimmin!i- them. 
Soon we heard the clatter of horses' hoofs, and mv 
sou and hired man rode in \'cr\' uuich exi'itcd, sa\- 
ing the Indians had attackeil l'awni'(> Uanche: and 
had killed and scalped Hurke, a freighter. They 



:rf- 



346 



TITSTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



desi'i-ihcd tlu' Indians and 1 was satisfied, from tlio 
description, tiiat tliey were the ones I had seen to- 
i;<'thcr. Tliat daj- and the following night passed 
witliout furllier distnrbance. The stage had failed 
to arri\c' tliat night, so in the morning I mounted a 
race mare wliieli I owned, and started up tiu; Blue 
to see what had become of it. I met it about three 
miles up the river, with several passengers, among 
tlicm being the stage agent, at Lone Tree, and his 
wile. Tiiey reported that the Indians had sur- 
rouiideil the stage the night before, but that toward 
morning they had withdrawn. The morning before 
a uian named Smith, from St. Joe, passed my ranche 
in charge of a train loaded with proxisions and two 
llH-csiiing machines. Tlu stage [leoplc did not meet 
Smith or liis train. I sus|)ectcd his party were 
cither kincil (vr captured, and so followed along the 
river to where I supposed they would camp for din- 
ner, about six miles from Spring Ranche, now 
(1 889) Whites farm. There a fearful sigiit met my 
gaze. Every man of them, six in all. had lieen 
killed and all scalped except a red-haired Hibernian, 
who was shot in the temple and aliove the iiip with 
arrows, and was still breathing. I pulled the arrow 
out of his temple, and went to a pond of water to 
obtain drink for him. I filled my liodf with water, 
l)ut when 1 returne<l the man was ilead. There was 
the appearance of the desperate tight he made. The 
wagons were all gone except the ones on wliich were 
the machines; tlie flour was scattered around and 
tiie bacon (liled up. I returned to my home; the 
Indians could be seen approaching. Knowing that 
mv ranche could not be successfully tlefended I 
loaded my family in a wagon, while mj- two hired 
men (the Rev. C. W. Wells, of the Methodist 
Church of Davenport, Neb., and his brother) 
mounted horses, and all made for Pawnee Ranche, 
wiiich was located one mile east of Joseph Meehan's 
present farm. Richard Wells was riding a fractious 
horse, and when approacliing Pawnee Ram-he the 
horse reared and threw him. The hammer of his 
rifle caught the horn of his saddle and it was dis- 
eliarged, wounding him severely. He called out 
that he was shot, and running to him I picked him 
uj), threw him into the creek, washed his wounds, 
drew a silk handkereliief through them, cut out the 



bidlct with an ordinary pocket knilc. |ilacc(l him in 
the wagon and proceeded to the ranche. where wc 
found the coach with three or four men and a 
woman. There were now fourteen persons in the 
ranche, among whom were " California Joe"'' and Joe 
Roper, father of Laura Roper, who arrived by a 
stage that morhing. The Indians could now be 
seen, near the Llewellyn farm, approaching from 
the east, ■ ■ California Joe " proposed to reconnoiter, 
and, mounting the Ijest hor.se, went forth. I stayed 
on the house top to signal to him, while four or five 
men rode out to support him, should he require 
assistance. He had ridden about eighty rods when 
I noticed that the Indians were about to cut him ott. 
He was busy watching them, but soon saw my sig- 
nal and retreated, pursueil by two Indians. When 
one Indian came within ten paces Joe tuiiicil and 
fired, hitting the Indian. He also received a hit in 
the arm, the other men going to Joes relief. The 
savages came on in force. Seeing that the whites 
would lie overtaken, I signalled them to disuKJunt. 
which order was carried out, when the Indians went 
to cover, leaving the venturesome whites time to re- 
turn to the ranche. The Indians lost three war- 
riors, the chief and two others shot east of the 
ranche. That night their bodies were removed by 
the tribe. 

During our ttght at Pawnee. Joe Roper was on 
the ranche. He was rather fond of fire-water, and 
had indulged freely that day. I had jilaced a lail- 
der against the house, and would occasionally go 
upon the house to see what the Indians were about. 
Joe Roper also concluded to look around, saying: 
•• I'm going up to see the posish. " I told him he 
had better stay down or he would get a posisli, Imt 
up he went. As he was about to step from the lad- 
der to the house. White Antelope sent an arrow 
aft<'r him which grazed his cheek and parted the 
hair (»n the side of his head. Joe. like a bear, let 
go all holds and dropped. The Indians made a 
great racket, as they supposed Joe to be dead; but 
the}- were as much surprised as the whites t« see 
him up again as sol>er as a judge. After several 
months a companj- of United States troops carried 
away the skeletons of the murdered whites. The 
next morning, about 10 o'clock, we .sent Mrs. Met- 



4. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



347 



ealfe and the two wouikUmI men to Fort Kearney on 
the stage coach, and the others of us went with 
theui as far as Hook's Kanche, ten miles east of 
the fort, where we met a company of United States 
troops going after the Indians, lleatii haxiuij; learneil 
at last that they were not as friendly as he thought. 
On our way we stoppetl at mv ranche. Nothing re- 
mained lint the smoking remnant of my property. 
All my stock was killed, except one poor team, and 
my total loss was $5,872.50, for which I have a 
claim l)efore Congress. 

We remained at Hook's all night, and in the 
morning Metcalfe and wife returned, and we took 
the trail for Neliraska City. Following the Blue, 
we struck the location of the present town of Crete; 
thence prru'ceded to Beatrice, where T left my family 
and returned to bury the dead and gather up my 
stock. At Big Sandy, near where Alexandria now 
stands, we found a few men who were not molested 
by the Indians, About seven miles above that we 
came to the claim of two Germans, and found their 
bodies minus the scalps; buried them and went on 
to Haekney Station (Holiday's), which was destroyed. 
At Yulick's Ranche, six miles below Oak Grove 
Ranche, we found the two (ierman owners dead and 
scalped. We found Kiow'a Station Imrucd. ami 
near by the body of Jo(^ Urbanks, who fcu'inerly had 
charge of liittle Blue Ranche. He was shot by 
arrows and scalped. Oak Grove Rant'he was de- 
stroyed, and near it lay the bodies of Kelly and 
Bntler, the former a part owner of Pawnee Ranche, 
and the latter a farmer from near Beatrice. At this 
point the nuMi resisted the Indians, but lost the two 
men named. Hurrying on to Ubank's Ranche, kept 
by Ubanks it Son (not Joe Ubanks who was killed), 
we found the remains of the old gentleman, his 
three sons and his danghter, aged eighteen years. 
She was .-i fci'lilc minded girl, but this did not save 
her from the vengeance of the savages. Her body 
was horribly mutilated. The body of the youngest 
child, a boy aliout live years old. was found some 
distance from the house with seven arrows in it. 
The Indians scalped him, taking all his hair. Mrs. 
William Ubanks, her two small chihlreu an<l jjaura 
Roper were captured and carried away. At the 
Narrows, a water place on the Blue, Mr. Canada's 



liody was found. I[e was lying on his face grasping 
a rifle, and the savages fearing him, ilid not ap 
proach to get his scalp. A short <listance away we 
found two men and a boy dead and scalped. Clo.se 
by were two wagons, one robbed of the team, and 
the other having the oxen attached, one of which 
was killed, and the other unable to stand from starva- 
tion. Up the Little Blue we came to a train of 
twenty wagons. There was no stock visible, and 
nothing was left of the wagons but the irons. Be- 
yond this about a mile we found :i luuuber of bodies 
of men and boys. I have forgotten how many. 
This was near Little Blue Station, which was also 
burned. From Ihis poinl (inward we found many 
wagons either burned or ransacked, but no dead 
bodies. Butfalo Ranche, at the mouth of Buflalo 
Creek, southeast of Fairfield, on Thomas Shaw's 
farm, escaped injury, and was afterwards used as 
a stage station. Liberty Farm Station, near De- 
weese, was burned and never rebuilt. Mr. Koyce 
used some of the logs in his new house of ISGO — 
the same which was liurned in 18SS or 1S89. The 
next point was Pawnee Ranche, which we found 
about as we left it after the light, except that a 
large quantity of provisions had disappeared, prob- 
ably at the hands of the soldiers, who were |)retty 
tough men. most of them having been captured from 
John .Morgan in his raid on Ohio. "The next morn 
ing we went on to my place, having buried forty- 
eight liodies on our way up. The foUowing morn- 
ing we started down the river and found nearh' 
1,000 head of cattle, fifty of which, found at the 
mouth of Elk Creek, were claimed by the Kaule 
(iold Company- as belonging to their wagon train. 
We found horses and mules with harness, bridles 
and saddles on; but they were so wild that it was 
almost impossil)le to get near them. This .stock 
was all taken to Big Sandy, advertised and dis- 
tributed among the surviving owners, my share for 
laljor b(>ing S!)0. After this 1 took my family to 
Missouri. Imt rctuincd in a few weeks with m\ 
lirother, only tolind ('apt. Flagg's troops at Pawnee 
Ranche. Next day I accom[)anied the troops up 
Thirty two Mile Creek; found Lone Tree Station, 
the first above Spring Uanclie. burned, and buried 
the six men whose bodies we discovered the morniu"- 



37i: 



r 



348 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



after tlu' lii-.sl liuiit. \\"t' I'ouiul Klin Creek Station 
destroyed, while George Comstoek's Station at 
Thirty two Mile Creek was undisturl)ed, the owner 
haviiii;' lied to Beatrice liefore the attack was made. 
Returning to the niins of Spring R:nuhe, 1 found 
the station at Pawnee re-cstalilished. and ininiedi- 
ately began the work of rebuilding Spring Rauche. 
In the spring of 18(55 I lirought my family from 
Missouri, and found Metcalfe and family at Pawnee 
Kant'he. We each carried a small stock of goods. 
My store goods destroyed cost $1 ,(J00. After this 
it was considered safe to leave the place, and the 
consideration was iicted upon. 

On my return in 1870,1 found my claim jumped 
by Tom Smith, of Marysville, Kan. 1 stopped at 
Hackney Station and raised a crop while I defended 
my claim, and succei'ded in olitaining jjossession of 
it. My buildings were nearly all ruined. John 
Crossman and John Holmes were Hying in one of mj- 
j)il<irim houses, a small building used at ranches for 
pilgrims or immigrants to cook in. 1 found IjOU 
Thayer, Uobert Cargill and D. W. Evans on home- 
steads south of the Hluc. They had settled there 
in the spring and summer, and in the fall assisted 
me in repairing my buildings. William Kress and 
Joi' Fonts lived two miles farther up the rixci-, on 
the edge of Adams County. John Llewellyn had 
his claim, but had not moved on it. G. W. Noble. 
Cyrus Griffith, F. .M. I^ewey. or Lucy, and wife, L. 
F. Fryar, B. 1!. Koyce and W. S. Work resided at 
Liberty Farm. At this time I made it a Inisiness to 
locate peoiile on claims up the ri\er into Franklin 
County, but could not induce any to settle on the 
upland until all the liottom lands were sold. 

.Mrs. Bainter (Elizabeth Shnltz) died suddenly 
from heart disease. March 7, 1885. She was the 
companion of James Bainter while in the army, and 
was present with him in many of the affairs here 
at houu', told by him in his reminiscences. 

The Old Settlers' Association was founded Octo- 
ber 8, 1880, atSloat's Hall, in Haryard. The object 
of this association was to place on record the hap- 
penings of all the y(>ars since the beginnings of set^ 
tlement. L. N. Clark, of Sutton, was elected presi- 
dent; (icorge Noble, of Fairfield, and C. J. ^lartiu, 
of Clay Centre, vice-presidents; M. J. Hull, of Kd- 



gar. historian: A. E, (toodall.of Lynn, secretary; l>. 
N. Nettleton, of Spring Itandie. treasurer, and T. 
R, Elder, officer of the day. The executiye <'(im 
mittee comprised J. B. Dinsmoie. of Sutton; .1. .). 
Walley, of Edgar; L. Brewer, of Fairfield; Samuel 
Sloat. of Haryard; anil I,. X. Bryant, of Spriui; 
Ranche. 

Clay Count}'* was established liy act ajjproved 
February 1(5, 18(57, within the following <lescribed 
boundaries; From northeast corner of Township S, 
Range 5 west, due west to northwest corner of 
Township 8, Range 8. thence south to .southwest 
corner of Township 5, Range 8, thence east to 
southeast corner of Township .'). Range 5. and uoith 
to place of beginning. 

Clay County was organized under [jroclamalion 
of Acting-Governor James (dated Septeml)er 1 1 . 
1871). who ordered an election to be held at the 
dwelling of .\lexander Camijbell, Section (>. Town- 
ship 7, Range 6, on October 14, that year. J. R. 
Maltby, Alexander ('ami)bell and H. Manchester 
were named judges, with S. T. Davis and Chris 
(_'alkius clerks of this (>lectiou. A. K. Marsh. P. 
O. Norman and A. A. Corey w'ere the commission 
ers elected; F. M. Brown, the county clerk; J. Hoi 
lingsworth, the treasurer, on whose failure to (jual 
ify R. G, Brown was appointed; R. S. Fitzgerald, 
suryeyor: James SchemmcrlKU'u. superintendent of 
schools, and P. T. Kearney, sheriff. The vote for 
the candidates for the offices named, and other 
county officers, is given in the political chajjter. 
The vote on location of eounty seat shows 5G in 
favor of the town of Sutton. Section 'I. Township 
7, Range 5; 24 in favor of the geographical center; 
8 in favor of Section 34, Township 8, Range 7, and 
1 in favor of Section 8. Township 5. Range 8, 

On November 4 the county was set ofl' into three 
election disfricts. Har\ard embraced Townships 7 
and 8, Range 7, Townships 7 and 8, Range 8, and 
the west one-half of Township 7, Range 6; Little 
Blue embraced Townships 5 and ti, Range 8, Town- 
ships 5 and (5, Range 7, and the west one-half of 
Townships 5 and G, Range (J; while School Creek 

* The name Clay was eoiiferred on a division of old Pierce 
Comity as early as lffi,5, transferred to wliat is now the sontli 
part of Lancaster and nortli part of Ga^e, and ultimately 
given to the territory described above. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



349 



embraced Townships 5, 6, 7 antl 8, Range 5, and 
the east one-half of Townships 5. 6, 7 and 8, 
Range 6. 

Louis N. Bryant antl A. S. Willis were appointed 
justices for Little Blue. James Bainter, John Royce 
and G. W. Xoble, constables, and Jolm W. Langford 
assessor. Samuel C. Sloat and Ira F. Pearsall were 
appointed justices of Harvard. Frank Cheney and 
Bradford Stone constables, and Charles E. Canfield 
assessor. A. K. Marsh was appointed justice of 
School Creek. W. Cummiug constable, and J. C. 
Merrill assessor. 

The license for the sale of spirituous liquors was 
fi.xed at $25 per half year or $40 per year. The 
county was divided into six road districts. The 
salary of the clerk was placed at $300 per year; of 
school superintendent, $4 per day for actual service. 

In February, 1872. A. K. Marsh was appointed 
to proceed to Fillmore County and settle with the 
commissioners thereof, and W. W. Sellick was ap- 
pointed to ascertain the amount of moneys due Clay 
County V)y Saline Count}', and R. G. Brown was 
employed as attorney in the suit against Saline 
County. 

On March 2, 1872. R. (t. Brown's house, at Sut- 
ton, was designated as the place of meeting, and 
there also were fixed the offices of county clerk and 
treasurer, the commissioners agreeing to paj' $10 
[jcr month rent from December 15, 1871. The 
owner was to furnish fuel in consideration of being 
allowed to use his office for his general business. 

On March 12, 1872, M. L. Latham, Louis Thayer 
and Jolin Kennedy were appointed appraisers of 
school lands in Cla}- County. In April. L. N. Bry- 
ant took Thayer's place. R. S. Fitzgerald was ap- 
pointed commissioner to locate all r(5ads ■' hereafter 
Ijctitioned for. "' At this time $5 was paid for 
hand-cuffs for sheriff's use; Martin Clark was allowed 
$1.75 for medicines supplied poor persons, and $16 
was appropriated to Iniild a l)ridge in School Creek 
at county line; while $25 was appropriated to build 
a lu'idge at Sutton (after rescinded) and $031.55 was 
[laid Acres & Blacknian for books, etc. . for county. 
An election on the question of issuing bonds for 
$75,000 to the St. Joe & Denver Railroad Company 
was ordered; the liquor license was increased to $100 



per annum, and the following tax levy authorized: 
State school, 2 mills; State general, 2^ mills; Stjite 
sinking, 1 mill; university. -^ mill; county general. 
mills; sinking fund, 1 mill; land road tax, $4 per 
160 acres; court house, 1 mill, and bridge tax 2, 
mills. R. S. Fitzgerald was paid in July, 1872, for 
surveying poor farm, and A. A. Corey and F. M. 
Brown for locating said farm, while the clerk was 
ordered to procure pre-emption filing on the lands 
selected for farm. In October, 1872, an inquest on 
the body of Maximilian Reed cost the county $7.10, 
while the case of the State v. D. A. Smitli cost 
about $50. 

In October, 1872, Thurlow Weed was appointed 
probate judge in the alisence of Maltluy. A con- 
tract for an iron bridge at Spring Rauche was sold to 
the King Company, of lola, Kan., at $27 per foot, 
and a safe was ordere<l at a cost of $500. In Novem- 
ber, 1871, M. L. Latham took Mr. Corey's place as 
commissioner. Latham's resolution to build a frame 
court house at Sutton was carried November 10, 
1872. On December 2, 1872, Big Sandy precinct 
was established embracing Townsliip 5, and in 
Range 6, and the county divided into sixteen road 
districts. Louis Thayer was appointed surveyor 
vice R. S. Fitzgerald, deceased. On Deceml)er 3. 
the contract for building the court house on Lots 3 
and 4, Block 24, Sutton, was sold to F. M. Brown 
for $1 ,805. On February 3, 1 873, this building was 
accepted. M. J. Hull was appointed surveyor rice 
Thajer, resigned, and on April 21 , the commissioners 
ordered that all property injured during the storm be 
stricken from the assessment roll — A. T. Patrick, 
two cows, one mule and one colt; Jonatlian Sander- 
son, three cattle; James Taylor, tiinse horses; J. \V. 
AVolf, one grain drill; G. M. Howard, one horse; J. 
Y. Swearingin, one cow; T. T. White, two horses; 
David Jayne, one cow; W. F. Carroll, four cattle: 
F. 0. Peterson, one cow; Joel Longstreet, one cow; 
H. J. Higgins, three cattle; Robert Balliett. iiorses, 
and W. B. Jenkins, property. J. F. Fleming was 
appointed county surveyor April 24, 1873. In .Ma\- 
1883, W. E. Bemis, Arthur Burlingame, Richard 
Smith, F. M. Davis and D. H. Leegate of School 
Creek; C. W. Inglesby, E. J. Stone, of Harvard; 
James A. Ta^•lor, John W. Jones, Richard Thomas, 



If^ 



2i 



S fc^ 



■4^ 



:!r)(i 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



W. A Tn.liMiiu'li, .lolm A. W.lil.or, A. H. Elder, 
Mild l!t'iij:iiiiiii (ir:di:uii, (if Lilllc IJIiic. ri'|)(irt.('d 
Ikmscs, iiiuK'S or C"iltl<' di'stroyt'd in tlic stdi'iii, ;iiid 
their iissessiiu'iit was reduced aecDrdiniily. 

fir May, 1S73,.I. 15. Diiisinore. rir, I'. O. Ndr 
man, Uxik liis seat as nieinlier of tiie liourd. On 
.May (), flic lirst {)rinting' eonfrael was entei'ed into 
liy tile eoniity with the llarvanl ('liani|rKin. and the 
law suits liy the Bni'lington it .Missouri River Rail- 
road ('onii)any eonsidered. A. J. Vandt'rsliee was 
eonnty iihysieian in .Inly of that year; llar\ard was 
incor|iorated and the followini;' tax levy ordered: 
Slate li'eneral, 2 mills; State sinkinji', 4 mill: State 
sehodi. '1 mills; State riiiversity. { mill; |)e,niten- 
tiary, .i mill; eonnty general. (1 mills; eonnty sink- 
iiiii', 2 mills: bridge, 4 mills; kind road, $4 per 
section, and [loll tax, %'2. S|)eeial elections were 
ordi'red in Little Bine and Big Sandy |)recincts. to 
vote upon the [iroiiositions of Alfred Mills and Wes- 
ton H. Peek; M. L. Ijatham resigned the otHee of 
eomniissioner. and Kzra IJrown was appointed to till 
the vacancy. On .\ngnst :iO, J. K. Philpot, of Lin- 
coln, presented the petition of Reulien I'eachey and 
others, asking that a day be named for voting on 
the ([uestion of re-locating the county seat. On 
molioii <if .\. K. .Marsh this petition ''was tabled, 
rejected and stricken from the liles. " In Se|)teml)er 
Vj. V,. Brown was (>ngaged to defend the county 
against the JJnrlingtoii it Missouri River and Union 
I'acilic Railroad companies, the consideration being 
$157") and 2(1 per cent of taxes collected. In ease 
the taxes were collect eel fidm the railroad companies 
the retainer fee was to be deducted from the total of 
commission, 20 per cent. In October the Sutton 
Times was declared the ollicial journal of Clay 
("oinity. The newly elected commissioners, R. 
Bayly, lizra Brown and .V. K. .Marsh qualified No- 
vember 8. The case of George F. Warren and D. 
W. HollisU'r w. Stephen and William Brown .'grow- 
ing out of affairs in sehool disti-ict No. 87, occupied 
much of the board's attention iii l<'ebruary, 1874. 

At this time the commissioners of Jianeaster 
County were notified to return all poor people, resi- 
dents of Clay County, to Clay County, or, in de- 
fault, bear the expen.se of keeping them. The final 
settlement with Treasurer Tracy was made, and 



Treasurer F. M. Davis, installed. On petition of 
L. S. Winters, of the Xebraska Land and Town 
(\)mpany, 5(1 per cent reilnction in the assessment 
of the town site of Edgai' was ordered, and a 2.j per 
cent reduction made on the assessment of Sutton, 
except lots fronting on Sanders and .Maltliy Ave- 
nues. In July. IS74. the tax levy for State pur- 
poses was 7 mills, and for county general, sinking 
and bridge funds. 12 mills, with a land road tax of 
.$4 per si'ction, a poll tax of $2, and a dog tax of 
$1 and $2. A special 4 mill tax was levied in Lit- 
tle Blue, to meet interest on mill bonds; a lot of 
railroad ties (lying near (ilenville) numliering 
;-;(>. (100, were assessed |i5,750, and tiie St. Josciili it 
Denver Railroa<l Company was notified that their 
110 sections of land in this county would be placed 
on the assessment liooks and taxes levied thereon 
for 1S73. Oil July 20, a resolution authorizing the 
building of a county jail was carried, and the price 
set at $1 ,000. In December contractor Ramsey 
turned over the jail building to the commissioners, 
and on December S. Judge (iantt was requested to 
open a special term of court for Clay County. C. 
M. Turner was commissioner at this time, vice 
Marsh. On January 5, 1H75, a resolution was pre- 
sented by Ezra Brown, pointing out that the county 
seat was within one and one-half miles of the east 
line of the county; that it was located there when 
there were only about 1 00 \oters in the county, and 
that a bill, similar to that which re-located the 
county seat of Saline County, fixing the seat of jus- 
tice at some central point, was desirable. Mr. 
Bayly's motion to table this important resolution 
was acted upon without ceremony, and the second 
attempt to change the county seat was a victory for 
Sutton. 

On March 1, 1875, the county was divided into 
sixteen precincts, each being a Congressional town- 
ship, and all numbered from one to sixteen; Town- 
ships, Range 5, being No. 1, and Tovv'nship 5, Range 
5, being No. 16. The question of giving a name to 
each precinct was left to the voters of each. The 
question of aiding the Sutton Mill Company by the 
issue of $5,000 10 per cent bonds was submitted to 
the people of precinct No. 8, Township 7, Range 5, 
-Vpril (j. The town of Edgar was incorporated 






CLAY COUNTY. 



i51 



Marc'li 15, anil on April 19 names were given to the 
several townships, as follows: School Creek, Town- 
ship 8. Range 5; Lineoln, Township 8, llange 6; 
Harvard, Township 8, Range 7; Leicester, Town- 
ship 8, Range 8; Scott,* Township 7, Range 8; 
Lynn. Township 7. Range 7; Lewis, Township 7, 
Range G; Sutton. Township 7. Range 5; Sheridan, 
Township 6, Range 5; Marshall. Township tj, Range 
(i; Lone Tree. Township (i. Range 7; Glenville, 
Township 6, Range 8; Spring Ranche. Township 5, 
Range 8; Fairfield, Township 5, Range 7; Edgar, 
Township 5, Range 6; Logan. Township 5. Range 5. 

The tax levj- for 1875 amounted to almost 7^ 
mills for State and !• mills for county purposes, 
apart from the $4 land road tax, the $2 |)oll tax and 
the $\ and $2 dog tax. The interest fund of Little 
Blue claimed a 2 mill tax. The tax levy for school 
|)urposes in twenty-nine of the fifty-nine districts 
ranged from 10 to 25 mills, being 10 mills in dis- 
tricts 1, 59 and 11; 20 mills in districts 39, 35, 31, 
40. 49. 33. 18, 9, 46, 28, 52, 51, 32, 29, 10. 3, 15 
and 4: 15 mills in districts 10, 17 and 36; 12 mills 
in district 41 . and 25 mills in districts 5, 43, 26 and 
37, being the only districts in which school taxes 
were levied in 1875. The building of two bridges 
over School Creek, one between Sections 1 and 2, 
Township 8. Range 7, one on Liberty Creek. Town- 
ship 5. Range 7, one on Sandy Creek, Township 5. 
Range 6, and a second on Sections 13 and 14 of 
that Township, one on Sections 26 and 23, Town- 
ship 5. Range 5, and one on Sections 22 and 23, 
Township 6, Range 7, were authorized. 

On July 7, 1875. a petition (signed by 403 legal 
voters), asking that the question of re-location of 
the seat of justice be submitted to the people, was 
presented to the board. The commissioners ordered 
an election on the subject to be held August 14, 
1875, and designated the place of meeting in each 
townshi]). A second order on this election made 
the date September 20. The result of this election 
is unnoticed in the commissioners' record, but it is 
found in the election returns and given in a follow- 
ing chapter. O. P. Alexander was appointed sheriff 
in December, 1875, vice Densmore resigned to suc- 
ceed F. M. Brown as county clerk. The tax levy 

*Called Inland in November. 18K8. 



ordered in July, 1876. shows 7J mills for State 
purposes and 11 for county purposes, with the usual 
$4 land road tax; the school district tax averaged 
20 mills. During the fall of this year the construc- 
tion of se\eral iron and wooden bridges was author- 
ized. In October M. Estes, E. H. Birdsall, J. D. 
Bain, V. L. Carr, Lyons Bros. , C. K. IMorrell, Orlo 
W. Birmingham, Henry Keller, H. H. Disbrow, 
Louis Stien, W. A. Farmer, J. W. French. J. W. 
Jacobson, T. J. Dowd, J. Geohring, S. 3L Risly, 
C. D. Moon, T. J. Glover, W. H. Hammond, Jared 
Burdick, L. C. Howard. W. A. Birdsall. Erastus 
Austin, W. E. Welton. P. M. Colvard and I. D. 
Howard propo.sed to the commissioners that in case 
the people woulil select Harvard as the county seat 
at the election to be held in November, they would 
move the records and other property of the countj- 
(except the couit house) thereto, grant one lilock of 
land to the county, provide county offices and court 
room until January 1, 1S78, and pay $1 .0(10 for the 
old court house building. This proposition was 
accepted, subject to the necessary vote in Xovcmber. 
In November Thomas W. Brookbank, su|)erintend- 
ent of schools, resigned and J. R. Maltliy was ai> 
pointed. 

The tax levy for State purposes made in July. 

1877. was lOf mills, and 11 mills for county pur- 
poses. The school district levy did not exceed 25 
mills, and there is no rect)rd of p<ill, land road or 
dog tax made. In November the (juestion of town- 
ship organization was sulnnitted. In January. 1S78. 
Flavius Northro|) (pialified as commissioner, t/o- 
C. M. Turner retired; and E. B. Howard succeeded 
Densmore as t'lerk. A notice was ordered to be 
served on the Burlington & .Missouri River Railroad 
Company to appear before the Ijoard on April 2, 

1878, and show why 500 acres of their lands in 
Section 22, Township 5, Range 8. should not be taxed. 
In reply to this notice the following letter was re- 
ceived from A. E. Touzalin, land commissioner of 
the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad. 

Lixroi.x. Nob., Feb. 4. 187S. 
Ezra E. Hniranl. Esq.. SiitUm. Xrh. 

l)E.\i{ Sm: Your letter i.-s received. We will waive 
notice in the matter of which you speak, and take no ad- 
vantage thereon of the non-serving of the same. I would 
like to say to the officers of Clay County, that if the sys- 



ia^ 



:]52 



HISTORY OF NP:BRASKA. 



Iciii (if |ia\ ill?; I'dI' scIkmiI I»iimIs is allowcil Id he i-aniril 
mil, as in Scliool district 37, we sluill not. only oppiiso it 
ill every way we can as an illesal and unjust matter, hut 
it will do tlie iMdst serious iii.jiiiy to tlie county, ami pn- 
veiit llie occupation of tlie railroad lands tlier<'iii. Tlu' 
inleri'Sts of the county and llic coiiipauy arc niuliial in 
this matter, and we hope llial you will act witli us in 
w:cttinj; these larjie payments c(jiiipriuuiscd by cxii'iisioiis 
over a loiui period of time. 

Vours truly. 

A. 10. Touz.vi.i.N. 

\V. K. 

Tlic tax l.'vy (if .July. 1 S7S, was 7 1-12 mill.s for 
Slutc, and I 1 mills I'dr (•(iiiiily ptirposps. The siiiii 
of $2lill was paid t(i .lames liuird for collecting 
taxes Irom the Biirliiigtoii & Missouri Riiilfoad 
Company, and his contract price tor collections from 
the St. .lo.sepli & Denver Railroad Coin|)any. 'I'lie 
taxes lor 1874-75-7t! against the latter road were 
(irdcrcil Id lie slriu'k from the hooks jicr decree of 
coiirl. 

Oil August 111. IS7S, a petition liy I*. M. C'ol- 
varil and til(2 others praying llial the Tupior license 
1k' reduced to ^'itl was met by a remonstrance hy 
Miss .Mice lloidgale and lllli others, and A. N. La 
mont and 1)42 others against reduction. The coin- 
inissioners fixed the fee at $.'!IKI per aniHiin, and the 
7r)(l reiiioiistrants w'cre happy, 

(tn .laniuiry 18, 1S7!1. W. R. Hamilton, R. 
I!:i\ly and Flavins Northrop took their seats as 
cdiiimissioners. The canvass of the vote on the re- 
Idc.-ition of the county seat was I'onsidered. The 
election on this (pieslion was held Januar\' !l, 187!). 
Of the total vote, 2,:illl, ("lay Center received 
l,2'.i;j, and Harvard 1,015. No place having re- 
ceived tliri'c fifths of all the votes cast, a new elee- 
tioii was ordered to lie held Feliniary 21). 1879, Clay 
Center. Harvard and Sutton being the competitors. 
It was further ordered to submit the qnestion of 
Icxying a :i mill lax in 1S7!I and 18811 f(ir the [lur- 
pdsc (if creating a court house anil jail fiiiul. This 
eiectidii was duly held, but only 1,1)37 votes were 
cast, of which Clay Center received I.37G, or more 
than a three fifths vote. On April 1 the commis- 
sioners declareil Clay Center tf) be the seat of jtis- 
tice. and ordered tlie coiiiity ollices, reeords, etc., to 
lie reiiKned thither on or liefore May 1, 1879. The 
\dte on the bnilding-fnnd tax was 1,1589, or a three- 



fifths vote. That day a contract was sold to I*". A. 
Pyle and W. D. Young to erect a temporary court 
house for $2,251), and complete the same before 
.May 1, 1879. The clerk was ordered to advertise 
for bids to erect a $7,000 county building, liefore 
the ink with which the agreement for the lirsl build- 
ing was written was (by. 

On May 5, 1879, Commissioner W. 11. Hamilton 
made the following resolution in regard to counting 
the Harvanl vote: '-Whereas it appears by the 
reeords in the clerk's office of Clay County, that the 
Harvard precinct vote east at the election, Feliruary 
20, 1879, for the re-loeation of the county seat of 
said county, has been rejected by the board of can- 
vassers, and whereas it appears that a preeiuptory 
writ of mandamus has been granted by the supreme 
eoiirt of the State to Ezra E. Howard, clerk of .said 
county, commanding him to forthwith ctill to his 
assistance two disinterested electors, and re-canvass 
and abstract the entire vote cast at said election, in 
eluding the rejected Harvard jirecinet vote, and 
whereas it appears by the records that the said writ 
has been served for aliout a space of twenty days, 
and that said re-caii\ass has not been made, there- 
fore, be it resolved, that we. the board of county 
commissioners, do recpiest and ad\ise the immediate 
re-canvass of said vote, as commanded in said writ." 
Later the injunction suit of L. A. Payne vs. R. 
Bayly, was commenced, and a special June term 
asked for by the county eomm'.^.sloners, to hasten 
judgment in the cause. On May 21. the last meet- 
ing was held at Sutton, when Rev. C. F. Graves 
was appointed surxcyor. The first meeting of the 
commissioners, held at Clay Center, was that of 
June 2, 1879. The trial of K \\ Burnett, by the 
commissioners, was concluded July 28, 1879. when 
he was found guilty as charged in the complaint of 
J. .M. ;\Iills. and removed from the office of county 
judge. His motion for a new trial was overruled; 
W. S. Prickett was appointed county judge. C. A. 
Melvin was instructed to bring records and seals to 
Clay Center. 

In July, ^I. S. Edgington and fourteen others. 
taxpayers of Edgar precinct, petitione(l to tin' board 
to appoint a day for voting u|)on the ijuestion of 
granting $12,000 aid to the Nebraska & Kansas 



^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



353 



Railroad Companj- for building a roail from Eilgar 
to Superior. 

On September 1. 1879, the commissioners met 
at Sutton, when E. P. Burnett was re-appointed 
county judge vice W. S. Prickett, resigned, and a 
resolution was adopted ordering that the record of 
proceedings in the case of his impeachment be ex- 
l)unged or erased, ami that he be given possession 
of books, etc. , belonging to the office. The meet- 
ings of September 15 and October 7 were also held 
at Sutton. On the latter day bids for a $1,000 
poor-house building were asked for. On November 

4, 1879, a new vote on the re-location of the county 
seat showed a decisive majority for Clay Center, and 
the board declared it to l)e the county' seat and 
ordered the removal of all officers, records, etc., 
thereto, on or before January 1, 1880. Bids for 
building court house and jail and poor house were 
re-advertised for in the Edgar Review and Plainfield 
News. On December 15, W. D. Young contracted 
to Ijuild the poor house. The first meeting of the 
commissioners at Clay Center under the " new law'' 
was held January 6, 1880. Messrs. Hamilton. 
Bayly and Northrop formed the board. W. J. 
Keller qualified as clerk, to succeed E. E. Howard; 
George H. Van Duyne, as treasurer, to succeed W. 

5. Randall; and J. P. Nixon, sherifl', to succeed A. 
J. McPeak. L. A. Varuey was appointed surveyor. 
John G. Nnss, coroner, and E. P. Burnett (jualified 
as county judge. The proposition of J. W. Lewis 
to bore the county well at forty cents per foot was 
accepted. On February (J, George E. Birge was 
appointed to make an examination of the treasurer's 
books, from the lieginning of the county to January 
1(1. 1880, and on June 24, D. M. Leland was ap- 
pointed superintendent of court house construction. 
W. D. Young was building contractor. 

The court house was completed Novcmlier oO. 
ISHd, and Pedro Dominicus appointed janitor. 
Later that year John D. Hayes was appointed county 
attorney, and in 1881 C. Stayner, with W. R. Ham- 
ilton and R. Bayly, formed the board. C. J. Mar- 
tin was appointwl county judge August 8, cici- E. P. 
Burnett, absent. In Januar}', 1882, Ezra Brown, 
with Messrs. Stayner and Bayly, were commis- 
sioners; Louis F. Fryar. clerk, and J. P. Nixon. 



sheritf. Of the commissioners, Baylj- was the only 
one who went through the vicissitudes of county 
seat wars and still held that office. In June of this 
year the tax levy was made — 6^ mills county gen- 
eral; 3 mills road; 3 mills bridge, and ^ mill insane 
hospital, or a total of 13 mills. The additional levy 
in the incorporated towns was as follows: Sutton, 8 
mills; Edgar, 5 mills; Harvard, 10 mills, and Fair- 
field, 7 mills. The number of school districts was 
70, the le\y running from 34^ to 25 mills. In No- 
vember the names of members of Company B were 
stricken from the list of poll-tax payers, and in De- 
cemlier the contract for removing the old county jail 
from Sutton to the poor farm was sold to B. H. 
Corwin for $49.99, and the offer of Sutton village 
to pay $125 for the building rejected. In 1883 J. 
M. Farley, William Newton and C. Stayner were 
commissioners; the county bridge and road taxes 
amounted to llf mills per dollar; the additional 
levy for Harvard was 9 mills, for Fairfield and Sut 
ton, 8 mills, and for Edgar 5 mills. Of the 70 
school districts taxes were levied in all except num- 
bers 5, 22 and 33. In September the question of 
township organization was ordered to lie submitted 
to the people on November (5, that year. The vote 
denied the proposition, and Messrs. Newton, Farlej^ 
and Fred Grosshaus formed the new board of com- 
missioners. E. P. Burnett was elected judge; G. 
F. Dickson, treasurer, and E. G. Groff, surveyor. 

In November, 1884, the ([uestion of selling Block 
24, in the town of Sutton, and with it the old court 
house, was. voted upon. The property was ordereil 
to be sold at auction in April, 1885. 

John B. Dinsmore was appointed commissioner 
of Clay County, to exhibit products of Clay County 
at New Orlean.s. In January. 1885, Joseph Myer 
took Commissioner Newton's place. In August. 
1885, a new wind-mill and tower were ordered to be 
erected in place of the olil mill and tower, said to be 
lu'oken and useless. In January, 1886, the esti- 
mated expenditures for the year, for general, road. 
bridge and insane hospital purposes, were placed at 
$32,000. The tax levy made in June amounted to 
10 mills per dollar; while an additional levy of S 
mills was made in Fairfield and Kdgar. and a special 
lot tax in Harvard. .\t this time the judgment of 



\ 



A^ 



854 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



tlie supreiiii' cduil in tln' case of forcing; the piiy- 
ment of $4(»(i in Id percent bonds, issued by orig- 
inal si'liool district No. 22, Sections 27, '28. 33 and 
34, Townsliip f). Range 7, was discused: A special 
assessment of 15 mills was made on tlic two Hrst 
named sections, and 14 mills on the last numbered 
sections. On Jnly 2S an election was onliTcd in 
School Creek. Sutton. Lewis, Lone Tree and Fair- 
field precincts, to vote bonds to the Kansas City & 
Omaha Railroad Company. The [x'tition was signed 
by fifty-six la.\ p:iycrs. and the vote was ofdeicil to 
be recorded Se|)teml)er 2. At this time Sutton jjcti- 
lioned to have an election on the question of issuing 
i!2(l.0(l() bonds. School Creek gave 129 votes for 
and 1 contra; Sutton, 352 for and 1 contra; Lone 
Tree, 1S7 for and 24 contra; Lewis. 132 for and 35 
contra; l''airticld. 305 for an<l SS contra. Spi'ing 
lianche, Lincoln. Inland and Harvard precincts pe- 
titioned for elections on a similar question affecting 
the Fremont. Elkhoni it .Missouii \'alleY Railroad, 
and gave almost a unanimous vote in favor of the 
proposition. Francis .\libey. with Messrs. Farley 
and Meyer, were commissioners in 1SS7. 

In June, 1S87, a county, bridge, road and insane 
tax of H) mills was levied, with 7 mills on Lone 
Tree, Fairfield. S|u-ing lianche and ( I Icnville (origi- 
nally forming Little Blue), to meet indebtedness on 
bonds of Si'ptcmbcr it and Octolier 1.1873, in ac- 
cordance with writ of supreme (•ouit . issued Novem- 
ber 24. ISSd. The la.\ to provide interest on rail- 
road bonds in the several |)recincts was as follows: 
Fairfield. 5 mills; l;onc Tree. Lewis and Sutton. 3i 
mills; School Creek and licwis, 2 2-5 mills; Lone 
Tree, 2 4-5 mills; Sutton. 2 !)-10 mills; Fairfield, 4 
mills, .and School Creek 2 mills. Special assess- 
ments were also made in Sutb)n and Harvard for the 
purpose of constructing sidewalks, t(jgether with a 
10 mill tax on (Uay Centre and Fairfield, and 3 
mills on Harvard (villages) to meet interest on 
bonds. \ village la.x of Hi^- mills on Sutton; 8 mills 
on Harvard and 10 mills on Fdgar was al.so author- 
ized, and a levy for school pur|)oses ranging from 3 
to 25 mills made on the seventy-two of the seventy- 
three school districts then organized, together with 
special levy in six of the districts to meet bonds and 
interests on bonds. In April, 1888, Commissioner 



Abljcy rcsignc(l, and Fred (Irosshaus was chosen to 
represent the l''irst district. The levy was fixed at 
10 mills for general and other purposes, including 
7-10 mill to meet judgment in favor of Young in the 
matter of court house; the interest ancl sinking fluid 
tax, on the townships gi-anting railroad aid, was 
heavy, and a special levy of 7 mills was made on 
Sijring l!:niche to meet judgment of court. The 
levy for the villages reached 23ti-10 mills in the 
case of FIdgar; Harvard. II mills; Sutton, 7 mills, 
and 10 mills f(U' Cla\ Center and Fairtield. On 
.\ugust 20. ISSS. J. B. l»insuior<' and 137 others 
petitioned the board to sidmiit the question of b)wn- 
sliip organization to the people in November, and an 
order was made in accordance with the prayer of 
the petitioners, and on Xovember 21 , t be first meet- 
ing of the bnai'd of supeixisors was held; Ezra 
Brown was chosen president. The names given to 
the Congressional townshii)s April 19. 1875, were 
retained except in the case of Township 7. Range 8, 
changed from Scott to Iidand; committees were ap- 
pointed and rules for the government of the board 
adopted. Clinton Davis was appointed superinten- 
dent of poor farm. 

The names of the supervisors elected in No\em 
ber, 1889, are given in the political chapter. In 
January this board authorized the employment of 
expert accountants to examine the books of the 
treasurer who filled the otHce prior to >Ir. Walter's 
time. Messrs. FalnKpiist and (Iratz were employed 
at $12 per day, and aicnow (February, 1890) engaged 
in the work of auditing. The county is practically 
free from debt, and warrants are |i:iid upon presen- 
tation to the treasurer. 

The first record of the district court of Clay 
County dates back to AFay Hi, 1873. when Sheriff 
Kearney .and Clerk Brown opened court in the usual 
form. Judge Gantt's letter stating: ■ ■ The Legisla- 
tuie having made some confusion in amending the 
act fixing terms of court in this district, adjourn 
court till Friday, May 2.''>, IS73. at which time I will 
be there to hold your coiiit ' In accordance with 
this instruction court was adjounK'<l to the dav 
named. On May 23 Judge Gantt was present, and 
the first grand jury was impanelled; Daniel Croniii, 
W. F. Guthrie, William Todd, G. T. Warren. C. 



A« 



^ — ^V ,- 



CLAY COUNTY. 



355 



;M. Turner. R. N. Brown, Richard Baj-ly, Leroy S. 
Winters, Louis N. Bryant, J. Rowley, F. Northrop, 
Joel Longstreth, T. Weed, R. S. Balliett, George 
W. Bemis and I. N. Clark. A committee of the bar 
on examination of applicants for admission to the 
l,:ir was then aitpointed. This committee comprised 
II. \V. (;ray, A. J. Weaver and J. D. Hayes. On 
their ivi«.rt' W. H. Mitchell. H. C. Gritlith and 
Jones M. McCall were admitted. The first suit 
tried here was that entitled Percey Reed vs. J. R. 
Maltbv. Judgment was rendered for $384.22. 
This was followed by Jordan & Rutfner rs. Rolibins 
& Marthis. I'eck & Weston m. Cheeney & Farmer, 
and liic iturlington & Missouri River Railroad Com- 
pany rs. Clay County. 'Plie first criminal case was 
that of the State is. Lorenzo Snow, for assault and 
Ijattery, tried by B. F. Hockett. Ezra Brown, P. H. 
Manchester, Isaiah Alley, .S. C. Sloat, A. Hardy, 
J. M Ramsey, A. B. Smith, E. E. Lake, Alex. 
Weston, A. M. Lathrop and J. F. Sawtell, the first 
petit jury. Snow was sentenced to pay $10 and all 
costs, and to be held in Fillmore County jail until 
such sums were paid. 

The indictment of Daniel A. Smith for assault 
with intent to kill came next. He was next in- 
dicted for manslaughter, l)ut the trial was continued. 
Dr. JNL V. B. Clarke and Attorney H. W. Gray 
were appointed commissioners of insanity. 

The second term of court was opened in May, 
1874. Robert C. Brown and A. A. McCoy were 
admitted to the bar, and D. G. Hull, W. H. Morris 
and R. (i. Brown were appointed a committee to 
examine future applicants for admission. The first 
petition for divorce was presented by Charles J. 
Martin, followed by E. G. Glazier. Susan Dunnell, 
Ilosea W. Gray and diaries Cluucli. who liased the 
cause of action on the desertion by or continued 
absence of the defendants. William A. Farmer, E. 
U. White and George W. Bemis were admitted to 
the bar. The first declaration of citizenship was 
made at this session, by John W. Price, who came 
to the United States with his father when a child. 

Ill February, 1875. a special term of conrt was 
held. Marion S. Edgingtoii and I. J. Starrbuck 
were admitted as members of the bar. A few peti- 
tions for divorces were presented: the trial of D. .\. 



Smith was continued, and a numlier of indictments 
for selling liquor without license and for gaming 
returned. The injunction suit entered by the Bur- 
lington & Missouri River Railroad Company against 
the commissioners was decided in fa\or of the lat- 
ter, and the railroad company mulcted in costs. 
Joseith S. he Hew was admitted to the bar. In 
June, 1S7(1. Judge S. 15. l'"Uiid presided at the 
court house in Sutton. The term was given up to 
civil business, of which foreclosures of mortgages 
formed a large part. A forgery case, and the trials 
of Sorgenson and JIasterson for unnamealile of- 
fenses, occupied some time; while the trial of D. A. 
Smith resulted in a verdict of not guilty. 

T lie fall term of 1876 was opened October 2, 
by Judge A. J. Weaver. A number of persons 
were admitted to citizenship; the effort to have school 
taxes equitably adjusted lietween the county and 
Burlington & Missouri Ri\er Railroad CiMupany was 
successful, but the company had the tax for mill 
bonds perpetually enjoined. 

The summer term of 1887 commenced May 30; 
A. L. Lem(mt, of Wisconsin, was permitted to prac- 
tice here, also S. H. Sedgewick. The business was 
entirely of a civil character as was also the calendar 
presented in November of that year. 

On May 2(1, 1878. Judge Gaslin opened court in 
the Odd Fellows Hall, at Sutton. James R. Candy 
was indicted for assaulting Edmund (^)en, but his 
trial was continued to the next term, when a jury 
returned a verdict of not guilty. T. A. Barbour was 
admitted to flu- bar. In November Candy was sub 
jected to a secmd trial, found guilty and sentenced 
to a one year's term in State's prison. 

In May, 18711. Judge Weaver presided. The 
suit of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
1 Company against tiie commissioners was successful. 
in that the court (hnided thai llic taxes complained 
of were illegal, except iu the amount of $3,0(10, and 
the defendants were enjoined from collecting the 
taxes of 1875, except such sum of $3.0(10. In No- 
vember Frank A. Sweezy was admitted to the bar. 
and also George W. Lienbockcr. In November. 
1880, S. G. Wilcox and R. W. Christy were admit- 
ted t^ the bar, and an indictment against James 
Jloore, a negro, for an attempt to nuirder Johanna 






sf^ 



J^l 



356 



HISTUKY UF IvEBRASKA. 



|)(iii<iluic WMs ri'Imiu'd; iiiilirtnii'iits were also re- 
liiriifil aoaiiist Joliii I'lliaiir. for an attriii|it to kill 
llciny Kraiin. Both were found guilty. Urhaur 
was sentenced to a three years' term, and ^loorc to 
a tAvelve years' term in the |)cnit<'iitiai'y ; while the 
i-omi)aratively innoeuons horse stealer. Foreman. 
reeeive(l six years' imprisonment. B. C. Oyhn'. Ar- 
ihnr Williams and F. \V. liindirk were .admitted to 
the liar in .May, l.SSl. and E. NV. Lewis in Novem- 
her. .\ndres .M. .\n(lerson was indieted for murder 
(poisoninii' .luhn .lnhnsoii); a jury of wlicmi II. .1. 
(irant was foreman, returned a verdiet of ■•not 
ijuilty " in May. 1SS2. and the prisoner was dis- 
chai'ged. 

.\ good (leal of the time of the court in 1882 
was given to the admission of residents to United 
States citizenship, and not a little to petitions for 
di\iiree. .\ few indictments for horse stealing were 
pr<'sentcd and several for illegal sale of li(|nor. The 
injunction suit entered liy the Chicago. Burlington 
iV f^luincy Railroad ('oni|)any. to restrain the com- 
missioners of Clay Conuty from collecting court 
house an<l jail tax ($(519.53), was successful, and 
the tax was declared illegal by Judge Morris. In 
.^lay. IK.'-!:?. J, L. F,pperson and C. J. Martin were 
.■iduiittcil mcinlicrs of the liar; in Octolier, 1884, H. 
II. Ileudee was admitted, and in May, 1885, J. B. 
Cessna, of the supreme court liar, was admitted to 
the liar of this district; Charles K. Hart of the New 
\nvk li;ir was al.so admitted. The indictment for 
munler against John Taylor was presented at this 
term, and in May. ISSCi. an indictment against Wil- 
liam Taylor was returned. .\ verdict of •• not 
guilty " was returned in eacli case. The hoys were 
subsequently indicted for injuring fences and other 
projierty. In May, 1887, the liquor cases were jire- 
sented in number, and petitions for divorce or for 
uioditication of foi'mer (letitions, helped to swi'll the 
\(ilumeol civil business. In October, 1887. infor- 
mation foitiii' murder of Fred Dickman was entered 
against .\ugust Mentz. He was found guilty of 
nnuder in the second degree, October '2i>. l.'-iS". by 
a jury of whom (Jeorge E. Hirge was foreman, 
and was sentenced to imi)risonn)ent for twelve years, 
to be kept in solitary eonfineinent on July 111 of each 
year. K. K. Hairgrove. C. J. Bills and .Morris H. 



Pope were admitted to the bar .May 15, 1,S88; a year 
later H. \. Hairgrove and Edward P. Mitchell were 
admitted. The orticers of the court at the elo.se of 
]S8il were judge, Hon. W. H. .Morris; county attor- 
lu'v. J. L. Kiiperson; reporter, S. A. Searle; clerk. 
J. K. Wheeler; sheriff, K. D. Davis. The members 
of the bar were J. L. Ei)person. R. G. Brown, B. 
F. McLoney. E. E. Hairgrove. E. A. Mitchell, T. 
A. Barbour, 8. W. Christy. T. H. .Matters. W. P. 
Shockey. Charles Epperson. William .AI. Clark. L. 
I". Crouch, L. (!. Hurd. W. S. Prickett. (',. W. 
Bemis, E. P. Burnett, M. S. Edgington. II M. 
Pope, W. M. Hairgrove. Hartigan & Albright. 

The law circle of Sutton, up to 1882, included 
Robert fi. Brown, who settled here in 1871. He 
tried the first law suit in this county before Judge 
J. R. Maltby. November 2. 1S71. the case being 
that of James 8. Schermerhorn rs. David P. Jaync. 
and the fee was .i<l(l. He was a delegate to the 
National Republican Convention, held at Cincinnati 
in June, 1870. Ho.sea W. Gray, who settled here 
May 4, 1871. was also concerned in this law suit. 
Hefonne(l a partncrsjiii) with A. A. McCoy in March, 
1874; J. S. Le Hew was admitted in 1875, John E. 
Bagley began practice September 4. 1874. and K. H. 
White in May, 1874. He came here in July, 1873, 
from York, Neb., where he established the York 
Monitor. He was interested in the Times and 
Globe. G. W. Bemis was also here, while J. L. 
and W. F. Stone settled here .\ngust 1. lS7r). 

On March 30, 1885, Herbert H. Hyde, Rees T. 

I Rees, John Llewellyn, David Burnett, George Van 
fxilder and Harvey Barnhart were brought to trial 
for the lynching of Joues and Mrs. Taylor. Judge 
Burnett presided. Col. Dilwortli and John D. 
Hayes, of Hastings. R. G. Brown, of Sutton, and 

j T. H. Matters, of Har\ard, represented the State; 

! Messrs. Reagan, of Hastings. L. G. Hurd, of Har 
vard. and J. L. Epi)er.son, of Fairfield, the defend 
ants. Old .Mrs. Jones, aged (it!, was one of the 
principal witnesses, but the evidence was not suf 
ticient to convict and so Judge Burnett declared the 
prisoners to be free. Clay Center was almost as 
full of people as was the court room, and the order 
of tlu' ciuii'l was I'cccixcd with cheers within and 
without. 



l^ 



^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



357 



Tlie cxi'cution of Mrs. Eliziiliftli A. Taylor* and 
Tom Jones took place March 15, 18cS5. It appears 
that about 1 o'clock that morning a party of fifty 
men arrived at tlie sod-house ranciie of old Mrs. 
.Jones (four and one-half miles southeast of Siirino' 
Raiu'he Mills), mother of Tom and sister. A call 
was ma<le on the inmates to evacuate the house, 
whicii. for a time was unheeded liut was ultimately 
acceded to. .\ nundier of persons, includino' Wil- 
liam l^ostei-. or Texas Bill, Nelson Celley, N. C. 
Clark and one Ferrel presented themselves and 
were made prisoners, then came Tom Jones, Mrs. 
Taylor and Luther Wiugins. a lioy herder, who came 
three weeks before from Hastings, so that old Mrs. 
Jones and Mrs. Taylor's child were the only persons 
left in the .sod-hou.se. The mob carried the [jcrsons 
aliout one-fourth of a mile from tlu' building and 
made an attempt to extort a confession from them. 
Jlrs. Taylor is said to have acknowledged that her 
brother hired a man to burn Llewellyn's liarn. The 
crowd marched the prisoners to the bridge t)ver the 
Blue, near thi' sod-house, where ^Irs. Taylor and 
Jones prayed loutUy in the Welsh language for some 
minutes, when they were led under the bi'itlge and 
hanged. The other prisoners were brought to the 
house of R. T. Kees. where N. (". ("lark was 
ordered to leave the cf>untry at once, and the others 
told it would be well for them to leave also. 

In the morning Nelson Celley returned to the sod- 
house to feed the stock and saw the bodies dangling 
from the bridge. Later the boy, Barker, was sent 
out to give information, when .loscpli .Mft'lian. John 
(juinn. Ed Yoinig and Ed Kollins repaired to the 
scene. ^Ir. Meelian ordered the liodies to be left 
there until the arrival of the coroner. A jury, com- 
posed of J. C. Waril, Jacob Eller, Cal Earnest, 
James Leitch, H. M. Goldsmith and M. Wiliman. 
with Jesse F. Eller, coroner, found tliat death ensued 
from hanging, the act being done liy persons un- 
known. The ropes used were ordinary mule halters. 
Evidently the ropi'S were placcil round tlic victims' 
necks while standing on the ground, then (h'awn 
across the stringers of the bridge an<l pulled upon 
l)y the executioners until the man and woman were 
strangled. 

In I'oniier pages rcfei'enccs arc made to the mur- 



ders perpetrated in this county, and tlic action of the 
court in the tiial of tlic alleged nuii-dcrcrs related. In 
the pioneer chapter anil in the (jages devoted to the 
cities of the county the many stiri'ing encounters 
with the Indians and dc.-itlis rcsidtiiig tlicrclVoni, as 
well as from ai'cident, ;ire referred to. 

During the winter of 1SS:{ .Mark I'cn-ival was 
frozen to death while under tlic iiitlucucc of lii|u<>r. 
The widow brought suit against (uic of the persons 
who sold her husband liipior, and in the fall of 18S5 
a verdict for $2,5(10 was given, the trial taking 
place before Judge .Morris, of Clay Center. 

The murder of John Roberts, of Spring Ranche, 
was perpetrated January S. ]S85. The first reports 
of this crime credited it to the Taylors, as Mrs. Tay- 
lor, a_ Welsh woman, thi-eatened the Welsh man, 
Roberts, with punishment if he dared to take an\: 
timber from an eighty-acre tract which she claimed 
on the Hliie. 

Elijah Smith, an old resident of Logan Town- 
ship, while engaged in burning an old straw stack, 
was burned to death in 1SK5. 

Mrs. Joseph Warner, who resided five miles 
south of Edgar, was poisoned bv aconite in Novem- 
lier. 18S5. 

The railroad disastci' at |)cweese occurred Octo- 
ber lil, LS8(). It appears a construction train back- 
ing down to Deweese, carrying ninety-five men to 
dinner, struck a IniU near the house of George Shei>- 
pard. The cars were thrown from the track into 
the draw twenty feet, killing si.x men and wounding 
several. The names of the killed were: R. H. Mar- 
vin, hotel-keeper at Deweese: (leorge Bnrke, St. 
Louis; Dennis (JConner, Weston, JIo. ; Dennis Ham- 
ilton, Michigan: Roliert Collins, England, and 
Thomas Kelly. Eight others suffered severe injuries. 

John Harvonic committed suicide in November. 
1884. 

Fred Ronzo committed suicide in September. 
1887, while imprisoned at Clay Center, pending his 
trial for attempting to kill his wife. 

James MeCullough committed suicide by stab- 
bing in May, 188!t. The scene of this tragedy is 
eight miles northeast of (ilcii\ illc. 

»Mrs. Tayloi' and others weie charged with the murder of 
Joliii Roberts, of Spiiiis Raiiclie, in January. ](«.i. 



^ 



:558 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Jesse Oorilon. the eiglit yciir nlil son of ClKirlos 
(iunloii. was liiiricd in the cuvu iKippcr :il Minor's 
cli'valor and sinollu'red to dt'ulli. 

The accident at Sutton. October Ki. ISST. re- 
snlli'd ill llic dcatli ot tlic ciiiiit year olil son of 
(u'orii'c {'oiiii. The lio\" attciiii>tcd to jiiMi|i on a 
iiioxiiio' train, lull faliinti- liad one arm and liotli le<is 
rill oil' instantly, as if liy a l<nire. I U' Tore lie rould 
lie ri'sciied he was struck liy a Imlt and kilK'd. 

\V. U I'rosser was killed liy the ears at Hansen 
ill .March. 1S87. 

Ill .Viigust. ISS!). a three year old son of T. t!. 
Ihinike wandered into ti held of sowed corn which 
his father was eiiuaiicd in ciittiiiLi: down. The child 
was hidden in the edge of the thick heavy growth, 
so that the father drove hy, the unfeeling mower 
cutting oti' the bo}''s feet as readily as it cut down 
the corn. A sister sent in search of the little one 
found him covered in the stalks, and gave the 
alarm. Ur. Rav was summoned, lull could not 
save the hoy. 

The first election for Clay County was held Oc- 
tober 14. 1871. A. K. Marsh, P. 0. Norman and 
.V. A. Corey received 55 votes each for county com- 
missioners, and F. Shaw, M. L. Latham and G. W. 
Langford. 153 votes each, while C. H. Calkins re- 
ceived 2 votes. The contest for the position of 
county clerk was between F. M. Brown, who 
received 54. and F. M. l)avis, who received 38 
votes. .J. Ilolliiigsworth and J. C. Sloat received a 
similar vote for the office of treasurer; for probate 
judue. J. IX. Maltby received 55, L. J. Kearney, 16, 
and E. Brown. 12. P. T. Kearney received 59 
votes for sherirt and B. B. Koyce. 28: R. S. Fitz- 
gerald 58 for surveyor and (!. W. Noble. 33; James 
Schemmerhorn 55 for school superintcnilent and L. 
N. Bryant . 33; J. Stienmetz 55 for coroner and A. 
S. Willis, 33. P'or judges of election. K. |j. (laii, 
C. H. Calkins and L. French received 5(i, and L. 
Thayer. J. Flynn and E. Brown, 33. Thomas T. 
(Jail and 11. B. Hull, received cat'h 5(1 votes, and 
I). \V. Kvans, :S:5. for clerks of elections. There 
were 50 votes cast in favor of Sutton as the county 
seat; 24 in fa\(ir of the geographical center; 8 in 
favor of Section 31. Township 8. Range 7. and 1 in 
favor of Seiition 8, Townshii) 5, Range 8. 



The elections of 1872 show 254 votes for S. .\. 
Strickland and two others, and 31 \otes for iviwaid 
Clreighton and two others, foi' presidential electors; 
]j. Cidiinsc received l'.>4 and J. {•". Wanner, (il, for 
Congress; Henry Koenig. I!l2and F. W. Holinian. 
1)4, for State treasurer; N. K. (Jriggs, 1!I5, and I. 
W. Vore, 63, for Senator of Twelfth district; J. K. 
Cramer, lit3, for representative. Thirteenth district; 
.\. Tracy. 147. and R, (!. Mreiin, Ihli, for treasurer; 
.M. I,, liatham. 1(i!). and l». .M. Nettleton, 79, com 
missioncr. 

The elections (jf October, 1873, resulted as fol- 
lows: E. P. Burnett, 375, Mark Percival, 128, can- 
didates for probate judge; F. M. Davis, 306, and 
A. Tracy, 227, for treasurer; F. M. Brown, 280, 
and R. L. Gau, 230, for clerk; R. Bayly, 266; and 
W. R. Stephens, 249, for commissioner, long term: 
Ezra Brown, 317, and O. G. Peck, 205, commis- 
sioner, short term; J. T. Fleming. 308, and J. P. 
Scott, 154. surveyor; J. B. Dinsmore, 3(11. and 
Daniel Cronin, 224, sheriff; Martin Clark, 3110, and 
P. Nagle, 143, conmer; D. W. Garver, 390. and J 
S. Schemmerhorn, 135, school superintendent. 

In 1874, Lorenzo Crounse received 378, and J 
W. Savage, 168, for Congress; while Patrick 
O'Hawes received 378, for the oHicc of contingent 
congressman; Silas Garbcr ncci\cd ■J79. and A. 
Tuxbury, 164, for governor; N. K. Griggs, 375, 
and R. P. Stein, 170, for Senator Twelfth district; 
Albiniis Nance, 374, and G. H. Peebles, 108, for 
representative Thirteenth district; C. M. Tiirni'r. 
319. and George Stewart, 211. for commissioner. 
The question of holding a constitutional coiucntioii 
received 292 votes, and was o|)i)oseil by one. 

In April, 1875, M.W.Wilcox w,is given 317. and 
\V. S. Randall* 255 votes, candidates for represent^ 
ing the district in convention. On August 14, that 
year. 1.092 \dtes were cast (2 scattering), on the 
(piestiou of re-locating the county seat, anil on Sei)- 
ti'mber 24, 1,210 votes were cast, as follows: 
August election — Sutton, '.'A'.l: Harvard. 349; Fair- 
field. 282; Clay Center, 146. September election — 
Sutton. 497; Harvard, 391; Fairtield. 322. 



* There were thirty-six votes given for W. S. Randall in 
Leicester precinct, wliich were not reported In time to be con- 
vassed. 



-t^k 



V 



•f* 



CLAY COUNTY. 



-^ 9 



359 



^ 



Till' aTucnil elections of OrtduT. 1S75, show 
725 votes for A. J. Weavor for jmliii' <>f I'^'i'st (lis- 
trict; 572 for J. \V. EUer. and 15(; for W. 0. Ham- 
lin for (listriit attorney; 78(! for aii.l 3 against new 
constitution: 77:'. for and :-! against article relating 
to seat of govcrnnu'nt. and a similar vote on the 
article allowing elections to express their preferences 
for United States Senator. K. 1'. Burnett received 
551. J. S. liC Hew. 203. and H. W. Short, 154 
votes for county judge; Ezra Brown. 475, and Joseph 
Flick, 325 for commissioner: J. B. Dinsmore. 473; 
F. M. Brown. 194, and J. M. Ramsey. 109 votes 
tor county clerk; F. :M. Davis. 808 votes for treas- 
urer; 0. i>. Alexander. 404; B. K. lloyce, 275, and 
W. D. Aikens, 30. for sheriff: T. ^V. Brookbank, 
782, and .M. S. Edgington, IG.for superintendent 
of schools; M. S. Edgington, 652, and (Jeorge Nuss, 
92, for surveyor; and :Martin Clark was elected 
coroner. 

In Octolier. 1870. the vote on re-location of 
county seat shows precisely the same figures as in 
September, 1875, for Sutton and Harvard, and 355 
votes for Fairfield, or 32 above th.- auniber given in 

1875. 

The November elections of 187li show 1.036 
votes for A. H. Connor and two others; 341 for S. 
H. Calhoun and others, and 4 for H. L. Lally and 
others, presidential electors. For Congress, Frank 
Walsh received 991, Joseph HoUnian, 344, and 
:Marvin Warren, 43. Silas Clarlier and Paren Eng- 
land received the respective party vote for governor; 
F. M. Davis and Henry Grebe for land commis- 
sioner; John P. Maule and B. S. Malona for district 
attorney; Marcus W. Wilcox. 1,042. and Richard 
H. Wirts. 347 for Senator of Twenty-third district; 
James W. Small. 585, Algie S. Hill. 527, and F. 
W. Holman, 264 tor representative of Twenty-third 
district: Julius 0. Chase, 1.044, U. G. Peck, 356, 
representative Fifty-second district; W. S. Randall. 
1 ,045. and Henry T. Hoyt, 353 for treasurer; Rich- 
ard Bayly, 1 ,055, and C. H. Amey, 342 for com- 
missioner Third district. The county seat re-loca- 
tion (piestion was brought forward at this time, Har- 
vtird receiving 802, and Sutton (iO(i votes. 

In November. 1877, Francis Northrop received 
470, and George H. Vanduyne 354 for commis- 



sioner; Ezra E. Howard, 580, and Joseph Flick, 300 
for clerk; William S. Randall. 572. and John (J. 
(Jlazier, 310 for treasurer; A. J. .McPeak, 440, and 
George S. Alcorne, 416 for sheriff; E. P. Burnett, 
663 for judge; William A. Gunn. 506, and John T. 
Fleming, 344 for surveyor; J. D. Newell, 507, and 
Dr. E, Brewer, 262 for sui>criiitcudcnt of schools; 
Dr. Martin Clark, 575, and I'riah U. Hallick, 26:'. 
for coroner. 

The election of 1,S78 shows 848 votes for E. K. 
\'alentine and 301 for J. W. Davis, candidates for 
Congress, 845 for A. Nance, and 204 for T. B. Par- 
ker, governor; Oil for F. .M. Davis, and 217 for 
James McCready, land commissioner: 630 for John 
P. Maule, and 485 for John Saxon for district 
attorney; 801 for John F. Coulter for senator. 
Twenty -third District; 845 for M. S. Price, represen- 
tative Fifty-second District; 684 for H. A. Draper, 
and 474 for ^Melvin Estes, representative Twenty- 
third District; 835 for W; R. Hamilton, and 284 for 
M. Flynn, commissioner Second District. 

In January, 1879, there were 239 votes for and 
5 against the issue of bonds in Harvard precinct. 
On January 13, the vote on the re-location of county 
seat was recordetl. Clay Center received 1 ,293, and 
Harvard 1,015. At this time 73 votes were given 
for the issue of county bonds, and 2,217 against 
such issue. 

An election on the question of reJoeation of 
seat of justice was held February 24, 1879, when 
1 .376 votes were recorded f(H- the center east half of 
the northeast quarter of Section 1, Township 6. 
Range 7, and 561 for Harvard. There were 1 ,330 
votes cast in favor of court house and jail tax. and 
572 against such a tax. 

On April 9, 1879, Clay Center received 1.376 
and Harvard 1,106 votes in the matter of re-location 
of county seat. There were 1,339 votes recorded 
for courthouse tax and 1,117 votes against it 

The vote of Edgar precinct, August 25, 1879, 
on the question of issuing $12,000 bonds in aid of 
the Nebraska & Kansas City Railroad, was 14S 
for, and 18 against. 

In November the now familiar '-re-location'" 
question was re-presented. Clay Ceuter received 
1.967, and Harvard 1,867 votes; A. J. Weaver re- 



•Hv" 



3G0 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ccivcd 2,7l)(i. niiil W. I'. ('(Hiiior, ] ,tl!IS votes for 
ju(ls>e of Kii'st (listi-ict; R. \in\U received 2, 4SS, and 
K. Brewer 1,218 votes for coininissioner; W. J, Kel- 
ler 2,257, :md K. E. Howard 1,576, lor clerk; I). 
T. Phillips 2.2:{«. and A. B. Canfiekl 1 .5711. lor 
clerk of district court; tl. II. Van Duyne 2,4()1 . and 
W. S. Randall 1 ,:i()8, for treasurer; J. P. Nixon. 
2.42?., and C. A. Melvin 1,:}77, for sheriff: K, P. 
Hurnett 2.1)8G. and .lohn Converse 1 ,101 . for county 
judge: A. V. Wright 2,724. and M. 8. Edgington 
1,038. for surveyor; T. D. Newell 2.0tiS. and J. B. 
Royce 1 ,148, for superintendents of schools; George 
Nuss 2,383, and Martin Clark 1,433, for coroner. 

The vote for presidential electors in 1880 was 
1.517 for James Laird, 520 for James E. Boyd, 
and 62 for W. W. Connor. E. K. Valentine. James 
E. North and Allen Root received a party \ote for 
Congress; Nance, Tipton and Williams for governor; 
Alexander, Johnson and Allen for secretary, and 
W. H. Morris. J. S. Le Hew and W. S. Prickett for 
district attorney. J. B. Dinsmore received 1 ,324, 
O. G. Peck, 642, and J. L. Kpperson, 06 for sena- 
tor. Twenty-third district; W. B. Gray, 1,516, H. 
II. Brown, 410, and D. McKay, 55 for respresenta- 
tive. Fifty -second district; -J. H. Case, 1,516, James 
M. Flynn, 486, and J. .Mulligan, 57 for representa- 
tive of Twenty-third district; Cyrus Stayner. 1.132, 
and Jacob Steinmetz, 808 for commissioner. 

In 1881 Nels Andersiiii iiicived 1,738 votes for 
representative' of Fifty-second district, G. H. Van 
Duyne. 985. and J. E. Wheeler, 792, for treasurer; 
L. F. I'ryar. 1.044. and J. P. Nelson, 736, for 
<lerk; J. P. Nixon. 908. and T. R. Elder. 872, for 
sherifl': E. P. Burnett. 1.314. lor judge; I. D. 
Newell, 1,056, and :\lrs. W. A, Cornell, 701. for 
superintendent of scho(jls; L. A. Varner, 1,295, and 
(ieorge S, Ward, 495, for surveyor; J, (t, Nuss, 
1.325, and L. J, Forney, 457, for coroner; Kzwi 
Brown, 1,347, and C, A, Canfield, 433. for ccmi- 
missioner. 

The vote of 1882 shows 970 for James W. 
Dawes, 312 for J. S. Morton, and 555 foi' K. I*. 
IngersoU, candidates for governor; 983 for W, II. 
Morris, and 852 for 11. W. Saliiii. district atlovncy; 
968 for James liaird, 234 for F, A. Harmon, and 
612 for S, V, Moore, Congress; 866 for Kzra Brown, 



220 loi- Dwighl .Mordnck. :ind 73(1 for .1. I,. Kppci'- 
son. State Senator; 7()(! for I), M, Nettleton, 732 
for E. K. Howard, 303 for K. C. .Matte.son, 263 for 
A. T. Gilchrist. 597 for .\. M. Latlirop, 501 for 
.Marlon Hart, candidates for repi'esentatives: 1.501 
for K. G. Groff. surveyor; 97.'! for James M. Farley. 
312 for liicliard H;iyiy. and .'.IIS. for M.- A. Han- 
cock, comniissione'r. The suttragc aiiicnduicnt was 
lost 111 this countv. 

In \o\cnilier. 1883. (i. W. Bemis receixed 
1,117. J. W. Eller. 599. and J. W. Boilen, 13 votes 
for the ottice of district attorney; W, H, Morris, 
1,113, and R, A, Batty, 627, for judge of district; 
(ieorge F, Dickson, 1,182, and J. P, Nixon, 552, 
for treasurer; L, F, Fryar, 1,189, and Henry Dal- 
ton, 549, for clerk; C. J. Martin. 1.202, and Charles 
Hjehn, 545. for clerk of court; J. R. Kidd, 1.133. 
and George Krell, 606. for sheriff; E. P. Burnett, 
1,712, for county judge; A, A. Randall, 1,188. and 
Erwin Ramsey, 553. for superintendent of schools; 
E. G. Groff. 1.727, for surveyor; Jesse Eller, 1 ,159, 
and W. .\. Ditson, 583, for coroner; Fred Gross- 
haus, 1.635, William Newton, 1.128, W. H. Ham- 
mond, 624, for commissioners of First and Second 
districts; for townslii|) organization 870, against 
such organization, 374, 

The vote for governor in 1884. shows 1,677, for 
J. W. Dawes, 839 for J. S. Morton, anil 103, for 
J. (i. Miller; James Laird rec<Mved 1.210 for Con- 
gress, and J. H. Stickel, 1,132: Ezra Brown, 1,701, 
and A. J. Orendorf, 450, for Senator; D. M. Net- 
tleton, 1,727, Ezra E. Howard. 1.640. John M. 
Surrock, 827. and John Benson. 713. for represen- 
tatives; Jo.seph Meyer. 1.565. I). (Jothcridge, 425. 
anil .\. .M. Lathrop. 175. for coininissioner; Man- 
ford Savage, 1.699, and \V, A. Hamhcl, 792. for 
district attorne}'. The vote cast for presidential 
electors was as follows; Patrick Hines aixl four 
otiieis. 816; R. B. Harrington and four others. 
1.679. and M. J. Garrett, and four others, 104 
votes. 

The elections of November, 1S85, show 1.244 
Republican, 547 Democratic, and 226 Prohibition 
votes, recorded for Kicliaril Dainsted. W. J. Cox 
and A. M. Lathrop, respectively, candidates for 
county' judge; 1,158 for J. R. Kidd, 646 for Pat^ 





,^^^2^^. 



o-2--Ly 



-^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



361 



rick E. Sullivan, and 2(IS for -T. F. Pinkerton, can- 
didates f(.r sheriff; J. F. filler received 1.204. W. 
J. Bacon. 577. and L. B. Edward. 204. for coroner; 
George F, Dickson, 1,200, L. T. Clark, 4!)9, and 
J. E. Hopper, 247, for treasurer; E. G-. Groff, 
1,246, John Bonekemper. 500. and J. Worrick, 
212, for surveyor; A. A. Randall, 1 ,205, and Ches- 
ter Wna:ht, 212, for superintendent of schools; L. 
F. Frvar. 1,2^^2. D. R. Hugiies. 548. and J. B. 
Sanderson, 195, lor county clerk; Joseph Meyer, 
1,183, H. C. Brown, 595, and C. E. llockhill. 240, 
for commissioner of Second district; J. M. Farley, 
1,195, John Campbell, 581, and George Iliff, 237, 
for commissioner Third district. At this time can- 
didates for the oflice of register of deeds received 
the following votes: O. W. Birmingham, 1,195, E. 
D. Judd, 13, and John Buerman, 106. The nomi- 
nations were made in good faith, hut owing to error 
ill the engrossing liill creating the ottice, the election 
was declared null and void. 

The election of the question ftf granting aid to 
the Kansas City & Omaha Railroad Company was 
held on September 7, 1886. School Creek voted 
$5,000 by 129 for, 1 contra; Sutton voted $20,000 
liy 352 for, 12 contra; L(me Tree voted $12,000 by 
187 for, and 24 contra; Lewis voted $8,000 by 132 
for, 35 contra, and Fairfield voted $20,000 by 305 
for, and 88 contra. 

The elections of November, ]88(>, show 1,137 
votes for James Laird, 788 for \\'iHiMni A. Mc- 
Iveighan, and 337 for C. S. Harrison, candidates 
for ('ongress; 1,430 for John M. Thayer, 636 for 
James E. North, and 270 for H. W. Hardy, guber- 
national candidates; 1.397 for (iilbert L. Laws, 645 
l'i>r Richard 'i'homjjson, and 281 for E. J. O'Neill, 
candidates for State secretary. There were 1.069 
votes received by R. G. Brown. 730 by F. C. Mat^ 
teson, and 4S3 liy 0. C. Hulibi'll, for seiiat<ir of the 
Twenty-fourth district; 1.261 liy W. S. Randall, 
1.307 liy William Newton, (>(iS liy Henry Dalton, 
680 by L. D. Hinies, 333 by E. T. Cassell. and 209 
by A. Living.ston, for representatives of the Forty- 
second district; B. F. McLoney received 1,359, 
William M. Clark, 066, and W. B. Gord, 281 for 
county attorney; Francis Al)bey, 1,189; J. W. 
Hart, 792, and A. J. Davis, 331 for commissioner. 

23 



A scattering vote was cast for C. H. \'an Wyck, 
.James Laird and .\. J, Weaver, showing preference 
for United States senator. The proposed amend- 
ment to the constitution relating to Legislative de- 
partment received 1,259 votes, and was opposed by 
82. 

On March 26, 1887. the proposition by Spring 
Ranche to grant $7,000 aid to the K.-insas City & 
Omaha Railroad received 111 votes, wliile 52 op 
posed it. On .V[)ril 12, 1887, Lincoln precinct gave 
120 votes in favor of granting $7,000 aid to the 
Fremont, Elkliorn & Missouri Valley Railroad Com 
pany, and 22 against such aid; Harvard precinct 
voted $25,000. by 290 votes for and 7 contra; In- 
land precinct voted $10,000. by 9:! for and 63 
contra. 

The elections of November, 1887, show 1,609 
votes for W. H. Morris, and 284 for T. E. A'ale. 
candidate for judge of the Filth Judicial District. 
For county treasurer, William Walters receiveil 
1,304, Peter Griess, 886, and J. F. Johnson, 262; 
for clerk, L. F. Fryar received 1,581, H. S. Free- 
man, 618, and C. J. Scott, 245; for countj' clerk. 
J. E. Wheeler, 1,456, George S. Ward. 697. and 
J. A. Davis; 298; for sheriff, E. D. Davis, l,Ui5. 
J. P. Nixon, 764, Abbott Hardj-, 215; for county 
judge, W. H. Canfleld, 1,531, J. Campbell, 033. 
and John W. Shirley, 281; for commissioner. Jo- 
seph Jleyer, 1,198, M. V. Corey, 922, and A. JI. 
Lathrop, 318; for superintendent of schools. J. N. 
Hursh, 1,170, Marion Thrasher, 1,050, and J. H. 
Stark, 234; for coroner, S. M. Elder, 1.520, George 
Krell, 637, and J. E. Spatz. 296; for surveyor, E. 
G. Groff, 1,536, J. J. Bonekemper, 626. and 
Chester Wright, 284. 

The vote for presidential electors, in 1888, was 
2.091 (R). 995 (D), 303 (P), and 12 (U L); lor gov- 
ernor. John 51. Thayer received 2,030 (R), John A. 
McShaiie. 1.000 (D), George E. Bigelow. 310 (P). 
and i)avid Butler, 9 (U L); for Congress, James 
Laird received 1,931 (R), W. G. Hastings, 1 ,090 (D), 
and George Scott, 347 (P); for senator Twenty-firth 
district, L. G. Hurd received 2,040 (R). George II. 
Van Duyne, 1,()23 (D), and W. R. Smith, 314 (P); 
for representatives Forty-second district, S. W. 
Christy and C. W. Bortis, 2,058 (R), L. L. John- 



son and John (I. Glazier, l,(ll.'l (l>), •). K. S|)atz and 
li. T. Van Cleve, 320 (P); for coniniissioncr First 
district, A. C. Bwk. 2,(lG0 (R), N. A. Ovcrturf, 
1»97 (D), and L. B. KIword, :{()3 (P); for coramis- 
sioner Third district, Jesse F. EUer, 2,0()5 (R), S. 
McKelvie, 1,014 (D), mid L. II. Insrersoll, 307 (P); 
for eon nly attorney. J. L. Kinierson. 2,131 (R), and 
W. M. Clark, T,023, (D). The preference vote for 
United State Senator was given William (1. Ollinger. 
The vote taken in Noveniher. ISSS, on the sub- 
ject of township organization was as follows: 

Townsliip.'i. lAir. Clint la. Townsliiii-.. Fur. Cuiitra. 

Sohool Crcok. 'Xi to Slicridiiii i;:, 17 

Liiicdlii l^ — Marshiill :iS Cli 

Harvard 37fi -'"> Lmii' Trci'. .. KID l:M 

Leicester IT.'i — (ilcnviilc ns :« 

Iiilainl S."> \:: Spriiif; Haiich 3.') 7(j 

Lynn 144 8 Faiilicld 31:.' 411 

Linvis 12'.l 18 Eiif?iU- 20.-> UJ 

SuMim 321 .v. Loptiui 1(17 :.'l) 

The total vote east was 3,047, of which number 
2,484 were cast for organization, and 563 against 
such organization. The supervisors elected at this 
time (in the order of townships given) were James 
Marsh, John Ilitf, Ezra Brown, A. C. Fisher, Charles 
Schuck, William Newton, !\I. S. Price, William 
Cricss, Ferd. Mohuike, A. P. Randall, B. W. Camp- 
liell, E. T. Hneston, D. W. Evans, B. R. Royce, 
(Jyrus Stayncr and J, 1). I'ariish. This constituted 
the first board of supervisors, the organization of 
which body is notice<l in the transactions of the com- 
missioners. 

The elections of 1880 show 1,503 votes for Gil- 
bert li. Laws (R), 010 for C. J). Carper (D), and 
243 for C. E. Bentley (P). candidates for Congress; 
1.200 for B. II. Dunn (R), l,2liG for John G. Gla- 
zier (D), and 203 for A. B. Smith (P), candidates 
for treasurer: l,i;24 for H. E. Stein (R), 804 for 
Nicholas Oclisner (D), and 230 for II. B. Rousey 
(P), clerk; 1,707 for E. D. Davis (R), 812 for H. J. 
Iloyt (D), and 220 for C. S. Detweilcr (!'), sheriff; 
there were 1,045 votes cast for W. II. Canfield (R), 
84.S for T. II. Spicer (D), and 255 for A. 1\I. Lath- 
rop (P), candidates for county judge; 1,(!43 for J. 
N. Ilursh (R). 808 for Caleb D. Hume (I)), and 308 
for A. B. Byram (P), for superintendent of schools; 
S. M. Killer (R), received 1 ,058 votes. Dr. |)(idd(D), 
SItl.aiid Dr. li. V. Holmes (P), 24(i for coroner; K. 



G, tiroir (Rj, 1.072. Mild ('h;irlcs Slicppcnl (P).257. 
for surveyor. 

The supervisors electctl were J. K. .Marsh, of 
School Creek; (Kldorado. new name of Lincoln, held 
over); William Scliwciik. Harvard: C. S. Bradley. 
Harvard Township; (Liccester held over); Charles 
Schwenk, Inland; (Lynn held over); M. S. Price, 
Lewis; H. S. Sanders, Sutton; P. H. Schwali, Sut 
ton City; Ezra Urown. Harvard City; Josi.ah Kverett. 
Sheri<Ian; (iMarshail held over); B. W. Campbell, 
Lone Tree; ((Jlcnxilli' lield over); D. W. Evans, 
Spring Ranche; Jacob Shively, Fairfield City; (Fair- 
field Township held over); William M. Rousey, Ed- 
gar; W. R. Fuller, Edgar City, and C. A. Bush, 
Logan. 

From returns of the election held February 20. 
1879, the re-location of the county seat was declared 
by the commissioners to lie at Clay Center, being so 
determined from the vote cast. This declaration 
gave rise to the town of Claj' Center. In accord- 
ance with an order of the commissioners, most of 
the county officers went to that place, but, as was 
afterward determined, the movement was too hasty. 
Much dissatisfaction existed as to the determination 
of the result of the election; the vote was recan- 
vassed, and, in obedience to a mandamus of the 
supreme court, the votes of precincts, which had 
been thrown out on the ground of fraud, were 
ordered to lie counted . and it was found that Clay 
Center was not the county seat. The officials were 
then ol)Iiged to pack up their records and docu- 
ments and betake themselves back to Sutton. On 
November 7, the next election was held, and, by the 
legal vote of the people of the county, the seat of 
government was fixed at Clay Center. On the first 
of the new year, the offices were re-transferred to 
Clay Center. A jail-housi- was immediately after- 
ward built, costing $2,200. This is a single story 
frame, the iii:iiii part being 24x38 feet, to which 
adjoins on the rear a wing, 20x40 feet, in which are 
the cells, which are frame, linetl with steel cages. 
The court house, the building and acceptance of 
which have hitherto been noticed, is a large two- 
story luick structure. 47x(>4 feet in dimensions, and 
is capped with a l.-irgc .-iiid sulistantial dome. The 
upper story einliraccs the courtroom, which extends 



-f 



>> 



CLAY COUNTY. 



363 



in length the entire wiiltli of the luiililing, and is 
forty feet wide, adjoining which are the jury, judge's 
and witness rooms, whih' in the first story are lo- 
cated the connty offices, wliich are constructed with 
fire-proof \'aults, and the treasurer's ofHce, supplied 



with a burglar-proof safe. The proposed cost of 
the building was $11,0(10, while the actual cost, 
when completed, was $22,000, including furniture, 
fixtures, "etc.," as appears on the statement sub- 
mitted by the contractor. 








^1 



:|^ 



lA 



364 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XX. 



'riiK NKWsrAiMCH Press — The I'ioneeh I'iiami'Iox — IIahvahii .Iiuknai.s— Si'i'I'dx JdriiNAi.isTs— Faikfiei.h 

JoUKNAI.S and I'KltKiIUlAT.s — Cl.AY CENTER JOURNALS — TlIK DlOWEESE IvEl olinER — EllFCATIONAI. 

Interests — I'lmi-ic Sciiodls, Teachers, Etc. — Statistics — I'orxTv SdcncTiEs and Asso- 
ciations — PiioFKssioNAi, Roll, Etc. — Memoirs of War — .Mii.itia Co.mpanies — 

Roster of Voianteers. 



H«-l- 




" So likewise a hovel will serve for a room 
To stack up the grain when harvest shall eonie. 
And he that can rear up a pig in his house 
Ilatli i-licai)er his bacon and swcctei- his souse." 






T scldrtin niins but it pours 
()V(M- those iireat prairies. 
: A look over the census .sta- 
tistics will be surtieieiit to 
coufinii tills conclusion, for 
alter the tide of immigra- 
tion began to flow over the 
land in 1870-71, it never ebbed, but 
Sj^ continued to grow deeper, year by year, 
"^^f^ until the county was literally covered 
with substantial farmers and the vil- 
lages filled with enterprising citizens. 
^j^J,f Among the pioneers came the type-set 
ter. He came to grow up with, and aid 
in building up the interests of, the new 
country, and he succeeded in the last 
named object. He was a martyr pio- 
neer. He felt like Macdonough, the poet of the 
Press Association, who wrote as follows: 

"Then we can wake the echoes of these |)rairles. 

Round to antipodean lands or waters; 
.\iiil make the gaping world ask us. where is 

Nebraska, fairest of Columbia's daughters? 
Whire Indians erewhile lifted pale-face hair, is 

Now for progress and intelligence, headquarters, 
.\iid all tlie liMons Ihat our young Slate possc^sses. 
Owe their appearance lo the niiiihty pri'sses." 



The Harvard Ciiampion was established in 1872, 
as the pioneer journal of the county, l\y Julius 
Eaton, who removed the office at the close of the 
year. Prior to this time, however, a manuscript 
news-sheet was issued by the I. 0. G. T. , G. W. 
Bemis being a contril)utor. 

The Harvard Leader was issued in the spring of 

1873, Ijy Welister Eaton, and continued publication 
for seven months. 

The Harvard Advocate was founded in January. 

1874, by W. A. Connell. 

Although a man of some ability as an editor, yet 
he, like many of liis craft, loved ardent drink, and 
gave too much of his time to spirits to be success- 
ful. Losing his patronage, mainly on account of 
his intemperate habits, his paper, after an existence 
of about two years, " pasised in its types," and the 
editor emigrated toother fields of labor. After Con- 
nell had taken his departure, he was succeeded in 
tlie enterprise of journ.ilism liy D. T. Sherman, who 
establishcil a paper in the fall of 1870, called the 
Harvard Sentinel. This sheet, however, like all the 
others, had a somewhat limited existence, but en- 
joyed a reasonable share of prosperity. After run- 
ning for about two years, he removed the material to 
Sterling, Neb. Ca[)t. 0. W. Limbockcr purchased 




the Sentinel subscription list. ;\nd had already begun 
tiie publication of the Clay County Journal. Tlie 
Journal has already had an existence of over three 
years, and is now in successful operation, and prom- 
ises to maintain [jrolonged continuance, being liber- 
ally patronized and supported by an intelligent and 
reading public'. 

The journal was issued March 18, 1879, by G. 
W. Limbocker. and on December 13, 1889, reached 
the number 013 or No. 41 of volume XI. 

The Courier was established liy Southworth & 
Colvin, January 1, 1885. 

The Sutton Times was issued June 20, 1873, by 
Wellmau & Brakemau, followed liy AVellman & 
White, then Wellman Bros. , and in 188G Frank E. 
^^■elhnan was sole owner. He moxed the office to 
York and estalilished the York Republican. 

The Clay County Herald was issued- June 21, 
1873, l)y J. M. Sechler and W. J. Cowan, and con- 
tinued publication until the fall of that year. 

Clay County Globe was established July 14, 
187'). I>y F. M. Comstock and J. S. LeHew. On 
October 1, that year, E. H. White became proprietor. 
He sold to I. D. Evans, who, in 1880, merged the 
name into the Sutton Register. The (Jlolie was a 
semi-weekly Republican Journal. 

The Democrat was founded February 1, 1884. 
by Steinmetz & Brainard. Brainanl's interest was 
sold to W. A. Nelson, and he with Mr. Steinmetz 
published this journal until 1889, after the latter 
was appointed receiver at McCook 

The Nel)raska Citizen was published at Sutton 
in 1S84. by Mr. Locke, but its life was of short 
iluratiiin. 

The Register was estalilished February 2(1, 1880, 
liy I. D. f]vans. On June 3, 1886. Mr. Evans is- 
sued his valedictory. In this paper he says, "For 
more than six years, each week, without a single 
skip, it has appeared under the management now 
retiring." F. M. Brown issued hissalutory. The 
latter was tiien a resitlent of fifteen years standing. 
A notice fr6m the Register of July 15, 1886, gives a 
\ery clear idea of the estimation in which the im 
migrants were held: " Monday last about forty-six 
Russians, big and little, old and young, with their 
bags and liaggage, were congregated on the platform 



at the depot, and when No. 2 came in they took 
their departure for other pastures. There was 
scarcely a dry eye in Sutton when the train puUcil 
out; j)ut our modesty prevented us from inquiring 
whether those eyes were wet with the tears of sorrow 
or joy. We hope those peo|)le will come liack to 
see us after we are dead." 

The Sutton Advertiser was established August 
26, 1887, by J. W. Johnson, with William Nance as 
foreman. In Septeralier J. L. Paschal took that 
position. The Advertiser is a Republican weekly 
newspaper with a circulation of 900 or 1.0(10. 

The Fairfield News was started in Fairfield on 
June 7, 1877, by J. H. Case and O. G. Maury. 
The first issue of the paper was made on the 7th of 
that month. The establishment of the paper was 
attended w-ith the most liberal encouragement of the 
citizens of the town, who guaranteed for it a list of 
300 suliscribers, eight columns of advertisements, 
and a lionus of $300. The paper was a six-column 
(juarto size, Republican in politics, and had a circu 
lation of al)out 350. After aljout two years' oijera- 
tion. Case retired from the concern, and it was con- 
trolled bv Maury for about one year, when it was 
sold to J. W. Small. G. M. Prentice was editor of 
the Fairfield News in October, 1883. 

I. E. Beerv. who in January, 1885, settled at 
Fairfield and assumed editorial charge of the News. 
died August 12, 1886. A. R. Degge took his posi 
tion at once, and carried on the News until Mr. 
Randall assumed the editorship. On May 5, 1887, 
W. S. Randall issued his salutatory as editor of the 
News. On January 2, 189(1. he wrote as follows: 
■ ■ With this issue The News enters upon its four- 
teenth volume, being the oldest paper in Clay 
County. There were other p.-i|)crs in thi' county lie- 
fore the News was estalilished, but they have re- 
moved to other parts. There are i)apers in the 
county that have been under one management 
longer than the News, but we claim for it the oldest 
in the county." 

The Fairfield Herald was founded in l)eccnilier. 
1881. by J. L. Oliver. On account of the opinions 
promulgated by the News on county seat and local 
matters, much dissatisfaction and enmity was aroused 
against it by those holding adverse opinions. So 



•<* 



3()0 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



far were these petty disagreements canied, that in op- 
position to tiie News a second paper was he!j;un by a 
stoi'ii company composed of a nuniher of the citi- 
zens of the town, to which they jjave the name of 
tlie Fairfield Herald, the company being known as 
the Herald Pnblishiug Company. The capital stock 
of the concern is $1,00(1, .ind is divided into 100 
shares of $10 each. The company is operated by 
the thirty-seven stot'lvholdcrs, wiio meet ipiarterly 
and choose an editor, two as.sistants and a business 
manager. With the lli'sl starliiiii' W. T. Nevvcomb 
was chosen editor, and the present editor is S. (!. 
Wilcox. 

Tile Fairfield Methodist was issued from tlie 
News office by Rev. C. E. Lewis in Scpteml)er, 188G. 
This was a montlily jonrnal, but continued onl}' six 
montiis. 

The Call, a college monthly, was issued in 1888 
from the News office I)V Messrs. N. M. Graham, 
AVilliam Hilton, A. C. P]pperson and L. W. Smith. 
Tile latter was editor. The last number was issued 
in March, 1888. 

The Fairfield Saturday Call was pul)lished in 
April, 1889, by Maupin and Burkiialter. 

In Noveml)er, 1875, F. M. Comstock establislied a 
journal at Edgar; Init the otflce fell into the hands 
of W. J. Waite, and altogether the publication was 
not carried on ovtM- one year. One night the office 
was entered and the material carried away. 

The Edgar Leader was founded in 1877 by H. 
A. Day and C. E. Keith. In J 878 S. T. Caldwell 
and E. E. Howard bought the material, which they 
sold to M. J. Hull. With this material he liegan the 
Review in May, 1878. 

The World was established in October, 188t), by 
Shafe Kautzman. After a little while the office was 
sold to Smith & Ward, who established the Gazette 
at Clay Center. He then purchased the Post, and 
changed the name to the Post- World. After a few 
months Dr. Casterline became owner, and published 
it as the Post. During the early part of the cam- 
paign of 1888 the World was revived as a daily pa- 
per at Kdgar by Mr. Kautzman, who e(iuipped the 
office anew. This he moved to Superior, Neb. , in 
August of that year. He conducted the Daily 
World there until the spring of 188;). In Februar3-, 



1890, a report was current that Mr. Kautzman in- 
tended estaljlishing a new journal at Edgar. 

The Edgar I'ost.was esUiblished March 5, 1885, 
by Dr. T. E. Casterline, who is now owner. Shortly 
after he .sohl a half interest to Alfred Bates, who 
removed to Davenport, Neb. , leaving the Doctor 
sole owner until the World was established, when 
the offices \v<ti' consolid.atcil under flic tith' of I'ost 
AVorld. Later the otHce became Dr. Casterline's 
property, when the name World was dropped. In 
July, 1889. W. H. Gates and F. N. Coleman leased 
the office. On January 1, 1890, Mr. Gates returned 
to the service of the Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad Company, and now Mr. Coleman is in 
charge. 

The Edgar Times was founded in May, 1878, 
under the name Review, by M. J. Hull. The jour- 
nal suliseipiently passed into the hands c)f Kautzman 
& Barrington, who in July, 1884, sold the office to 
H. G. Lyon and F. L. Harman. On January 1 . 
1885, Mr. Harman retired, and in November, 1885, 
W. B. Gootl became i)artner, and continued so until 
June 18, 1886, when he moved to California. With 
the exception of the short terms of Messrs. Harman 
& Good's connection with the Times, Mr. Lyon has 
been owner continuouslj- since 188-1. In May, 1885, 
Rebecca Dare took charge of the woman's departs 
ment of the Times. 

The Claj- County Call was issued at Edgar by 
Kautzman & Barrington, December 25, 1884. It 
continued publication only a few months, when the 
office was sold to Dr. Casterline. 

The Clay Centre Citizen was established in Feb- 
ruary, 1881, \)y W. A. Council, who carried it, at a 
loss, for six months, and left the place, condemning 
all but the county officials, who, be stated, were the 
only citizens who had any self respect or intelli- 
gence. The office was sold to a stock company, who 
continued publication for a short time, and in No- 
vember, 1881, sold the material, which was moved 
at once to Fairfield and used in the office of the 
Fairfield Herald. 

The Sun was founded August 22, 1884, by W. 
L. Palmer, as a Republican journal. It is a ver}' 
well conducted journal, ami the official paper of the 
county. 



-^; 



!k.^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



3G7 



The Democratic Publishing Company was organ- 
ized in December, 1888, and purchased the Gazette 
office at Clay Center. The organized members of 
the company were F. C. Matteson and F. J. Hoer- 
ger,'of Sutton, W. T. Perry and G. A. Herzog, of 
Harvard, L. L. Johnson, of Inland, J. G. Glazier 
and Otis Holmes, of Edgar, S. R. Barnett and 
C. J. Furer, of Fairfield. J. G. Glazier was chosen 
president and F. J. Hoerger treasurer; C. J, Furer, 
G. A. Herzog and L. L. Johnson, directors. Otis 
Holmes and S. R. Barnett were employed to edit the 
proposed journal, which was issued in January, 
1880. 

Tlie Clay Center Gazette was issued in April, 
1887, by Smith & Ward. 

The Deweese Recorder was issued in July, 1886, 
liy Dr. L. J. Forney. The paper was printed in the 
News office, at Fairfield, but continued publication 
for only a few weeks. 

The Student was issued in October, 1888. and 
the fourth number was issued on the day of the 
Presidential inauguration. May Martin was editor; 
Blanche Dalton, Maud Mohler, Zilla David and Joe 
G. Fell, associate editors; Clyde Babcock, solicitor, 
and A. V. Storm, manager. This little journal was 
printed in the Journal office. 

The first school in Clay County was opened De- 
cember 1, 1861, by Thomas M. Gregory, in what 
was afterwards known as District No. 5. W. L. 
Weed presided over the school in District No. 2, 
and Laura M. Bancroft over that in District No. 6. 
District No. 1 was organized in December, 1872, or 
eleven years after the first school was opened here. 
In 1881 there were sixty-nine districts established 
and seventy -foiu- school buildings in existence; there 
were 3,827 children of school age. 2,008 males and 
1,810 females; eighty-nine teachers were employed, 
who received $20,548.71 as salary, of the $20,053.- 
2(t expended that year for all school purposes. 
The bonded indebtedness of all the districts amounts 
ed to $13.(»!I2.01. In July, 1885, there were 2,671 
male, and 2,368 female children of school age in 
Clay County; sixty-three male, and 103 female 
teachers, and seventy-one school districts. The 
total expenditm-es for school purposes were $60,- 
047.06. 



SuperinU^ndent J. N. Hur.sli reported eighty-three 
school houses in Clay County at the l)eginning of 
1889. The institute of 1888 was attended by 120 
teachers. Thc! common school lands of the county 
in November, 1888, amounted to 18,125 acres. 
Only 1,475 acres were sold during the previous year. 
Tlicrc were 4.385 acres rented at §1,240.42 per an- 
num. During the year 1888, the State funds appor- 
tioned to Clay County amounted to $11,964.56. 
The total resources for the year ending July 9. 1888, 
were $62,223.91, including balance of $7,493.41 
from former year. Of this a sum of $17,066.88 
was paid to seventy-five male teachers, and $19,- 
931.13, to ninety-two female teachers. Tliciuimlicr 
of male pupils enrolled was 3,037, and female pu- 
pils, 2,754, or a total of 5,701. The average at- 
tendance was 2,556. One lirick ami eighty-two 
frame school buildings were in existence on July 0, 
1888, valued at .i!60,130, and sites valued at $11 ,- 
242. There were seventy-three districts organized 
and 129 teachers on that date, and five graded 
schools. 

The institute system was introduced some years 
ago. and under the fostering care of Superintendents 
Randall and llursh has been carried down to the 
present time. A county reading circle in connec- 
tion with the Teachers' Institute was organized Oc- 
tober 0, 1885, with A. A. Handall, president; Marion 
Thrasher, secretary, and II. U. Strong, treasurer; 
They, with Elsie Torrey and C. L. Jackson, formed a 
l)oard of control. 

The Clay County Agricultural Society was or- 
ganized April 15, 1872. at the I'ourt house in Sutton. 
A, K. iMarsh was chosen president, and J. M. Ram- 
sey, secretary. Annual fairs were held after its es- 
tablishment, until 1881. when tiie exhil)ition took 
place at Clay Center. The fair grounds, embracing 
forty acres of land, were owned Viy a stock company 
composed of about fifty of the most wealthy citizens 
of the county, the use of these grounds being ex- 
tended to the society for making their exhibits. Up 
to 1882 the society did not fail to make a creditable 
exhibitioti. even during the disastrous years of the 
grasshopper [ilague, always paying llie premium 
list in full, and at present has a balance in the 
j treasury. A meeting of the society was held March 



IW 



i^ 



368 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



4, 1882, ut Clay Coiitro, at wiiirh tlic rollowin.-- olli- 
cers were selected: D. licitcii, J. E. Kciiydii, E. 
Austin, M. G. T'lTryinan, A. P. Randall, C. Shctler, 
A. J. MePeak, (!. II. Van Diiyne, T. R. Elder and 
Jesse Eller. Some seventeen direetors were chosen. 
In March, 1884, Jesse F. Eller was re-elected jjres- 
ident, and H. 15. Strong, secretary. At this time 
the iiniiHisilioii to grant a fifteen years incnilic'rshi|i 
to iioldcrs of iJlO stock certificates was carried and a 
life ineinliershi]) conferred on (J, H. Van Diiyne for 
services rendered as ti-easiircr. The fair was held at 
Clay Center this year. In March, 1885, M. S. 
Price was chosen jjresidcnt, and IT. B. Stront;; secre- 
tary. Tho.sc olHcers re-elected in lSK(Jand in 1887, 
when (leorge E. Birge was chosen treasurer. M. 

5. Price was re-elected president in 1SS8 with W. B. 
Smith, secretary and II. K. McDowell, treasurer, 
while, in 18S!», the president and treasurer were re- 
elected: George F. Dixon chosen secretar3-, and B. 
H. Dunn, Clive Eller, JolinC. Ward, G. F. Warren 
and John II. Tower, vice-presidents. The elections 
of 189(1 resulted in the choice of Charles Hoevet, 
president: W. B. Smith, secretary; W. J. Gardner: 
treasurer; I). T. Phillii)s, general superintendent; 
Guy Secord, assistant superintendent; A. M. Perry, 
marshall. 

The Swine Breeders Association was presided 
over in 188;) liy W. J. Cox with S. McKelvie, secre- 
tary. The association elected the following named 
ollicers in Fehrnary, ISiill: W. J. Cox, president; 
Cleveland Kller, vice-president; S. McKelvie, secre- 
tary, :uid W. E. Spicer, treasurer. 

Pursiuint to call, delegates from five Farmers' 
Alliances of Clay County met at East Fairfield, No- 
vember 23, 1889, to organize a county alliance. 
After speeches liy J. II. Powers, president of the 
State Alliance, and some of the delegates, a county 
alliance was organized with L. McReynolds, of Pair- 
field, as president; J. L. Hodges, of Edgar, vice- 
president; W. T. Dalton, of Jldgar, secretary; L. R. 
Chapman, treasurer. East Fairfield was chosen as 
the place of meeting December 14, 1889. 

During the years 187f)-71 agricultural life in 
Clay County was primitive in every sense. The 
pioneers of that i)eriod erected their sod houses, and 
made the faint beginnings of progress. During the 



fall of 1875 there were 412 cars of grain shipped 
from Harvard, 330 cars from Sutton, and 5fl0 from 
Fairfield, Edgar and (Jlenville. Wheat averaged 
.sixty-five cents, and the total yield of Clay County 
was worth $000,000, As the years rolled by the 
area of cultivated land was increased, and to-day the 
county holds a fiist place among the great produc- 
ing di\ isions of Nebraska. 

The area of her progi'ess has been marked also 
by the growth of towns. Harvard and Sutton in 
the north, and Fairfield and Edgar in the south, are 
evidences of this remarkalile growth. 

The Central Nebraska .Medical Society was or- 
ganized at Sutton, June 24, 1870. Dr. J, R. C. 
Davis, of Aurora, was chosen president; Dr. M. V. 
B. Clark, of Sutton, secretary. In 1881 Dr. Wil- 
liam Knapp, of York, was chosen president, and 
Dr. A. 0. Kendall, of Sutton, seeretarj- and treas- 
urer. As related in the history of Hall County, this 
organization has been kept up in one form or an- 
other down to the present day. 

The legister of physicians of Clay County con- 
tains the following names: 

REOISTEHKD IN 1881. 
NAME. COLLEGE. DATE. 

Marcus W. AYilcox, ChicaRO, 1864. 

Benjamin C. OykT. Cincinnati. 1878, 

Thomas E. Castcrlinc. Practice, 18(iG. 

Cluirlcs Pahner. Chicago, 1871. 

M. V. B. Clark, Cleveland, ISfJii. 

A. O. Kendall. New York City, 

I. D. Howard, . I'liihidcliiliia, 1870, 

Owen B, Cantield, Luiiisvillc, 1877, 

Mark A, Perkin.-i, Philadelphia, 1861, 

Tj. .1. Forney. Cincinnati, I8681 

S, A, Allen, Practice, 1878. 

D. F, An<l<'rson, Keokuk. 187!), 

T, R, Hall, St, Loui?, 187.5. 



R. B, Conn, 
John T. Fleming, 
Mary A. Howard, 
John H, Case, 
E, T, Cassell, 



New York City, 18,53, 

Practice, 1860. 

Pi-actice, 1878. 

St. Louis. 1874. 

Iowa, 1873. 



liEdlSTKUED IN 1882. 

(i. .M. Prr-nticc. Iowa. 1881. 

Michael T. Roliison. Montreal. 1857, 

.lohii fti'hslciner, Germany, 1870, 

KEGISTERED IN 1883. 

A. Alexson, SwcdiMi, 1869. 

A. H. Keller. Omaha, 1876, 

('. T, Laurence. Cincinnati. 1857. 

Thomas P. Biitlcr. Louisville, 1882, 

heoistkhed in 1884, 

(). r. Shoemaker, Joplin. 1883. 

S. ('. Younsnian. Omaha, 1884, 



:rx: 



e w. 



:^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



369 



EEGISTEBED IN 1885. 

John F. Edfjar, Iowa, 

•Joseph E. Spatz. ChicaEto. 

F. \V. Rose. Ciiiciiinati. 
A. J. Bacon. Chicago, 

G. A. Hhiii-. Baltimore, 
F. A. HiilliT. LouLsville, 
Francis M. Wilcox, Cleveland. 

REGKTERED IN 1886. 

.1. M. liorkner, St. Louis. 

Tlionias McCrackan, Chicaso, 

H. L. Vradenburg, Chicago, 

A. L. Saline, Chicago, 

Daniel Matson, Practice, 

Wni. H. Miller, Chicago, 

ItEOISTEHEI) IN 1887. 

R. R. Blair, Cincinnati, 

(J. W. Randall. Cincinnati, 

Edwaid 1). Barrett. I'ractice, 

A. M. Pickett. Practice, 

D. G. Tliompson. Iowa. 

C. A. Dean. Illinois. 

.J. W. Kissinger. Cliicago. 

M. A. Perkins. Louisville. 

Win. F. Lee. Iowa, 

KEGISTEBED IN 1888. 



.lolin S. (iallison. 
E. O. Boardnuui. 
Thomas C. Malone. 
vSarah A. Scott. 
Chas. M. Williams, 
Adam R. Ray, 
H. M. Bailey, 
Peter .lanns. 



liEiasTEUEI) IN 1889. 



William Tanner, 
Royal Woods, 
L. C. Holmes, 
L. W. Ramaley, 
James H. Coiirod. 



.St. Louis. 

Chicago. 

Clii<'ago. 

Jci|ilin. 

Pi-:iclicc. 



Milo L. Keiisinglon. .Iii|iliii. 
I. W. Houglu'y. Iowa. 



1885. 
1885. 
188.5. 
1864. 
1880. 
1879. 
1850. 

1886. 
1886. 
1886. 
1880. 
1869. 
1873. 



1885. 
1878. 
1861. 
1871. 
1884. 
1878. 
1869. 
1887. 
1875. 



Philadelphia. 1873. 

Chicago, 1878. 

Chicago. 1877. 

Iowa. 1888. 

Indianapolis. 1881. 

Keokuk. 1888. 

Iowa. 1887. 

New York Cilv. 1871. 



1884. 
1889. 
1889. 
1882. 
1873. 
1882. 
1889. 



The military tiffuirs of Clay County are confined 
to liattles l>etw('en the jiioneers, or innniiirants, and 
the Indians, as hitherto related. It is true that a 
hirge number of soldiers of the Civil War and a 
few Mexican veterans reside here. Imt they did not 
eidist from tiie county, and, with tiu' exception 
of James Bainter, Joe Fonts and IMort Kress did 
not participate in any of the battles with Indians 
within the boundaries of Chiy County. 

The W'teran Soldiers Association was organized 
in October, 1883, witli tlie following named mem- 
bers: W. S. Randall, (i. W. Limbocker, J. W. 
(iunn, James Hainter, E. (J. Neighlior. F. Abliey, 
C. K. Ashley, A. G. Jacobs, J. D. llowlison. S. M. 
KIder, L. R. Chapman. C. A. Bush. J. R. Kidd. 



G. W. Ferree, B. F. Graham, E. L. Barnhart, I. D. 
NeweR, E. E. Howard, M. J. Hull, John D. Hayes, 
D. M. Nettleton, A. J. McPeak, L. F. Fryar, B. F. 
Nail, J. E. Wheeler, E. Sumner, Fred Keeber. 
David Walker, G. F. Dickson, E. J. Smith, P. T. 
Walton, John Emrich, E. Austin, A. Hart, M. S. 
fidgington, George Swingle, Capt. Lyon, Joseph 
Meyers, A. Soiiles and C. Stayner. 

The militia compan}' and the several posts of 
the G. A. R. are referred to in the pages devoted 
to the cities of the county, Init at this place the fol- 
lowing roster of resident ex-soldiers is given. 

The soldiers and sailors residing in Fairfield 
Township, in May, 1889, are named as follows, the 
list being taken from Assessor J. B. Massie's list, 
published in the News: 



G. E. Cilass, 18th la. Inf. 
S. Congrove. 186th Ohio Inf. 
Ira Ransom. 78th 111. Inf. 
J. C. HoMlge. 6th Pa. Cav. 
W. A. Pearman. 153d Ind. 

Inf. 
J. A. Jackson. 15th Ohio Inf. 
H. Spencer. KMth X. Y. Inf. 
G. T. Jones. 9th III. Cav. 
J. E. Athev. 116 Ohio Inf. 
E. P. Ryder. 9th la. Cav. 
J. M. Hill. 21st Ohio Inf. 



S.J. Anthony. 19th Oliio Inf. 
J. E. Hoi]|)er.6th Midi. Inf. 
A. Hardy, looth 111. Inf. 

A. Grey, 116tli Ohio Inf. 

S. Barrackman. 7th Vi. V. 

Inf. 
W. E. Close. 1st U. S. S. S. 
L. II. Price. 15.3d Ind. Inf. 
(J. B. McConnell. 93dlll. Inf. 

B. R. Royce. 34th 111. Inf. 
R. McFarland. :\Iarine. 
W. H. Howk. 43d III. Inf. 



I). P.. Gillette. lOiid Ohio Inf.. n. .\. Kcnncy. 17tli III. Cav. 



J. II. Artrip. 131 h Ohio Inf 

.). P. Jennett, 3711i 111. Inf 
I G. W. Flint, nth la. Inf. 

G. W. Avery. I(l4th III. Inf. 

T. J. Looinis. 45tli la. Inf. 

\V. Ma-SfMi. 137th III. Inf. 

.1. P. Nixon. 70th Ohio Inf. 

J. B. Massie, 701 li Ohio Inf. 

n. J. Dowling. ITtli N. Y. 
Inf. 

I). Head ley. 31 si Ohio Inf. 

J. L. Epperson. 7tli III. Cav. 

G.,W. Pale. 112th 111. Inf. 

A. S. Barker. 32d la. Inf. 
, B. F. Hyde. 4th III. Cav. 

C. F. Shedd. engineer. 

\V. S. Randall. 8th la. Inf. 

M. L. Bvrket, 19th la. Inf. 
I E. C. HarrinKt(Mi. 73d 111. 
Inf. 

N. 1!. P.iiiw 11. .Minn Inf 



.]. W. Childevson. 111. Cav. 
W. M. Towers. 3Stli la. Inf. 
A. S. Whipple. 9tli Ind. Inf. 
A. C. Wilson. UHilli III. Inf. 
E. .1. Gordiiiicr. 20tli Ind. 

Inf. 
Ira Titus. 2d Wis. Cav. 
S. I). Heckley. 55th Ohio Inf. 
11. Kool. 7th Kan. Cav. 
J. H. Williams. 77lli III. Inf. 
D. Millard. 138th Ind. Inf. 
t!. A. Stevenson. 181h ^lo. 

Inf. 
W. S. Richards. 68tli O. Inf. 
J. H. Helton. 7lli Ind. Inf. 
I). Ogden. 7th III. Inf. 
Wm. Tolls, loth Kan. Inf. 
W. W. Wattles. 74tli III. Inf. 
J. H. Conlvel-. 3d Cal. Art. 
L. C. Iti-own. 149tli Pa. Inf. 
Eugene Brewer. 34tli III. Inf. 



L. P.icwer. 1st Mich. E. &M 

The soldiers and sailors in Siieridan Township 
reported in -luiie. 1SS!1. by Hubbard Stark, were: 



John Hill. 12(1 III. 

.1. Everett. 1st Ky. Inf. 

D. H. Black. 126tli 111. 

E. E. Lake. 15lli 111. 
Wm. Harrison. 43(1 Wis 
Isaac Specrling. 63(1 111. 



.lames McCin-inick. 4th ^: 

6th N. J. Inf. 
Llohn Thorp. 197th Pa. 
T. R. Elder. 76tli III. 
J. IJeckiiell. 201 h N. Y. Cav. 
W. W. Mallorv. (sailiu-). 



(5- 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



st?. 



'I'lic siildicrs ivsidiiiji in llnrvanl 'I'ciwiisliip in 
ISSII. as rt'iRiiti'd liy L. A. Xoyes, were: 



.loliii \'all<iiiaii. -jotli Wis. 
T. U. WycUoff, l:.".itli 111. 
.\. I'. Iloss. lOl.sl hill. 



W. A. nUsdii, \XM\ 111. 
Svi. Hackiis. fidtli N. V. 
Inf. 



David Oniisl islh N. \. .1. V. liicKiiKin. i:!:!il 111. 

('a\. liil'. 

Im'ii. L. Evans, r.'lli Iml.,'!'. !■■. .Idlmson. I.isili III. 

I'av. S. M. Kislrv. Till III. Cav. 



Orlando Kraco. l:.'4lli III. 
.\iisnn Sdiih'. 1st. X. V. 

Dragoons. 
.1. K. Mognic. Titli Ohio Art. 
Fri'd Ilasololi. ir.tli Mo. 
.Inliii Hcigonosri'iniliiT, iiili 

la. Cav. 



(i. .S. Ilam-oi-lv. issih N. Y. 
1). M. Still's. 3d la. Inf. 
Sainiirl Martin, r.'lilli 111. 
.Iiiliii l)..nnrllv. I'.'llh III. 

Inf. 
.\. .1. Uilcy. 14.itli Pa. 
I)a\id Morgan. lUb N. .1. 



Kobcrt SliatTiT. :.'4tli 111. iC. \V. lainliockcr, 4tli Ind. 
.\. Swallow. l:?tli .Mass. I in Mexican War. 
C. S. Uradli'y. IClli Mirli. '(J. W. Liinbork.'i-. :!d Wis. 
(Jco. WoidtingiT. Isl \\is.| Inf. 

Art. j.l. W. .MrrciT. l.i'.Mli III. 

W. Willonglihy, r.'.-,th Wis. Klijali Tidd. ;i:!il Oliio. 
Olio Hiriningliain. l(llli(i. .1. Tlionias. Isl Wis. .\rt. 

Mii-li. Cav. Isilas Moore. 'M Miss, in 



.1. I). Hain. .-.•,■11 III. 

lOil. Weinier. .'Utli 111. 

lOrastns Austin. IL'Isl III. 

K. .1. Moger. '.i;!d 111. 

A. W. Raiight. I.scih N. Y. 

I!, (i. (Iregg. 4Stli Wis. 

r.raiiford Stone, inili N. Y. 

Inf. 
W. H. Ilamniond. ."itli la. 
I<". I.. Allen. 14(i Ind. 
S. ('. Sliiat, .Sth Oliio. 
I!. R. Sliiat, 3d Cal. Cav 



Mexiean War. and W\h 
Ohio Inf. in Civil War. 

Edward rpdiUe. 14tli N. .1. 

]j. .1. Titns. I4lli N. .1. 

(i. L. i'ike. ii'.nh la. 

A. 1.. Morse. '.).-,! Ii 111. 

W. W. Rnssell, l-.'Ttli 111. 

Win. C. Moore, (iOlli Ohio. 

.1. A. Riipiper. 3'.)tli Wi.s. 

C. I). Moore. 1st ir. S. S.S. 

Ezra lii-own, 4th Mieh Cav. 

I,. A. Noyes. 7tli 111. Cav. 



1). I!. S. Tatroe. I4:.'d X. V. S. .1. Talliert. Hitli la. 

A. O. Slielp. 44lli III. W . T. Sliei-nian. :!d Mieli. 

.lames Winters, loiiil III. .\. K. Slieniian. ;iil Mieli. 

W. !•'. Ilaniniiton. I tr.'d O. II. .1, I',. use. 

The sdldicrs resid'mi;' in Siitloii Townsliii) in 

.May. ISS'.I. as reported liy .1. .J. Ociisner. assessor. 

were: 

.lames A. Davis. .'{Ctli Wis. 
Howard Xewnliam. 4:id Wis. 
.M. Wittenberg. |-.'tli Kan. 
W Ml. 'P. .MeKiiiglit. llth 

Mo. 
C. V. Mi^yer, :i'.nli Wis. 
.1. I». Will, ]i):id Ohio. 
F. M. Urown. I4(li Ind. 
(J. .1. lliteheoek. arM III 



R. II. Stewart. 77th 111. 

(!. R. Davy. L'd Mo. 

.1. C. Merrill, 130tli Ohio. 

M. V. Butler, .5th la. 

.loseph Michel, 77th I'a. 

A. A. Scott. 3d la. Cav. 

.1. (J. Reiitzel, (i4t.h 111. Inf. 

1. X. Clark. 3.->tli III. Inf. 

W. II. Smith, .sth la. Cav. 
C. W. Wallers, 37th Wis. i .\. S. Twitehell. Iir.th X. Y. 
I'. II. Schwab, .->3d 111. I Inf. 

('has. Neninan. 7tli 111. Cav. iMarlin Clark. Ohio iialtery. 
.1. I!. Dinsniore, '.itli N. Y. Michael Tessier. 37lli Wis. 



Charles Diniing. 3!Mli Wis 
Inf. 



W. .1. Keller. 33d Wis. 
Frederick Schioeder, .">3(l 
III. 

The soldiers residing in Lewis Townshij), in 
June, 1889, as rej)orted by Fred Beiklaud, were: 
Ceo. W. Marsh, GOth N. Y.IWin. Hodge. 2d la. Cav. 

Inf. Harrison Wing. '.l.-)tli 111. Inf. 

J. lUirdick, 4'.ith Wis. Inf. JTliomas Fairbanks. 47th 111. 
N. A. Campbell, 47th Ind. | Inf. 



The soldiers resident in Kdgar Townsliip in 

Aiiril, 1889, as reported liy .1. U. Kidd were: 

Ed. .1. Smith. 1st Mo. Cav. .1. .1. Walley. ir)71h X. Y. 
I). 15. Sanbonrn. l.-illi 111. M. .1. Hull. 14tli III. 
'1'. W. Kirkpad'ick. '.Htli 111. O. Crossman. lo.^tli I'a. 



Italian Signian. 7stli Oliii 
Cyrus Stayner. 3d la. 
Ez. Howard, 1st Kv. Inf. 
.1. W. Cottle, umii' X. Y. 
.1. F. .lohnston. 133d 111. 
W. R. Fuller, imli Mieli. 
\V. ,1. (Jarviii. 3d la. 
.\. X. Walrnth. S4tli 111. 
W. M. Parish. 4C,th Wis. 
W. C. Hascoin. 31st 111. 
C. II. Treat, 117th X, Y. 
Win. Saxton, I.i7th N. Y. 
.1. I'. Sackerson, DIh 111. 
S. Ii. Montgoinerv. 70tli O. 
O. A. Avery, 3d K. I. Cav. 
.loseph D. Parish, I'.ilh Wis. 

The .soldiers residing in iicicester Township, in 

June, 1889, reported liy H. S. Siefiven, were: 

A. C. Fisher, !)th la. Henry W. (iiieek. 4'.lth Wis. 

W. II. H. Williams, I.Mli la.! Hero S. Siefken, loth III. 
.lames Campbell. ,S3d 111. Marcus liennett. 31st Ohio. 

Charles Tenbrook. 34tli 111. .lohii llein. Sdtli III. 
.lohii W. XcMillen. '.list III. .lames Ii. Elliott. 10th la. 
.loe Hanla. 14th 111. .1. R. Roggy. 1.3'lth Hi. 



.lames \. Roberts, 3!ith la. 
.1. Ii. Seinans. 1st Minn, 
(ieo. W. Fevill or Fevree. 

."iSlth Ohio. 

T. E. Caslerline. 

Steiihen A. Hnssey. 13()th 

HI. 
.left. Adcoi'k. 33d HI. 
Philip Zeigler. 308th Pa. 
.\. (;. .lacolis. f.th Ohio. 
C. A. Hull. 7tli Cal. Inf. 
M. S. Edgington, 34tli III. 
Jami'S II. (iardner. 
('has. Klingenian. :t(llli Ind. 
Chus. Kisich, 9th III. Ca\. 



E. S. Turner, 73d III. 
(feo. King, 17th la. 
O. D. Khoads. 3d 111. Cav. 
M. (J. Wolrath, 7tli Wis. 

F. M. Crahani. 4otli la. 



Win. .1. Perry. liisth 111. 
Val. Paiilns. 4.5tli Wis. 
(ieo. F. Warren. 3d V. S. 

Col. Inf. 
.1. C. Wilson. 117th Ind. 
(ieo. Allen. 7th Ind. Cav. 

The soldiers residing in ijogan Townsliiii. 

.lime, 1SS9, reported hy H. II. Perry, were: 

\. Xickerson, 18'.) X. Y. 



II. II. Perry. 138tli Ohio. 
A. C. lieck. I34tli 111. 
C. A. liiish, 07tli 111. 
('has. Hiimii, 33d N. Y. Cav, 
.1. H. Hangston. 41st 111. 
C. E. Ashlev. 1st Wis. Inf 
Frank Abbey. 38tli Wis. 
Albert Ilerrick. '.rid 111. 
S. E. Dewey, I'. S. Art. 
.1. W. Smith, llth Ta. 
Nick Kaslick, ii7th HI. 



R. K. Xickerson, 147th X. Y. 
Wm. Kewlev. 17tli 111. 
A. J. McClure. 1st la. Art. 
(ieo. W. Tvvohee, l.-)3(l 111. 
.los. E. Woodhead. 3:id Wis. 
E. E. Hernhardt. I.i4tli III. 
A. Cameron. lOCith III. 
.1. P. Applegate, 43.1 Mo. 
.los. II. Phelps, 30tli la. 
E. Thnrber, l.itli Ind. 



The resident soldiers of Lone Tree Township, in 

June, 1889, reporled liy S. M. Elder, were: 

.lohn M. Elder, 117tli III. | E. F. Frvar. 37tli' 111. 

Ii. F. (iraham, 3d 111. Cav. C. .1. Martin. Oneida Cav. 



Xathaniel (iraham. 37th (). 
EduanI O. Wallace, 3;itii 

Ind. it sth Cav. 
W. E. Palmer. 3(itli la. 



X. Y. 

(IiH). F. Dixon. 7lli III. Cav. 
.lohn N. Kirkpatrick. 3sili 
la. 



W'm. Seelig, 130th Ind. 

Ira Parker, 38th Ohio. 

.las. W. Taylor, 37lli Wis. 

Chas. Mead, .itli Ind. Art. 

.lohn M. .lones. 33d la. 

Ephriam Sumner, 3r)tli la. 
I Edward D.Davis, 18.3d Pa. .1. E. Wheeler. 4tli A 13th 
I Jacob llagar. 3t)th la. I III. Cav. 



.laeol) Crotl'ard. listh Ohio. 
Marion A. Hancock, 3i;tli 

la. 
Andrew Kicker, 30th Me. 
Robert .1. Wilson. 3(llli III. 
Peter Kritehlield. IOr>th III. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



371 



The soldiers aud sailors in Spring Ranche Town- 
ship, May 31, 1889, reported by A. J. Frautz, were: 



Gc'drfic Krcll, Kith U. S. Inf. 
E. II. Tutiiiaii. lOth la. 
Parker Hucliaium. 'XM] 111. 
\V. \V. Hiil.banl.8tli lii.Cav. 
\V. U. Wdiiil. Tth 111. Cav. 
.1. 11. ClifUiM. I4th 111. Inf. 
H. J. Hull. 74th Ind. 
A. II. Hyde. 4th 111. Cav. 
I). \V. ]{. Kvans. l.st (). Cav. 
Will. Urowii. 7th 111. Cav. 
.laini'.'i Hainlcr, 1st Mo. Cav. 



Jos. Meohan. 1st Wis. Cav. 
Win. Osmon. 14th Kan. Inf. 
A. V. Rvisscll. 177th O. Inf. 
n. M. Xrttlcton. 4th 111. Cav. 
RiihiTt Carsill. listh 111. 
Rclicrt Doran. 31st 111. 
Win. Sciglor. 21st 111. 
Win. Buttrrlicld, 41 li 111. 

Cav. 
A. .1. Franz, 3(1 Mil. Inf. 
Ci. \V. Rarr, 11th la. Inf. 



The resident soldiers of Marshall Townsliip. in 
June, ISSi), reported bj- J. W. Britt, were: 



II. C. Mastorson, 133 111. Inf. 
.1. E. .Smith. 47th la. 
Thmnas Siiinnor, titli la. 
.Idscph Hurt. 8th la. Cav. 
Clc-vclanil Ellcr, 9th la. Cav. 
Charles Qiiinn. 4.'->th 111. 
Clinton Davis, 14th Ohio. 
Will. W. Stewart. 47th 111. 
Goo. Sehwingle. S3d 111. 
B. F. Nail, :V3d 111. 
James H. Hazlett, 9th IlL 
Cav. 



Dindlev Walton. 0th Ind. 

Inf. 
Merritt Walton, '.ith Ind. 

Inf. 
A. P. Randall, 19th la. Inf. 
Marshall Tolle, 33d Mo. 
L. R. Chapman, Kith 111. 

Inf. 
Aaron Hart, 141st Ohio Inf. 
D. J. Cook, 77th 111. Inf. 
John Starr, 14.5th Pa. Inf. 



W. N. Randall, 8th la. Inf. 
The resilient soldiers of Lynn Township, in 
April, 188!). reported by B. F. Hoekett, were: 



G. W. Blakely, 99th Ind. 
G. A. Kaylor, 39th Mo. 
J. II. Roekhill, 149th Ohio. 
J. H. Roliertson. 3.5th Wis. 
Win. Newton, ofith N. Y. 
E. J. Stone, 1st N. Y. Art. 
() HisKins, 14r,th 111 
J. E. Turner. 34th III. 
Eli (ii)l(leii, llS-I54tli Ind. 
E. A. Hehard. 25tli la. 
J. W. French, 3d 111. Art. 
II. H. Tiinii'r. 27tli la. 



Andrew McCormick. Sth N. 

Y. Art. 
Alvin (Jrav, 123d N. Y. 
J. H. Alhristht, 3d N. Y. 
Wm. Zook. 103d 111. 
(ieo.F. Di(dvSon,7thIll.Cav. 
J. J. Miller, 11th la. 
W. H. Deeder. 3d 111. 
J. C. Gales, (14th III. 
(4. C, Barthelman, 7tli III. 

Cav. 
R. W. Bayles, 4th la. Cav. 



The soldiers of Eldorado Township, in June, 
1889, reported bj^ John Oehsner, were: 



J. T. Oldaker. 13th W. V. aIox. Patterson, 1st Wis 
Francis Walsh, 3d Wis. 
D. H. Lesala, 52d 111. 
G. W. (Jill, 40th III. 
Lyman (irove, 74th Ind. 

The resident soldiers of Inland Township in 
June, 1889, reported by John Flick, were: 



Alex. Patterson, 1st 

Art. 
G<-o. W. Lee, lnl-ir..3d III 
Jesse J. Harlan. 33d Kv. 
G. W. Kins. 7oth Ohio. 



H. H. Starr, engineers. 
D. J. Meyers, .50tli III. 
Win. Delay, 3d Col. 
John Peterson, 47th Pa. 
J. H, C. Seherieh, 301st Pa, 
Teddie Fissen, l()3d Pa. 
Thomas McCormick, llth 

Mich. Cav. 
Geo. F. Smith. 1st Me. Inf. 
Ben. T. Riley, 70th Ohio. 
W. W. Lyons, 21st la. 
W. Welton, 3d Midi. Cav. 
Win. Ealer. 13th Pa. Cav. 



James C. Kearney. 1.51 li 

Wis. Inf. 
Wm. Galleutine, 7th W. V. 
Neil McKenney, lS2d Ohio. 
Austin Lathrop, 13(jth N. Y. 
Joseph Myer, 3(;th Pa. Inf. 
Wm. Barnett. 7th W. V. 

Cav. 
Albert Lathrop, 18th Conn. 
0. M. Francisco. 30th Wis. 
Geo. V. Cope, loth Mich. 
Neri Smith, 43d Ohio. 



Aufciist Steiiibriick. 1st Mo. 
The soldiers residing in Glenville township, in 
in 1889, reported liy W. G. Shiveley, were: 



Isl Mich. en- 



Silas Ackinan. 43d Ind. 
J. R. Vance. 39th Ohio. 
W. Smith, .5th N. Y. Art. 
H. K. Hallock, loth Mich. 

Cav. 
L. W. Hunniciitt, 24th la. 
J. F. Worick, Sth Wis. I 

The resident soldiers of Seliool Creek Township. 

reported in June, 1889, by J. G. Nuss, were: 



D. F. Fisher, 
gineers. 

D. B. Randolph (sailor). 

E. W. Bortis, 4th 111. Cav. 
Hugh McCune, (iSth 111. 
Jacob THsch, 102d Pa. 



Thomas Smith, 38tli Ohio. 
John W. W. Swallow, 14Cith 

III. 
Edward .McVey. 41 li la. Cav. 
Wm. Crooks. 4i;th Wis, 
■leremiah Daly. 9th Conn. 

Inf. 



Josiah Sehnlz, 102d Ohio. 
Reuben Booth. 1st III. L. A. 
Jose])h Michael. 77th Pa. 
Alon/.o A. Corey, 10th Wis. 
Charles L. Campbell, 77th 

111 
H. C. Edmistiin, 31st Pa. 









V 



A± 



372 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



I'l.AV ('i;nti:i: and Sitidn — Tjocatiiix of tiik Skat df .Iistk f. — Fkinkf.i; Days of thk Vii.i.A(iKs — Eakly 

Mfsixkss HorsFs AM) 1)\\ i;i.i,ix(is — Im-ohimhiaiion -S( iiooi.s — Cihuciiks — Si;( liKT Axu Hknkvoi.f.nt 

Assof lATIoXs — ()l'KMN(i OF RaII.KOAH CoNX K< TIO.NS — TeLKI'HoXK — BaXKS — PoSTOFFICK.-^ — 

FliKXCIl AXU (iHAY SeTTLKMENTS — (iEXKHAL DeVELoI'.MEXT AXII PmXiKE.SS — 

I'I'.ESEXT IXTEHESTS MoOEK.N CoMllIIOX. 




' v D i d ■' ■ 

■■ His i-iirii ;iiiil cntlli- wci'c liis (inly care. 
Anil hi;^ su|iriTiii' (li'lii;lii ;i riiiintrv fail'." 

IK claiiiis of the Sieograpli- \ (Company, ami l:ii(l off iiiti) (idO lots. The first Imilil 

i(:il rinter of (May ('oiiiitv. , iiiji erected on the site was a large oiie-stor^- frame. 

I'ldiii the time the eounty l)el()nging to W. D. Young, and u.sed hy the eoiinty 

was organized in 1S71 to foi a court house, and was built in May, 187!l. The 

^7'-'. were kept l)efore the i next Imilding was a restaurant belonging to .J. N. 
[icoplc. and the speeti'e of .Mills, erectecl in .hme. 1S70. and in July the post- 
thai piece of wild prairie ' ollici- was brought from Marshall, about two miles 

lillcil the cnlei'prisiui; citizens i east, and estal)lished at the center. an<l was kciit b\ 
' ■ 1 ' ' ■ 

of Sutton with alaiin. After some ' the present ineumljent, Mrs. .Sophia Cruiekshauk. in 

\e.,rs this spectic materialized and a small house, the front part of which is used as a 



won from the wisdom or majority 
of tile peoph' all that it asked. As 
related in the transactions of the 
commissioners and in the [lolitical 
liapter. the peo|)le of Sutton con- 
sidered that till- \iclor\' was against 
iii^fir'^ the law and the profits (not proi)h- 
ets), but a second elet'tion declared Clay Centre en- 
titled to liolh. 

The latter town was surveyed in the summer of 
1S7!). liy (>. 1*. Alexander, acting as trustee for the 
Town Site Comiiany, composed of 11. G. iJrown. of 
Sutton; K, 1*. Church, of Harvard; R. Bavlv and 



postottlce and the back part as a residence. About 
the first of tlu' next year (i. K. Birge and L. |i 
Kowler built an abstract and loan ottice. in whi<-li 
business they are still engaged. ha\ ing the only set 
of abstract liooks in the county. The firm also car 
ried on a b.-inkiug business. In August. l.^SI. a 
new firm was forme<l and incorporated, succeeiling 
that of Birge >.Vc Fowler, known as the Clay County 
Alistract and Loan C"mpany. and ha\ing a capital 
stock paid up of Sly, 00(1. The company is com 
posed of <i. II. Cowles, president: L. I). Fowler, 
vice-president, .and (i. Iv Birge. manager. 

In January. 1S>S1. W. I). Young built a carpen- 



(). I*. .Vlexander. of Fairfiehl. and is located at the I ter shop, which was occu|)ied June 1. by .Mrs. H. C. 
exact center of till' coiHit\'. The land was puicliascd Tout, and in which --lie kept a general store, con- 
froni the Burlinuton & .Mis.souri lti\er Maili'oad tinuin"' in the business until IK'cemlier. and was siu-- 



CLAY COUNTY. 



373 



ceeikMl liv l>. Ijcitcli. who ki'cps :i ticiionil storo in 
the s;uiu' I'Doiii. in whirh mIso .Mrs. \. ]j. Strong 
keeps rt stofk of niilliiu'iv "Oods. (i. 8. und J. C. 
Ward, before the town started, hud opened :i Maek- 
smith shop just outside of wliere it was hud otT. and 
in Januarj', 1880. thev moved tiieir shop into tlie 
town, where they continued tlie traile of l)lacksniith- 
ing and repairing. A ehuroli edifice was erected in 
Decenilier, 1880. by the Cln-istiuns. wlio had hitliorto 
been liolding services in a country scliool liouse, 
soutli of wliere tlie town now stands, and is a 24x46 
fraini' house. (Mjstingaboat $1,200, A school house 
was built ill •July, 1881, in which was taught the 
first school in the town by .Mrs. Charles Wagner. 
A second church was established in February. 1882. 
by the Congregatioiialists, with thirty members, and 
Rev. G. A. Taylor, pastoi-. Services aiv held in the 
court room, but active steps arc being taken for the 
building of a regular church liouse at an early date. 
Following this, in the immediate order of time, was 
the erection of a hotel by C. Ij. Holbrook, which he 
ran as a public house until August of the same year, 
when it was rented to P. T. Walton, and used for 
the same purpose up to Feliruary, 1881. at which 
time if was sold to J. B. and S. S. Tiittle. the pres- 
ent owners and proprietors. The next liuilding was 
a law office, which was built in March. 1880. by S. 
A. Searle, and following this was the erection of a 
storeroom Ijy S. A. Allen, in which for a short time 
he kept a stock of drugs. The business, however, 
ceased, and the house was sold anil is now used for 
a residence. In March C. X. Green liuilt a house 
for a saloon; H. L. Corey and J. H. Davis built a 
liver}' barn and residence, and also a resilience b\- 
C. J. Martin was built during that month. Iii Xo- 
vemlier. 1880, E. P. Burnett put up a residence, as 
also Mrs. 1). C. Marsh, the latter being used for a 
short time for a boarding-house while the court 
house was in process of erection. The contract for 
the erection of the court house was given to W, D. 
Young, in Fcbniaiy. 1880. and in the following 
!May work was coinincneed on the building, which 
was completed by the first of Xovember, according 
to the terms of the contract. 

In 187:i the Marshall [lostotHrc was established 
on Section (i, Township C. Range (!, at the house of 



•James rriiickshaiik. with the owner as postmaster. 
He continued to hold the otfire there until about 
1878. when Mrs. Sophia Cruickshank was appointed 
and carried on the ottice at Marshall for about one 
year, when the ofBee was changed to the new county 
seat. The .salary at that time was SI per month; 
but as the new^ town grew this small consideration 
increased, an<l the office is jiaid l)y ordinary com- 
mission to-day. Mrs. Cruickshank has held the 
oflice continuously since 18711. and prior to that 
time carried on the office for her luotlier-in-law. 
For the three months ending December 31. 1889. 
the .sale of stamps amounted to ^329, while the 
money orders issued .iinouiit to about $800 per year. 
The first annual meeting of seliool district Xo. 
70 was organized April 4, 1881, C. J. Martin pre- 
siding. Charles Lunii was chosen treasurer; A. .1. 
MePeak, J. F. Thompson and I.,. .7. Forney building 
committee. The vote of the district in favor of 
building was 24, and against 9. the amount in ques- 
tion being iS2S0. .John Damon presided in 1882. .J. 
P. Xixon and C. .J. :\Iartin in 1883-4. In 1885 H. 
H. Hendee and wife were engaged to teach the 
school here for $700 per aniiuni. In 1880 William 
M. Walters was a director. In April. 1887, he and 
J. M. Jones were chosen trustees for one year. D. 
Leitch and P. Cruickshank for two years, Jacob 
Hayward and X. .M. Moulton for three yeai«. In 
April. 1888, the question of issuing bonds for 
$3,000, the proceeds to lie expended on a school 
building, was ordered to be submitted. This propo- 
sition was cai-ried and the two-story frame buildinu- 
erected. The school board, in February, 1890. 
comprises H. E. McDowell. I). Leitch. J. M. Lyons, 
•lacob Hagar. X. M. Moulton. and Secretary Stien. 
Minnie Bayly was employed as teacher in September. 
1880; C. S. Detwieler in August. 1881; Emma Mc- 
Kee, 1882; William M. Walters, 1883; H. B. Strong 
and H. H. Hendee. 1884; B. G. Moulton. Josie L. 
Noble. L. J. Coweu. 1885. In 1888. J. K. McKee. 
„.>sie Xoble and Jennie Forbes were teachers, while 
in 1889 the name of X. .^I. (iraham appears as 
teacher, and he with 'Misses Xoble and Price preside 
over the schools in 1890. The number of jiiipils 
enrolled is 145. and the total number in the i-onnty . 
5,877. of whom 3,110 are males and 2.707 females. 



^f^ 



374 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Gi'oriic K. BiiiiC. K. I'. Hiinu'tt, (Jcoiiic V. Dick- 
son, lydiiis I'', h'ryai', (nuirlcs J. .Miirtin. Jonas I'. 
Nixon, (). II. I'ai'sons, (Jeorije II. \'an Ouync and 
.lustusK. Wlii't'Icr arc crodiU^d with licinu, llic only 
owners of liooks in IS.Sl S2 at CUy Center. 

Clay ('cntci- was incoiporatcd Kehniary 111. 1SS7. 
on petition of Peter Cruicicslianlv and eighty-two 
others, with Dugald Leitcli, N. M. Moulton, ('. S. 
Detwieler. .lohnO. Ward and II. R. Goodall, tni.stees. 
'I'liis lioard organized Kel)rnary 2S, witii I>. Leiteli. 
president; Joini M. Jones, clerk; B. \'\ I'ollot'k. 
treasnrei'; K. I'. McLoney, attorney. In April, J. 
V. Ward. J. W. Irish, IJ. V. I'olloek, J. M. Jones 
.■mil J. Harrison were chosen trustees; L. F. Fryar, 
treasurer; (Jharles Atiicy, niarsliall. and B. F. Mc- 
lioney. clerk and attorney; Messrs. Fryar it McLo- 
ney hold these positions still. Inl888,C. S. Detweiler, 
Lee Hurlingame, J. M. Jones, C. L. Woodward and 
H. B. Strong, were chosen tru.stees and L. Gardner, 
marshall; in 1S89, Jacob Hagar, George S. Ward, 
Lee Hurlingarae. George E. Birge and H. E. Mc- 
Dowell, trustees; B. F. McLoney, clerk and attorney; 
L. F. Fryar, treasurer; J. W. Crouse, street com- 
missioner; L. Gardner, marshal. 

In December, 188G, a number of persons from 
Fairfield visited Cla}- Center on the first passenger 
train that entered the town. Conductor Miller and 
engineer Gordon were in charge of the train. Two 
hundred and ten persons formed the party. 

On March 1, 1887, the depot at Clay Center was 
opened with S. M. Wallace, agent. He is still in 
that position. The record of Inisiness for the year 
ending March 1, 1888 shows a total business of 
$37,709.-17. The heavy business of that year must 
be credited to the large amount of corn erilibed here 
awaiting the completion of the road for shi|inicnt, 
so that the fact of the business of the two last years 
not showing an increase over that of the first year 
must be credited to this source. 

The telephone line between Clay Center and Fair. 
tield was completed April 30, 1887, the credit being 
given to L. F. Fryar and Jesse EUer of Clay Center, 
and C. J. Furer. E. J. Jenkins. J. C. Hedge and J. 
L. Epperson, of Faiiticld. 

The Commercial State U.ink ,it Cl.iy Center, was 
establisheil February 11, 1SS7, with (). ii. Smith. 



president; J. M. Sewell, vice-president; Horace N. 
Jones, eashici'. and II. F,. McDowell, assistant cash- 
ier. The capital paid up is $3(t.0()0. 

The State Bank of Clay Center suceeiled the 
First National Hank. The new organization was 
eH'ected August 7, ISS!), the corporators being (!. 
W. Clawson, S. A. Walker, C. F. McGrew, George 
.\. Tcnuey, Frank Knox, George E. Birge, L. I), 
h'owler, W. J. Gardiner, \V. L. Wilson and William 
M. Waltei-s. G. W. Clawson was cho.sen president, 
and W. J. Gai'diner cashier. 

The State Bank building was erected in 1887 by 
Jesse F. Eller. This and the court house are the 
only brick buildings in town. 

The Clay County Aljstract and Trust Company 
was organized in January. 1888, with L. F. Fryar, 
president; George E. Birge, vice-president; H. E. 
Stein, manager, and they with L. I). I'owler formed 
the board of director. 

The Methodist Society- completed organization 
in 1884. with J. M. Markle, preacher, and the fol- 
lowing named members: Mrs. Markwell, H. 0. 
Skike and wife, G. W. Fate and wife, Caroline 
McClanahan, Nancy MctManahan and William Wal- 
ters and wife. This society erected a neat frame 
church building, which was dedicated November 11, 
1888, and in other directions shows signs of pro- 
gress. The Ladies' Aid Society of the Methodist 
Epi-scopal Church elected the following officers for 
18i»0: Mrs. D. Fetz, president; Mrs. Mead, vice- 
president; Mrs. George \Vard, secri'tary; Mrs. N. 
E. Perry, treasurer. 

The Congregational Church of Clay Center was 
organized February 4, 1882, with Peter McMartin. 
E. P. Burnett and Peter Cruickshaidi, trustees. In 
September C. Wagner took Mr. McMartin's place. 
Mrs. A. L. Strong was elected January 17, 1883, 
John Weir, October, 1883, E. P. Burnett and Peter 
Cruickshank were re-elected in January, 1884, and 
N. M. Moulton, vice Burnett, in September of that 
year. Early in the j'ear steps were taken to build 
a church-house, and in September, 1884, the dedi- 
cation took place. In January, 1885, Mr. Cruick- 
shank was chosen to fill vacancy; M. S. Price was 
elected in January, 1886; George E. Birge and D. 
Leitch. in January, 1887, and George E. Birge was 






CLAY COUNTY. 



375 



re-elected in January, 1888, Tlic members, on 
March 7, 1882, were D. J). N()l)le, wife ;in(l three 
daucjhters; Cora Noble, Sarah S. Tuttle, F. (). 
Markwell, Annie L. Stronji'. Peter and Sophia 
("rnickshank,Peter McMartin,.!. (!. and J. P. Grym, 
Emily L. Noyes, George E. Hirge, Mrs. Ward, 
Cliarles II. and Fannie Wanger. 8. A. and Hattie 
Allen, A. Cosselman, the :\IcPecks. Sarah and Jen- 
nie Leiteh. ^Mrs. Stayker. Pan ^Vilkinson anil wife, 
(Miarlotte Wheeler and a few others. One hundred 
and five names were enrolled u|) to January. 18!)(), 
of wliiim twcnt\-tw() were dismissed and two were 
reniiived by death. The tirst preaclier was (leoi-ge 
E. Taylor, who was succeeded in August, ISSO, by 
Mr. Southworth. ^liss Emma K. Henry was ap- 
pointed pastor April 3, 1SS7. and on January 8, 
18SS. Rev. R. R. Williams was called. H. B. 
McDowell succeeded E. E. Benbin as clerk, in Sep- 
tembe-, 1888. 

The Christian (.'liiu-rh was (irganizcd January 11 . 
lS7;i. with Daniel, Susannah and ]>avin:i Troxel, 
Abraham and Mary Davis. Walter and Harriet 
(iantz, Annie EUer, Rebecca Wileman. Olander and 
Amanda McKay. J. Artrup and JdIui Spci'ry, mem- 
liers. The preachers have been W. T. and T. J. 
Newcomh, George Lobinger. William Sumpter, C. 
B. Lotspeich, O. C. Hubbell, J. H. Stark and A. 
K. Wright. The ofHce of clerk has been filled I)y 
J. F. EUer and M. E. Thomas, while ^Messrs. EUer. 
AUbee and McAdams formed the building commit- 
tee in 1881, under whose direction the house of 
worship was comjjleted in the fall of that year. 
The present memliership Is 121. 

The members of the Catholic congregation as- 
semble at intervals, to take part in the ceremonies 
(if the church; l)Ut there is no resident pastor. 

Of the secret and benevolent societies at Clay 
('cnt<>r the following are deserving of especial men- 
tion: Clay Center Lodge No. 139, A. F. & A. M. , 
was organized December 15, A. L. 5884. under dis- 
pensation granted by ;M. W. , John J. Weniple. G. 
M. , on December 0, A. L. 58S4. The 'charter was 
granted June 24. A. L. 5885, to George Cinnamon, 
James Cummins. William C. Dye, Jesse F. EUer. 
James S. Foulon. Louis F. I''ryar. James Leiteh, 
Hugh Ldudiu. Charles J. Martin. .Icremiah J. sill- 



ier, Guy W. Secord, William D. Shike, William D. 
Stone, H. B. Strong, William M. Walters. Justus 

E. Wheeler and George A. Shike, and the lodge was 
constituted July 21, A. L. 5885, by W. B., Mel- 
ville W. Stone, proxie of M. W. , Manoah B. Reese, 
(i. M. The Worshipful Masters of this lodge are 
named as follows in the order of si'r\ice: L. F. 
Fryar, U. D. ; L. F. Fryar. duly 21, 1S85, to June 
24, 1886; H. B. Strong, June 24, 1880, to June 
24, 1887; L. F. Fryar. June 24. 18S7. to June 24, 
1888; II. E. Stein, .luue 24. ISSS. to June 24. 
1889, and re-elected for term ending June 24. 18SX1. 

The office of secretaries has been filled by the 
following named members: C. J. .Alartin. U. I).. C. 
J. Martin, July 21. 1885, to June 24. ISSd; W. 
M. Walters, June 24, 1880, to June 24, 1887; .1. 
J. Miller. June 24, 1887, to June 24. 1888; C. H. 
Keyes, June 24, 1888, to June 24. 1889; George 

F. Dickson. June 24. 1889, for term ending June 
24. 1S!H). The only death was that of John L. 
Burt, who was buried iMareh 23, A. L. 5885; U. D. 
The present memliership is twenty-seven. 

The officers in 1889 were: H. E. Stein, master; 
(f. W. Secord, C. C. Blanchard, George F. Dick- 
son. C. H. Keyes, H. B. Loudin, J. B. EUer. G. 
A. Shike and George Cinnamon. 

Of Excelsior Lodge No. 15, K. of P., it may be 
said that on October 21, 1873, a preliminary meet- 
ing was held at Brownville, Neb. , for the pupose of 
petitioning for charter. On November 19, 1873, a 
charter was granted to John Blake. L. A. Bergman. 
E. Huddart, A. J. McFall. J. (". McNaughton. H. 
H. Dolen, H. L. Crist, John B. McCabe, W. T. 
Rogers and T. D. Shurtz to organize at Brownville. 
Neb. , a lodge of Knights of Pythias to be known as 
Excelsior Lodge No. 15, K, of P., Nebi-aska. On 
November 19, 1873, the lodge was instituted by J. 
W. Carter, G. C. , and on March 2. 1887, moved to 
Clay Center and opened bj- John Morrison, G. C. 
The chancellor commanders at Brownville were: 
i John Blake, J. C. McXaiighton, J. B. Docker, D. B. 
I Caihapp. I! F. Sanders. J. B. McCabe. H Hud- 
\ dart, J. II. Bower, W. M. Kautfman. J. C. Mc- 
Naughton. F. E. John.son, Isaac Williams and W. 
T. Moore, while at Claj" Center the office was held 
liv John M Jones and George E. Birge. W. H. 



s "V 



Smith holds tliat office at prcsuut. The koepi'is of 
record ;nid seal at Brownville were: H. H. Dolen, 
.1. M. Ihi.k.T. F. K. .loliiison. W. M. Kauirinan. K. 
Lowinan. I). I>. Adams. (Jeorp' W. l-'airluolhcr. 
Jr., S. Seoman.-I. B. Docker, T. ('. Hacker, W. .M. 
Kautl'inaii, ('. S. Chatlield, J. C. McNaiijililon, W. 
M. Kaurtman, and at Chiy (Viiler; W. B. Siiiilh. B. 
I' Mcd.oncy. H. K. Steiii and S. A. I». Iliiiton, who 
holds that (itlicc at jiresent. The oidy (K'ath oc- 
cnrrcd .Inly 2S, 1888. when Harry V. Beach died at 
Whitten. Iowa. The present memliersiiii) is twenty- 
seven. 

.Ionian Post, ti. A. I!., was organized during 
tile winter of 1S8G-87. and the charter was granted 
.March 11. 1S87. to the following named comrades: 
i^ohert .). Wilson, Twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry; 
-Joseph L Mj-er, Twenty-sixth Penn.sylvania Tnfan- 
trv: Jacol) Hagar. Comi)any K. Thirty-sixth Iowa 
Infantry; Joseph Burt. Company .\. Eighth Iowa 
('a\alry: Charles Latonr. Company C, Forty-sixth 
Illinois Infantry: 8ainncl Williams. Company K. 
Seventy-third New York Infantry; J. J. .Miller, Com- 
pany D, Eleventh Iowa Infantry; J. W. Irish, Com- 
l)any A. Second United States Artillery; Nathaniel 
Graham. Company A. Twenty-seventh Ohio Infan- 
try; S. M. Elder. Company II, One Hundred and 
Forty-third Illinois Infantry; Eli (lolding, Company 
I. One Hundred and Eighteenth, and Company I, 
One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Indiana Infantry; B. 
F. (Jraham. Company I>. Third Illinois Cavalry; 
l'',|)hraim Sumner. Company C. Thirty-sixth Iowa 
Infantr\ ; h. V. Fryar, Company A, Thirty-seventh 
Illinois Infantry: G. W. Marsh, Company C, Six- 
tieth New York Infantry; Thomas Sumner, Com- 
pany D, Sixth Iowa Infantry: William Seelig, Com- 
jjauy I, One Hundrcil and Thirlietli Indiana Infan- 
try; .lohn M. .lones. Company F. Thirty-third Iowa 
Infantry. 

The past |)ost-conuuanders ai'e; Jacob Hagar, 
!i. F. Fryer and J. J. .Miller; while S. :M. Elder is 
the present commander. John .M. Jones has served 
as adjutant from beginning. The present meniher- 
ship is twcntyeight, with place of meeting in I'nion 
Hall. The name of regiment of nicmliers of this 
Post are contained in the rosters of resident soldiers 
of the count V. 



The Woman s liclief Corps was organized Jann 
ary 4, 1888, with sixteen uiciuliers. of whom the 
following named were cho.sen otllcers in order of 
corps rank: Mesdamcs Walters. Miller. Seelig. Mead. 
Jacoli Hagar. (ii'.-diam, McLc-m and Wilson. 

The A. O. I*. W. was chartered here March L'l. 
18S!I. The following were charter members. |* 
after name of first officers.] Joseph Spear, L. V. 
Fryar*, Arthur E. Nye, John M. Jone.s*, Edward I). 
Davis*, James h. Campbell, Lee Burlingame*, 
Julius M. MeLeod, (i. E. Birge*, S. A. D. Ilinton*, 
O. C. Williams*, F. A. Thomi)S(m*, H. E. Stein*. 
M. P. Leitch, 0. P. Shoemaker*, F. Stanton*. J. C. 
Ward*, C. C. Blanehard*, L. F. Fryar. P. M. W. ; 
J. C. Ward, M. W.; E, D, Davis, F. ; H. E. Stein, 
O. ; O. C. AVilliams, reed; F. A. Thompson, fin.; 
G. E. Birge, receiver. The names of Past >Iaster 
Workman and present Master W^orkman are L. F. 
Fryar and Master Workman J. C. Ward. 0. C. 
Williams is recorder. There are twenty-four active 
members of this lodge. 

The old cornet band in August. 1SS4, comprised 
J. F. EUer, Walter McKinley. J. M. Jones, Jacob 
EUer, Ed. Underwood, George Ward, Joseph Price, 
L. F. Fryar. Harry Goodall, C. S. Detweiler and B. 
H. MarkwcU. In March, 1SS7. a re-organization 
was effected under the title of Knights of I'ythias 
Band, with H. C. Beach, leader. 

The press at Clay Center is represented by the 
Sun and Democi'at. Tlu' former is the ollicial paper 
of the county, and is very well conducted. 

The Democrat is a new journal. ;ind thoioiigldy 
what its name indicates. To it is creiliteil the in 
quirv which led to the examination of the re<Miiil 
liooks of the treasurer's otiice back to ISSi). 

Sutton is the center of new associations. It 
borrows no propelling power from venerated anti- 
(piareanism since the spot where it now stands was 
but yester(lay the |)rairie. Her lii-st settlers were 
iron-sonled men. who determined to hew out a town 
and build up a prosperous connuunity. They had a 
mission which they performed, and so etfcctnally 
done was the work that it appears to grow in solidity 
with the years and to be done for all time. Sutton 
is the oldest town in Clay Conuty. the largest in 
point of population and business, and tlic lowest in 






:\^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



37'; 



elevation above sea level. Its early history is inter- 
esting in every particular and instructive in many. 
It leaped within twenty-one months from a tract of 
wild prairie into a pretentious countj' seat, and 
within that time entered the lists against the Bur- 
lington & ^Missouri Kiver Railroad legions. Through- 
out this war against a powerful corporation, the peo- 
ple conducted themselves with remarkable modera- 
tion, and justice won for once against oppression. 
This victory became the theme of George W. Bemis, 
and in the fall of 1872 he sent the following poem, 
'•Grafton to Sutton," to the M. S. S. Journal, then 
issued by the members of the I. 0. G. T. Lodge, 
and published in the State Journal in 1873: 

"What a cluiikiiig of liaiiiiiu'rs and ringing of saws; 
H(i\v they soiuid tlirougli tlir valleys and ring in tlu' draws: 
Oil! Sntton is growing, in the midst of the fray. 
With tile city of Grafton only/oiir miles away. 

••How the B. & M. engines shriek, whistle and sijiiall, 
And send forth the order that Sntton must fall: 
How they tlinnder and mutter and groan night and day. 
With the eity of Grafton only three miles away. 

••Then came Mr. Mai'tliis. and thus lie dirl say. 
• I am tired of Grafton; if only I may, 
I'll come down to Sutton, without delay.' 
Soon Grafton will be only two miles away. 

••Then started the wagons and horses and men. 
The steeds, how they foamed, as a whip now and tlnn. 
Came down on their sides, near the close of the day. 
With the city of Grafton only o)i<^ mile away. 

••Then riislicil ilciwu tlic hill the hiack and the gray, 
Close followeil the crowd to have sport lui the way. 
And the shont that went up at the end of tin' fray. 
Said •The city of Grafton is in Sutton to-day.' " 

The town site, named after Sutton, Mass. , was 
entered as a homestead, March 14, 1870, by Luther 
French, a native of Painesville, Ohio. On June 5, 
that year, he located on Section 2, Township 7. 
Range 5, and. before the close of that month, fin- 
ished the tlrst house in old School Creek precinct, 
on the l)aid\ of the creek. Meantime he broke six 
acres of the prairie and showed evidences that the 
requirements of the homestead law would be fulfilled 
on his part, and surveyed the town site August 10, 
1871, into 600 lots. He was followed by James 
C. Vroman, who located a soldier's homestead south 
of the French claim. Early in 1871, French put in 

24 



four acres of wheat, which he threshed that fall by 
the treading-out process, and winnowed in the wind. 
The grain was hauled forty-eight miles to Milford, to 
be ground. 

The Gray settlement was made May 4, 1871, by 
W. H. Gray, John M. Gray, G. W. Bemis, and W. 
Cunning and wife, the latter being the first 'white 
woman who settled near town. A few days later 
McTighe erected a board shanty between the homes 
of H. W. Gray and A. A. McCoy (as the}- stood in 
1882), and opened the first business house, continu- 
ing there until the re-location near the railrotid. 
Kearney & Kelley started a salf)on, using a tent 
as store-house, and P. H, Curran and Martin Hig- 
gins also established saloons. As the work of rail- 
road building progressed the saloons moved west. 

In June, 1871, Andrew Sherwood established 
his blacksmith shop in ;i sod-house, below Mr. 
French's dug-out. J. R. Maltby, of Crete, and 
William A. Way also came, and, jumping Vroman's 
claim, succeeded in getting it canceled and a title 
issued to themselves. This old Vroman claim they 
surveyed in Februarj-, 1873, as the first addition to 
the town of Sutton. Thurlow Weed lirought a car- 
load of lumber from Lincoln to this point, .\ugust 

23, 1871, and opened the first luml)er yard. John 
.M. Gray arriveil with another car-load on .\ngust 

24, and started another yard. 

Asa Tracj' kept the first hotel and later con- 
ducted a store. Charles Calkins was similarly en- 
gaged here. Mr. Lyuch's grocery was in the Ijuild- 
ing occupied by Bagley & Bemis, in 1882. Thorn- 
ton R. Linton established the first livery September 
20, 1871; and, on October 14, an election held at 
Campbell's house, near Harvard, decided in favor 
of Sutton as the county seat. 

The post office was established in June, 1S71, 
with Luther French post master, whose coat^poeket 
was used as a post otlice. Rev. A. Burlingame. 
who was at one time a Methodist preacher, suc- 
ceeded French January 1, 1872, and on July 1, 
that year, the salary of the office was increased from 
$12 to $400. On July 1, 1873, it was created a 
money order office, and on the 7th the first order, for 
$10.50, was issued io Russell Merrill in favor of 
Burns, the Omaha merchant. During the war lie. 



f^ 



378 



HISTORY OP NEBRASKA. 



tvvooii till' town anil the railroad. I'osl .Master (len- 
eral Oresswell favored tlie claims of Sutton and 
foreed the railroad company to deliver tlie mail at 
the office, which was just within the eighty rods 
limit. This was changed and the train men were 
ordered not to stop at Sutton, thus compelling the 
mail agent to snatch the sack from the postmaster. 
On August 19, 1872, Bnrlingauie refused to so de- 
liver the sacks, leaving them in llie oHice. The rail- 
road company introduced a war against the local 
postmaster, who reported matters and the company 
vvas compelled to carry the mail from Grafton to 
S\itton. T, R. Linton, the freighter, was hired to 
do this work, and performed it at *l(t<l l)cr three 
months, until the company grew tired of the ex- 
pense, and petitioned for leave to deliver at Sutton. 
This was granted and a mail ciane was erected oppo- 
site Gray's lumber yard, in the fall of 1872. Some- 
times pranks would be indulged in, one of which 
was the hanging of a dead tlog on the crane, which 
I he mail agent caught at, supposing it to l)e the 
mail sack. The crane was cut down subsequently, 
and, by .some railroad inlluence, a United States 
carrier was appointed, who served until the little 
war was ended and a depot established here. In 
March, 1877, A. C. Burlingamc was appointed post^ 
master. A. C. Burlingame served after the death 
of his father until W. T. Stone was appointed post- 
master by the Arthur administration. W. T. Keller 
came in in 1887, and J. W. Johnson, ap|>ointcd in 
vacation in the fall of 1889, and was contirmed as 
postmaster in 1890. 

The railroad war dates back almost to August 
12, 1871, when the first rail of the Burlington & 
.Missouri River Railroad was placed within the town- 
shi|) of Sutton. Shortly after Attorney Joseph Wil- 
sey, of Crete, waited on French and induced him to 
give right of way on condition that a depot should 
be established at Sutton. This deed was not re- 
corded until after his deed to the Clark brothers was 
liled, and so became worthless. The company, 
however, placed a freight ear here to be used as a 
depot building. It was No. 124, and this number 
was painted on a bleached buffalo skull, which was 
suspended from a pole attached to cue end of the 
cai'. On the town of Grafton being surveyed for 



the I'aiiroad I'onipaiiy. this Icniporaiy depot was 
moved four and oiu'-half miles east of Sutton, 
basing their action on the fact that Sutton was given 
up to saloons, and that the Vroman claim was still 
unsettled. This peculiar transfer was made Decem- 
ber 15 and 1(1, 1871. The war was then commenceil 
in earnest. The \'i-oman title was settled, and in 
January, 1872, Mr. Weed was authorized to otter 
the railroad company one-half of Clark, Maltby & 
Way's aildition and twenty acres of .Maltliy & Way's 
lands, on condition that the depot be re-established. 
Othei' steps were taken, but without avail, and not 
until April, 1871!, did the people cease their ert'orts 
to obtain a depot. Meantime the merchants gave 
their freight to the St. Joe & Denver Railroad, Rob- 
bins & Marthis ha<l removed their stoie from Graf- 
ton to Sutton in December, 1872. and the battle 
against the railroad company was virtually won. In 
May, 1873, it acceded to the terms proposed liy the 
citizens, and in the fall of that year the depot was 
erected and R. JI. (xrinies appointed agent. He was 
succeeded by L. S. Sage. 

A daughter was born to Mrs. F. A. Gross, Feb- 
ruary' 15, 1872. being the first birth in Sutton. 
Maude, a daughter of Asa Tracy, died April 21, 

1872. being the first death. 

A colony from Southern Russia, near the port of 
Odessa, on the Black Sea, came to Sutton and set- 
tled in the town and adjacent country in the fall of 

1873. The principal leaders of the colony were 
John Grosshans, Henry Griess and Henrj- Hottman 
The whole number of families was fiftj'-five. They 
bought, iu the aggregate, 16,120 acres of land, at 
an average cost of $7 per acre, making $112,840 
that was paid the Burlington & Missouri Railroad 
Company and to the homesteaders for land. Their 
propert}' in Sutton cost them $18,000; their com- 
bined wealth in this county in 1882 was $500,000. 

Sutton, in July, 1873, comprised forty-one 
houses, nearly all devoted to business. The Times 
and Herald were published, two hotels were carried 
on, and the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
depot was built. 

In 1871 there were only eleven houses in exist- 
ence here, but before July, 1882, there were no less 
than 284 buildings in the town. During the first 






^ 



(^LAY COUNTY. 



379 



eleven years of Sutton's up-building (]S71 to 1882) 
there were only five business failures recorded. The 
principal Imsiness buildings in 1882 comprised the 
two-story building, with Masonic hall above, of I. 
N. Clark & Co. ; store building of Connor & Shep- 
|)ar(l: tlie two-story building, with Odd Fellows 
hall, of John Urosshans; the one-.story building, 
Griess' hardware; one story, of Weed & Co. , and 
store, same size; old court house, two stories; new 
public school building, with projections each way, 
twenty-four foot posts, with a belfry and dome; two 
rooms below and a chapel, with all the modern con- 
\'eniences of cloak and 'apjiaratus rooms. 

During 1873, 2,483 tons of freight were received 
and 1,154 tons forwarded; during 1875, 4,239 tons 
were received, 5,255 tons forwarded; during 1875, 
120,681 pounds of merchandise and 528 ear-loads of 
grain were shipped. The same year were received 
1,389,716 pounds of merchandise; 414 barrels of 
salt; 94 barrels of lime; 54 i)arrels of coal oil; 101 
barrels of apples; 11 carloads of emigrants' mova- 
bles; 26 cars of corn for seed; 209 cars of lumber, 
and 183 cars of coal, etc. 

In November. 1871, the Gray & Bemis nursery 
was established. The first directory was published 
in February, 1872, by Houston & Street, of Lincoln, 
the volume showing three dry goods and grocery 
houses, two rtour and feed stores, one drug store, 
one liardware, two lumber 3'ards, one hotel, one 
implement warehouse, one nursery, one livery, one 
fur and hide store, one meat market, two real estate 
offices, one physician's office, one attorney's office, 
and one shoemaker's shop. This latter concern was 
also the residence of the local preacher, for William 
Woolman was a sole and soul cobl)ler. The popu- 
lation in 1871 was 35. 

On November 1, 1871, I. N. and Martin Clark 
opened the fii'st store on the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad, west of Crete, at this point, having 
first purchased the unsold lots on the town-site from 
French, for $4,000. They oixMied a hardware store 
Februaiy 20, 1872, having, ten days before, estab- 
lished a drug store. ('. M. Turner erected his 
store-house November 17, 1871, and opened it for 
business December 9, while Corey &. Co. opened 
their store simultaneouslv: but the latter sold to ! 



Stewart & Evans prior to 1881, and returned to 
Crete. The business street was then known as 
Whisky Row. Merrill & Co. opened a general store 
in January, Thompson & Young established their 
agricultural implement house, John I. Smith a har- 
ness shop, Charles Meyer a shoemaker's shop, and 
on Rev. Burlingame being appointed postmaster, he 
purchased Maltljy's building. J. M. Gray erected 
a building south of the postoffice, the Calkins and 
Jenkin's houses were erected, and the Mines build- 
ing (the first school house), was mOvcd to the Gray 
lot. The establishment of the depot and of M-.xU,- 
by & Way's addition to the town, tended to with- 
draw some interest from Sorghum or East Sutton, 
and the town south of the track was called Scrabble 
Hill. The Fitzgerald building was the third erected 
on Scrabble Hill, the first having been erected b\- 
F. A. Gross, late in the fall of 1872. In April W. 
A. Wa}' moved to this point from Crete, and openeil 
a hardware store in the Fitzgerald building, and 
shortly after the Kriljbler furniture store was Iniilt 
and opened. This building was occupied by George 
Henry in 188], and Weed & Co. succeeded W. A. 
Way, in 1874. In the fall of 1S73 Way & Stewart 
erected the building which was sub.secpientiv octai- 
pied by Keller & Co. and Merrill it Co., the latter 
commencing business in January, 1873, shipped the 
first car load of grain from Claj- County. August 
14, that .year, the grain being raised on Russell 
Merrill's farm, on Section 
Connor & Sheppard opened 
M. V. Poote opened a millinery store, and Mrs. C. 
M. Church followed her example August 1(1. 1873. 
About this time the Melvin Brothers opened their 
general store south of the track, and they, with 
Gross, Kribbler and Tuiner. were the pioneers of 
Scrabble Hill. A. B. Lncore built a two-storv 
business house on Main Street earh in 187.'!. 

(Jrice & Towslee establishcil theii- harness liusi- 
ness February 25, 1875, succeeding John I. Smith, 
a very talkative character, who tlourislied in Sor- 
ghum's palmy days, and whose business card still 
remained all over tlie front of his former shop on 
Main Avenue. (In the same day, J. F. Evans i.t Co, 
opened their lumber yard, succeeding Monnell. I, ash 
ley & Weed. F. \V. Hohuiann came from Lincoln, 



20. In March, 1873, 
a grocery store, Mrs. 






<5 w. 



380 



HISTORY OF NRBRASKA. 



Neb. , and opened a dn^ ojoods and grocerj- store, in 
June, 1874; he was a nuisit-ian by profession, 
.lolni I? Ivitdii iV Soil Imilt a grain warehouse Feb- 
ruary 1 , 1874. 'i'lic biiildiuii' was afterward sold to 
Katon & Pyle, and hiter passed into the liandsof F. 
A. Fyle & Co. Katon >.<; Pyle enlarged it to a 
iior.se-power elevator, having a storage capacity 
ol' 7,000 liushels, and a daily capacity of 1,000. 
J. F. Evans & Co. (T. A. Margrave, manager), com- 
menced tlie grain business in tiie fall of 1874. This 
couijiany weie extensive dealers, from the Missis- 
sipi)i River to Sutton. The daily capaoity of their 
elevator at Sutton was 2,000 bushels. McKee & 
Robinson commenced the photograph business in the 
Slimmer of 1873, McKee afterward succeeding. W. 
.1. Keller & Co. , druggists, commenced o|)eiations 
Ndvcmber 30, 1875, as successors to J. Thompson 
& Co. Alcorn & Clyde began l)usiness in agricul- 
tural implements September 15,1875. succeeding to 
Alcorn & Colvard. J. E. ■ Ryan, from Illinois, 
operated the first exclusive dry goods store in the 
county. ^lay 111, 1876, Mrs. F. A. Gross opened a 
millinery store and dress-making establishment. In 
the spring of 1870, B. B. Cronin commenced in the 
boot and shoe trade, the first of the kind in Sutton. 
The Sutton Brick Company (J. S. LeIIew. superin- 
tendent: I. N. Clark, treasurer); commenced the suc- 
cessful manufacture of brick June 1, 1870. April 
22, 1870, Siicrwood & Toney opened their meat 
market. Kreiger lic Ballzcr were in this business 
before them, and had a shop just north of Gray's 
old lumber yard. Afterwards the shop was moved 
to Saunders .\\-eiiuc. W. Cunning bought into the 
firm and sold out again to Kreiger. Cunning was 
appointed deputy sheriff, which office lie held four 
yeai-s. Earlier he used fo be a great man to drive 
work, and did most of the heavy hauling in the 
town. Later, ICiigene Bemis succeeded to the liusi- 
ness, and had a dray built, the first one in the town. 
The first builder in the U)wn was Henry Potter, now 
of Spring Ranche. He built P. H. Curran's saloon 
near the last of May, 1871. The first plastered 
liiiilding in Sutton was the county court house, built 
and plastered early in 1873. The masons came 
from Crete. Other tradesmen not before mentioned 
were A. A. Scott, Montgomeiy <fc iJio. , Emery & 



Bro.. and I. B. Terryll, l)uilders: \V. W. Jordan an. I 
Farris & Co.. masons; Spencer & Co.. William 
Smeltser ami James McVey, blacksmiths: Daniel 
Cronin and F. J. Hoerger, carriage and wagon 
makers; Paul Hraitsch, successor to J. 1). Harris, 
jeweler; B. B. Cronin and George Karcher, shoe- 
makers; Ramsey & Griflith. house and sign painters: 
John Nehf, harnessinaker; Augustus Meyer, barber: 
William Ryan. 1'. H Ciiiraii and James Stewart, 
billiards. 

The petition b)r tln' incorporation of Sutton was 
granted October 15, 1874. This petition was signed 
by William A. Way. Francis M. Brown, James J. 
Melvin, John C. Merrill and Dr. Martin V. B. Clark. 
Ill granting the petition the commissioners named 
them trustees, and they organized with F. M. Brown 
president, R. G. Brown clerk, F. M. Davis treas 
urer, and I. D. Ihneiy marshal. In 1875 Messrs. 
Way, Merrill and Clark, with Paul Braitsch and 
George Seward, formed the board. J. L. La He« 
was chosen clerk, Davis treasurer, and W. Wilkinson 
marshal. An election on the tpiestion of issuing 
$5,000 10 per cent bonds to the Sutton Mill Com- 
pany was held April 0, 1875. 

1 876— Trustees: F. A. Pyle, E. P. Church. J. 
W. Shirley, James Sheppard and I. N. Clark: chair- 
man, E. P. Church; clerk, J. S. Le Hew: treasurer. 
V. M. Davis; marshal. A. Brown. F. M. Davis re- 
signed the ortice of treasurer and J. A. Tout was 
appointed, Decemlier 9, 1876, to fill the vacancy. 
During the early part of the year a petition, signed 
by R. G. Brown and twenty others, was presented 
to the board of trustees, asking that they incorpo- 
rate Sutton as a citj of the second class. In re- 
sponse to this request of the citizens, ordinance No. 
24 was passed by the board, whereby the town was 
incorporated as a c'ity of the seconil class. An 
election was held and the following officers elected: 
mayor, I. N. Clark; police judge, J. K. Maltby, 
clerk, J. S. Le Hew; treasurer, J. A. Tout; mar 
shal, C. F. Meyer; councilmen for the First Ward. 
J. S. Sheppard and W. E. Bemis; councilmen for 
the Second Ward, T. Weed and F. A. Pyle. This 
administration was characterized by general actixity 
and improvement, since continued, making the town 
of Sutton the neat and attractive place it now is. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



381 



111 compliance with the statutory enactment regulat- 
ing such matters, the next election of city officers 
was held on the first Tuesday of April, 1878, at 
which time the following persons were chosen to the 
respective positions: mayor, I. N. Clark; clerk, J. 
S. Le Hew; treasurer, L. R. Grimes; police judge, 

E. P. Burnett; marshal, C. A. Melviu; cit}- en- 
gineer, Frank Conn; councilmen for the First Ward, 
W. E. Bemis, for two j'ears, and J. S. Sheppard, 
for one year; councilmen for the Second Ward, F. 
A. Pj'le, for two years, and James Thompson, for 
one year. J. S. Le Hew was appointed [jolice 
judge May 6, 1878, vice E. P. Buruett. At the 
next regular election, in 1879, R. G. Brown was 
chosen mayor; police judge. J. Rowley; city clerk, 
A. L. Lamont; city treasurer, J. S. Le Hew; city 
marshal, R. H. Stewart; citj' engineer, F. A. Pyle; 
councilman for the First Ward, F. J. Hoerger; coun- 
cilman for the Second Ward, James Thompson. A. 
L. Lamont resigned the office of city clerk, and A. A. 
McCoy was appointed August 30, 1879. 

The winter of 1879 proved a period of misfort^ 
une to the flourishing young city of Sutton. Dur- 
ing that time the Legislature passed a law requiring 
all places to have a population of 1 ,500 before they 
could he incorporated as cities of the second class. 
But Sutton, by all known methods of computation, 
could not raise her numbers to that point, by a few 
hundreds, and thus in the period of j'outh "was 
cropped the golden plumes of this proud young 
city." Accordingly, with the beginning of the next 
year, in abject humiliation, she was compelled to 
resume the less elegant garments of a village. The 
officers elected, in 1880, to take control of the vil- 
lage were as follows: trustees, M. Wittenberg, C. 
W Brown, James Thompson, George Honey ;iiid 
A. K. Meyer; chairman, A. E. Meyer; clerk, A. A. 
McCoy; treasurer, J. S. Le Hew. A. A. McCoy 
resigned the office of village clerk, January 4, 1881, 
and William F. Stone was appointed. 

] SSI— Trustees, R. G. Merrill. M. \. B. Clark, 
V .\. Pyle, J. E. Baglej' and Henry Grosshans; 
cliairnian, J. E. Bagley; clerk. W. F. Stone; treas- 
urer, J. B. Diusmore. 

1SS2— Trustees, R. G. Merrill, F. J. Hoerger, 

F. M. Brown, W. W. Wiedcn and T. R. Linton; 



chairman, F. M. Brown; treasurer, J. B. Dinsinore; 
clerk, W. F. Stone. 

The trustees of 1883 were F. M. Brown, W. D. 
Roberts, F. J. Hoerger, J. C. Merrill, W. W. Wie- 
den; W. P. Stone, clerk, and J. B. Dinsmore, treas- 
uref. In 1884 E. Landman took Mr. Stone's place, 
and F. C. Matteson that of Dinsmore. In 1885 
Messrs. Merrill, Roberts, Hoerger and Matteson 
were still on the board, with Henry Xagel and A. 
Grosshans, new members; Richard Darnsted, clerk, 
and F. C. Matteson, treasurer.* In April, 1886, a 
city government was re-organized with A. 0. Ken- 
dall, mayor; Theo. Miller, clerk; T. Weed, police 
judge; J. B. Dinsmore, treasurer; Charles Newman, 
engineer; J. W. Shirley, C. W. Walther, F. C. Mat- 
teson and A. Grosshans, aldermen. In 1887 Henry 
Grosshans was elected mayor, with the same police 
judge, clerk and treasurer; Frank Conn, engineer, 
and the same aldermen as in 1886. A village coun- 
cil also assumed control for a part of this year, but 
their claims were found untenable by the supreme 
court. This council comprised C. B. Gray, W. H. 
Thompson, A. Greenheid, George Honey, H. Jones 
and L. Jarrett. In 1888 F. C. Matteson was chosen 
mayor; F. M. Brown, police judge; Theodore Miller, 
clerk; John Ochsner, treasurer; F. Conn, engineer; 
Henry Nagel, P. H. Schwab, William Griess and E. 
W. Woodruff, councilmen. This council submitted 
the question of issuing $20.00(1 bonds, the proceeds 
to lie expended in the construction of a system of 
water works. The question was approved by a ma- 
jority vote, but, the legalit3-of the bonds being (jues- 
tioned, the case was presented to the supreme court, 
with the result of placing a quietus on the work. 
In 1889 the People's and Anti-liicense candidates 
were leaders in the contest for municipal honors. 
F. C. Matteson (P) received 174 votes and Charles 
Moon (A-L) 80 votes for mayor; H. ^I. Clark was 
elected clerk; J. J. Ochsner, treasurer; John Ling, 
engineer; M. Wittenberg and E. W. Woodrufl' were 
elected councilmen; Jlartin Clark and Theodore 
Miller, new members of the school board, with E. 
P. Burnett, R. S. Silver. Peter Griess and H. C. 
Brown old members. 

The first hotel was erected in February, 1872, 
by William Shirley, who settled here in Decemlicr, 



<i w_ 



382 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



1S7I. Tho Contnil lloU'l wa.s luiill dii the .si k' in 
.J line, 1S74. and the old bnildinsj made an annex to 
it. Some years later the l)uiUlinii lieeame the dry 
goods house of M. Wittenberg. 

The Clark House was built in the winter of 
1871-72, for I. N. & Martin Clark, who i-arried on 
their hardware business theivin until .January i. 
1873, when Hudle)' Hoisington transformed it into 
•■I hntel. In August of that year E. I'. Chmcli bo- 
canie proprietor and carried ou the house until No- 
vember 1881 , when he moved to Harvard to take 
possession of the Metropolitan. The Clark House 
is now the billiard hall of Ueorge W. King. 

The Occidental was erected by R. G. Brown in 
1878, at a cost of $4,500, and was opened by W. 
J. Alibott, who after a six month's term was suc- 
ceeded by J, T. Mollyneaux, as lessee. Mr. Molly- 
neaux bought the house in 1880, and tnuled this 
house for the Oakland. 

The Oakland House, built in I.SSO, l)y a stock 
company, was opened by George A. Blue, June 30, 
that year. C. W. Walthers and Crumley conducted 
the house for short terms. In August, 1888, F. M. 
Curtis took charge of the Oakland House, but con- 
ducted it only for some time, when Mr. Crumley 
returned as lessee and carried on business until Mr. 
Mollyneaux purchased the liuilding. 

The pioneer bank of Sutton was established by 
L. L. Grimes and J. B. Dinsmore, January 1, 1877. 
They erected a lirick l)uilding for an office in No- 
vember. In 1879 or 1880, F. C. Mattesou took the 
place of L. L. Grimes. 

The Sutton Bank was fouudcii in ,\pvil, 1S80, by [ 
L. D. Fowler and George H. Cowles. 

The First National B.uik. of Sutton, was oi)ene(l 
in Octolier, 1885, in the company's building just 
then completed. George II. Cowles was the first 
l)i-esident of this house; J. X. Clark, vice-i>resident; 
li. 1). Fowler, cashier; George K. Hirge and J. K. 
Bagley, tlirectors. 

The Fowler & Cowles Mortgage ('oinp:iii\ in the 
report of July 17, 188(5, claimed i-esources esti- 
mated al S8:i,420.54. (leorge H. Cowles was pres- 
ident, with L. I). Fowler, M. C. Joslyn and (ieorge 
E. Birge, directors. j 

The Sutton Board of Trade was oriianizeil l''eb- 



rnarv 14, 1887, with L. D. Fowler, president; F. M. 
Brown and F. C. Matteson, vice-presidents; I. N. 
Clark, treasurer; J. W. Johnson, corresponilent; 
and Daniel S. Van Valkenburg. recorder. The 
oflicers then chosen are practically the officers of the 
lioard to-day. 

The lirst school building in Sutton was a frame 
liiiuse. built by Owen Mines, which stood nearly 
between the residences of C. M. Turner and Mr. 
Rowe. It was sokl at sheriff's sale to the Clark 
brothers to satisfy a lumber debt in favor of Weed; 
afterward rented to Thompson & Young; then sold 
to J. M. Gray & Co., for an office, which they oc- 
cupied in 1SS2. William Weed taught the first 
school in the town, and the second in the county, 
commencing about January 20, 1872, with an aver- 
age attendance of fourteen. Another Ijuilding was 
erected for school purposes in the fall of 1872, and 
stood on J. M. Gray's homestead, just outside of the 
town limits, on the east side. This building contin- 
ued in use as a school house about two years, when 
it was sold to district No. 20. about six miles south 
of town' and was occupied by that district as a 
school house in 1882-83. A large school luiilding 
was erected in the spring of 1876. Besides this, the 
old court house was made use of to accommodate the 
schools, in which one of the primary departments 
was kept in later years. The school was graded 1)V 
Prof. J. W. Johnson in the fall of 187(i, and en- 
rolled a tottil of 215 pupils, about 180 of these be- 
ing regular attendants in 1882, under the instruc- 
tion of Prof. W. C. Picking, as principal: Laura E. 
Sawyer, assistant, and Nellie Henderson, Mattie 
Torry and Katie Conn, teachers of the i»rimary <lc 
jiartments. 

In the winter of 1883-84, a course of study was 
adopted by the schools of Sutton, and arrangeuients 
made by which close connection with the State Cni- 
versity was established. Thi' Sutton school building 
was destroyi'd l)y tire January 21, 1880. The value 
of this building was i)laced at $7,000. In June. 
]88(). the contract for building the new school-house 
was awarded to J. L Hutchinson, of York, for 
$13,400. The .series of houds issued comiirised 
twenty of $500 each, and lliirly .■?15 interest cou- 
pons attached to meet the intcrt'st for fifteen \ears. 



>> 



CLAY rOT'NTY. 



383 



The school board of district No. 2, comprised 
John E. Bagley, John J. Bonelvempcr. Isaac N. 
Clark, H. C. Brown, Richard Darnsted and Joseph 
Cricc. In November. 1886, Prof. Stephens pre- 
sided over the high school, assisted by Miss Lake, 
Miss Merrill, Miss Constable, Miss MoUie Brown, 
Miss Clara Lake, and :Mr. Kberhart, of the German 
classes. In 1887. the names of Misses Clark, La- 
mont, Mallock and Braun appear on tlie list of 
teachers. 

In June, 1888, Misses H. R. Brewer, S. L. 
Lake, Anna H. Merrill, Ethel D. Constable, Clara 
"SI. Lake, Janie Lamont, Lucy Roys, MoUie L. 
Braun and Jlrs. Moore were tlie teachers. 

hi 1876, the Iowa Conference, of the Evangeli- 
cal .\ssociation of North America, sent Rev. W. 
Schwerin U> Sutton as its Missionary. That year a 
parsonage was erected, but no organization was 
effected. In 1877-78, Rev. C. Smith was the pastor 
of tlie work. Some success attended the work. 

In 18711. when the Nebraska Conference of this 
Association was organized, Rev. A. Fische, was 
sent to the work. June 16. 1.S79, the .society was 
organized witli twenty-eight meral)ers who were 
served by -Mr. Fische for three years. In 1882, 
Rev. H. Sahl was sent to Sutton as pastor and 
served for tliree years. In 1884 a church was built, 
hi 1SS5 Rev. A. Branckle was appointed pastor and 
.served three years. This year the parsonage was 
repaired and an addition Imilt thereto. In 1888, 
Rev I. Laipiily was appointed. The society num- 
liers at present 123 members. 

The first sermon at Sutton of the Christian 

Church, was preached Decemlier 30, 1S75. by Elder 

J. !\L Yearnshaw, of Lincoln, three members being 

ill attendance. The first sermon at Marshall was on 

.l:inn;n\ :'.. 1876. Meetings continued until the 

1 nil. Jaiuiary '.I. a Sunday School and Church was 

■ organized, the result of Klder Yearushaw's labors. 

Tlir first sermon [ireached at Fairfield was by Elder 

Nrwcomli, February 13. 1876; members present 

were only three. \\m\ 18, 1876, a series of meet- 

j ings was commenced by Klder R. C. Harrow. State 

I Evangelist of Nebraska. .\ cliurch of twenty-six 

members was organized at Sutton on tiie 16th. tlii' 

i ineetins; closing on the l!»lh. hi 1SS2 there were 



twenty memliers belonging to the organization; wliile 
the Christians had three other churches in the county 
and a total membership of 175. 

The first and only Christian Sunday- school in the 
county up to 1882, was organized September 14, \ 
1874, with four scholars, by Mrs. P. A. Halleck at 
her residence. At the expiration of nine months, 
the school numbered tliirty-five, when the place of 
meeting was changed to the court house, and con- 
tinued at that place until the county commissioners 
closed the court house to all church organizations. 
The First Congregational Church Iniilding was 
the first house erected at Sutton, and in the county 
for the purpose of worship. Tliis building was 
erected in the fall of 1875 at a cost of $1,500, T. 
Weed, E. P. Burnett, W. Cunning, F. A. Pyle and 
E. H. White, constituting the building committee. 
The first services were held in the grove at Sutton in 
July 1871, by Rev. Mr. Jones. May 26, 1872, Rev. 
0. W. Merrill, then superintendent of Home Mis 
sions for Neliraska. organized a churcli, with eight 
members, Thurlow Weed, Mrs. Thurlow Weed. C. 
Stevens, Mrs. C. Stevens, Thomas MilhoUand. Mrs. 
L. Kentner, Mrs. S. Corey and Mrs. C. M. Turner. 
The first regular continuous'services were conducted 
liv Rev. D. B. Perry, now president of Doane Col- 
lege. Following Mr. Perry came Revs. Chas. Hib- 
biu-d, Reuben Gaylord, (supply) John Gray, S. F. Em- 
erson, C. F. Graves, Geo. Scott, E. H. Baker, Geo. 
Scott,' H. B. Frey and F. C. Cochran. The ehurcli 
elerkl have been Thos. MilhoUand, E. H. Wliite. 
iMrs. T. Weed, C. W. Walthus and Mrs. E. I>. (biod- 
rich. The present merabersliip is ninety. Tliis so- 
ciety has organizations at Spring Ranehe. Fairfield 
and Harvard. For the north half Clay, Rev. John 
Gray, pastor; south half Clay. Rev. Thomas Pugh. 
pastor. The Harvard society built a church in 1882. 
and claimed over forty members at that time. 

The First M. E. Church building (lirick) was 
erected in 1882. and dedicated that year. The Sut- 
ton Class was organized in September 1874. by A 
J. Swarts and within tiie eight succeeding years 
erected a brick church and parsonage at a cost of 
$3,600. Mr. Ewell was preacher-in-charge at time 
of building. In June. 1871, a student from Tou- 
lon, 111., named Wm. Whitten organized a class 



3S4 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



at I'atiick Kil/iicraM s lioiiso in'ar Sutton. In ISSd 
licv. N. A. Martin was [jastor aii<l in 1887-88 Mr. 
Riuulall was prcax-licr indiai^c. 

The first ('aliiolic service was eelelii-aleil by 
Father Kelley in a tent. June 15, 1S71, with eiolit 
nu'inliers, most of wlioni were railroad men, hnildinii 
the road-lK'd of the Burlinuton & Missouri River 
Hallway. Meetings were held at the house of M. 
.McVey, ill Sheridan preeinet. Work began upon 
tlie erection of a church in the full of 1878, and was 
completed in the rollowiiiji spring. The building is 
a large frame, I'.OxtiO feet in dimensions, and cost 
together with furniture about $2,00(1. The building 
liret used by the congregation was a small frame, 
which has since been icinoved, and is now in use as 
a county school-house. The congregation had a 
membership of fifty-five families in 1882, :ind was 
under charge of Father J. Jenette, of Exeter. lu 
later years the church was attached to the parish of 
Hastings, and was attended by Father English, or 
the assistant priests of the parish. 

'J'lic German Reformed Church was established 
at Sutton in the fall of 1874 by immigrants from 
Russia. The preliminary meetings were held in 
Grosshans' Hall. The Organization was effected bv 
Rev. Dickeman, an<l the congregation had about 
twenty-five members. From Grosshans' Hall they 
removed to the Odd Fellows" Hall, where thej- re- 
mained until the regular church house was built in 
the fall of 1878. The building is frame, and is 
80x60 feet in size. There were in 1882 about 
eighty-three families in the congregation and about 
300 members, with the Rev. William Bonckempcr as 
pastor. 

A congregation was started by the German ('on- 
gregationalists in November, 1880. The work of 
organizing was under the special charge of Rev. W. 
Sess, of Crete, assisted by the Rev. E. Jose and 
others. Tiic clmrcli began with sixteen members, 
and the early services were held in tin- old court 
house and were conducted by Rev. Mr. Jose, who 
has since rcmainc(l with the charge from its organ- 
ization. Tiicie are at i)resent twenty members. A 
Sunday school was organized at the saiue time with 
fifteen mcmlins. .^Ir. Hentz was the successor of 
Mr. Jose as pastor. 



Evening Star Lodge, A. F. & A. M., was or- 
ganized nndei' dispensation I)eceml)er 22, 1873, 
with J. .\rnot, master; M. W. Wilcox, S. W., and 
J. (!. Merrill, J. W. The charter was granted 
June 28, 1874, to R. L. Gaw, J. B. Dinsmore, A. 
K. .Marsh, C. L. Henny, F. M. Brown, J. C. Mer- 
rill, M. W. Wilcox. C. M. Turner, James .Xrnot, 
M. J. Hull, John :\I. Gray, T. N. Clark, W. 1). 
Young, J. J. Melvin and M. V. B. Clark. The 
members who lield the master's chair are named as 
follows: James Arnot, M. W. Wilcox, J. B. Mer- 
rill, A. K. Marsh, G. H. Van Duyne, J. C. Merrill, 
J. B. Dinsmore, R. G. Brown. J. C. Merrill, F. M. 
Brown, J. C. Merrill and C. H. Van Uuyne. The 
pre.sent master (February, 1890), is A. K. Marsh. 
The secretaries were: F. M. Brown, J. B. Dins- 
more, James Melvin, A. C. Burlingame, J. E. 
Bag-ley, K. T. Jones, F. A. Alexander, J. H. John- 
son, George Mitchell, F. M. Brown, J. M. Borkner. 
The present secretary is J. M. Borkner, and the 
present number of members, sixty-eight. 

Lebanon Chapter, R. A. M. , No. 14, Sutton, 
Neb. , was created under Dispensation from the 
Grand Chapter of Nebraska, December 21, 1875, by 
the following masons: M. J. Hull, A. K. Marsh, W. 
W. Young, M. W. Wilcox, F. A. Pyle, J. C. Mer- 
rill, C. B. Crittenden, J. D. Berrin, H. R. Wheeler, 
G. H. Van Duyne and G. S. Harrington. The High 
Priests of this Chapter were as follows: M. J. Hull, 
A. K. Marsh, G. H. Van Duyno, R. G. Brown, K. 
A. Pyle, R. G. Brown, G. H. Van Duyne, Henry 
Lehrmann and J. C. Merrill. The present High 
Priest is John B. Dinsmore; the present secretary 
is J. M. Borkner; J. C. Merrill, King; W. H. 
Davis, Scribe; I. N. Clark, treasurer. The present 
number of members is flfty-six. 

Sutton Lodge No. 53, I. 0. 0. F. , was instituted 
at Grosshans' Hall, in Sutton, on the evening of No- 
vember 15, 1874, l)y the (Jrand .blaster, Ira .V. 
tJallup, assisted by lu'others from Crete, York anil 
Fairmont lodges. Charter members were W. A. 
Way, George Stewart, J. F. Evans, 1. B. Tyrrell, 
E. P. Church and George Krciger, all lifth degre(^ 
members; Evans ami Churi'li, Past Grands. W. A. 
Way was elected N. G. : I. B. Tyrrell, V. G. ; 
George Stcnvart, Sec, and Geoi-ge Kreiger, Treas. 






'^yp- > 



CLAY COUNTY. 



385 



Following the installation of officers by the Grand 
Master, came petitions from R. G. Merrill, S. B. 
Jlontgomery, W. J. Keller, S. Carney and J. Griee, 
to join by initiation, and D. J. Towslee as an Ancient 
Odd Fellow, all of whom were made members the 
same evening. The Grand Master assigned Clay 
and Hamilton Counties as District No. 28, appoint- 
ing K. F. Church District Deputy. In the summer 
of 1878 the lodge began the erection of a building, 
which was completed in the spring of the following 
year. Tlie officers in 1882 were J. W. Shirley, N. 
G. ; G. W. Bemis, V. G. ; J. B. Royce, Sec, and 
A. G. Siierwood, Treas. William Stewart, F. J. 
Hoerger, John Beurman and John Segrist have been 
prominent members of the lodge in later days. 

The Wildey Encampment, I. 0. 0. F., was organ- 
ized in Ma}', 1877. The charter members were J. W. 
Shirley, W. J. Keller, George Stewart, Fred Iloerger 
and Dr. A. 0. Kendall. The officers of the lodge 
in 1882 were W. J. Keller, C. P.; H. Lehrmann, H. 
P.: W. D. Young, J. W.; J. S. LeHew, S. W. ; 
Paul Braitsch, Treas., and H. Nagle, Sen. J. T. 
Mollyneaux and J. S. LeHew have served in recent 
years as officers of this encampment. 

The (i. A. R. was established on .Vpril 2H, 1870, 
witli twenty members. The first meetings were held 
in the Odd Fellows' Hall. The officers elected at 
(hat time were W. S. Kand.-di, V. C. ; J. C. Merrill, 
V. C; A. K. Marsh. J. V. ('. : Dr. M. V. H. 
Clark, surgeon; L N. Clark, Q. .M.; L \i. Tynvll. 
chaplain; E. H. White. Q. M.S.: W. T. .McKnigiit. 
adjutant; E. E. Howard, S. M. About two years 
after the society removed from the Odd Fellows' 
Hall into their armory. The organization is known 
as the George (J. Meade Post No. l!),and nuiiiliered 
forty-two members in 1882. The officers for that 
year were C. W. Waltiier, P. ('. : Dr. M. V. B. 
Chirk, S. V. C; C. Newman. J. V. ('.; I. N.Clark, 
*l M.: It. A. Hawley. chaplain; K. 11. Stewart, 
adjutant; W. J. Keller, O. D. ; Dr. M. V. B. Clark, 
surgeon. TIk> names of the members of this post 
an- included in the general roster of ex soldiers and 
sailors, given in the general history. 

Company B. First N. N. G. , was organized Xo- 
vend)er 15, 1878, with W. J. Keller, captain; J. S. 
Le Hew, first lieutenant; George W. Bemis, .second 



lieutenant. In 1882 Capt. Keller was lieutenant- 
colonel of the regiment, and Lieut. Le Hew, judge 
advocate general. In recognition of the company's 
drill and equipment it was given the title "Governor's 
( lUards. " This was the first uniformed and equipped 
militia company in Nebraska. In 1880 the com- 
mand aided in quelling the riot at the Omahti smelt- 
ing works, and on March 8, 1882, was present dur- 
ing the graders' riot on the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad at Omaha. In 1882 W. D. Young 
was captain; F. C. Matteson, first lieutenant; G. C. 
Rojs, second lieutenant; J. H. Johnson, first ser- 
geant. The company is still in active existence. 
Capt. \y. J. Keller is one of the most active mem- 
bers of this organization, as he is of the G. A. R. 

Grove Lodge No. 1,477, K. of H. , was insti- 
tuted at Sutton, on the 19th day of March, 187!). 
The first officers elected were: W. J. Keller, D. ; 
F. J. Hoerger, R. ; J. W. Johnson, F. K. ; E. H. 
White, Treas; J. T. Mollyneaux. P. D. , and also 
representati\e of the Grantl Lodge of the Knights 
of Honor. .\t the organization the lodge had a 
membership of twenty-two. Many changes have 
been made in the memliersliii) of tiie lodge since it 
began, .sometimes falling l>el(j\v the original number, 
and again increasing :d)<j\e it. The officers chosen 
in 1882 were: Paul Braitsch, D. ; I. D. Smith, V. 
D. : Pi. H. Stewart, A. D. ; J. 51. Ramsey, R. ; J. 
W. Shirley, F. R. ; F. J. Hoerger, Treas. ; J. B. 
Dinsmore and A. C. Clyile, representatives to (rrand 
Lodge. Only one regular member of the lodge died 
prior to 18S2. This was Thomas Davis, Jr., wIkj 
died Oetober 25, 187It, to whose widow the lodge 
l)ai(l a benefit of $2,000. The total expenditure per 
member, including all dues and assessments, for the 
three years ending in 1882, amounted tf) Ijut $46. or 
an average annual tax on each member of $15.83^^. 

The Scientific Association was organized in ISSl, 
with Dr. .M. \'. U. Clark, president; E. H. White, 
vice-president; V. H. Malick, secretary; H. W. 
Gray, treasurer. In 1882 Dr. Clark proved before 
this association that Mrs. C. B. Evans, fornicrlv 
Zuleiua Piatt, invented the lucifer match, on June 
27, 1828, at Waterford. N. V.. thus correcting the 
old story which credited this match to John Walker, 
of Stockton-npon-Tees. England, in 1829. 



\2i 



W(i 



HTSTOTJY OF NEBRASKA. 



The Knights of Pythias on November 26 elected 
till" following odiccrs for 1 SOd. J. E. Marsh, C. C. : 
W. J. Legg, V. C; !'. T. Walton, M. of V :mi(1 K. 
of K. and S. ; N. A. Tyler, I'.; George Lercli, M. of 
A.; Dr. J. M. Borkner, M. of E. Although llie 
Sutton lodge has been crippled to some extent by so 
many of the membci's moving away, there has been 
a determination manifested on the part of the re- 
maining members In liuild up the ludgc, .-uid they 
now have tlie onlci' in :i |ir()s|icr(ius and llduri.shinn" 
comlitioii. 

Rosa Division No. 11». K. <>!' !'. . was instilutcd 
Octolier 15, 1887, liv John .Morrison, (t. C. , ami Col 
H. Downs, First Regiment U. R., K. of P. The offl- 
ci'i-s elected were l>. N. Rosa, A. A. ('allalKiii. 
■ I T. .Mollyncaiix. I'"rank Conn. F. .1. Ilocrger 
and C. K. Kna|)|). holding positions in order of 
ilixision rank. 

'i'he (iran<l Order of (lie Orients liodgc was or- 
ganized at Sutton. August L'ti, ISST. with J. T, 
.Mollyncaux. <;. O. ; W. \V. Stcwait. \. (J. O. ; A. 
A. Callahan. (J. 11. I'; .) II. Beunnan,(i. V.. Iv 
.M. ('lift, secrcliiry ; Tlico. \\'('ntz. treasurer, and C. 
V Kn.-ipp, (>. \. ]' .1. .\, |)a\is was (i. O. In 
ISSS, and William (Jold in .Viigust. ISSit. 

The Clark. Lc Hew, Case cV: Uritsch l.rick yard 
was cstalilishfd .IniK' 1. 1 STCi, and during llie ensu- 
ing year 12(1.(10(1 liricks were uiannfactured. In 
ISSII a patent brick machine was introduced. 

The Sutton crcanu'ry liuildings were liurncd M:\\ 
2. 1SS7, the total loss being i^d.dOd, and the insur- 
ance S2.(MI(I. The pi'csent creamery soon succeeded 
that dcstroycil. and it is prolialilc that it uianufac- 



tiires more butter than any other like institution in 
the State. Its output last year was .368, 89o pounds. 
This was an increase of about 2il.(HlO pounds over 
1H8K, and the company expects to make a propor- 
tionate increase this year. (Iver !|02,(100 were paid 
out during the year. 

The Sutton steam roller mill was erected in 
1885 for Alexander & Russell, the Oakland House, 
the First National Bank office, R. (l. Brown's brick 
block on the south side, and 1. N. Clark's on the 
north side, were also erected. 

In oilier pages icl'ei-enees are made to raiboad 
and other accidents in and around Sutton. 

The freight collision of December 2(1, 1889, on 
tile Burlington & Missouri, fortunately wanting in a 
record of loss of life, entailed heavy losses on the 
railroad comjiany. Ten loaded cars of merchandise 
wei'e smashed into splinters, and piled up in the 
xcrv center of the t.own. (biccar jjlunged through 
the bay window of the depot where the operator sat, 
demolishing the telegraph instiiiments and working 
general havoc in the business otHce. The depot 
platform foi' 200 feet was i)iled high with splintered 
timber, car wlieels and merchandise. 

In December. 1SS7, work on the Kansas City & 
()malia Itailroad ile|)ot was eommcnced. On Janu- 
ary 20, IS.sy, the lirst train from Fairlield .-iriMxiMl 
with the bands of that town and Clay Center, .V 
reception was held at the Opera House, and several 
addresses were delivi'red. A free lunch was one of 
the leading events of the celebration. The tnain of 
six coaches and a caboose was in the charge of Con- 
ductor Han\ , 




CHAFTEK XXII. 



H-K-l- 



IlAKVAKl. AMI FaIRFIELI.— BKGINJiING— PkE-EmPTION OF ToWX SiTES— OkIGIKAL SURVEYS— InCORPOKATIONS- 

Eaim.v Mk.hchaxts— Pioneer Business Me>— First Buildings— Mayors, Trustees, Aldermen. Etc.— 
Offkiai, Directory— Voters of 1836-40— Commercial Interests— Financial— Fires— Water 
System— Educational and Religious Matters— Secret and Benevolent Or- 
ganizations — General History. 



Who would pxcol, 
Mctwixt, iiKliff"r(Mi 



ARVARD vilhioc and vi- 
t'initv may In' toriiied tlii^ 
site of some of the paivnt 
soltlcnieiits of the county; 
for liciv nuiiiy of the pio- 
neers iiiteheil their tents 
ami made some of llie 
j^X~^g first material improvements. When 
yMP^ the first settlers came to this old 




_ 2^?^ 



eanipiiiii' firound of tlu' triln's. tliere 
was sitread out before them one of 
nature's iirandest panoramas — the 
prairie extending to the hoi'izoii. In 
ISTl file site of Harvard was pre- 
empted liy N. W. Brass. K. J. Stone, 
Hartliolomew Mosher (or iMoger) and 
(i. W. Van (iuilder.and |)atented to tiiem in Septein- 
herof that year. A formal transfer of their title to the 
South I'latteTown ('()mi)any was made sliortly after, 
and the location surveyed. Within view of the sur- 
\cvors were the statutory liomes of the in-e-empters. 
liuilt more to comply with tlie too easy conditions of 
the rules of pre-eini)tion than to shelter the pre- 
emptors. Before the grairie grasses were cut down 
by wliiU'r the Unrlington & Missouri i{iver ilailroad 
depot was built, and in Feliruary. 1S72. a store- 



wlicai few can make a test 
( writing ami the best? — lyryiUn. 

house was erected by E. H. Birdsall. in which he 
placed a general .stock of merchandise. The Peck 
it .Meston lumber yard was established soon after. 
followed by the feed store of F. Mann and J. Decker; 
the shoe shop of William Bowe. and the general 
store of Ti. .1. Keeny. The Harvard House was 
opened bv l»imick & Stone at this time. The little 
si'ttlement was fully established when W^ K. (tUc, 
land agent for the Burlington & Missouri River Kail- 
road located an office here. Tlien came the second 
land airent, 1. J. Starlnick. and in the summer the 
blacksmith shops of W. E. Welton and A. H. Myers 
were oi)encd. 0. K. .Morrill opened a drug store in 
the Estes building, and there E. .). Stone kept the 
postotlice. in -luly .1. D. To(hrs furniture store and 
E. V. Burnetts law oHice were opened, followed by 
Sawtell's ottice. 

In the fall of IST2 Strickland's grocery store was 

opened, ami liy the close of Noveinl)er about thirty 

houses marked the progress of Harvard's first year. 

Mr. Strickland did not enjoy pioneer privileges and 

liardships, nor ilid he reap the rewards of pioneer 

j life. It appears he was a .Methixlist preacher in 

! Michigan, and though married and the father of 

live children, fled with another woman, and souglit a 

I cover b)r his crime here. Until he was discovered 



— (^ 



/aI"-^ 



388 



HISTUKY OF NEBKASKA. 



he was i)()|jiil:ir in t-hiirch cirt'les and was ix'iiarded 
as one of llir toMnders of the iMcthodist Chiircli of 
the settlement. For four montlis tliis liappy condi- 
tion of tiiiniis existed; liiit a letter from the ahan- 
diineil family and a photDii'raph of the sinninii' hns- 
liand and faliier arrived, and in the darkni'ss of the 
niiiht the ailulterer and widow tied from the justice 
whicli the morrow would bring. 

Amonti' the leading; men of the villaoe in 1882 
were .John 1). Bain, who settled here in 187S, and 
with K. II. Hirdsall established a Inniher yard, and 
witli .M .1. I'ike estalilisiied a sU)re in 188(1; T. A. 
Karliour .settled here in .Inne. 1872, as carpenter, 
prisempted 1(10 acres, opened a real estate oltiee in 
1S74 and a law oltiee in 1878; R, A. Brown settled 
on a preemption claim near Sutton in 1871 , and in 
liic fall lieiian law practice at Suttoi\; Thomas .). 
Diiwd settled at M.arvard in lS7IJ,and estahlishetl 
his jewelry store, subsequently fonnding' liranch 
stores at Hastings. Aurora, and other places; A. T. 
(iilchrist established a grocery store at llaivard in 
1S7!I; John D, Hayes, a law oltiee in 1S7.'>; Henry 
J. Keller, a shoe st<)re in lS7;i; 1>. T. I'liillips, a store 
in 1878 and hotel in IS.Sl; N. A. I'ayne. a bank in 
1878; .James Richard, a blacksmith shop in 1877; J. 
l'\ Sawtell, a store in 1877; C. J. Scott, a building 
otiice in 1877; S. 0. Sloat, book and stationar3' store 
in 187li; lj(!wis Stein, grocery store in 1873; L. J. 
'Pitns and K. Updike, their loan business in 1879; 
(!. II. Washburn, agency for Spring Ranchc Mills in 
1S7'.), Dr. Wilcox in ]87;i; T. B. Wyckoff. his farm 
in 1.S72. 

.\ post otiice was established at Harvard in De- 
rendici-, 1H71 , and K. J. Stone was api)ointed to the 
position of postmaster. TTpon its first (establishment, 
the ottice was kept in a stnrcrooTii ei'ccted by M. Ks- 
tes, whicli was also occupied by ('. Iv. Morrill with 
a stock of drugs. The oflice at first was somewhat 
migratory, and the location de|)endc(l largely upon 
the vvhereaboMts of the postmaster, as he was accus- 
tomed to carry the mail in his plug hat. Previous 
to its establishment at this place, settlers nsually ob- 
tained their mail at (4raud Island, at a distance of 
about thirty miles. Stone held the position of |)ost- 
master until .Jiinel, 1872. and was snci'cedcd \)y 
.M. Kstes, whose appointment lasted until .January 



29, ]s77, when the commission was given to S. C. 
Sloat. The oHice was made a money order ottice in 
July, 1875. T. L. Wind was commissioned post^ 
master by President (Cleveland, but held the otiice 
only tt-n months when (1. W. .Mai'tin was continiieil 
Hecendier 2lt, 1889. Prior to this his aiipointment 
i was made and, on November 5, he entereil upon his 
! duties. He re-established the oflBce on Clay Ave- 
nue, S. C. Sloat was his deputy and Miss Martin 
assistant. 

Theraih(i;id depot was established lici'c in the fall 
of 1S71. .\ .Mr. Harney served as agent for alioiit 
eight years, J. J. Cox, T. J. Cox, Gates and 
Sharp followed in succession and then came A. A. 
Armitage, the present agent. 

In the fall of 1888, there resided at or near liar 
\ard the b)llovving named voters of 1886-411: W. II. 
Hammond, Charles Church, Erastus Austin, Joseph 
Megrue, Wra. Mercer, Silas Moore, V. L. Can', (ieo. 
W. Brown and Andrew Kenned}'. 

The ijctition of E. H. Birdsall and others prating 
that Harvard be declared an incorporated town was 
granted July 1, ]S7:!. E. 1". Burnett, K. M. Bird 
sail, W. A. Farmer, (J. W. Howard and .1, D. Bain 
were named as trustees. 

At a meeting of the board July 19. 1X7:!, K. II. 
Birdsall was chosen chairman: E. P. Burnett, clerk. 
William .MuUiken, treasurer: W. F. (Jue, assessor; 
('. W. (iardner, nuirshal and !>. M. Risley, pound 
master. K. P. l>avison was appointed |ioMnd master. 

The following shows the names of those who have 
held official position in the village government since 
its incori)oration up to the present time, with the 
date of service: 1873 — Trustees, E. II. Birdsall, 
chairman; F. P. Burnett, clerk; J. I>. Bain. W. A. 
Farmer, (r. W. Howard, (succeeded hy B. V. lla\i 
huKl), treasurer, William MuUiken; marshal. C. W. 
(iardner; assessor. W. F. (^lUe; pound master, S. M. 
Risley, (succeeded by Mr. Davison). 

1S74 — Trustees. W. H. Hammond, chairman; 
W. .\. .Mnlliken. C. W. Gardner. F. P. Burnett; 
clerk. W. 1!. .■Mnlliken; treasurer. .1. F. Sawtell, 
assessor, C, K. .Morrill, (succeeded l.iy K. C. .Morse); 
pound master, K. P. Davison; marshal, L. Webster, 
(snccee(lcd by .los. Spotts), W. A. l'"arm<;r was 
elected as the liftli member of the board. 



*:?ic 



i) Vy ' 



jjf 



CLAY COUNTY. 



389 



-t^ 



1875 — TrustiH's. W. 11. Ilnuuiumd. cliaii'iiKUi; .M. 
Kstes, L. Stein, C. D. Mooro, T. J. Dowd; rlcik T. 
.1 Dowil, (succeeded liy (). W. Binninoluun): luar- 
slud, JoeSpotts; assessor. K. ('. Mmse. T. A. Bar- 
hour was appointed treasnriT .Iiiiu' '.l. and W. A. 
Farmer was appointed attorney. 'I'. A. Barlionrwas 
appointed assessor in place of K. (". .Morse, wlio 
moved away. 

lS7(i — Trnstees, M. Kstes, chairman; M. D. Kel- 
ioug, C. D. Moore, L. 8tein and (i, W. Howard; 
clerlv, G. W. Howard; treasurer. W. H. Hammond, 
(succeeded l)y C. D. Moore); marslial. .I<isepli S|)otts; 
assesssor, T. A. Barbour. 

1877 — Trustees, T. .V. Uarlioiir. (■li.-iirmaii; 0. 
D. Moore, P. M. Culvard, L. G. Howard; cleik, L. 
(J. Hurd; treasurer. H. R. Wlieeler; marslial. Joseph 
Spotts. 

1878— Trustees. K. .). Mo^ivr. chairman; W. .1. 
Turner. A. D. Davidson and W. H. Dislirow; ilerk. 
L. (i. Hurd; marshal, Joseph Spotts. 

1879 — It was during this year that the organiza- 
tion as a cit}' of the second class took [>hu'e. with 
the following officers: Mayor. W. J. Turner, clerk. 
T. R. Hall (succeeded by L. A. \'arner); treasurer, 
L. A. Payne; police judge. T. A. Barbour, (suc- 
ceeded by D. T, Phillips); engineer. J. T, Fleming: 
councilmen of the First Ward, W. H. Hammond and 
Ezra Brown; councilmen of the Second Ward. C. J. 
Scott and P. B. Lyons. 

1880 — After the existence as a city of the sec- 
ond class, and the place again became a village the 
following officers were elected: Trustees. W. J. 
Turner, chairman, Ezra Brown. II. (i. Starkey, H. 
R. Wheeler and J. A. Swope; clerk, I. B. Littler; 
treasurer, L. A. Payne; attorney, L, A. ^^arner; 
marshal. C.W. Gaidner (succeeded by Joseph Spotts). 
William Uallap held the position of night patrolman. 

1881— Tnustees. W. T. Perry, chairman; L. (J. 
Hurd. B. C. Oyler; attorney. L. A. X'arner; clerk. 
F. W. Burdick; treasurer, L. A. Payne. 

On August 1. 1878 the board of trustecis of the 
town of Harvard petitioned for the correction of the 
act of incorporation and in accordance with their 
pi'aycr the correction was made, showing that the 
former act vy'as made on i)ctition of a majoritj' of 
taxable male inhabitants thereof. A petition by 



John I). Hayes and 1 9S other taxpayers of Harvard 
precinct, asking the commissioners to fix a date for 
voting on the following proposition, was presented 
J)eceml)er KJ, 1878: "Shall the commissioners of 
Clay County issue bonds of Howard Precinct to the 
amf)Untof $5.(100. to be jilaccd in the hands of E. P. 
Burnett. W. S. Randall and E. Iv How.-ird. officers 
of the county, as trustees, to lie dcli\(Tcil to the 
commissioners of Clay County, in the (-vent of the 
location of the county seat .at Harvard, proceeds to 
lie dc\-oted to tlic erection of count\ liuildings .at 
llar\ard within six mouths of re-location of seat of 
justice." This petition was grante<l ami a datt' 
made for election. 

In April, 1882, J. 1>. B.iin, B. C. Oyler, L. 
A. Payne. C. T). Mo(jre and C. \V. (Jardner wcic 
nominated for village trustees; L. A. \arncr was 
chosen clerk and W. H. Canfield, treasurer. 

T. R. Wyckoflf, John Hill, William Newton. 
Louis Stein (the Iwo last vice J. E. Wheeler and M. 
Estes), were chosen members of the school lioard in 
1882. In 1SS:5 Louis SU-in was re-elected, and W. 
H. Canfleld took the place of Ezra Brown on the 
board. H. (". Brown was chosen moderator of the 
new board. 

The trustees of Harvard elected in I. '^8:; were 
Messrs. Payne, Bain and Ganlner, of the old board, 
with S. S. Dunn and L. J. Titus. William Shackle- 
ford was appointed marshal. 

In 1884, the anti-license candidates for village 
trustees received from 100 to 112 votes, and the 
license candidates from 45 to 52. C. H. De Groff 
received 152 votes, being nominated liy both parties. 
The trustees elected were C. D. .Moore, L. J. Titus. 
J. D. Bain, C. H. De Groff and C. J. Scott. C. K. 
Morrill was chosen clerk; W. H. Canfield, treasurer; 
S. M. Risley, marshal, and M. Estes, superinten- 
dent of cemetery. 

The village elections of 1885 were mainly car- 
ried by the Citizens party. L. A. Payne. B. S. 
Harrington, Ezra Brown, John Moitow and Melvin 
Estes were elected trustees. 

In April, 1885, L. T. Clark and A. P. Hess 
were elected members of the school board eicc John 
Hill and T. R. Wyckoff. 

In 1886. M. W. Wilcox was clet'ted mavor; L. 



390 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



1'. Crdiicli, police jiitliic; S. \V. Wistrniii. clciiv; L. 
.1 'ritiis. trcMsiirt'i-; II. S. Krcciiuiii, fiiiiiiu'cr; M. V. 
('(iicv. (i. \V. (ianliici-. ('. lioi'kliill ami I!. Bon- 
iu'li\-. aldcniii'ii. Tlic vntc cast tor license was (iO: 
auaiiist license. 1 111. 'I'lie Cili/.ciis ticket was beaten. 

In A|iril. ISS7. <1. W. Liniliocker was clioscn 
nia\<ir, (J. \V. Hpilike. treasnrci'; (!. I>. Webster, 
i-lcik; .IciJHi T l''lcniiMi:. cnuineei-; T. II Kcnnclt. 
and |{. K. Sloat . alilcinnai. 

In April. l.SSS. {',. \V. I'pdikc was electe(l 
Mia\()r b\ 1 17 \(ites aiiainst !I2 votes for . lames Don- 
neliy: I I! liittier, treasnivr; W. II. I'ayne. clerk; 
Kzi-a Itiiiun. police judiic; . I. T. Kleminu;. engineer; 
(i. .\. llcr/.oiiand M. \'. ('or\ , <'onncilnicn. with al- 
dermen Sloat and Bennett holdin<; ov<t. 

Tn .\pril. ISSi). .lames Donnelly was ele<'l('d 
ma\or; .lohii T. Klcmini;', clerk; L. .1, 'I'itns. ti'cas- 
ui-er;(l. \\', himbocker. eni;ineer; B. S. IIarrini>ton 
and Samnel .Martin, conncilmen; L. (!. Ihii'd was 
appointe(l attorney; I'r. Iiose, physician; J. F. 
Hickman, marshal: O. ('. Clark, member of 
board of health; J. A. Rupiper, superintendent of 
cemetery; -J. R- Corey, weighmaster. and C. D. 
Moore, foreman of tire comi)any; L. J. Titns. J. L. 
.Misner. I. L. Yoman and 11. E. Heldinti; were 
elected niemliers of the boaiil of education. A vote 
on choice of postmaster shows 153 for (J. W. Mar- 
tin. 102 for O. W. Birmingham. 78 for S. C. Sloat 
and 25 for (J. L. Pike. 

Not until spring of IKSO did the all-con.suming 
conflagration arouse the people to the cry of fire. At 
that time, a building occupieil liy 1'. Lyons and J. 
W. Wigman as a hardware store, wasliurned. Hav- 
ing no means by which to extinguish the lire, all the 
people could do was to stand aside and watch the 
darting flames as they fltfully played through the 
frail timbers of the wooden structure. During the 
same spring, a residence belonging to Henry Dis- 
brow was burned. Again in the montli of January, 
1882, the fierj" demon set about the work of destruc- 
tion, and a large grain elevator, belonging to W, J. 
Turner, was completely consumed. Shortly after 
this sti^js were taken to organize a fire department. 
and bonds for $H,000 were ordered to be issued,- the 
proceeds to liea()plied on the construction of cisterns 
and in the purcliase of a fire engine. 



The ollicei's ol' I lie tire company elected in 
.March. ISSS. were C. D. .Moore, roreman; .1. T. 
Fleming, secretary; I I!. Littler, treasurer; .V .1. 
.Moger. assistant; 1 I!. Littler, captain of hose com- 
pany, and John llichai-ils. second assistant. 

The ll.-ii-\ard lioaril of trade was organized in 
.M.ay, 1SS7. with \V, .1. Turner, pi'csident. (i. W, 
I'pdikc and Kzra Brown. \ ice presidents; L. J. Tilns. 
treasnri'r; 15. S. Harrington, secrclaiy; J. D. Bain. 
Fi. Austin, (k W. Limbocker, C. K. .Morrill, K. I'li- 
dike, T. .\. Barbour. I D. Uinvanl. J. \. I!upii)er. 
W. T, I'erry. ( ». Johnson, L. J. Titus, L. (i. Hurd, 
\V. r. Shockey, B. It. Sloat. C.J. Scolt. S. J. Rice. 
L. Webster, (). J. Ril.'y. U. S. Babcock, C, W. 
(lardner. S. B. Weil, J. |{. Donnelly, .M. W Wil 
cox, .Vdam Ilerzog and C. Rockhill. directors. The 
list of nnotticial mendiers with the above named em- 
braced the entire busint'ss circle of the city. 

A restaurant and house of entcrtaiinnent was 
established in 1S71 by 1''. M. Da\is in a house 
erected by the railroad coinjiany. 

The Harvard House, erected in 1872 liy Dim- 
mii'k it Stone, was the first hotel, After its com- 
pletion it was sold to Ira F. Pearsall, and the name 
was ultimately changed to the ("onimercial House, 

The Goehring House was built in 1872-73, but 
was afterward moved away, and became known as 
Goehring's saloon. 

In July, 1870, Goehring erected on the site of 
his first house the large building known as the 
Metropolitan Hotel. J. B. Spatford leased this 
house from the owner, and in 1882 E, P, Church 
was lessee. 

The Grand Central was erected in 1881 for D. T, 
Phillips. 

The Raught House is referred to in tlic historv 
of the Harvard Building Association. 

In March, 1888, the Harvard Building Associa- 
tion was organized with James Donnelly, president; 
B. S. Harrington, secretary; G. W. Updike, treas- 
urer; W. J. Turner, L. J. Titus, J. A. Rupiper. C. 
J. Scott and I. D. Howard, directors. A rcsolu- 
ti(jn to (>reet a brick hotel building to cost not less 
*9, 0(1(1, and not over *1 2,(l(Kl. was a<loi)ted. and the 
site, where Moger's im])lement warehouse and the 
photograph gallery stood, selected. In May the 



\ 




l)Mililiii,ii- (•"iitnict was sold to Mr. Fricli, of Hast- 
iiiiis. for *!l,244. The liouso was tinislii-il in thr fall 
aii.l leased to A. W. Raiigiit. of SvnK-usc, Xch. 

L. A. Payne & Cos. Iiaiik was estalilislied Feb- 
ruar\ 11. ISTS, by \j. .\. I'ayiie anilW. A. Fanner. 
Late in ISXO Mr. Fanner died, and on Apiil 1, 18S1 , 
the eonipany was re-organized with L. A. Payne. W, 
11. MeBride and .1. R. Penlield proprietors. In the 
fall of 1S7S a two-sto}-y brick bnildinti' was erected 
I'oi- liank |)nrposes. which was remodelled In 1880. 

'{'he Nclu'aska Mortgage Company was ini'or- 
porated in November, 188!). with L. J. Titus, presi- 
dent: N. I). Hlackwell, vice-president; Kdward Fp- 
dikc, trcasnrei-. an<l (i. \V. rp<like. secn'tary. 'I'he 
capital and surjilns amount to :fl(IO. (1(1(1. 

The Fxchange Bank was founded in December. 
ISSl, by Kdward I'pdike and L. J. Titus. 

The E.xchange Bank and Commercial Bank 
were merge<l into the Ihiion State i5ank in .Vi)ril, 
ISSll. Articles of incoriioi'ation were tiled on .March 
23. and business commenced Aiiril 1. The paid ui) 
capital was SI (Ml,(l()(). FMward I'lidike is now 
president, with N. D. Blackwcll and C. W. I'pdike. 
vice-presidents, and L. .1. Titus, cashier. 

Tlie First National Bank was established in 
ISSi) with a [taid up capital of ^;.')(l.(l(t(l iindi'r charter 
4,129. T. H. .Matters is president, C. Uockhill. 
vice-president, and Jesse F. KUei'. cashier. They, 
with Felix Grant and James H. By ram. form the 
board of directors. 

The White Lion tlouring mill was ca'ccteil in the 
fall of 1ST!» by William 1». Cook, and iM|ui|ipcd with 
three run of stones and steam power. 

The Patrii'k Egan elevator at Harvard was sold 
to J. C. Lincoln and J. W. McKibben in June, 
1889. On the completion of the Chicago & North- 
western Railroad to this point other elevators were 
erected. 

The first school was opened in the winter of 
1872-73 by Mrs. C. K. .Morrill, at her house, and 
was attended by thirty nine pupils. Diiiiug that 
winter the contract for building a school hou.se was 
sold to Peck it Meston. who completed the house 
early in the summer of 1873 for the contract price. 
*5,(MH). this sum being raised on IhuuIs voted by the 
district. The district was organized in July, 1872. 



with Vj. J. .Mosher. Alex. .Meston and .M. L. Latham, 
directors or trustees. Some years later the number 
of members was increased to six. and in 18S1 II. C. 
Brown. y\. Kst.es. Ezra Brown. Iv J. Stone. T. B. 
Wvckotl' and William Newton tornicd the board. 
F. L. l*'orcinan was then [iriiicipal. with Flla .Mc 
Bride, L .\. Varner and Clara Ccary. teachers. 
District 11. at this time. claime(l 471 school chil 
dren and employed eight teachers. 

The board of education organizcil in .May, 1887, 
with L. J. Titus, president; T. A. Barbour, vice- 
l)resident, and J. K. Wheeler, secretary. .Mrs. L 

A. Noyes resigned and .Mrs. Tracy refused to till 
the ottice of trustee. William Newton. \j. J. Titus 
and Louis Stein were appointecl on the board. 

Harvanl Lodge No. 7(1. I. (•. O I''., was insti- 
tuted in Harvard, Neb. , f)n the isth day of October. 
1878. by 1). M. McElhenny. assisted by F. Forcht. 

B. F. Bowel' and C. H. i^iul. The charter members 
wereD. W. Dallon. I). T Phillips. F. W. Burdick.B. 
F. Hockett, J. 1). Hayes. W. H. Hammond. Henry 
.Matters. J. H. Jordan. K. Austin. J S. Filler. W. 
T. Shacklefonl. (i. H. Washburn. N. H. Lewis. 
Peter (Ireen, T. H. .Matters. A. D .Mnnger, S. M. 
I'.isley. C. J. Scott. R. S. Johnson. J. I». Hume. T. 
II. Bennett, .V. J. Mogi'r. and at present Oeorge M. 
. I ones, all Nolile (! rands. Lodge No. 70 is at present 
honored with having one of its members in the per- 
son of J. D. Hume as an ofHcer in the G-rand Lodge 
of the State, filling the office of that lodge as Grand 
Herald. The secretaries of the lodge in order of 
service have been F W. Burdick. B. F. Hockett. 
W. E. Urwin, J. I). Hayes. J. H. Jordan. T. H. 
.Matters. W. T. Shacklefonl. George H. Washburn. 
P. Green. J. D. Hume, A. D. Munger, S. .M. Risley. 
C. J. Scott, R. S. Johnson, G. H. Bennett and A. 
J. .Moger. The present membership is twenty- 
nine. 

Olive Branch Lodge No. 1(1. of the Degree of 
Hebekah, of the Order of Odil I'ellows. was insti- 
tuted March 18. 1881. by Ih.- District Heputy Grand 
Master, F. W. Burdick. The charter members wen' 
N. H. Lewis. J. D. Hayes. 1! F Hockett. W". T. 
Sha<-klebM-d. F. W. Buidick. W. II Hammond. (;, 
H. Washburn. W. H. Wade, E. Austin. J. H. Jor 
don and K. 1). Moore. 






►rv" 



3!)2 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



The olliccivs I'locti'd for this lii-;iiicli ol' tin' orilcr 
wriv K. Austin. N, (J.: Mrs. N. II. Lewis. \^ G. ; 
.Mrs. Lytlia A. ILiyi's. Soc. ; J. II. .lonl.ni. IV Soc. . 
:iiul .Mrs. .J. II. .Tordon. Trras. Mrs. N. 11. Lewis 
|iresiile(l (ixfrlliis {(mIoc I'di' m ioiiii' perioil. 

Ihirvnril Lcxlue Nd. !I2, 1. (). (J. T. . was i)r;i;iii- 
i/.eil some time prior to 1SS2. with ('. I*. H;ililwiii, 
W. ('. 'r. . and tlie I'ollowini; n.-imeil ollicers in lodoc 
rank: .Mrs. .). 1). Moore, \V. II. (Miadwieic, K. P. 
Burnett, B. IJ. Sloat, T. .\. Uarl.our. .1. J. Star- 
hnck. .Mrs. S. Kaekns, .Mrs. Sloal. .M, L. Latham. 
.Mrs. Leurant. Mrs. .Manchester and K/,ra Brown. 

The Red Hihhon Chili was presided over in 
.Inly. IST'.t. hy H. F. See. the L (>. i',. T liy ('. K. 
Cope, and tiie Temple of Honor by l». T. Sherman. 

The W. C. T. V. ottieers in L^ST. wenv .Mrs. L. 
.\. .Noyes, presideut: Miss I'uik. vice-president: 
Mrs. Barbour, secretary; .Mrs. Hahcock. treasurer; 
.Mesdaines Soule. .Moger. Scott. I'inckard. Bain, 
Church. Markle. Carr, Bradley. Southworth. Swal- 
low, Moore and Keehlcr, nnotHcial memhers. In 
the fall of 1888 Mrs. Anna .Moore was chosen presi- 
deut, and Miss Jennie Babcoek, secretarj-. 

Harvard Lodije No. 44, A. F. & A. M. . was 
first of the secret orders to become est.alilislicd here. 
It was organized March 2"), chartered .lime 18, and 
instituted in October, 1878. The ottieers chosen 
for its management were: A. J. McPeak, W. M.; 
F. M. Davis, S. W. ; Ezra Brown, J. W.; W. C. 
Massey, Sec.; S. C. Sloat, Treas.; L. B. Munger. 
S. I).; A. P. Davidson. Tiler. W. J. Turner was 
Master in 1878-80. The first mei>tings were held in 
Sawtell's Hall; afterward the society moved into 
(piarters in Sloat's Hall, and later occupied rooms 
in eonjuiiction with the Odd Fellows. The officers 
in 1882 were: L. B. Munger. \V. .M.: J. II. Wash- 
burn, S. W. ; J. D. Hayes, J. \V.; O. W. Birming- 
ham, Sec; J. D. Bain, Treas.; (J. W. Limbocker, 
S. D.; N. H. Lewis, J. D. : C. D. Moore. Tiler. 
The office of master has since been filled by (i. H. 
Washburn, W. J. Turner. William Newton, L. (t. 
Hurd. and in 18811 the following named officers were 
chosen: A. D. Davison, W. M.; O. I*. l?irming- 
ham,S. W.; J. S. Caterson.J. W. : .1. II. Webster. 
Sec. ; W. J. Turner, Treas. 

The first retrular meetiim' of tlie *'< ,\. II. was 



__, 

held in January. 1885. Lieut. -Col. John Mori'ow 
was elected commander: S. H. Roliertson, S. \'. ; 
(ie<n-ge Kvans. .1. W ; .M. Kstes, Q. M.: Kd. 
Weimer. ( ). of l>: K L. .Mien. O. of G. : K. 
Austin, chaplain. The I'ost, however, was org.-in- 
ized in October, I 8S4. The officers of the (J. A. B. 
elccti'd in Meccmbei'. ISS!). were: Com.. C. S. 
Bradley: S. \',.(). W. Biiiningham: .J. \'.. L. S. 
Backus: (). .M.. .1. .\. Kupiper; surgeon, .\lvin 
(iray: (). D.. lOd Weimer; ().*(!., Silas .Mocuv: 
chai)lain. (I. W. .Martin, and adjutant. \\'. (i, 
Willoughby. In l''eliruary, this society, aided by the 
W. B. C. . held a lair and lottery, to raise funds for 
liuildiug a hall, 'i'lie roster is embraced iu the gen 
eral roster of ex-soldiers and sailors residing in the 
connty in ]88i). The oliice of commander has been 
fillcMl by Kzra Brown. Col. .Morrow. E. Austin, W. 
E. Welton. James Donnelly and C. S. Bradley. 

A cam[) of the Sons of \'eterans, organized lu're 
some time ago was mustered iu in July 1889 by 
James Donnelly with twenty-three members. The 
officers were. Dr. V. B. Bose, Captain; Julius Stone. 
First Lieutenant and .\reh. Robertson, Second 
Lieutenant. 

The W. R. C. preceded the Sons of Veterans, as 
an organization. In 188C-88 Miss Mercj- Swallow 
was president. In December, 1888, the W. R. C. 
elected Mrs. Luceta Sloat, president; Laura H. Tur- 
ner, S. V. P.; P.J. Austin, J. V. P.; Mary 0. Han- 
cock, treasurer; E. J. Moger, chaplain; Marj- E. 
Gray, conductor; Mercy A. Swallow, guard; Jlar^- G. 
LeGate, A. G. 

Harvard Lodge. K. of P., was organized July !t. 
1887, with N. P. Shockcy, C. C. ; L D. Howard, V. 
C. ; S. W. Wtistrom, P. ; W. H. Payne. K. R. and S. 
S. B. Weil, M. of K. ; (J. D. Webster, M. at A.; C. B. 
Morrow, P. C. The unofficial members were, C. D. 
Moore, J. II. Webster. T. II. Bennett, S. Rosen 
liaum, L. G. Hurd. R. H. Scott, C. J. Bills and (). 
J. Biley. The ceremonies of installation were at- 
tended by delegations from Hastings, Clay Center 
and Sutton. 

In 188(1, C. S. Babcoek presided over the A. 0. 
r. W. The lodge elected in 1888, I. R. Littler, P. 
M.; J. F. Hickman. .M. W. ; with T. H. Matters, S. 
J. Rice, O. J. Riley, G. S. Babcoek. J. T. Fleming. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



393 



N. H. Pontius, John Bingston and C. J. Seott, fil- 
ling the remaining ofHces. Mr. Hickman is now 
serving as M. W. , witli A. J. Young, recorder. 

A camp of M. W. of A. was organized in Febru- 
ary, 1888, witli J. M. Markle, V. C. , with C. A. 
Sharp, T. H. Matters, J. D. Hume, A. J. Moger, F. 
W. Rose, G. A. Herzog and W. J. Johnson, filling 
the other offices. F. AV. Rose was vice-council in 
1889 andN. H. Pontius in 1890. 

The Al-nor-car-ena Quartette was organized in the 
fall 1889, and the name based on parts of the vocal- 
ists names. 

The first religious services here were conducted 
by Rev. Nunian Brass, a Metliodist, in August, 
1871, and tlie house of worship was his pre-emption 
shanty on his claim. In July of this year a class of 
ten members was organized by him and for some 
time services were conducted in a railroad coach 
until the scliool building was completed. In 1882 
Rev. Mr. Wilkinson was preacher to a society of 
sixty-one members, who purchased tlie Union Church 
building at Sheriff's sale, and were owners in 1882. 
The Harvard and Glenville classes were organized in 
May, 1872. In April, 1873, Rev. E. J. Willis was 
sent liy the conference to the Harvard Circuit, 
which comprised all of Clay County. First Quar- 
terly Conference of this church was heltl at Harvard 
June 21, 1878. Soon after tliis conference, the 
southern portion of the county was organized into 
the Little Sandy Circuit, Rev. Mr. Penny, (supply). 
There were, in 1882, twenty appointments in the 
county, with a membership of over 500. The 
preachers in charge since 1879 are named as follows: 
— Stevens, E. Wilkinson, S. B. Clay, J. K. Max- 
field, — Rippetoe, — Markle, J. B. Pinckard and 
Mr. Jones. 

The Presbyterian Society was organized January 
13, 1878, with fourteen members by Rev. A. M. 
Dickson, of Edgar, and Rev. H. M. Getner, of 
Aurora. At tliis time E. H. Nye was chosen elder. 
H. R. Wlieeler, T. A. Barl)our, C. H. He Groff, L. 
A. Camplicll and W. H. Chadwick, trustees. In 
June, 1879, a cluirch house was commenced, and 
during work thereon services were hekl in the 
school-house or in Phillip's Hall. The society's 
building cost $600, and was dedicated in November, 



1879, by Rev. G. L. Little, Rev. J. L. Lower, the 
pastor, assisting. In 1882 there were forty-three 
members. Edwin Updike and D. M. Waggoner 
were elders; C. H. De Groff, L. J. Titus, D. J. 
Hume, N. H. Pontius and J. Gardner, trustees. 
The church was Iniilt on the " Union Plan," the so- 
ciety contributing most to hold title to the propert}'. 
The Cougregationalists were the winners, but being 
unalile to pay off the debts, the building was sold 
by the sheriff to the ^Methodists. Mr. Lower re- 
mained with the church until it ceased to exist, 
many of the members joining the Congregational 
Societ}'. 

A Baptist Society of ten persons was fonned in 
July, 1872, by Rev. J. N. Webli in the dwelling of 
C. H. Warner. The first regular services were held 
January 2G, 1873, by Rev. I. D. Newell, who was 
hired as pastor. This society has not been referred 
to in the local press of the county for some years. 

The Catholic Church of Harvard was founded 
here in 1879, and Father Glauber attended the mis- 
sion for some years. Father Simeon succeeded, and 
Harvard was included in his mission. The congre- 
gation purchased the old Presbyterian Church house 
and refitted it for the purposes of Catholic worship. 
St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church was or- 
ganized Septeml>er 20. 1881, by Rev. John Green- 
wood, of Hastings. The officers chosen were John 
I). Hayes and D. Nichols, wardens, N. H. Lewis, 
F. L. Foreman an<l William Newton, vestrymen; W. 
H. Canfleld, treasurer, and W. E. Orwin, secretary. 
The Union Sundaj-school dates back to the fall 
of 1872, when a class was organized in Alex. Mes- 
ton's dwelling. Services were held in Sawtell's 
Hall until the school liuilding was completed, anil 
there until 1879-80, when denominational classes 
were formed, the Presbyterians lea\ing the Union in 
January, 1879, In January, 1881, the Methodists 
left the Union. 

In the early months of 1872, when Harvard 
comprised but four or five small buildings. Rev. I). 
13. Perry, a Congregational minister then recently 
graduated from Yale University, now president of 
Doane College, had for his parish the whole of Ham- 
ilton County. He extended his field into Clay 
enough to include Harvard and Sutton. Services 



fV 



3;t-i 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



were held on alternate Sabhaths. tirst in a railroad 
car, then in a private house. A Congregational 
.•liuitli was organized J iily i:?. 1873, with the follow- 
ing memliers: J. V. Todd, Alex. Meston, Mrs. 
Agnes Meston, 0. H. Miner, W. A. McLeon, E. L. 
Brown and Margaret E. Decker. Tlie names of 
clerks in order are S. Backus, 1872; L. G. Hurd, 
1875; Mrs. C. K. Morrill, 1879; Mrs. C. K. Morrill, 
January 13, 1881; T. R. Hall, December 29, 1881; 
Mrs. G. E. Taylor, 1882; E. J. Moger. 1883; Mrs. 
Celia A. Hurd, C. R. Morrill. Henry Noyes, July, 
1888; James Donnelly, January. 1889. 

Names of pastors in order of services arc Ki'v. 
1). B. Perry {sui)ply), Rev. B. F. Haviland (suiiplicd 
alternate Sabbaths for one year). Rev. John Oray (of 
Sutton, supplied alternate Salibaths for two yeai\s). 
Rev. Thomas I'ugh (Fairlicld supply), Rev. H. P. 
Page (pastor February, 1887, to May, 1879). After 
this more than a year elapsed with no stated services. 

In April, 1880, a meeting was held to consider 
the subject of disbanding. A motion to that effect 
was lost, and in July, Rev. George E. Taylor lie- 
came pastor and continued to December 31, 1882. 
Rev. E. Southworth, April 1, 1883, resigned Janu- 
ary 21, 1888. George R. Parrish called April 12, 
1888, ordained by council ;March 21, 1889. resigned 
October 10, 1889. Rev. O. V. Rice called Novem- 
ber 4, I88n. 

A building committee was appointed -'uly 20, 
1881, with L. C. Howard, W. H. McBride, G. E. 
Taylor, T. R. Hall, J. Burdick and C. Rockhill, 
members. Under their supervision the church house 
was erected and dedicated May, 23, 1882. The 
parsonage was completed in 1889 at a cost of ^1,- 
222.35, while the church building cost §2,686. The 
numl)er of members is sixtj'-five. 

The ('iiristian Church of Harvard was formally 
organized in October, 1883, and organized in May, 
1884, with the following named members. Mrs. C. 
Rockhill, Mrs. M. AV. Wilcox, Miss Alice Eddy, 
Mr. and Mrs. Neri Smith, A. H. Davis, Mr. and 
Mrs. W. S. Gantz, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Cline, Mr. 
and Mrs. D. M. Stiles, Miss Anna Stiles, Mr. and 
Mrs. W. C. Moore, George C. Shetler, Miss L. C. 
Shetlcr, and Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Spicer. 

The pastors in the order of services were C. B. 



Lotspiech, B. F. Bush. 0. C. Hubliell. L. F. Van- 
Cleve and G. T. Black. 

Mrs. M. W. Wilcox has served as secretary since 
organization. There are 126 members. In 1885, 
the church house was erected under the direction of 
the following named building committee: C. Rock- 
hill, George LeBaron and T. H. Spicer. 

Fairfield is the new name of the old postoffice 
center, known as White Elm. In point of settle- 
ment and progress it ranks with its sister towns of 
Sutton, Harvard and Edgar. It is the center of 
trade for the southwestern townships of Claj- County 
and the towns adjoining on the south and west. 
Its grain market is (•elcl)rated and the surrounding 
country peopled liy an industrious class of citizens. 
Fairfield town site was entered l)y Maximilian Reed 
in 1871 (northeast (juarter Section 4, Township 5, 
Range 7). He .sold this claim to A. B. Smith, H. J. 
Higgins, R. Bayly, Cornelius Dunn and sixteen 
others who proposed to establish a town here. Fair- 
field was surveyed for the St. Joe & Denver Railroad 
Company, September 11. 1874, by A. R. Buttolph, 
and the first sale of lots was made September 18, 
J. H. Epley buying the first lot oflfered. John 
Clancy was the pioneer settler on the town-site, he 
being manager of the boarding car, and later of the 
section house during the construction of the road. 
In June, 1872, the railroad company erected a depot 
east of the old settlement, this was followed bj' the 
section house; Jayues oflice and lumber yard followed 
in the fall, and then Chandler & Aiken's carpenter- 
shop. Early in 1873, T. E. Broderick purchased 
Jayne's building and later, McPeak & Sons estab- 
lished a hardware store in the carpenter shop. In 
Septemper, 1874, J. H. Epley and Smith & Spencer 
moved their stores from the old to the new town-site; 
J. C. Clark established a lumlier yard; D. McDonald 
a blacksmith shop; J. \Y. Small a real estate office, 
and Hopper & Conrad a drug store. 

A postofifiee was cstaliiishcd in the fall of 1871, 
at a point two miles northwest of the present town 
called White Elm, and kept l)y J. P. Scott, pos1> 
master. The location of the oflice was changcil and 
brought into town on June 27, 1873, at which time 
it passed into the hands of L. Brewer, who was com- 
missioned postmaster. 



"f^ 



/J^ — «>- 



CLAY COUNTY. 



-< 2> 



395 



^ 



The office, after l)eini; variously called by the 
citizens, was finally gi^n the name which it now 
bears. Mr. Brewer continued postmaster from his 
first appointment up to February, 1S8G. with the 
exception of al)oiit seven months in 1881, when H. 
S. Gould received the commission, Ijut gave place to 
Brewer January 1, 1882. 

Dennison Howe succeeded Leauder Brewer as 
postmaster in February, 1886. The appointment of 
Dr. Prentice, his successor, was confirmed in Feb- 
ruary, 1890. 

The petition of J. H. Conrad and twenty-five 
others, for the incorporation of Fairfield, was pre- 
sented July 1, 1878. L. F. Fryar, D. Howe, J. R. 
Maltby, John Epley an<l W. S. Frickett were named 
trustees. This board organized with J. R. Maltby, 
chairman; O. G. Maury, clerk; C. F. Shedd, treas- 
urer; A. A. Kelsey, marshal (succeeded by P. G. 
Hayes); W. S. Priekett, attorney. The board 
passed the first ordinance on the 23d day of July, 
1878. 

The oflScers elected for the year 1879 were: 
Trustees, J. E. Hopper, G. E. Glass, C. Palmer, 
(chairman), J. R. Madison and H. Spencer; clerk, 0. 
G. Maury; treasurer, John Biddle. 

1880 — Trustees, J. E. Hopper, Charles Palmer, 
Chairman; 0, H. Judd, G. E. Glass, H. Spencer; 
clerk, F. H. Willis. 

1881— Trustees, J. R. Maltby, D. Howe, J. 
Tweed, D. Murdoek, chairman, and E. L. Brewer; 
treasurer, J. H. Case; clerk, J. C. Hedge. 

1882— Trustees, W. S. Randall, chairman; T. J. 
Loomis, A. Broderick, C. F. Shedd and J. C. Hedge; 
clerk, D. Howe; treasurer, Charles Lewis. 

In 1883 W. S. Randall was chairman; J. E. 
Broderick, J. E. Hopper, M. B. Gates and B. F. 
Rawalt, trustees; E. D. Judd, clerk; W. S. Priekett, 
attorney; C. L. Lewis, treasurer, and William Craw- 
ford, street commissioner. 

In April, 1884, Henry Spencer, M. B. Gates, S. 
J. Anthony and A. J. iMinor were elected trustees, 
while C). P. Alexander, W. Kentner and J. C. Clark 
received each forty votes for tlie fiftli position on 
the l)oard. 

In 1885 Messrs. Randall, Gates, A. G. Sherwood, 
T. J. Loomis and D. Howe, were trustees; E. D. 



Judd, clerk; C. L. Lewis, treasurer; W. S. Priekett, 
attorney; Thomas Myers, marshal, and E. Gates, 
street commissioner. 

The trustees elected in 1886 were M. B. Gates, 

A. G. Sherwood, A. A. Raiulall, C. F. Shedd and 
Charles Lewis; E. A. Mitchell was appointed clerk; 
W. S. Priekett, attorney, and J. L. Epperson, treas- 
urer. 

The trustees elected in April, 1887, were O. C. 
Hubbell, Dr. A. J. Bacon, A. B. Smith, H. M. 
Goldsmith and C. L. Lewis; E. A. Mitchell was re- 
appointed clerk; T. J. Loomis, treasurer, and J. E. 
Broderick. marshal. 

The election of April 3, 1888, resulted in the 
choice of the following named trustees: C. L. Lewis, 

B. J. Wright, M. B. Gates, George Avery and 
George J. Pielstick; James H. Brooks was appointed 
clerk; J. L. Epperson, attorney; J. E. Broderick, 
marshal; Elmer Gates, street commissioner, and T. 
J. Loomis, treasurer. 

In April, 1889, J. E. Hopper was elected mayor; 
J. H. Brooks, clerk; T. J. Loomis, treasurer; C. 
M. Priekett, city engineer; Frank Phillips, A. R. 
Ray, S. H. Lewis and C. W. Potter, councilmen. 

The first school building was erected in the fall 
of 1873, at a cost of $1,440, and the first school 
taught therein during the following winter. A new 
school-house was erected in 1881, and the pioneer 
Ijuildiug sold to the Christian Societj' in the fall of 
that year. The new house cost $5,000. Its posi- 
tion above the town commands a view of the country 
for twenty-one miles in some directions. It was 
opened by A. A. Randall, principal, assisted by 
Emma McKee and Alice Cooper. E. S. Detwieler, 
principal, witli Nellie Martin and Mrs. E. W. Lewis, 
presided over the schools in 1883-84. In April 
Prof. Hursh was principal, with Mrs. Case, Emma 
McKee and Nellie Martin, assistant teachers. The 
teachers of the schools in March, 1888, were 
Misses Sanderson, To'-rey, Emma McKee, Louie 
McKee and J. A. Frame, with Louis Morgan, prin- 
cipal. The school directors, elected in April, were 
D. B. Gillette and S. H. Lewis, for three years, and 
J. P. Nixon (vacancy) for one year. The tax levy 
for school purposes was 25 mills per dollar. In 
1889 B. McCartney, J. P. Nixon and S. Colegrove 



^ a 






^ 



3fl(5 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



were elected memliers of the school board. At the 
June meeting the tlistrict was declared out of debt and 
a balance of $285.47 in the treasury. The number of 
children of school age was 471. D. B. Gillette was 
I'ho.sen moderator and S. H. Lewis treasurer. J. R. 
McKee was appointed principal, with Fannie Sander- 
son, Fannie Dinsmore, Emma McKee and Louie 
McKee teachers. Ida Martin was appointed assist- 
ant principal and A. \V. Evans teacher for the east 
school. 

In April, 1884, the sum of $17,000 was sub- 
scribed !)}• twelve persons for the benefit of Fairfield 
College. The committe on collection comprised D. 
Howe, J. L. Epperson and M. B. Gates. In .Uine, 
1884, Prof. Hubbell resigned his position as princi- 
|3al of the Hastings schools and moved to Fairfield. 
On Scptcmfier 24. tlic Normal Institute was opened 
here liy liim. The College Directory, published in 
Noveml>er, 1884, gives the names of T. P. Nixon, 
president of the board; ^Y. T. Newcomb, financial 
agent and secretary; C. W. Hemry, president of the 
faculty, and 0. C. IInbl)ell, principal of the normal 
department. The first annual commencement exer 
eises were held June 3, 1885. In October, 1885, 
there were seventj- students enrolled, where a year 
liefore the register contained onl^- twenty-seven 
names. In April, 1886, the college board autlun-- 
ized the employment of an architect to draw i)lans 
for buildings, and in July the contract for the col- 
lege liuilding was sold to W. B. Sehmucker for 
$9,075. Work was at once begun, and, within that 
j-ear, the large brick building was completed. 

The fire of March 6, 1885, destroyed the stable 
of Conrad & Powers and with it 1 ,000 busliels of 
grain, two horses, valued at $1,200, and other prop- 
erty'. The fire of April 11 , 1888, originated between 
the Mills' building, then occupied bj- Newcomb & 
ArnoUl (on the site of Arnold & Potter's store), and 
John Tweed's store building. Within a few mo- 
ments the Exchange hotel, of Mrs. Townsend (estab- 
lished in 1877), the Mills' building, Newcoml) & 
Arnold's stock valued at $7,000, John Tweed's 
stock and Iniilding valued at $G,000, Thomas Fow- 
ler's building $1;500, and Minnick & Morrill's stock 
$8,000 were destroyed. The heat was so intense as 
to melt the iron cornices of the Exchange building 



and to damage the fronts of Wright Bros', hardware 
store and Bradwell & Lewis' drug store. The 
total loss was $35,000, and the insurance $11,300. 
A few small fires are recorded in and around the 
village, but those referred to were the only serious 
ones. 

In 1880-81 the citizens considered the question 
of water supply in case of fire, and agreed to con- 
struct a system of tanks. The appliances provided 
for this purpose consisted of a well, wind-mill and 
force pump; three cisterns, of 300-l:>arrel capacity, 
constructed at the intersection of the principal 
streets, and one 200-barrel cistern near the well, 
each being connected with the well by means of 
underground pipes, through which the water was 
carried to fill them. In each of the cisterns was a 
wooden pump, by means of which the water was 
raised into l)uckets, used until an engine was pro- 
cured. A hook-and-ladder company was organized 
during the year 1881, with E. W. Lewis, foreman, 
and the department consisted of volunteers, all, in 
case of fire, lieing under the direction of an engi- 
neer, who was appointed by the town trustees, to- 
gether with his assistant. In 1882, D. Howe occu- 
pied the position of chief engineer, and K. I. 
Willis, assistant engineer. 

The local board of the Fairfield luaneh of the 
Farmers' ITnion Insurance Company was presideil 
over in May, 1880, by H. T. Hoyt, with J. T. Lee, 
vice-president, D. B. Gillette, secretaiy, and Brewer 
and Ricker, collectors. A large number of members 
were secured. 

The first banking house was established May 1 1 . 
1881, by J. W. Small and W. S. Randall. It was 
called the Fairfield Exchange Bank, and is engaged 
in general banking business, with a paid up capital 
of $3,000, and deposits amounting to aViout $12,000. 
On Ma}- 14, of that same year, a second monetary 
institution became established under the name of 
the Fairfield Hank, bj' a compan}' composed of W. 
T. Newcomb, S. J. Anthony and O. C. Hubbell. 

The First National Bank, successor to the Faii'- 
fleld Bank, was organized April 28, 1880. and com- 
menced business June 1, 1880, the stockholders be- 
ing L. D. Fowler, president; George H. Cowles, 
vice-president; M. C. Josl^'n, cashier; John E. Bag- 



V^ 



^__J^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



397 



ley and Ira Titus, assistant cashier. The capital 
stock was $5(1,000. W. T. Neweomb was elected 
president, June 6, 1888; Jacob Shively, vice-presi- 
dent; Ira Titus, cashier; S. C. Thompson, assistant 
cashier. On January 14, 1890, Jacob Shively was 
president; George J. Pielstick, vice-president; Ira 
Titus, cashier; S. C. Thompson, assistant cashier. 
The company own their building, which was built 
in the latter part of 1886. 

The Citizens' Bank was established July 21, 
1886, and opened August 2, that year. J. C. Hedge 
has served as president and C. L. Law, cashier, 
since that date. They, with J. L. Epperson, J. 
Tweed, H. S. Good, E. J. Jenkins, J. Linzen and 
George F. Dickson were the original stockholders. 
There are now nineteen stocklioklers. The paid up 
capital is $30,000, and the surplus undivided profits 
$3,500. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized 
August 27, 1873, by F. A. Penny, with W. R. 
Stevens, class leader. The class then belonged to 
Little Blue Circuit, of which A. G. White was pre. 
siding elder. The first members were: W. R. Stev. 
ens. A, P. Randall, Alma Batchelor, Mary J. Ran- 
dall, Mrs. A. Hughes, Edetha Stevens, Mary M. 
Randall, W. N. Randall, W. H. Hughes, R. N. 
Brown, Mrs. L. J. Pearson, Mrs. E. Hardy, G. B. 
Overhulse, William S. Randall and Mary C. Randall. 
The names of pastors, in order of service, were: 
F. E. Penny, E. J. Willis, J. S. Norville, J. W. 
Dobbs, Joseph Gray, C. L. Smith, C. A. Mastin, 
Horace A. Ewell, Andrew Kershaw, C. A. Lewis, 
J. W. Warfield and C. E. Rowe. 

The office of secretary has lieen flUcil liy J. 0. 
Beck, J. W. Small, G. B. Overhulse, M. L. Byrket, 
Chester Wright, Mattie Hewitt and F. Anawalt. 
E. A. Jlitchell is the present recording secretary. 
The church house was erected in 1877; J. W. Dobbs 
was president and G. B. Overhulse, clerk of the 
l)uilding committee. Services were continued in the 
depot until the school-house was completed, when 
the class used that building and occupied it until 
the church Iniilding was completed, in the summer 
of 1878. The church is constructed after the Gothic 
style of architecture, is 30x50 feet in dimensions, 
and is finished with stained glass windows. It cost 



$2,150. The congregation numbered 120 members 
in 1882. 

A Sunday school was organized in the summer of 
1878, witli fifty scholars. W. R. Stevens was elect> 
ed superintendent; the scliool numbered 120 mem- 
bers, in 1882, and was under the superintendence of 
W. S. Randall. 

The Catholic congregation was organized in Oc- 
tober, 1877, at the residence of J. R. Maltby. Rev. 
J. G. Glauber attended this mission every month, 
holding the sei-vices of the church in Conrad's Hall. 
The original congregation comprised seven families, 
but increased to twenty families in 1878. when work 
on the church building was commenced. The house 
was partly completed early in 1879, and finished in 
1S82. In 1882 Father Simeon, then resident priest 
at Hastings, attended this mission. 

The Christian Church antedates 1878, when W. 
T. Neweomb and Elder T. J. Neweomb preached 
the doctrine of this denomination occasionally. A 
society was organized June 16, 1878, with the fol- 
lowing named members: S. J. Anthony, W. T. 
Neweomb and Mrs. De Ette Newcomli, Lorenzo R. 
Chapman and Mrs. Lona Chapman, Joseph Webb 
and jNIrs. Hannah Webb, and James H. Artrup, 
eight in all. The office of pastor has been filled l\v 
Revs. George Lobingier, William Sumpter, T. J. 
Neweomb, C. B. Lotspeieh, C. W. Hemry, W. P. 
Aylesworth and T. L. Fowler. On November 1, 
1881, S. J. Anthony was elected first secretary, and 
liolds that position to-day. In 1884 a building 
committee was chosen. This comprised the secre- 
tary, J. P. Nixon; G. W. Howe, Allen T. Mont- 
gomery and Jacol) Haylett. and under their direction 
a house of worship was erected. This buildiug was 
dedicated January 4, 1885 by Pastor C. W. Hemry 
and Elder Lucas. In 1879 a parsonage was begun 
and finished, and the same year S. J. Anthony or- 
ganized a Sunday-school of thirty-five scholars. In 
the fall of 1881 the old school house was purchased 
by this society and fitted up for the purposes of 
worship. 

The Congregational Society may be said to date 
back to January 21 , 1872, when Mr. J. A. Jones, mis- 
sionary for the southern part of Clay County, or- 
ganized a society at the house of H. J. Higgins, 



^ k- 



<S k. 



398 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



with the following named members: A. S. Willis 
and wife, and H. J. Higgins and wife. The pastors 
in order of service are named as follows: Revs. 
John A. Jones, Thomas Pugh, — Abbott, R. R. 
Williams, 1883; C. E. Harwood, 1884; R. C. Morse, 
the present pastor. The office of clerk has been 
filled bj- the following members: A. S. Willis, W. 
H. Frey, M. R. Madison, K. I. Willis and C. A. 
Morrill. In the fall of 1872 the permanent head- 
quarters were fixed at Fairfield, services being held 
in the store buildings, and later in the Brown school 
house. In 1874 the common school building was 
their place of worship and continued to be, with 
little exception, until March 5, 1882, when the 
church house, begun in 1878, was completed at a 
cost of $2,800. The building committee comprised 
C. F. Shedd, L. C. Hodgson, J. R. Maltby, W. H. 
Frey, E. J. Jenkins, R. Bayly and A. B. Smith. 
There are now (February, 1890) IGO members. 

A union Sunday-school was begun in the spring 
of 1872, the first meeting being held at the residence 
of H. J. Higgins, at Liberty farm, where it was 
kept during that jear, until the approach of winter, 
at which time the school was dismissed for the win- 
ter, and, on the 9th of the following March, was 
started up again, and L. Brewer was elected super- 
intendent. With the beginning of next winter, the 
school was disbanded. On March 7, 1874, scholars 
met in Brown's (or Palmer's), school house, and 
elected W. R. Stevens superintendent. Meetings 
continued to be held in the school house until the 
fall of 1877, when thej- were changed to the Metho- 
dist Church, remaining here about one .year, being 
again held in the school house until the erection of the 
Congregational Church, in which the school has been 
kept since. Other congregations at times branched 
off, starting schools of their own, so that what re- 
mained in 1882 of the union school, originally 
started, belonged almost exclusively to the Congre- 
gational Church, and had a membership of 100, 
under the supervision of Lyman Porter. 

In 1884, 1. D. Newell was pastor of the Baptist 
Society, followed in 1885 by Miss, E. Townsley, who 
was succeeded in ]88ti by Rev. A. K. Myattwayand 
he by Miss Townsley in 1887. On Miss Townsley's 
resignation of the pastorate, the jiulpit was vacant 



for some time until Mr. Clapp was called as pastor. 
He resigned in January 1890. 

In November, 1883, the Baptist, Methodist and 
Congregational mission society was formed with Jlrs. 
Worsle}', president; Mrs, Small, vice-president; 
Mrs. Case, secretarj^ Mrs. Kershaw, treasurer and 
Mesdamcs Lewis, W. S. Randall, Oliver, Madison, 
Willis and Mason members of the committees. 

T. W. Chatburn of the Reorganized Church of 
Latter Day Saints preached in Hopper's Hall in 
April 1884. The membership of this society is quite 
limited but very active. 

The Masonic society of Fairfield was organized 
under dispensation September 6, 1880, in Hopper's 
Hall with ten members. On June 22, 1881, a char- 
ter was granted and Fairfield Lodge No. 34, A. F. 
& A. M. , was instituted July 2(1, with B. F. Ravvalt, 
O. P. Alexander, K. I. Willis, W. S. Randall, L. 
F. Fryar, J. McDonald. B. R. Royce, J. W. Small, 
(J. W. No))le and Richard Barley officials in lodge 
order. The masters since 1883 are named as fol- 
lows: 1883, B. F. Rawalt; 1884, W. S. Randall; 
1885, G, W, Noble; 1886, A. A. Randall; 1887, J. 
M. Farley: 1888, W. S. Randall; aud in 1889, W. 
S. Randall. The secretaries were A. A. Randall, 
1883-84; F. H. Willis, 1885; K, I. Willis, 
1886-88; J. C. Hedge, 1889-90. This lodge elected 
the following named officers in June, 1889: Wil- 
liam S. Randall, W. M. ; E. J. Jenkins, S. W.; 
George J. Pielstick, J. W.; John Tweed, treasurer 
and J. C. Hedge, secretary. 

The Odd Fellows, as is usual, have a strong lodge 
at Fairfield. Messrs. Fowler, Gates and Jenkins 
have served the lodge as presiiling officers in late 
years, while Messrs. J. B. Goldsmith, T. J. Fowler 
and J. H. Brooks have served as secretaries. 

The Grand Army of the Re|)iil)lic Post was or- 
ganized in August, 1880, with twentj'-six members, 
by Col. Woods, of Omaha, in Conrad's Hall, and 
W. S. Randall was elected commander; B. F. Ra- 
walt, S. V. C. ; S. J. Anthony, J. V. C. ; L. Brewer, 
chaplain; D. A, Kecny, Q. M. ; O. P. Alexander, 
surgeon; W. H. Fr3-, ailjutant, and B. R. Royce, 
(). of D. At a regular meeting in December, 1881 , 
(t. W. Noble was elected commander; J. W. Small, 
S. V. C; J. C. Hedge, J. Y. C. ; L. Brewer. chai> 



*j\<S ^k^ 



-^ 9 



CLAY COUNTY. 



399 



lain; J. E. Hooper, Q. M. ; O. P. Alexander, adju- 
tant; W. S. Randall, surgeon; B. F. Rawalt, O. of 
D. , and Jeff. Ogg. O. of G. The society met in 
Conrad" s Hall for about three years, when they 
moved into quarters in Hopper's Hall. In 1883 
J. W. Small was commander, and B. F. Rawalt, 
adjutant ; J. C. Hedge presided in 1884-85, with 
J. B. Sanderson, adjutant, in 1884, and I. D. New- 
ell in 1885; A. P. Randall, commander, in 188(1, 
with J. C. Hedge, adjutant; T. J. Loomis, in 1887, 
with H. M. Vanderbilt, adjutant; G. W. Flint, in 
1888, with J. B. Sanderson, adjutant, and E. P. 
Rider, in 1889, with G. W. Flint, adjutant. 

The past-post commanders of Fairfield Post, 
who attended the State convention in February, 
1886, were J. W. Small, J. C. Hedge, George W. 
Avery, VV. S. Randall and A. P. Randall. 

The soldiers buried in Fairfield Cemetery as 
reported in May, 1889, are named as follows: G. 
W. Morecroft, Cyrus Griffith, -J. H. Case, I. B. 
Reynolds, J. A. Trobaugh, Frank Stephenson, 
Horace Tibbits, T. W. White, Fred Ronzo, E. H. 
Prentice, W. H. Frey (O. P. Alexander's remains 
were removed to Pennsylvania), W. E. P. Hunt, 
J. W. Snyder, J. A. Webber, G. W. White, J. O. 
Athey, Robert B. Hale, William Smith, Jacob Til- 
bury and one unknown soldier. The wives of 
soldiers buried there were Madams G. W. Avery, 
Charlotte Hunt, Myra McDaniels, J. H. Case, A. 
Graj' and W. M. Towers. 

Fairfield Lodge No. 86, A. O. U. W., was organ- 
ized August 27, 1886, with the following members: 
D. Mordock, M. D. Gates, U. S. McReynolds, E. 
D. Judd.W. S. Randall, J. M. Farley, J. C. Hedge, 
J. E. Higgins, G. W. Avery, F. H. Willis, C. E. 
Collins, J. Tweed, S. S. Renie, G. M. Prentice, A. 
J. Bacon, D. B. Gillett, C.W. Potter, A. B. Smith, 
G. A. Howe, V. W. Millard, S. H. Lewis, W. A. 
Pearman, W. J. Lowry, E. E. Gates, Frank Job- 
son, E. L. Bartholomew. John Biddle and J. M. 
Overhulse. The masters of this lodge, in the order 
of service, are D. Mordock, C. W. Potter, E. D. 
Judd. and M. D. Gates, present incumbent. The 
secretaries have been E. D. Judd and S. H. Lewis, 
and the number of members in February, 1890, 
fifty-five. 



In December, 1889, the Women's Relief Corps 
of Fairfield elected Mrs. C. F. Shedd, President; 
Mrs. J. B. Sanderson. S. V. P. ; Mrs. T. W. Kirk- 
patrick, J. V. P. ; Miss M. L. Randall, Sec. ; Mrs. 
T. J. Loomis, Treas. ; Mrs. W. S. Randall, Treas. ; 
Miss Sanderson, Conductor, and Mrs. J. B. Massie, 
Guard. 

The Chorus Class organized in November. 1884, 
comprised J. N. Hm-sh. C. E. Harwood, Nellie Mar- 
tin, Susie McKee, Anna Case, Ella Kneeland, Cora 
Hopper, L. M. Howe, A. A. Randall, L. C. Morris, 
Fannie Mason, E. D. Judd, W. M. Sheppard. A. B. 
Randall, Mary Gaylord, C. E. Collins and G. A. 
Houlgate. 

Fairfield Council No. 1, R. T. of T., was in- 
stituted July 15, 1889, with A. T. Harrington, S. 
C. ; J. E. Hopper, V. C. ; Mrs. F. A. Harrington, 
chaplain; Miss M. L. Harrington, recorder; Z. 
Riggs, financial secretary; Jacob Shively, treas- 
urer; G. W. Jenkins, herald; Levi Beard, D. H. ; 
Mrs. M. Hakes, guard; A. W. Ginzey, sentinel, 
and Royal W^oods, medical examiner. There 
were seventeen petitioners for charter of whom 
thirteen were initiated. There are now sixteen 
members. 

The Y. M. C. A. was organized in June, I8861 
with A. B. Palmer, president; A. K. Wright, vice- 
president, and C. A. Morrill, senior vice-president. 
In 1887-88 E. A- Mitchell presided, with A. Rob- 
erts, secretary. In June, 1889, C. A. Morrill was 
elected president; F. Anawalt and Ben Pearsall, 
vice-presidents; W. E. Mitchell, secretary; E. A. 
Mitchell, treasurer, and J. H. Byrkot. librarian. 

A branch of the Retail Merchants' Association 
of Nebraska was organized at Fairfield, in Sep- 
tember, 1889, with William S. Randall, president; 
A. G. Arnold, vice-president; A. B. Palmer, secre- 
tary; B. J. Wright, treasurer; F. Anawalt, T. J. 
Loomis and A. G. Arnold, executive committee. 

The Modern Woodmen of America, organized 
in 1889, with C. W. Potter, consul, and E. A. 
Mitchell, clerk. 

The Fairfield Temperance Alliance was organ- 
ized in November, 1881, with F. H. WDlis, presi- 
dent, and B. F. Rawalt, secretary. In December 
a society of 350 members was organized, with B. 



400 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



F. Rawalt, president; F. Malone, secretary, and 
Mis. Clara Broderick, treasurer. 

The I. O. G. T. is one of the oldest organiza- 
tions of Fairfield. Its work has been continuous 
with the Red Ribbon and alliance work. The 
presiding officers since 1883 are named as follows: 
W. F. Kintner, E. W. Lewis, R. Bayly, C. H. Ep- 
person, W. F. Kintner, J. A. Frame and Will H. 
Earner, in 188U. The secretaries in the same 
order were S. C. Maine, Liite Howe, Mrs. Howe, 
Ida Aitkens, Fannie Sanderson, George Biddell, 
L. O. Shirk. 

A Union Temperance Society was organized in 
September, 1885, with W. S. Randall, president; 
I. E. Beery, secretary; Mrs. Worsley, treasurer! 
J. E. Hopper, J. L. Epperson, J. P. Nixon, J. J. 
Sperry and the president, executive committee. 

Clay County Musical Society was organized in 
February, 1874, with S. Backus, president; A. 
Poole, vice-president; T. A. Barbour, secretary; 
Miss Dewstoe, corresponding secretary, and E. P. 
Burnett, treasurer. 

The Reading Circle of Fairfield in 1882 com- 
prised Richard Bayly, Leander Brewer, James H. 
Conrad, J. H. Epley, J. C. Hedge, Dennison 
Howe, John E. Hopper, William L. Howe, C. T. 
Mills, Sr., W. T. Newcomb, George W. Noble, 
William S. Randall, Ben. F. Rawalt, C. F. Shedd 
and A. S. Willis. 

The first hotel opened at Fairfield for the ac- 
commodation of travelers was the Section House, 
kept by John Clancey, which was continued until 
the winter of 1870-77, when W. W. Wattles erect- 
ed the Exchange Hotel, which in 1882 was the 
only public house in operation in the place. In 
the fall of 1879 Mrs. C. J. Yates built the Met- 
ropolitan Hotel, which she used for the accommo- 
dation of guests. The old Exchange Hotel was 
destroyed by fire in 1888, while conducted by Mrs. 
Townsend. The railroad house or Union Depot 
Hotel is now the leading hotel of all this section. 
The building was erected by the citizens and rail- 
road company jointly. The Fairfield House or 
City Hotel is also a favorite house. 

A. B. Smith's sorghum factory produced more 
syrup in 1883 (15,000 gallons) than any other 



factory in the State. Other industries also exist 
here, such as the creamery, iron-work.s, etc. A 
few elegant brick business blocks point out the 
workings of modern progress. 

The Merchant's Carnival* of February 0, 1890, 
was carried out under the superintendence of 
Marshal Gordinier, assisted by the ladies of the 
churches. The First National Bank was repre- 
sented by Fannie Shively, the front of whose black 
dress was trimmed with National liank notes and 
$20 gold pieces and silver dollars. A head-dress 
was also made of bank bills, the costume aggregat- 
ing in all $860. Palmer Bros. ' dry-goods house was 
represented by Mamie Clapp; A. B. Smith's agri- 
cultural implement warehouse, by Minnie Snethen; 
Biles' photograph gallery, by Ida Smith; Riggs & 
Birch's drug store, by Sallie Riggs; the Fire Com- 
pany, by Mary Munson; Broderick' s blacksmith 
shop, by Mrs. Fred Evans; Wright Bros.' hardware, 
by Elva Rulon; Mrs. Brooks' millinery, by Amelia 
Furer; Miss Biddle's dress-making house, by Mary 
Atkins; C. H. Epper.son's law office, by Mrs. Ep- 
person; Phillip's jewelry store, by Lena Phillips; 
the Fairfield Iron Works, by Libbie Reel; the Her- 
ald office, by Cora Rider; Helton & Larimore's 
grocery, by Nellie Mason; Wyman & Lewis, by 
Fannie Mason; Frees & Hedge, by Emma McKee; 
the Loomis grocery store, by Nettie Loomis; J. H. 
Brooks' real-estate office, by Georgie Prentice; the 
Clay County Telephone Company, by Laura Bene- 
dict; the Titus insurance office, by Emma Wilkins; 
Howe's post-office store, by Emma McPeak; Den- 
tist Robert's office, by Amy Sheppard; the News 
office, by Eliza Sheppard; J. P. Nixon's real-estate 
office, by Belle Nixon; Anawalt's grocery, by Louie 
McKee: G. W. Howe's grocery, I)y Frankie Gil- 
lette; M. L. Byrket & Son's blacksmith and marble 
shops, by Susie Byrket; Lewis Bros, drug house, 
byAdaHursh; the St. Joseph & Grand Island Rail- 
road, by Fannie Sanderson; Minnick & Morrill's 
general store, by Lulu Downer; John Tweed's 
general store, by Belle White; Arnold & Potter, 
the clothiers, by Edith Smith; Fowler's harness 
shop, by Minnie McPeak; Fiddler's coal oil ware- 
house, by Flora McFadden; Gay's meat-market, 

♦Summarized from News report. 



r'^ 



>^. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



401 



by Connie Brown; Cook & Brebm's meat market, 
by Mrs. Brehm; Cash Furniture Company, by 
Florence Jackson; the furniture bazaar, by Bertha 
Willis; Union Depot Hotel, by Amy Wilson; Prick- 
ett's real-estate office, by Nina Trobee; the Chi- 
cago store, by Cora Hai't; the Fairfield House, by 
Lillie Dixon; Gordinier & Millard, paper-hangers 
and plasterers, by Fannie Atkinson; Sam Lee's 
laundry, by Jennie Elliott; Emrich's barber shop, 
by May Humphreys ; Swanton' s paint shop, by Min- 
nie Jones; Cook & Brehm' s ice house, by L. Marie 
Hubbell; Furer & Pearsall's creamery, by Miss 
Markley; Rossiter's shoe shop, by Wealthy Downer; 
Phillips & Hayden, livery, by Minnie Harris; J. H. 
Conrad, drugs, by his daughter, Miss Winnie; 
Lenzen & Son, grain and stock, by Ollie Harris; 
C. J. Furer, grain and stock, by Gertie Smith; 
C. K. Knights, harness-maker, by Minnie Case. 

The entertainment was not only well attended, 
but everyone was fully and perfectly satisfied; the 
marching was greatly admired and the costumes 
appropriate. 

Edgar is made up of all kinds of people shaped 
to an enterprising community by the same spirit 
of progress and enterprise which first suggested 
the building of a village at this point. There are 
no church towers here with bells which tolled great- 
grandfathers to their graves ; no long lines of tombs 
in which lie the virtues of ancestors known only by 
tradition; no gray-haired friars rising up like stat- 
ues before the memory; no grim sexton looking 
into some new-made grave waiting for the latest 
addition to his inanimate company — nothing of the 
dead past. Merchants and tradesmen are all mod- 
ern, scarcely taking time to die, pushing ever 
onward building and rebuilding, always active. 
Non-existent in 1870, it has nothing of age, but 
claims all the grit and reality of youth. 

The town site was pre-empted by Henry Gipe 
for the Nebraska Land & Town Site Company, to 
whom he deeded one-half the quarter-section upon 
which the town was platted. The survey was made 
by A. R. Butolph, in May, 1873, the railroad be- 
ing completed in July, 1872. The post-office was 
estal)lished in June, 1872, with A. J. Ritterbush, 
master, who kept it in his log store building adjoin- 



ing the limits of the survey. Gipe erected the first 
house — a sod house — and in 1872 the depot and 
section house were erected by the railroad company. 
Charles McGowan kej^t a boarding house; S. T. 
Caldwell had opened a store here before Ritter- 
bush, or about the time of survey. This was Mr. 
Rouzey's dwelling in 1885. In August Rev. F. A. 
Penny erected a dwelling, and C. E. Green built a 
store room and placed therein a general stock. In 
September C. F. and J. G. Glazier's general store 
was opened, and T. A. Hendrick's drug store es- 
tablished. The following winter, 1873-74, W. Rick- 
hart's harness shop was opened. Early in 1874 J. 
Carlin and W. F. Whitmore erected a blacksmith 
shop for James Cranz, and A. Sherwood's shop was 
opened shortly after; Cyrus Stayner's furniture 
store, Whittemore's livery and A. B. Canfield's 
general store, were opened before the close of 
summer. In the fall of 1874 E. E. Howard estab- 
lished his hardware store; S. J. Whitten, a lumber 
yard; J. D. Deck, a blacksmith shop, and George 
Wilson, a flour and feed store. J. H. Brown be- 
came a partner of Caldwell about this time, and in 
1880 assumed control of the business; W. R. Ful- 
ler's book and jewelry store was established about 
this time; J. W. Carson's repair and jewelry shop 
was opened in 1877, and G. W. Tooker's harness 
shop was established; in 1879 the Gardner Bros. 
opened a grocery store here, and in 1884 J. C. 
Gardner started a like establishment; Mrs. F. F. 
Craiger established a millinery store here in 1880; 
William Saxton's clothing store was opened in 1880, 
and Mordock Bros, grocery in the fall of 1881, 
they having purchased J. H. Brown's grocery de- 
partment; in 1884 Gee & Pinckard became owners 
of Howard's pioneer harness shop; C. W. Wiley 
of J. D. Whitten's furniture store, started in 1874 
by C. Y. Stayner. 

J. T. Donohue sold the Edgar Marble Works to 
Henry Dare in January, 1885; H. F. Grant estab- 
lished his insurance office in 1882 and Chandler & 
Dalton their real estate office in 1884; O. A. Avery 
began business in 1879; D. R. Hughes (Walley & 
Hughes) in 1884; Thomas Harvison in 1881; Duh- 
ling & Sons in 1884; John Whitten in 1880; Whit- 
tlesey & Wright (successors of Casterline & Roberts) 



V 



402 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



iQ 1885; Palmer's barber shop ia 1883; J. M. Cobb 
ill 1870; Joseph Henninger in 1876; N. B. Olesen 
in 1881; John Oshey in 1883; Dr. Canfield in 
1877; Dr. Anderson in 1879; Attorney W. B. Good 
in 1884; Attorney S. W. Christy in 1880; S. A. 
Searle in 1880. Mrs. G. A. Hull opened the green- 
house in 1883; Thomas Hazelbaker, the Commer- 
cial Hotel at the same time; J. P. Nelson his in- 
surance office in 1879; J. W. Gunn his hotel in 
July, 1884; Frank Negel his tailoring house in 
1884. The Miller and Jackman brick yards, north 
of Edgar, commenced operation in 1886. 

Anderson Eller' s sorghum factory, three and one- 
half miles south of Edgar, was producing 100 gal- 
lons of syrup per day in the fall of 1885. The 
Edgar Brick & Tile Company was organized in 
1887. They erected a plant with a capacity of 
about 2,000,000 bricks per annum, using the cele- 
brated Cotton Down Central Draft kilns. The 
clay at this point is admirably adapted for the 
manufacture of brick and tile, and is of unlimited 
supply. Charles Klingerman was president and 
S. J. Whitten secretary. The Edgar Creamery 
Company was organized in April, 1887, jvith H. F. 
Grant, M. Hart, George H. Van Antwerp, O. A. 
Avery and G. M. Mordock, members. Commo- 
dious and substantial buildings were erected and 
furnished with all the modern appliances for but- 
ter-making at a total cost of over $5,000. The 
building is heated by steam, and all the machinery 
connected therewith is run by steam. The Edgar 
Kraut and Pickle Manufacturing Coiu])any was or- 
ganized in 1888 and buildings completed in 1889. 
The Edgar Canning Company was organized in 
1888 and the work of erecting their large liuildings 
entered upon. The Edgar skating rink was erected 
by Charles Hansen in the fall of 1884. During 
the roller skate craze the institution flourished. 

The St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad was built 
from St. Joseph to Hastings in 1872, and thence to 
Grand Island in 1876. On October 15, 1S73, J. G. 
Prosser took charge of the depot at Edgar as agent 
of the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad, relieving 
Agent Anderson. Andrew liitterbush was the first 
agent in 1872. Mr. Prosser held the position un- 
til August 15, 1889, when A. B. Ford was appointed, 



Mr. Prosser holding the office of assistant. The 
change was made under the company's new rules, 
requiring the agent to be an actual operator. The 
depot building was completed in November, 1888. 
Interiorly its finish, in hard pine, is perfect. 

The Nebraska & Colorado Railroad was l)nilt in 
1886. A branch runs south from Edgar to Superior, 
where it connects with the Republican Valley road. 
In the fall of 1886 W. H. Gates whs appointed first 
agent at Edgar. D. W. Van Horn succeeded him 
in March, 1888. 

In the summer of 1875 J. W. Gunn erected a 
small frame house, which he used as a hotel until 
the spring of 1878, at which time it came into the 
possession of F. Weidman, who was soon after suc- 
ceeded by J. W. Wilkerson. During Wilkerson's 
ownership of this house he erected a large two-story 
hotel adjoining it, and in the fall of 1880 disposed 
of both houses to James Cutler, in whose posses- 
sion they remained one year, when he, in turn, sold 
out to C. G. Hayes. During the spring of 1882 the 
old hotel was moved back and on its former location 
a large addition was bviilt to the main house. The 
Edgar House was built in August, 1877, by C. F. 
Barrington and W. C. Ovleman. Several additions 
were afterward made to it, and in 1881 the name 
was changed and called the Sherman House. Dur- 
ing September of 1877 another hotel was built by 
C. Sirini and given the singular name " Try Our 
House." The Commercial Hotel was carried on 
by Hazelbaker until March, 1889. when R. Stover 
took charge. The Central Hotel was refitted in' 
the fall of 1888 and opened by W. M. Parish. 

Edgar post-office was established in June, 1872. 
before even an attempt was made to start a town. 
It was kept by Andrew J. Ritterbush in a log 
cabin, which he had built on his claim, and which 
stood just outside of where the line of the town 
site afterward was surveyed. Soon after the town 
site was located, \V. A. Gunn received the appoint- 
ment of post-master, and the office was brought in- 
to the town, and was kept in Caldwell's store-room 
about three years, when it was removed to a small 
building which Gunn erected esjjecially for a post- 
office, across the street from Caldwell's store. 
After holding the position of post-master for about 



CLAY COUNTY. 



403 



I 



three years, Mr. Gudn retired, and was succeeded, 
in February, 1876, by W. J. Waite, whose term of 
office was somewhat brief. In about nine months, 
owing to some discrepancies in his financial ac- 
counts, in which his bondsman was called ujwn to 
make up the deficit, amountingtoalargesum, he was 
expelled from the office and the appointment given 
to M. J. Hull, in September, 1876. who took charge 
of the office on the 12th day of October of that year. 
With Mr. Hull's incumbency, a change was made 
in the location of the office to a small frame build- 
ing belonging to Cyrus Stayner, which, in 1882, 
was used as a barber shop. Shortly following, 
Hull purchased Caldwell's old store-room, in which 
he kept the office, but which he subsequently 
moved back, and was used as the Edgar Review 
printing-office in 1882. About two years since, 
Mr. Hull purchased the old school-house, which he 
moved to the site on which the printing-office had 
formerly stood, and the office was brought into 
that building; in this was also kept a jewelry and 
stationery and notion store. In July. 1884, the 
office was raised to the rank of third class. In 
February, 1887. J. W. Carson, the present incum- 
bent, was appointed by the last Democratic admin- 
istration. 

The petition asking the incorporation of Edgar 
was presented March 15, 1875, and granted. John 
Glazier, A. Sherwood, S. J. Whitten, Henry Gipe 
and E. E. Howard were appointed trustees. 

Since then the following persons have been 
elected to office under the village government for 
the various years up to the present: 

1876 — Trustees, S. J. Whitten (chairman), J. 
H. Brown, J. G. Prosser, E. E. Howard and J. P. 
Hawkins; clerk. A. B. Cantield; treasurer, G. M. 
Mordock; marshal, J. P. Hawkins. 

1877 — Trustees, E. E. Howard, J. H. Brown, 
J. G. Glazier (chairman), W. Ovleman, O. Cross- 
man; clerk. A. B. Canfield; treasurer, G. M. Mor- 
dock; marshal, Henry Gipe. 

1878 — Trustees, A. B. Canfield (chairman), A. 
Curtis. J. G. Glazier, J. F. Evans. S. J. Whitten; 
clerk. J. Converse; treasurer. I. V. Howard. 

1879 — Trustees, A. B. Cantield, L. Porter 
(chairman), S. J. Whitten. M. S. Edgington (attor- 



ney), J. H. Brown; clerk, C. H. Treat; treasurer, 
M. S. Edgington; marshal, W. Shelton. At the 
next meeting of the board of trustees the appoint- 
ment of clerk was reconsidered, and A. H. Jones 
was appointed clerk and mar.shal. In July, 187*.), 
Edgar Precinct asked permission to vote on the 
question of granting .?62,0(t0 aid to the Nebraska 
& Kansas Railroad branch from the town of Edgar 
to the town of Superior. 

1880— Trustees, J. G. Prosser (chairman), J. 
H. Brown, J. G. Glazier, S. J. Whitten (treasurer), 
E. E. Howard; clerk, A. B. Canfield; marshal, J. 
R. Pond. 

1881— Trustees, E. E. Howard, O. A. Avery, 
J. G. Glazier, S. J. Whitten (treasurer), J. G. 
Prosser (chairman); clerk, C. H. Treat; attorney, 
S. A. Searle; marshal, J. Downer. 

1882— Trustees, H. F. Grant (chairman), J. 
G. Glazier, C. F. Barrington, J. H. Brown (treas- 
urer), J. D. Whitten; clerk, C. H. Treat; attor- 
ney, M. S. Edgington; marshal, H. E. AVells. 

There was only a nominal change in the board 
in 1883. 

The board of 1884 was re-elected in April. 
1885— J. G. Prosser. H. F. Grant. M. Hart, W. 
H. Graham and O. E. Reynolds. W. B. Good was 
chosen clerk; S. \V. Christy, attorney, and T. B. 
McClellan, marshal. The anti-license ticket nom- 
inated in March. 1886, comprised J. F. Johnson, 
S. J. Whitten, J. W. Carson, G. M. Mordock and 
C. Klingerman. The Edgar ticket comprised J. 

A. Roberts, J. L. Ward, O. J. Merrill, D. R. 
Hughes and C. G. Hayes. Oo April 6 the former 
ticket was elected. J. G. Glazier, Mrs. P. Gill, 
T. E. Casterline, E. E. Howard, M. J. Hull and 

B. L. Olds, vice O. E. Reynolds, were elected 
members of the school board. George Utz was 
superseded as marshal by J. W. Gunn; E. E. How- 
ard, treasurer. Marshal Gunn made a capture of 
two Swedes and presented them to Judge Fuller, 
but a jury acquitted the accused. 

In 1887 J. G. Prosser was mayor ; T. Harvison, 
J. C. Gardner, C. M. Keand, T. Whitten. M. J. 
Hull and C. Klingerman, councilmen; J. P. Nelson, 
clerk; J. G. Glazier, treasurer; M. S. Edgington, 
engineer; Frank Post, marshal, and W. R. Ful- 



x^ 



404 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ler, police judge. The "People's" and the aoti- 
lieense candidates were almost equally matched 
in this contest. J. G. Prosser was chosen school 
trustee for two years; J. G. Glazier for three years, 
and C. A. Voorhees for three years. 

In April, 1888, Mayor Grant received 12U votes 
and Prosser ninety-eight for the office of mayor. 
D. R. Hughes, C. F. Glazier and J. W. Hart were 
elected councilmen; M. S. Edgington, engineer, 
and J. G. Glazier, treasurer. On March 3(1 the 
vote on the question of issuing water bonds showed 
only seven votes against the proposition. The 
old school board was re-elected. 

In April, 1889, T. B. McGlellan was elected 
mayor over George H. Van Antwerp, the anti- 
license candidate; C. H. Treat, police judge; J. 
W. Boden, clerk; M. S. Edgington, engineer; 
Frank Young, C. G. Hays, Joseph Henninger and 
J. B. Seamans, councilmen. 

The ordinance approved February 25, 1888, 
fixed the boundaries of Edgar within the following 
lines: The whole west half of Section 26, Town- 
ship 5, Range (3, west of sixth principal meridian. 
The Edgar cemetery, the railroad addition to said 
city, running west to the west line of the right of 
way of the Superior line of the Nebraska & Colo- 
rado Railway, running north along the line of the 
right of way seventy-five feet distant from the 
track, following around the curve of east arm of 
the Y, where it intersects the west line of Section 
20. Mrs. Lecta R. Hodges' addition was included 
in the old corjiorate limits under the ordinance of 
January 12, 1882; Grant's addition under that of 
July fj, 1883; the Land and Building Association's 
railroad addition, June 19, 1884, and on February 
14, 1887, their second railroad addition, Ira C. 
Hodges' addition and Hart's addition were an- 
nexed. The ordinance of March 5, 1888, provided 
for submitting to the citizens the proposition to 
issue $13,000 water-works bonds. 

The Edgar Water-works were begun in 1888, 
and by January, 1889, the stand pipe, 122 feet in 
height, was comjjleted. and the whole works com- 
pleted shortly after. The bonds voted amoimted 
to 113,500, but the total cost exceeded this sum 
by 11,500. Joseph Rogers has been engineer in 



charge since the water system was completed. 
Water mains are laid for one mile on Main street 
and around six blocks, east of Main street. 

Edgar Hose Company No. 1 was organized in 
December, 1888, with twenty-sis members. 

The first school building* of Edgar was built 
on the site of the present new school building. It 
was a one-room frame, and is now standing just 
east of the Times printing-office. School was 
opened in this building in the fall of 1873. The 
first teacher was Ira Hodges.f who received the 
munificent salary of $25 a month. He is now 
in the hardware business at Adams, Ore. Fol- 
lowing him in 1874 was W. R. Fuller, who 
taught six months for $200. He is at present the 
well known book- seller of Edgar. Then came 
George Mordock in 1875. He is now one of 
Edgar's popular grocery men. In 1876 Al. Jones 
wielded the birch, and from all accounts he did it 
right well. One boy says that that was about all 
he did. Mr. Jones is now a carpenter in Roches- 
ter, N. Y. In the spring of 1877-78 Aletta Dixon, 
now Mrs. Pomeroy, was teacher. In 1877-78 
Mrs. Miner, now deceased, was teacher, and, it is 
said, a most excellent one. Then came, in 1S79, 
Prof. G. W. Ferree, one of the oldest and best 
known teachers. In 1879 the present high school 
building was erected, and J. D. Gerdts was 
installed as the first principal. The old building 
was sold to M. J. Hull for $150. It became a 
graded school with two assistant teachers. Mr. 
Gerdts is now a merchant at Bertrand. Mr. 
Gerdts resigned in the spring, and Prof. Ferree 
finished that year. In 1880 Prof. Wolf was 
chosen principal, with a salary of $60 a month. 
Mary Warren and Mary Gray were assistant 
teachers. He it was who inaugurated the school 
library that has since become such an important 
CO- educator in the school. He is now in Germany 
fitting himself for a university professorship. In 
1881 came Prof. Spencer, who resigned in the 
middle of the year and returned to Ohio, and his 
place was filled by Prof. Marsh, now a Methodist 
Episcopal minister. In 1882-83 Prof. T. C. 

•From Times of 1888. 

t.Mrs. Julia Pond is credited with being the first teacher. 



,u 



CLAY COUNTY. 



405 



Canine, now a physician at Shickley, was principal. 
The schools of Edgar were presided over in ]884 
by Alfred Bates, with Louie McKee, Francis Hart, 
Carrie E. Kirk, assistants, and Allie Carr. Up to 
this date the pupils had increased from 12 to 180, 
and the teachers from one to five. In August, 
1885, Prof. M. Thrasher was elected principal. 
He at once introduced the high school course, 
which has since been scrupulously followed. He 
is a university graduate, of twenty years' experi- 
ence in high schools, seminary and college. 

The first financial institution established at 
Edgar was a bank started by C. P. Packer and J. 
W. Kernohen. After running the institution about 
two years, it was sold out and removed to Fair- 
field, the original owners becoming interested in 
the Grand Island Banking Company, located in 
the city of Grand Island. 

The Edgar Bank was established by J. B. 
Dinsmore, E. E. Howard, I. V. Howard andL. R. 
Grimes, as the firm of Dinsmore, Howard & Co., 
in September, 1879. In 1880 Grimes retired from 
the institution, and in 1884 the Howard Bros, were 
sole proprietors and the capital was 140,000. 

Clay County Bank was established in Januaiy, 
1883, with H. W. Stout, C. A. Voorhees and G. 
W. Updike. Since January, 1886, Messrs. Stout 
and Voorhees have been proprietors. The brick 
building in which the business of the bank is car- 
ried on, was built in December, 1882. 

The State Bank of Edgar was organized Sep- 
tember 23, 1889, with a capital of $25,000. The 
notice of incorporation was signed by Ezra E. 
Howard, G. W. Clawson, I. V. Howard and S. A. 
Walker. 

Edgar Loan & Building Association, organized 
in 1884, was reorganized February 15, 1889, with 
H. F. Grant, president; E. E. Howard, vice-pres- 
ident; J. P. Nelson, secretary; O. A. Avery, 
treasurer. 

The Nebraska Land & Town Company was in- 
corporated March 12, 1874, with J. W. Small, 
Leroy S. Winters, Dudley M. Steele, Thomas 
Harbine, L. D. Tuttell, Edwin H. Saville and A. 
W. McNeal, stockholders. 

The Methodist class of Edgar was organized 



with nine members by Rev. F. E. Penny in Sep- 
tember, 1873, within the section house or the farm 
house of J. G. Graham. Early in 1874 the de- 
pot was used for worship; in the fall of that year 
services were held in the school-house, and later 
in the Union church-house, which they helped the 
Presbyterians to build and later still erected their 
own hall for worship. Rev. C. A. Lewis was pastor in 
1884. J. R. Woodcock came in the fall of 1885. 
In January, 1886, a debt of $750 was paid off. The 
Methodist Episcopal Church at Edgar was dedi- 
cated in March, 18S0, by C. B. Lenfest. 

The Methodists of Davenport completed a house 
of worship in November, 1884. 

The Catholic Congregation assembled here first 
in 1872, and has been since in active existence. 
The membership, however, is small. 

The English Protestant Episcopal Church dates 
back to December, 1886, when a few ladies organ- 
ized St. Mary's Guild. In June, 1887, a society of 
twelve members was formed by Bishop Worthington, 
and soon steps were taken to erect a house of wor- 
ship. On April 1, 1888, services were held in the 
new building by Rev. A. F. Whitten, and on 
April 22 the Bishop presided at the dedication 
services. 

The Baptist Church was originally organized 
by Rev. J. W. Eller June 27, 1874, within a school- 
house. After a term of three mouths the organ- 
ization ceased to be efPective and it was not revived 
until January 28, 1877, when Rev. J. N. Webb 
organized a society of thirteen charter members: 
M. J. Hull and wife, Jesse Dalton and wife, G. 
A. Hull and wife, Marion Hart and wife. Rev. W. 
S. Higgins and wife, Cyrus Stayner, his mother 
Jane Stayner and sister Sarah Jane Stayner. Rev. 
W. S. Higgins was chosen first pastor, who con- 
tinued to preach here until the beginning of 1878, 
when Rev. J. W. Carson succeeded him. In 1881 
Rev. W. H. Wilson succeeded him, and in October 
of that year the work of church building was en- 
tered upon, the building commissioners being 
William Saxton, M. J. Hull, C. H. Warren, Marion 
Hart and W. P. Fulton. The house was dedi- 
cated December 15, 1881. After Mr. Wilson Rev. 
W. D. Hall was pastor, followed by Rev. L. W. 



;t^ 



406 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Terry. W. E. Pribard was tho latter' s successor. 
He became pastor of a charge at Dillon, Mont., in 
Jaimary, ISOO. The present church membership 
is placed at 124. 

The church clerks have been M. J. Hull, C. H. 
Treat, J. J. Walley, Mary E. Warren, May War- 
ren and Dr. F. D. Sherrom. 

The Baptist school was established December 
22, 1881, with 114 members; Dr. E. T. Cassell 
was chosen superintendent. 

The Presbyterian society was organized July 18, 
1875, by Messrs. Nelson Robinson, J. H. Reynard 
and A. M. Dixon within the old school building. 
In February of that year, however, Mr. Robinson 
preached here. Mr. Dixon, the first preacher, was 
succeeded the same year by Rev. Ed Middleton. 
Early in 1877 the church-house was completed at 
a cost of $2,600 by Contractor Kidd. In July, 
1881, Mr. A. B. Byram was called as pastor, and 
entered on his duties. The original members were 
James H. Hazlett, Mary Hazlett, Andrew J. Long, 
Elizabeth Long, Samuel F. Pomeroy, Mary E. 
Prosser, Rebecca Howard and Mrs. Grossman. S. 
F. Pomeroy and J. H. Hazlett were chosen ruling 
elders. The house which they completed in Jan- 
uary, 1877, was the first Presbyterian building in 
Nebraska west of the east line of the county. The 
house was remodeled in the fall of 1882 at an ex- 
pense of $500, and an organ introduced. 

The Presbyterian Sunday-school was organized 
in May, 1877, with twenty-five members. Samuel 
Pomeroy, the first superintendent, was succeeded 
by Mr. Byram. 

The Christian Church of Edgar was formally 
commenced April 12, and organized May 10, 1885, 
by Prof. Hemry with twenty-four members, and 
the church building was dedicated September 19 
the next year. Mr. W. R. Fuller states that the 
original members were S. B. Montgomery, Mrs. S. 
B. Montgomery, W. R. Fuller, Mrs. W. R. Fuller, 
Charles Wales, Mrs. Charles Wales, Luther Wales, 
Mrs. Luther Wales, Anderson Eller, Mrs. Anderson 
Eller, John Dobson, Mrs. John Dobson, J. D. Har- 
ris, Mrs. J. D. Harris, Mrs. Mary Bishop, Frank A. 
Cook, Cliff Cook, Joseph Sigman and Jasper Taylor. 
The pastors, in order of service, are named as fol- 



lows: C. W. Hemry, A. M. Chamberlain, O. C. Hub- 
bell and H. I. Bryant. The office of clerk has been 
filled by Jasper Taylor, Charles Cook and the ])res 
eut incumbent, W. R. Fuller. There are fifty- 
seven members. The house of worship was erected 
in 1886 at a cost of SI, 500. 

Edgar Lodge No. 67, A. F. & A. M. , was created 
February 27, 1877, and chartered June 20. The 
first meetings were held in Harvison's Hall, and 
the officers elected were: M. J. Hull, worshipful 
master; E. E. Howard, senior warden; C. H. Kit- 
ridge, junior warden; J. G. Glazier, treasurer; S. 
J. Whitten, secretary. The organization under a 
charter was effected August 4, 1877, by George 
Lininger, grand master, the order numbering 
twenty- seven charter members. By 1882 the lodge 
increased to forty-seven members. Meetings were 
held in Whitten's Hall under the following officers 
that year: S. J. Whitten, worshijsful master; G. 
M. Mordock, senior warden; S. A. Searle, junior 
warden; C. H. Treat, secretary; J. G. Glazier, 
treasurer; O. B. Canfield, senior deacon; Henry 
Dalton, junior deacon ; P. G. Hayes, tyler. G. M. 
Mordock was master in 1884-85; J. G. Prosser. 
1885, with S. J. Whitten, secretary; S. J. Whitten 
in 1887, with J. J. Walley; W. R. Fuller in 1888- 
89, with C. H. Treat, secretary. 

Edgar Chapter No. 22, of Royal Arch Masons, 
was established June 30, 1881, in the Masonic 
Hall. The organization was perfected by electing 
M. J. Hall, high priest; S. T. Caldwell, king; S. 
Johnston, scribe; E. E. Howard, captain of the host ; 
J. P. Nelson, principal sojourner; S. J. Whitten, 
royal arch captain; W. Ong, grand master of the 
first veil ; J. Van Valin, grand master of the second 
veil, and R. Hollings worth, grand master of the third 
veil. The society operated under a dispensation for 
about seven months, and on February 7, 1882, was 
chartered by the Grand Chapter, having fourteen 
members. The institution of the Chapter was con- 
ducted by Grand High Priest E. P. Davidson, of 
Tecumseh, Neb. , and the following officers were 
duly elected and installed: M. J. Hull, high priest; 
G. M. Mordock, king; J. R. Kidd, scribe; E. E. 
Howard, captain of the host; S. J. Whitten, royal 
arch captain; S. A. Searle, grand master of the third 



CLAY COUNTY. 



407 



veil; J. G. Glazier, grand master of the second veil; 
J. G. Prosser, grand master of the first veil; G. W. 
Barnes, sentinel. E. E. Howard was high priest 
in 1884; O. B. Canfield high priest, and I. V. How- 
ard secretary, in 1885. M. J. Hull was high priest 
in 1886-89, "with I. V. Howard in 1887-88, and H. 
Dalton in 1888-89, secretary, and J. G. Glazier, 
treasurer, iu 1889. 

Edgar Lodge No. 80, I. O. O. F., was insti- 
tuted in March, 1880. The meeting preliminary 
to its establishment was held in S. B. Montgomery's 
lumber office, with eight persons present, and 
from this meeting application was made to the 
Grand Lodge for a charter, which was granted 
March 2, 1880, and the organization was effected 
on March 9, 1880, in the Masonic Hall, by A. A. 
McCoy, who was appointed special district dep- 
uty to institute this lodge, numbering at that time 
fourteen charter members. D. M. Hamilton was 
chosen noble grand; James Hazlett, vice-grand; 
S. B. Montgomery, secretary, and J. L. Bradley, 
treasurer. The lodge grew steadily after its in- 
ception and in 1882 had a membership of thirty- 
two, having lost only two members by withdrawals. 
Meetings were held in Howard's Hall, and the 
society was supplied with all the necessary para- 
phernalia for the performance of its ceremonies, 
and was financially in good condition, having on 
hand a surplus of $80 of a relief fund. The offi- 
cers in 1882 were: A. Knacker, noble grand; J. 
N. Johnson, vice-grand; D. M. Hamilton, secre- 
tary; W. Deffibaugh, permanent secretary; S. 
B. Montgomery, treasurer. 

W. Deffibaugh was noble grand and O. A. 
Avery, secretary, in 1884; J. G. Graham, noble 
grand, with W. H. Graham and S. W. Christy, 
noble grands, in 1885; L. E. Dewey, iu 1886, 
with D. F. Anderson, secretary; J. D. Parrish 
and C. L. Adams were noble grands, and J. C. 
Story and T. E. Casterline, secretaries, in 1888. 
Emerald R. D. Lodge No. 24, I. O. O. F., was 
organized in 1884. 

I. O. G. T. is one of the old temperance socie- 
ties of the town. "With the Red Ribbon Society, 
Sons of Temperance and other organizations of 
the same character much good was effected. J. 



G. Paschall was chief templar in 1884, and Mat- 
tie Thrush, secretary. 

Edgar Lodge No. 51, A. O. U. W.^ was organ- 
ized July IH, 1885, two days after the first meet- 
ing to consider the subject. The members who 
joined at that time were J. W. Carson, George 
M. Mordock, S. W. Christy, George H. Barber, 
J. B. Pinckard, Cyrus Stayner, E. T. Beltz, Jas- 
per Taylor, J. W. Van Brunt, J. F. Edgar, F. C. 
Whittlesey, Thomas S. Whitten, George W. "Up- 
dike, Joseph C. Gardner, Charles "W. "VViley, 
Charles G. Hayes, John B. Johnston, William H. 
Yasser, John G. Prosser, S. T. Caldwell, A. B. 
Byram, Thomas A. Hazelbaker, Reuben D. Frye, 
Will R. Prosser, F. P. Kreglow and Louis H. 
Schaaf. 

The past master workmen from the organiza- 
tion up to the present time are Cyrus Stayner, 
George M. Mordock, A. B. Byram, William M. 
Clark, George W. Ferree and Owen Edgar; George 
H. Van Antwerp and George H. Barber were made 
past workmen by their having served three years 
respectively as receiver and as recorder of the 
lodge. Present master workman for 1890, S. W. 
Christy. The last named was recorder from July 
13 to December 31, 1885, when George H. Barber, 
the present recorder, was elected. The lodge 
claims 100 members, and the proposition to build 
a hall has been favorably received. There were 
only eight assessments in 1889 of $1 each on a 
$2,000 beneficiary policy, which is cheap insurance. 
Edgar Legion No. 20, S. K. of A., assembled 
pursuant to call, and on petition from Edgar Lodge 
No. 51, A. O. U. W.. March 0, 1888, in A. O. U. W. 
Hall, presided over by Deputy Commander Arthur 
P. Johnson, the lodge was duly organized, with 
twenty- one charter members: Rev. A. B. Byram,* 
Owen Edgar, J. A. Wright,* G.W. Ferree*, H. G. 
Lyon, T. S. Whitten, * J. C. Gardner, S. T. Caldwell, * 
George M. Mordock,* H. C. Hart.* A. C. Scott,* 
George Barber,* George H.VanAntwerp, Dr. J. F. 
Edgar,* Rev. J. R. Wadcock. Frank Kreglo*, S. 
F. Pomeroy, G. E. Walrath, F. C. Whittlesy, F. 
M. Tompson. The first commander was Owen 
Edgar, while the charter members, marked * above, 
held the offices in order of legion rank. There are 



408 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



twenty- nine members. H. C. Hart is recorder, 
succeeding H. G. Lyon, the recorder of 1888. 

The Farmers' Alliance, in the neighborhood, is 
a strong organization. In December, 1889, the 
local alliance formed a corporation, and bought the 
Neill elevator for the purpose of shipping grain. 
L. R. Chapman, president; J. N. Johnson, vice- 
president; John Hodges, treasurer; H. Dalton, 
secretary; Frank Johnson, manager. 

The County W. C. T. U. elected the following 
named officers in September, 1889: Mrs. Gill, of 
Edgar, president; Mrs. Pomeroy, corresponding 
secretary; Mrs. H. O. Tartar, recorder, and Mrs. 
Starr, of Glenville, treasurer. 

The Young Women's Christian Temperance 
Union was organized in the fall of 1888. 

The W. C. T. U. was organized in June, 1885, 
with Mrs. Flora Cassell, president; Allie Carr, vice- 
president; Rebecca Dare, secretary; Mrs. J. M. 
Cobb, treasurer; Mrs. Pomeroy, Mrs. Montgomery, 
Mrs. Frank Young and Mrs. E. Klingerman, rep- 
resentatives of the Protestant churches. This 
union, in August, 1888, elected Mrs. Gill, presi- 
dent; Mrs. Saxton, Mrs Reynolds, Mrs. L. Hodges, 
Mrs. Cottle and Mrs. Scott, vice-presidents; Mrs. 
Cobb, recorder; Mrs. Donohue, correspondent, and 
Miss Warren, treasurer. 

The Loyal Temperance Legion and Band of 
Mercy. 100 strong, marched through the streets of 
Edgar in April, 1889. 

Hazel Dell Camp No. 700, Modern Woodmen 
of America; first initiatory steps taken by M. M. 
Noble, a deputy head consul of the order, and W. 
F. Beckett, and the camp was instituted August 
27, 1888. The original members were M. S. Edg- 
ington, E. C. DelaPlain, Jeff. Murphy, W. B. 
Mahan, F. D. Sherwin, J. W. Boden, J. V. Stay- 
ner, M. P. Dawson, W. Deffibaugh, J. C. Story, 
J. A. Howard, J. J. Rodgers. G. A. Byer. F. L. 
Young, J. W. Brown, D. W. Vanhorn, R. E. Haw- 
ley, J. P. Nelson, J. A. Gee, E. C. Blowers and J. 
F. Edgar. The past consuls are J. W. Brown 
and M. S. Edgington; present venerable consul 
is D. W. Vanhorn. F. D. Sherwin was elected 
clerk when the camp was instituted, and served 
until the close of the year, when J. V. Stayner 



was elected, served one year, was re-elected at last 
election, and was installed at last meeting in Jan- 
uary, 1890. M. S. Edgington is representative. 
The present number of members is forty three, 
with two candidates ready for adoption, six whose 
application are in the hands of the Head Camp, 
and three who have not yet applied for preliminary 
examination. The camp meets in Odd Fellows 
Hall. 

Edgar Post, G. A. R., was organized in 1880. 
Among its members are many of the ex- soldiers 
and sailors, whose names are given in the general 
chapter. Among the commanders of this post 
were Cyrus Stayner, who presided in 1884; T. E. 
Casterline, in 1886; C. H. Treat, in 1887, and J. 
W. Cottle, in 1888-89. J. J. Walley, who was 
adjutant in 1884, was succeeded by A. B. Chan- 
dler, who in turn gave place to Walley, who held 
the position in 1889. 

The Sons of Veterans claimed the following 
named officers in 1884: W. N. McCalla, captain ; 
L. W. Stayner and G. C. James, lieutenants, and 
J. E. Baker, orderly sergeant, in 1884. 

The Edgar Cornet Band was incorporated in 
September, 1885, with W. H. Duhling president, 
and J. V. Stayner secretary. 

The Edgar Board of Trade was organized in 
April, 1887, with H. F. Grant, president: E. E. 
Howard, vice-president; M. J. Hull, secretary, and 
H. W. Stout, treasurer. 

Glennville is located on the contiguous corners 
of the original pre-emption claims of R.S. Winters, 
Daniel Fitch and Robert Thompson. In July, 
1872, the railroad was completed to this point and 
the depot and section house erected, the sod houses 
of the claimants being the only signs of habitation 
here prior to that date, although some distance 
away I. D. Newell settled in 1872. Early in 1873 
a store-house was constructed by J. W. Sturgis, 
who offered a stock of goods for sale. In July he 
was joined by Charles Clutz. The village was sur- 
veyed in the fall; Bennett Cox erected a store and 
dwelling house, the same which became the proj)- 
erty of David Stein and P. H. Cone. Edward Da- 
vis opened a blacksmith shop in 1878; Luke Gold- 
enstein built a house for mercantile purposes; H. 



If^ 





/.<!>^7. 




■4^^a- 



'/^ 



Clay County Nebraska. 



X, ra 



_® 




M. Oliver a grain elevator, and established the 
coal and lumber yards. The Keystone Hotel was 
built in 1879 by (t. Z. Fink, who sold to Warwick 
in 1880. He rented tho building to Richard Har- 
ris and moved away. Dr. Mark A. Perkins settled 
herein May, 1881. The first death in the place 
was that of Elizabeth Carroll, the wife of George 
Carroll, a section boss on the railroad, and the first 
child l)orn was Thomas, the son of these people. 

The Baptist Church building was the first house 
of worship erected. Work on this building was 
commenced late in 1881 and completed April !23, 
1882, at a cost of 1 1,000. Ten years before this, 
in the winter of 1871-72, the school district was 
organized, with R. Thompson, D. Fitch and R. S. 
W^inters, trustees. The school-bouse was built in 
1872, and by the close of 1873 the village laid some 
claims to the name of town. In 1882 there were 
twenty-five houses, one general store, one drug 
store, one hardware store, an elevator and a lumber 
and coal yard. 

A contract to build the school house was given 
to W. D. Young, at that time a partner of Thomp- 
son, one of the board, for which he was to receive 
the bonds of the district to the amount of $3,/{50, 
at ten per cent interest. The contract was then 
sub let by Young to Ramsey, who was to complete 
the house and furnish all the material for $1,200. 
The bonds turned over to Young were sold to New 
York parties, and have since been nearly all paid 
off, amounting, with the interest, to something like 
$5,000, making that virtually the cost of the house, 

A post-oflice was established at Glenville in 
June, 1873, and was kept by Joseph Kentner in 
Sturgis' store. Kentner held the position only a 
few months, and in the winter following his ap- 
pointment Bennett Cox received the commission 
and the office was taken to his store. Cox continued 
post-master up to the end of 1880, and was sue 
ceeded by Luke Goldenstein, whose office was kept 
in his store-room. 

The earliest religious services were held at Glen- 
ville in July, 1873, when a number of the young 
men of the town held a sort of Sunday-school in 
the railroad depot. But a few persons were pres- 
ent on this first day, and it was announced that a 

2G 



similar meeting would be held on the next Sunday. 
When the day came wagon load after wagon lead 
might be seen gathering in from all parts of the 
country to this rude teaching of the gosjjel. On 
this day the house was filled and numbers turned 
away for want of room. A regular union Sunday- 
school was organized and J. W. Small was elected 
superintendent. The first sermon preached in the 
town was by Rev. Charles Clutz, in the depot. Sev 
eral congregations were organized in the surround- 
ing district prior to 1882, who held services in the 
school house and Baptist church in the village. 
These denominations were the Presbyterian, Rev. 
R. J. Smith, pastor; the American Baptists, Rev. 
M. Wilson, pastor; German Baptists, Rev. Mr. 
Crane, pastor; Methodi.st, Rev. F. Campbell, pas- 
tor; the Evangelical Association, Dr. Oyler, of Har- 
vard, pastor, and the Catholics, who were attended 
by the priest in charge of Hastings parish. 

Collin's Post, G. A. R., was one of the first or- 
ganizations of veterans in the county. In 1883 W. 
W. Lyons was commander, and Ed Davis, adjutant. 
In January, 1884, Joseph Meyer was elected com- 
mander. S. M. Elder was commander and L. A. 
Lathrop, adjutant, 1886-87. In the latter year 
the charter was siirrendered. 

As has been stated, the Baptist house of wor- 
ship was the first erected in the village, but the 
new organizations which sprung into existence 
from 1878 to 1882 sought denominational lod'^ 
ings. Mr. Tanner took Mr. Smith's place as Pres- 
byterian preacher in November, 1883, and other . 
changes in the pastorate of the churches were ef- 
fected. 

In later years the village claimed a population 
of 300, and the business interests were represented 
by B. Johnson and L. Goldenstein, general mer- 
chants; Evans and Jordan, druggists; G. Z. Fink, 
justice of the peace; E. D. Davis, blacksmith; J. W. 
Sturgis, wagon -maker and E. Uden, agricultural 
implement dealer. Dr. Perkins was the physician 
of the district for a number of years. 

Spring Ranche, the early history of which is 
related in the chapter on pioneers, was settled l)v 
James Bainter, Robert Cargill, Lewis Thayer and 
D. W. Evans. The post-office was established in 




1S70 with Lewis Thuyw. master. A hoii of the 
tirst luiuKxl, ciiHed Hheridiui Bainter (in honor of 
the hero of Winchester), was the first child l)orn 
here, thi^ date being May 11, 1871. Edward Har- 
per died here in August. liSIU. being the tirst death 
among the settlers, and E. J. Jackson and Mary 
N. Cargill were married here in 1874, being the 
tir.st marriage. The tirst school was opened in 
April, 1872, within James Bainter' s dwelling, by 
Annie Foster, and the tir.st school house was erected 
in July of that year. Elder Warwick, referred to 
in the history of Adams county, held the tirst re- 
ligious services in 1871, and in 1881 the Presby- 
terians and Congregationalists erected churches. 
The mills were built in 1874 Viy Peck & Meston. 

In August, 1873, an election was held at Cyrus 
Griffith's house, in Little Blue Precinct, to vote on 
the question of aiding Peck and Meston in building 
a mill near Spring Ranche. The vote was in favor 
of aid to the proposers in ten per cent bonds for 
$7,000. There were fifty-nine votes for the propo- 
sition and fifty -four against. 

The Congregational Church at Spring Ranche 
was dedicated January 10, 1884. by Rev. C. W. 
Merrill, of Lincoln. The cost of the building was 
11,200, all of which was paid. 

In modern times T. J. Kemp was post master 
and merchant; D. Burnett also carried on a gen- 
eral store; Mrs. C. A. Brown, a millinery store; J. 
Hutchinson, a wagon-shop; A. Meston, the flour- 
ing Tuills. and D. D. Condon a blacksmith shoji. 

Inland, a name transferred from the old town 
in Adams county, dates back to 1878. In June 
and July, 1870, N. L. Thatcher's elevator was 
erected. He sold his interests to J. D. Bain and 
W. J. Tnrner, of Harvard, in 1880, and they em- 
ployed J. R. Mcintosh as their agent. In later 
years the business circle comprised G. McPeak, 
post-master and merchant; James Hansen, hard- 
ware dealer and blacksmith; P. Egan, grain mer- 
chant and owner of elevator; Cortnance & Co., 
lumber and coal dealers; P. B. McFadden, black- 
smith, and Dr. Blair, physician. S. R. Dillinger 
built the N. W. elevator in 1880. The Egan ele- 
vator is now operated by L. Buttertield & Co. . with 
S. W. Stephenson agent. The German Church, two 



milts south of Inland, was dedicated in F<bru;iry. 
1882. The tirst railroad agent at Inland was G. W. 
Van Horn; Frank Thompson succeeded him; then 
came Charles Smith, who remained for two years, 
until succeeded by Joseph Neai-y, who was ap- 
pointed in 1888. The depots of the St. Joseph & 
Grand Island and the Fremont, Elkhorn & Mis- 
souri Valley Railroads are at this point. 

Davis post-office was established in 1878 with 
N. Nagel, master. This office was the result of a 
petition from the settlers between Edgar and Clay 
Centre. 

Deweese is celebrated for the fatal railroad ac 
cident referred to in former pages and tor its short 
lived newspaper. The Recorder. The land in the 
neighborhood is very productive. 

Trumbull is the post-office name given to a 
point on the prairie in the northwest corner of 
Clay County. Ludlow, across the line in Adams 
County, near the H. B. Tolbert farm, was formerly 
the post-office. On its removal to this place S. M. 
Walker was appointed master. 

Oug is the name given to a depot on the exten- 
sion of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
at a point twenty miles southeast of Clay Centre. 
The name is as euphonious as it is indefinable, but 
the land in the vicinity is as choice as any in Clay 
County. The place was surveyed for the Lincoln 
Town Site Company and J. E. Ong on a tract of 
sixty five acres in 1886, and two lumber yards were 
at once estaljlished. 

Sweden is the name given to a village four and 
one-half miles northwest of the center. It also 
l)ears the more classical name —Verona. Here is 
a depot of the K. C. & O. R. R. . a grain ware- 
house and a general store. 

Eldon, on the Fremont. Elkhorn & Mis.sonri 
Valley Railroad, east of Harvard, dates back to 
1888. In March, 1889, William Stockham opened 
a general store there. 

Saronville. on the main line of the Burlington A: 
Missouri River Railroad, west of Sutton, holds a 
commanding position on the j>rairie. The church 
building at this point is visible for a long distance 
in each direction. Here were established the stores 
of J. Floriiie. O. Felix, the Israckon Brothers, the 



agricultural wareLouse of Lindberg & Olson, the 
drug Htore of L. Logerwoll, the wagon shop of O. 
Thoren and the blacksmith shop of F. Wahlengren. 
The little village is about ten miles distant from 
the couuty seat. 



Joseph Hamilton Albright. There is probably no 
man within the limits of Clay County who is de- 
serving of more credit for the interest he has taken 
in its behalf than Mr. Albright, and the brief facts 
here given indicate the part he has borne in the 
county's development. He was born on January 
2, 1838, at Windham, Bradford County, Penn., 
the second of ten children. His father, Peter Al- 
bright, was born in New Jersey in 1798 to Adam 
and Margaret (maiden name unknown) Albright, who 
were both born in Holland, came to America about 
1774 and settled in New Jersey, where Adam was 
one of those who fought for liberty in the Revolu- 
tionary war. Peter Albright was educated in both 
English and German, and when still a young man 
went to Pennsylvania and engaged in farming. 
While here he was married to Louisa Parks, the 
youngest child of Nathaniel and Maria Parks, who 
were both born in Connecticut. Louisa was born 
in April, 1810, in Pennsylvania. Her mother was 
a daughter of Gideon Green. Peter Albright 
passed from this life on November 2, 1881, at the 
age of eighty three years in Summit City, Mich., his 
wife dying in Sherman County, Kas. , June 20, 1888. 
Joseph H. Albright remained with his parents, 
working summers and attending school during the 
winter seasons, thus obtaining a common school 
education, until about the age of eighteen years, 
when he went to Owego, Tioga Co., N. Y., where 
he l)egan working in a sawmill and there remained 
until August 3, 1801, at which time he enlisted as 
a private recruit in Company H, Third New York 
Infantry, under Capt. Catlin, and was immediately 
removed with his company to Fort McHenry, where 
he joined the regiment under Col. Alfred, and from 
there was sent to Fortress Monroe, where he re- 
mained nearly a year, his regiment then being 
called into action in the feint upon Richmond dur- 
ing the battle of Gettysburg. After this the regi- 



ment was transported to Charleston, S. C. , and there 
(uitered on the siege of Charleston and the reduc 
tion of Fort Sumter in 1808. Here Mr. Albright 
was discharged with the remainder of his company 
September 10, 1803, and from there returned 
home via New York City, but after a very short 
time he entered the construction corps. 

This corps was with Sherman in his famous 
Atlanta Campaign. At this city he was discharged 
and returned home, but only for a short time. 
Becoming restless he went to Chattanooga, Tenn., 
where he again entered the construction corps, this 
being in the fall of 18(U, and from this time until 
the close of the war he remained in the southwest 
and received his final discharge at Chattanooga in 
May, 1805, and returned home in June of the 
same year. Immediately after returning home 
from the war he purchased a farm near Owego and 
thereon remained until the spring of 1807. WhiUi 
on this farm he was married February 0, 1806, to 
Miss Percy M. Lane, the youngest daughter of 
Henry Isaac and Sarah Maria (Crandall) Lane, 
her birth occurring on Feljruary 6, 1842. Henry 
Isaac Lane was the youngest son of Peter Lane, 
and was born in Shandaken, N. Y. , August U, 
1810, and died in Owego, N. Y., September 17, 
1880. His wife was born in Schenectady, N. Y'., 
May 11, 1811, and died at Harvard, Neb., Sep- 
tember 28, 1885, being a daughter of Jerry 
and Maria Crandall, the former a native of 
Connecticut. He was one of the 1812 stalwarts 
to protect America and Americans, and was mar 
ried to Miss Maria Knowls. To Joseph H. and 
Percy M. Albright was born a son, Fred Lane Al 
bright, April 14, 1S07, and shortly after the birth 
of his son Mr. Albright sold his farm and removed 
to Owego, entering the employ of the New York 
& Lake Erie Railroad, as a bridge builder, but at 
the end of two years he entered the employ of 
the Southern Central Railroad in the same capac 
ity. After another two years he left the employ 
of the railroad, and in October, 1872, he removed to 
Wahoo, Saunders County, Neb., and from there, 
in March, 1873, came to Clay County, where ho 
homesteaded the southeast quarter of Section 24, 
Township 7, Range 7 west, of the sixth principal 






;v 



412 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



meridian, and settled thereon on the 4th of April 
of the same year. While a pioneer homesteader 
he experienced many hardships and adversities, 
being in the renowned April storm of April 18, 
14, 15, ISTH. Through this Mr. All)right had 
nothing to shelter his family or his stock bnt 
a board shanty 12x14 feet, and into this all 
were ipiartered; yolk of oxen, cow, calf, chickens, 
himself and family seeking shelter of their bed 
to keep from freezing. The season of 1873 
brought a partial crop of sod corn, but in 1874 
all was destroyed by the grasshoppers. In 1875 
but a partial crop was raised on account of drouth, 
and in 1876 the country was again devastated by 
the pest — grasshoppers — and all was laid waste. 
In 1877 Mr. Albright was blessed with a fair 
crop and continued to prosper until 1880, when, on 
account of a severe drouth hardly anything was 
raised. In 1881 a fair crop, and then another year 
of adversity, a hailstorm, in July, 1882, sweeping 
all before it. In 1888 a good crop was the result 
of that season's labor, hut iu February, 1884, Mr. 
Albright sold his homestead and purchased the 
west half «f the southeast quarter of Section 16, 
Township 7, Range 7 west, of the sixth principal 
meridian, where he resumed agricultural o|)erations 
and still resides. He has taken a deep interest in 
the political affairs of Clay County, and has been 
a stanch Republican ever since he attained his ma- 
jority, and comes of Republican stock. This, in 
brief, is a sketch of the career of a man whose 
present substantial position in life has been reached 
entirely through his own perseverance; and the facts 
connected with his operations and their results only 
show what a person, with courage and enlightened 
views, can accomplish. His reputation for honesty 
and integrity has been tried and not found wanting, 
and his social qualities are well known and appre- 
ciated. His only child, Fred Lane Albright, un- 
like the majority of hoys, early appreciated the 
advantages of an education, and eagerly sought 
for such knowledge as would enable him to 
enter a profession. While his parents were strug- 
gling to recover from the shocks of adversity, and 
while yet but a boy, he had determined to secure 
an education, and with this end in view he attended 



the district .school during the winter, and aided his 
father on the farm during the sunjmer months. 
This he continued until September, 1888, when he 
entered the Harvard High School, pursuing his 
studies faithfully until the spring of 1884, when 
sickness caused him to give up school until the fall. 
During the summer of 1884 he aided his father in 
farming, and in Sei)tember again entered school, 
riding horseback to and from his home mornings 
and evenings, a distance of four miles, during the 
fall and winter, and in the spring walked the same 
distance. The following summer he again worked 
on his father's farm, and in the fall worked for 
different parties iu order to obtain the necessary 
funds to pay his board nearer the school, and he 
then renewed his studies with double vigor. From 
this school he graduated on June 25, 1886, and 
during the summer of that year worked out. The 
same year he entered the law office of Dilworth, 
Smith & Dilworth, of Hastings, Neb., and began 
his legal studies, where he continued to remain for 
several mouths, his means then becoming exhausted. 
This year he tried a new plan and engaged in farm- 
ing for himself, and by the aid of his father he 
was enabled to purchase an outfit, consisting of a 
team and wagon, and with the use of his father's 
farming implements began tilling the soil in earnest. 
He pursued his legal studies during the evenings 
and mornings throughout the summer, working hard 
during the day, and a tine crop wfis the result of 
his summer's toil. With the products of this new 
enterprise he was again enabled to enter school, 
and in September, 1887, entered the law depart- 
ment of the University of Notre Dame, Notre 
Dame, Ind., and there remained throughout the 
scholastic year. In June, 1888, he returned home 
and resumed farming, ;uul in Dec(>mber of that 
year, with what he had earned and with the assist- 
ance of his father, he returned to school and be- 
came a member of the class that graduated June 
20, 1889. During the summer of 1889 he tilled 
the soil, but in the fall entered into partnership 
with a brother lawyer, J. C. Hartigan, of Hastings, 
and they at once opened an office in Harvard under 
the firm name of Hartigan & All-right. Mr. Al- 
bright was admitted to the Hastings bar October 



■' )£ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



413 



18, 1889, and although but twenty-two years of 
age, the tiim with whom he first began the prac- 
tice of law, as a member, and with whom he is 
still connected, has by his untiring efforts and dili- 
gence, obtained an excellent legal practice in all 
the State and Federal courts. Mr. Albright's heart 
is in his profession, and he has a most exalted 
respect for its conscientious and honorable follow- 
ers. He is upright, honorable and just in all mat- 
ters concerning his profession, and is winning 
golden opinions for himself as a young man of 
more than ordinary legal acumen. 

John H. Allbee. Being a man of determina- 
tion and energy Mr. Allbee has bent the force of 
circumstances to his will, and in his farming and 
stock raising operations he has met with well 
deserved success. His birth occurred in Somerset 
Counly, Me., April 13, 1845, but he was reared 
to manhood in La Salle County, 111., whither his 
parents, Henry P. and Louisa (Hutchins) Allbee, 
natives of Maine, removed when he was young. 
His knowledge of the world, and one might almost 
say his knowledge of books, was received on his 
father's farms, for he was actively engaged in as- 
sisting him until January 14, 1864, when he left 
the farm to enlist in the First Hlinois Light Artil- 
lery, Companj' M, under Capt. G. W. Spencer. 
He served in the Atlanta campaign, but later was 
placed on garrison duty. During his term of serv- 
ice he took part in the engagements at Buzzard 
Roost, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw 
Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, and the first strug- 
gle at Jonesboro. Mr. Allbee' s company was un- 
der fire forty-two times in the Atlanta campaign, 
taking different j)ositions in each battle engaged, 
but he was very fortunate and escaped withoiit in- 
jury. After the surrender of Geu. Lee and the 
capitulation of the Southern army Mr. Allbee re- 
ceived his discharge and returned to his home in 
Hlinois, reengaging in his former occupation of 
farming. Here he remained until 1874, then 
moved west and settled in Clay County, Neb., 
where he has an excellent farm and is quite exten- 
sively engaged in raising blooded horses. A short 
time since he purchased a four-year-old Percheron 
Norman stallion named ''Shilob," which was im- 



ported from France by W. L. P^lwood, of DeKalb, 
111. This horse is a beautiful black, sixteen and 
one-half bauds high, and is of perfect action. 
Farmers contemplating raising a tine breed of 
horses will do well to look at this tine animal. On 
March 6, 1869, Mr. Allbee was married to Miss 
Celia A. Thatcher, a daughter of E. and Charlotte 
(Long) Thatcher, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. 
Allbee was born near Ottawa, 111., August 1, 1847, 
and she and Mr. Allbee are the parents of five 
children: George Ray, Marcia May, Alice L. (de- 
ceased), Ruth E. and Lena Gertrude. Although 
formerly a Republican Mr. Alll)ee is now a Prohi- 
bitionist, and has held a number of local offices in 
his township. He and wife and two eldest children 
are members of the Christian Church and he be- 
longs to the Farmers' Alliance and is a member 
of George A. Oliver Post of the G. A. R. at Fair- 
field. 

George A. Allen, farmer and stockman, Iidand, 
Neb. This successful agriculturist owes his na- 
tivity to Toledo, Ohio, where his birth occurred in 
1846, and is the son of Thomas C. and Eliza 
(Woolfinger) Allen and the grandson of Shadi-ich 
and Mary Allen. Thomas C. Allen was born in 
Cayuga County, N. Y., in 1819, and there passed 
his early life. He was a graduate of the military 
school, and ranked as a major. He settled in 
Toledo, Ohio, in 1826, and engaged as civil engineer, 
architect and builder. He was married in 1842 to 
Miss Woolfinger, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., 
born in 1818, and the result of this union was the 
birth of four children: Albert S. (living at Fort 
Wayne, Ind.), George A., Margaret (now Mrs. Bev- 
erly, of Toledo) and Thomas J. (living at Sylvania, 
Ohio). The mother of these children died in 1863. 
Thomas C. Allen was married previous to his 
union with our subject's mother, to Miss Catherine 
Dabber, and one child was born to this union, 
Charles L. (who now resides at La Grange, Ind.) 
The father died in Toledo in 1854. Both he and his 
last wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. George A. Allen remained in Toledo, 
Ohio, until about fourteen years of age, and then im 
migrated to St. Louis, Mo., where he engaged in the 
nursery business and attended school until sixteen 



years of ;i<^i'. In 18(W lie oiilisted in Company H, 
Scvciitli Indiana Cjivalry, under Col. ShankH, 
anil Korvod in the battles of Okolona,- Port Gibson, 
(hand (inlf and (luutown, Miss. He was in Gen. 
Alfred I'leasanton's command in 1864, while 
eniraged in chasing Gen. Price out of Missouri, 
and was with Gen. A. J. Smith at Franklin, 
Tenn. He was sent with the regiment to Texas in 
1805, was mustered out in February, 1866, and 
was discharged in March of the same year at In- 
dianapolis, lud. He received a gunshot wound iu 
the left leg on June 10, 1864, at Guntown, Miss., 
and was out of active service for about three 
months. At the cessation of hostilities Mr. Allen 
went to farming and in the winter taught school. 
He was married in 1871 in Sturgis, St. Joseph 
County, Mich.,. to Miss Alice Fuller, daughter of 
E. W. and Lois L. (Savery) Fuller. Mr. Allen 
immigrated to Clay County, Neb., in 1873, settled 
where he now resides, and took up 160 acres of 
good land, which he immediately commenced to im- 
prove. He now has a line place and is one of the 
prominent men of the county. In jwlitics he is a 
Rejmblican. He has held a number of offices in 
the township and has been a member of the school 
board for ten years. He is a member of the 
G. A. K. at Harvard, Clay County. The nine 
chililren l>orn to his marriage are named as follows: 
Theodore M. , Frank, Margaret, Ozoro, Susan L., 
Thomas E., Lydia L., Martha A. and Ephraim D. 
Erastus Austin, an old and honored pioneer cit- 
izen of Harvard, Neb., was born in Austiuburg, 
Ashtabula County, Ohio, September 15, 1817, and 
was the son of Roswell and Mercy (Strong) Austin, 
both natives of Hartford, Conn. They were the 
parents of seven children, four sons, two of whom 
are now living. The paternal grandfather of our 
.subject was nanjed Eliphhit Austin, and his mater 
nal grandfather Pomoroy Strong. The early life 
of Erastus Austin was passed on a farm in his na- 
tive township of Austinburg, which was named in 
honor of his grandfather who had settled there in 
1794, and in addition to a district school education 
he attended Grand Iliver Institute of Ashtabula 
County, Ohio, for eight months. Attheageof eight- 
con years he taught one term of school and when 



twenty years of age he came westward to Hancock 
County, 111., where he married Se{)teml)er 12, 1842, 
Miss Phcsbe J. Woolsey. In 1847 he removed 
to Chicago and in the spring of 1856 located in 
Henry County, 111., where he resided until 1871. 
While there he followed the drug liusiuess until 
1862. when iu Atigust of that year he enlisted in 
Company F, One Hundred and Twenty fourth Illi 
noia Regiment, with which he served until the 
close of the war. He was in the siege of Vicks 
burg, the battles of Jackson, Spanish Fort, Mobile 
and others. Returning home after the war he was 
elected justice of the peace, and served in that ca 
pacity until 1871. In that year he came to Ne 
braska and took a 160- acre homestead in Harvard 
Township, Clay County. He resided on this until 
1887 when he located in Harvard where he has 
since remained. In 1876 he was elected justice 
of the peace and discharged the duties incumlient 
on that office for three years. In 1887 he was ap 
pointed to that office and still tills the position. 
Mr. Austin and wife have had four children: 
Lavenia S., Mercy S., Charles H. and Lewis B. , 
all now living except the eldest. Mr. Austin is a 
member of the G. A. R. and I. O. O. F. In pol- 
itics he is a Republican. Phoebe J. (Woolsey) 
Austin, the wife of Mr. Austin, was born in Marl 
borough, Ulster County, N. Y., April 10, 1817, and 
is the daughter of Henry and Loretta (Ketchum) 
Woolsey, the former a native of Ulster County, N. Y., 
born July 7, 1758, and the latter a native of West- 
chester County, N. Y., born February li), 1775. 
Henry Woolsey served in the Revolutionary War 
under Gen. Washington. The paternal grandpar 
ents of Mrs. Austin were John and Clorine (Peck) 
Woolsey, the former a native of Ulster County, N. 
Y., and the latter born near Stanford, Conn. The 
maternal gran 1 parents of Mrs. Austin were Zopher 
and Asenath (Bugby) Ketchum.- Mrs. Austin's 
parents had ten children, of whom three daughters 
and one son are living. The father died cm Feb- 
ruary 7, 1838, and the mother in August, 1846. 
The American branch of the Woolsey family, of 
whom Mrs. Austin is a member, has descended 
from Cardinal Woolsey of England, whose two sons 
immigrated to America from that country. 







CLAY COUNTY. 



John Avton, bnteher, Harvard. Neb. It is an 
invariable rule that those merchants who acquire 
the greatest popularity have based their claims to 
public favor not only on the superior quality of^ 
their wares, but also upon sterling business princi- 
ples, to which double cause is tracealjle the success 
of Mr. Aytoii. This gentleman was originally 
from England, his birth occurring on December 5, 
184U, and is the sou of William and Emily (Smith) 
Ayton, who were born, reared and married in Eng- 
land, and who received their final summons in 
their native country. John Ayton was the eighth 
of thirteen children, ten of whom are living, and 
of whom three sons and one daughter came to the 
United States. He was reared to manhood in his 
native parish of Gissing, County Norfolk, and in 
early life learned the shoemaker's trade. He also 
labored some time at the carpenter's trade with his 
father, and in 1871, accompanied by two brothers 
and a sister, he came to America, settling first at 
Burlington, Iowa. A few weeks later our subject 
came on westward to Henry County. Iowa, worked 
during the summer in a stone quarry, and then, in 
1871, immigrated to Nebraska, where he took an 
eighty-acre homestead in Fillmore County. He was 
married August 14, 1877, to Agnes Matters, a na- 
tive of Scotland and the daughter of Thomas Mat- 
ters. She is a sister of Thomas H. Matters, of 
Harvard. For two years after his marriage Mr. 
Ayton resided on his homestead, and then, in 1880, 
removed to Harvard, where he has since njade his 
home. Here his chief attention has been given to 
the butcher' s trade, and he is now part owner of one 
of the best meat markets in Harvard, being a mem- 
ber of the firm of Hartman & Ayton. Mr. and 
Mrs. Ayton have had five children: William T.. 
Agnes E., Robert H., Alexander and Milly. Ale.^- 
ander died at the age of six mouths. Mr. Ayton 
is a member of the I. O. O. F., the A. O. U. W., 
and in politics is a Kepublican. He is a successful 
business man. 

Louis S. Backus, musical instrument and agri- 
cultural implement dealer, Harvard, Neb. This 
prominent Jjusiness man was born in St. Lawrence 
County, N. Y., June 26, 1842, and was the young- 
est child of the second marriage of Erastus Backus. 



The father was born in Brandon. Vt.. in 179o. and 
was of Scottish parentage. Early in life he was a 
teacher of vocal music, but in later years engaged 
in agricultural pursuits. He was married hrst to 
Miss Oliver, who bore him five children, three of 
whom lived to maturity, but only one, Cornelius, 
now living. His second marriage was in 1827 to 
Miss Sallie M. Hill, daughter of Mr. Hill, of Mar- 
ley, St. Lawrence County, N. Y. ; five children 
were the fruits of this union, only three now liv 
ing: Eunice (residing in St. Lawrence County, N. 
y") Cynthia (living in Reedsborough, N. Y.) and 
Louis S. (the subject of this sketch.) The mother 
of these children was a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and died in St. Lawrence County. 
N Y., in 1842. Mr. Backus was married again in 
1848 to Miss Sophronia Palmer, of the same county, 
and five children were also born to this union". 
Erastus P., Silas W. (died in 1873), George T., 
Faster L. and Lester L. Erastus is now shenfl 
of St. Lawrence County, N. Y. ; Faster L. is 
an attorney at Brooklyn. N. Y., and Lester is 
at Beloit, Wis. Mr. Backus died in 186U. He 
was a member of the Congregational Church, 
and in politics was an Al^olitionist. He was 
with the Republican party and was one of the 
first supporters of J. C. Fremont. -The Pathfinder." 
Louis S. Backus passed his youthful days in Si. 
Lawrence County, N. Y., and had the advantages of 
a good common-school education. In the spring of 
1861 he enlisted in Company L, Thirty-third New 
York State Guards, and was mustered out in June 
on account of the Government not being able to fur- 
nish arms. He again enlisted August Hi 1861, 
in Company C, Sixtieth New York Volunteer In- 
fantry for three years, and participated in the fol- 
lowing battles: Second battle of Bull Run, Ant.e- 
tam Chancellorsville, where. May 3, 1863, he was 
wounded in the left arm by a shell and was sent to 
Mount Pleasant Hospital, Washington. D. C. . where 
he remained until July. He then returned to his 
regiment, which was near Harpers Ferry, and at 
Lookout Mountain he received a gunshot wound m 
the right leg. he being so close that the wadding of 
the gun lodged in his leg. He then returned home 
and remained there until the last of September, s.if 



« 
V 



410 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ffiiuf^ ;ill the tiiiu3 from Lis wouud not havinjj Ijoeii 
dressed when it shoidd have been, and having the 
bones working out. While at home ho attended 
school and managed to get around on crutches. 
He received his discharge in 18(54, after serving 
three years, and went to New York State, where he 
attended business college at Ogdonsbnrg. He re- 
mained there until February, 1S(')5, when he again 
enlisted, February 13, in Company L, First Fron- 
tier Cavalry, and was engaged in guarding the 
Canada line. He held the office of commissary 
sergeant and received his linal discharge July 6, 
1805. After that he attended college and gradu- 
ated in 1867. He was married June 6 of the fol- 
lowing year to Miss Hallie M. Farmer, daughter of 
Jefferson and Abigail (Brown) Farmer, and after- 
ward worked in a music store and traveled for a 
music firm. In 1870 he left New York and emi- 
grated to Illinois, where he remained engaged in 
ti'achiug music until April. 1872. when he came to 
Nebraska. He located in Linn Township, Clay 
County, and there farmed for fourteen years, and 
also taught music. In 1N87 he moved to Harvard, 
where he handles musical instruments and farming 
imj)lements. He has a nice residence in Harvard 
and is one of the prominent citizens. He was 
elected assessor in 1889, is a member of the Con- 
gregational Church, being Sunday-school super- 
intendent and leader of singing, and is president of 
the South Platte Musical Association. He is a 
member of the A. F. & A. M. and I, O. O. F. lodges. 
Samuel R. Barnett, editor of "The Gazette Dem- 
ocrat," Clay Center, Neb. In directing the edito- 
rial policy of his paper Mr. Barnett has ])roven 
himself to be a man of good judgment, and his pa- 
per is found to be a welcome visitor in the numer- 
ous homes into which it enters. He was born in 
Butler County, Ky., on December 21, 1864, and is 
the son of William R. and Mary J. (Garrison) Bar- 
nett, natives also of the Blue Grass State. The 
father moved to Hastings. Minn., in 187.1, resided 
there until 1870, then removed to Schuyler County, 
Mo., and there remained for three years. There 
the motlier died and the father afterward returned 
to his former residence in Kentucky, where he now 
resides. Samuel R. Bainett improved every op- 



portunity for an education and afterward taught 
school for about two years. In 1885 he learned 
the printing business and edited the " Butler 
County (Ky.) News" at Morgantown, from July, 
1880, to June, 1887. He then came to Edgar, Clay 
County, Nel). , in the year named, was connected 
with the "Post" six months, and in January, 1889, 
he came to Clay Center where he accejtted a position 
as manager of "The Gazette Democrat" succeed- 
ing O. H. Holmes, as editor in January, 1890. Mr. 
Barnett is a Democrat in politics and his ]>aper is 
the only one published in the interests of his party 
in Clay County. Although he has but very re- 
cently taken charge of this paper, his successfiil 
management of other newspapers warrants the as- 
sertion that under his control and conduct this jour- 
nal is destined to exert an influence which shall 
be felt in literary circles throughout the vicinity. 
George C. Barthelman, an extensive stock- 
raiser and farmer living on Section 19, in Linn 
Township, is a native of Ohio, burn in 1839. His 
parents were natives of Germany and came to 
America at an early day, locating in Ohio, where 
the subject of this sketch was born, the eldest of 
seven children, live of whom are still living, viz. : 
George, Henry, Charles, John, Will, Mary and Mar- 
tha; John and Mary died in Ohio in infancy. At the 
age of thirteen, our subject removed with his par- 
ents to Illinois, locating in Bureau County, where 
he grew to manhood and received his education at 
the common schools of that county, and after that 
engaged in agricultural pursuits. August 10, 1801, 
he enlisted in the United States army in Company 
D, Seventh Illinois Cavalry. l)ut in March of the 
following year he was disabled, on account of 
which he was honorably discharged in April, 1 802. 
He then returned to Illinois and resumed his 
farming operations, and August 10, 1862, wedded 
Miss Margaret J. Bowden, daughter of George W. 
and Jane (Smith) Bowden. natives of Maryland 
and Pennsylvania, respectively. The fruits of this 
union have been ten children, seven of whom are 
still living, viz.: Dora and Cora (born in Septem- 
ber, 1867, the latter now Mrs. William Conell), 
Elena M. (born in May, 1809, now Mrs. John Lor- 
mer), William (l)orn in 1871 ), Archie (born in April, 



-vK 



CLAY COUNTY. 



^ ® 



417 



,>^. 



1877), Freddie (born in July, 1883) and Georgie 
(born in September, 1888). Mr. Barthelniau came 
to Nebraska in 1873, locating on the farm on which 
he now resides, on which he has made many im- 
provements, and has a good apple and cherry or- 
chard, and at least 2,000 forest trees. He devotes 
special attention to breeding thoroaghl)red horses, 
and hogs (J'olaud-China), King and Flora standing 
at the head of his herd. He is a Republican and 
takes an active part in the su]iport of the party to 
which he belongs, and at all times tenders his in- 
fluence to the upbuilding of schools and churches. 
He has served as justice of the peace for the past 
ten years, and is still serving in this capacity. He 
is a member of the G. A. R. po.st at Clay Center, 
also of the Farmers' Alliance of West Linn. 

Stephen C. Beck, now engaged in farming and 
stock raising near Ong, Clay County. Neb., was 
born in Adams County, Miss., August '2, 1842, 
being a son of Andrew L. Beck, who was born in 
Pennsylvania and removed to Mississippi when a 
young man, his marriage to Mrs. Emeline S. Swayze 
taking place there. She was born in South Caro- 
lina, and after her marriage to Mr. Beck they 
moved to Illinois, settling on a farm in Jersey 
County, where the father engaged at the brick- 
mason's trade. He died December 13, 1877, his 
wife still surviving him, making her home with her 
children. He was a Democrat in politics, and was 
bm-ied with the honors of the Odd Fellows order. 
Stephen 0. Beck is the second of eight children, 
four sons and four daughters, all of whom are liv 
ing and the heads of families, and in Jersey 
County, 111., he was reared to manhood, receiving 
the advantages of the public schools. He re- 
mained with his father until he attained his ma- 
jority, after which he farmed for himself for a few 
years in Jersey County. From this State he moved 
to Missouri, and in 1870 located in Livingston 
County, where he farmed for three years. In 1872 
he homesteaded 160 acres of land in Clay County, 
Neb., but is now the owner of 240 acres, mostly 
under fence. He has a good and substantial resi- 
dence, fair outbuildings, a line orchard of over 
200 trees, which affords them an abundance of 
fruit, and he also raises a nice variety of small 



fruits. Mr. Beck feeds from one to three car-loads 
of stock each winter, and is a man of progressive 
views, sure to make his mark wherever he may 
choose to locate. He is a Republican in politics 
and takes an active part in political questions of 
the dav. He has served in several local offices of 
honor and trust, and was at one time assessor and 
census enumerator, and has often been a delegate 
to county and district conventions. He was mar 
ried in Jersey County, 111., January 24, 1869, to 
Miss Emma G. Bull, a native of Connecticut, 
reared and educated in Illinois and the city of St. 
Louis, a daughter of Horace Bull, now a resident 
of Shelton, Neb. To this union a family of six 
children have been born: Herbert, William, Lulu, 
Stephen E., Emma R. and Fannie E. ; the latter 
died September 22, 1884. Mr. Beck is a Royal 
Arch Mason, a member of the A. O. U. W., and 
belongs to the G. A. R. He and wife are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 

Daniel Bermond, farmer and stock-raiser. 
Within the limits of Clay County there is not a 
persim of greater personal popularity than Daniel 
Bermond, a man of recognized worth and substan 
tial, progressive spirit. Of German extraction, he 
was born in Fulton County, Pa., in 1848, and 
is the sou of John and Margaret (James) Bermond, 
natives of Germany, and the grandson of John 
Bermond, Sr. The father of our subject was bom 
in 1798, was married in that country, and in 1835 
emigrated to the United States, settling in Frank- 
lin County, Pa., where he lived for live years, 
and then moved to Fulton County of the same 
State, where his death occurred in 1884. The 
mother died in 1886. Both were members of the 
German Reformed Church. Their family consisted 
of the following children: Jacob, Mary, Elizabeth 
(■uorn in Germany). Martha, John. Margaret, Daniel 
(deceased), Louisa, Catherine (deceased). George, 
Daniel and Henry. The father of these children 
followed farming after coming to this country and 
was a weaver by trade. Daniel Bermond spent his 
school days in Pennsylvania, immigrated to Uli 
nois in the spring of 1870, settled in Carroll 
County, and was engaged in farm labor for six 
years. In 1877 he began farming for himself (al 



418 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Ibough he had takt'ii up a houiestoad iu Clay 
Couuty ill 1873), and in 1878 he sold his home- 
stead in Nebraska and bouj^ht. where he now lives 
1()U acres of excellent land. He was married in 
1881 to Miss Anna Hoke, a native of Pennsylvania, 
born in 1848, and tljo dunti:hler of Georjre and 

' too 

Margaret Hoke. Two children were born to the 
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Bermond: Margaret 
(born June 12. 1884) and Henry (born December 
22, 1885). Mr. Bermond is of Democratic procliv- 
ities and is interested iu political matters. He 
and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church 
and are active workers in educational and religious 
movements. He is a successful tiller of the soil and 
has a first-class farm with good outbuildings, etc. 
John M. Birkuer, M. D., Sutton, Neb. This 
energetic gentleman, who has acquired a flattering 
reputation as a physician, was born May 25), 1850, 
and is the third of five children, three now living, 
born to the union of Kev. Frederick and Mary 
(Wilkens) Birkner, natives of Germany, both dead. 
The father was a minister, and iu 184(5 came to the 
United States as a missionary to the Indians. He 
remained in the United States until about 1854, 
and then he and his wife returned to Germany. 
John M. Birkner received the rudiments of an edu 
cation in the high schools at Erlangen and Speyer, 
where he graduated in 1873, and then entered the 
University of Erlaugen. where he spent three years, 
or until the fall of 1876, when he entered the Ger- 
man army. He graduated at the Military School 
at Munich, served until the fall of 1871), and then 
emigrated to America, settling in St. Louis. He 
graduated from the Missouri Medical College on 
March 2, 1886, and then engaged in the practice 
of his profession. He served as a clerk for the 
Iron Mountain Railroad hospital, eight miles from 
St. Louis, from ISSl to 1882, and since 18,S6 has 
been engaged in the practice of his profession iu 
Sutton. He is a substantial physician, and is doing 
a good business. He was married in 1883 to Miss 
Elvira Middleton, a native of St. Louis, and the 
daughter of Dr. Joseph Middleton, who was born 
in Loudon, England. They are the parents of 
these children: Hugo, Alma and Arujin. In poli 
tics Dr. Birkner is a stanch Democrat, and since 



1886 has been a memlier of the State militia. 
June 2, 1888, he was appointed assistant surgecm 
on the Governor's staff. Socially he is a member 
of Evening Star Lodge No. 4U, A. F. & A. M., of 
which he is secretary; is a K. of P., Sutton Lodge 
No. 75. and is also a member of the A. O. U. W., 
of which he is the examining [)hysician. He is a 
member of the Modern Woodmen of America. 
Camp No. 41)4, and of this he is also the examining 
physician. He is an honorable man, a physician 
of decided merit, and while he is not the oldest 
practitioner of Sutton he is one of the closest stu 
dents and the l)est posted physician at this place. 

John A. Bishoff is one of Clay County's suc- 
cessful farmers and stockmen. He was born in 
Baden, Germany, December 27, 1S31, and is the 
eldest of nine children born to Michel and Chris- 
tena (Blatz) Bishoft", who w(>re also born in Ger- 
many, the former's birth occurring about INO'J, his 
father being Frank Bishoff. Michel Bishoff and 
his wife became the parents of nine children: John 
A., Josej)h (deceased). Magdaline (residing in Illi- 
nois), Lehold (in Kansas). Mary, Julius, Rose and 
Bardria (in Chicago), and Frank (who died in 
Texas). The parents died in Germany, and there 
John A. resided until seventeen years of age, re- 
ceiving a good common-school education. At the 
above-mentioned age he emigrated to the United 
States, and settled in Philadelphia, Pa., where he 
followed the occupation of cork making. From 
this city he went to the State of New Jersey, and 
worked on a farm until 1N51, when he came west 
and settled in St. Louis, and for some time was 
engaged in steamboatiug from that city to New 
Orleans, being promoted from a deck hand to sec- 
ond mate. At this time he left the river as the 
war had just then openi'd. and commenced farming 
in Alabama, from which State he was drafted into 
the service, and was on duty for nearly two years. 
He was not in active service, but was stationed 
along the coast at Mobile Bay as a guard. He 
received his discharge in IStil, and again began 
steamboatiug, and followed this occupation until 
1S()(), when he went to St. Louis and from there 
to Iowa, where he worked on a farm for a short 
time. Ill the fall of 1S66 he came to Nebraska, 



^f 



CLAY COUNTY. 



419 



and settled in what is now Hall County, about six 
miles from the present site of Grand Island, his 
first winter being spent in chopping wood for ties 
for the Union Pacific Railroad Company. The next 
spring Mr. Bishoff purchased a team of horses 
and began farming, and spent his winters in team- 
ing, hauling wood and ties. In 1S71 he took up 
some land in Harvard Township, Clay County, 
which was one of the first claims taken. He re- 
sided on this farm of 100 acres until ISSfi, then 
moved to his present place, where he has since 
made his home. His property comprises about 
335 acres of as good land as there is in the coun- 
ty, and he is considered by all to be one of the 
thrifty and successful men of the community in 
which he resides. He was married in 1S7'2 to 
Miss Cony, a daughter of John and Mary Hergen- 
rother, both of whom were native Germans. Mrs. 
Bishoff was born in New York City. June 7. 1S51. 
and she and Mr. Bishoff are the parents of the 
following children: Otto (born May 8, 1876), Albert 
(born April 30. 1878). Edward (born December 17. 
ISSO), Ella N. (born September 2S, 1SS5), Frank 
(born" March 20, 1888) and Rose (iiorn December 
10, 1S89). all these children still residing with their 
parents. Mr. Bishoff is a Democrat politically, 
and he and his wife are earnest members of the 
Catholic Church. The property of which he is 
now the owner is one of the finest in the county. 
Hon. Clemens W. Bortis. representative to the 
Legislature from the Forty second distriet.was born 
in Switzerland March 25, 1837, and was the third 
son of Ignat and Catharine (Pepper) Bortis, also 
l)orn in that country, the former in 1801, and the 
latter in 1807, who died in 1886 and 1882, respect- 
ively. The immediate subject of this memoir re- 
ceived a common-school education in his native land, 
supplemented by a six- months' term in the Semi- 
nary at Bern, Switzerland, and was afterward 
chosen by Pope Pius IX as a memlier of his body 
guard, consisting of 130 men, selected for their 
personal appearance and high standing in the com 
munity, which was considered a very high honor. 
Mr. Bortis served in the guards for nearly three 
years, but in 1857 emigrated to America, and for 
aVwutsix months made his home in Chicago, working 



at the marble cutter's trade, after which he moved | 
to Morris, Grundy County. 111. , moving eighteen 
months later to New Orleans where he fomid 
employment in a packing house as watchman. Not 
liking the South he went West in 1859, and until 
the fall of 1801 resided in Marshall County, 111. ; 
then he enlisted in the Union army in Company B, 
Fourth Illinois Cavalry, and served his full time of 
enlistment— three years -a part of which time he 
was on Gen. Grant's staff -sis orderly. The most 
important engagements in which he took part were 
Fort Donelsou, Shiloh. Coffeeville. Champion's Hill 
and Vicksburg. At Shiloh, Black River and Cham 
pion's Hill he had horses killed under him but 
did not receive a wound himself. Owing to meri 
torious conduct he was promoted to the rank of 
sergeant, and after receiving his discharge he re- 
turned to Lacon, Marshall County, 111., where he 
engaged in the peaceful pursuits of farming until 
1873. when he moved to Clay County, Neb., and 
homesteaded his present farm. By close applica- 
tion to his chosen calling he has accjuired his pres 
eut property, which is one of the most valuable 
farms in the county. He is a stanch Republican 
in politics, and is ail acknowledged leader of that 
party in this portion of the county. He was 
elected justice of the peace in 1875, but did not 
qualify. In 1889 he was elected to the State 
Legislature from the Forty-second district, and is 
now discharging the duties of this position to the 
satisfaction of all concerned. He is a member of 
the John A. Jordan Post No. 239 of the G. A. R. 
of Clay Center. Miss Barbara Hacker, a daughter 
of Joseph Hacker, became his wife in 1800. and 
by her he is the father of one child, Frank. Mrs. 
Bortis was born in Louisiana in 1843, and died in 
Marshall County, 111., in the spring of 1871. In 
1880 Mr. Bortis wedded his present wife, Miss 
Lucy S. Diel, a daughter of Frederick and Catha 
rine"(Sneik) Diel, natives of Germany. Mrs. Bor 
tis was born in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1859, her parents 
having come to the United States in 1850, first set 
tling in the State of New York, and in 1805 in 
IndTana, where they are living at the present time. 
This union has resulted in the birth of three chil 
dren: Anthony C, Winnie E. and Cecil G. 







k. 



F. M. Brown, publisher, Sutton, Neb. Mr. 
Brown, born in Clark County, III. , December 20. 
1840, was early initiated in the duties of farm 
life, receivincr his education in the common schools. 
At the breakinj^ out of the War of the Keliellion, in 
the spring of ISfJl, he enlisted in Company B, 
Fourteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry as a pri 
vate, and served his country faithfully and well for 
more than three years in the Army of the Potomac 
until the investment of Petersburg and Richmond, 
when he was discharged by reason of expiration of 
term of service. He then engaged in farming, 
teaching school and railroad l)uilding. In April, 
1S71, he located on a homestead four miles north 
of Sutton, and in the fall of that year, at the lirst 
election in Clay County, he was elected county 
cleik for two years, at the expiration of which time 
he WHS re elected to a second term. At the close 
(if this term he removed to his farm, and was en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits until 1880, when 
he removed to Sutton and was occupied in the live 
stock and shipping business untilJune, 1886, when 
he purchased the '"Sutton Register," and has since 
been engaged in the newspaper business. Mr. 
Brown has always taken an active part in local and 
Stiile politics, and has tilled many positions in local 
and municipal affairs. He is at present police 
judge of the city of Sutton, and a man univer- 
sally esteemed and respected. He is a member of 
the Masonic fraternity and of the G. A. R. Mr. 
Brown's ancestors on his father's side were natives 
of Virginia, and on the mother's side of Kentucky. 

E. A. Brownell, liveryman, Sutton, Neb. 
Among the active enterprises of a city like Sutton 
the livery business occupies necessarily an impor- 
tant jjlace, contributing, as it does, to the pleasure, 
convenience and actual necessities of the com- 
munity. The most prominent establishment of 
this class in the city is that conducted by Mr. 
Brownell, which business was entered into by that 
gentleman, in partnershi}) with A. F. Brownell, 
February 10, 1890. They purchased a livery sta- 
ble in Sutton, and now are doing a good business, 
having good horses and stylish outfits. Mr. 
Brownell was born in Otsego County, N. Y , May 
■J(5, I860, and is the son of George and Mary E. 



(Lyon) Brownell, both natives of the Empire State. 
Of the eight children born to their marriage five 
are still living, and E. A. Brownell is the young- 
est. He was early taught the duties of farm life 
and received his education in the Sutton schools. 
He came to Clay County with his parents in 1872, 
and here the mother died Decemlier 26, 1888, at 
the age of sixty-five years. The father still lives 
and resides in this county. He is sixty-eight years 
of age. At the age of twenty-three years our sub- 
ject began farming, and this continued until IS'JO, 
when he purchased the livery stable, as above men- 
tioned. He is a live businessman and is bound to 
make a success of whatever he undertakes. He 
was married July 10, 18S3, to Miss Julia B. Tar- 
box, a native of New York State, born in ISoN. who 
died December 8, 1881), leaving two children: 
Eunice D. and Frank E. In politics Mr. Brownell 
is a Republican, and he is a member of the Con 
gregational Church. He has been a resident of 
this county for seventeen years and is an honorable 
man and a creditable citizen of Sutton. 

A. F. Brownell, liveryman, Sutton, Neb. The 
well-equipped and well-conducted stable of the 
firm of Brownell Bros, is one of the best in the 
county, and not only exemplifies the importance of 
the town, but reflects credit on its management. 
A. F. Bro^vnell is a native of York State, born 
July 12, 18'J7, and is the son of George and Emily 

I (Lyon) Brownell. He is the second eldest of eight 
children, five of whom are still living, and was 
reared to farm labor, receiving a fair education in 
the common schools. He came to Clay County, 

I Neb., in the fall of 1872, and assisted his father in 
agi'icultural pursuits until 18711, when he began 
tilling the soil for himself. He continued this 
pursuit until February 1(\ IS'JO, when he engaged 
in the livery business in Sutton, and started out 

1 with unusually fair prospects. He is one of the 
old settlers of Clay County and is a man univer- 
sally respected. He selected for his companion in 

I life Miss Jennie Todt, a native of Germany, born 
August 18, 1868. whom he married September 1-"), 

j 1879, and who bore him four interesting children; 
George, Albert, Arthur and Mabel. Politically 

I Mr. B. affiliates with the Democratic party. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



421 



Hmlsoii H. Burt is resitling on an excellent 
farm in Linn Township, Clay County, but was 
born in Meigs County, Ohio, Oetol)er 11, 1862, be- 
ing a son of John L. and Elizabeth (Gray) Burt, 
both of whom were born in the "Keystone State." 
but removed with their resi)ective parents to Ohio 
at an early day. Upon reaching manhood and 
womanhood in this State they were united in mar- 
riage, and after making their home in Ohio until 
1863, they removed to the State of Iowa, the 
mother's death occurring in Fremont County. 
Here Mr. Burt and his son, Hudson H., continued 
to reside, the latter receiving the advantages of the 
common schools, but in 1882 they determined to 
seek a home among new faces and in a new State, 
and accordingly came to Clay County, Neb., and 
purchased the farm on which Hudson H. is now 
living. Here the father died in 1885, having been 
throughout life a most worthy man, a kind father 
and a considerate husband. Hudson H. Burt is 
the third of his eight children, and in the month of 
December, 1885, was united in the bonds of matri- 
mony to Miss Ella Finch, of Douglas County, Neb., 
and by her he has become the father of two bright 
and interesting little children: Leal H. and Pearl. 
Mr. Burt is engaged in general farming, is well 
pleased with the State of Nebraska, and although 
he has only lived here a few years, wherever he is 
known he stands high as a man and citizen. 

Charles A. Bush, farmer and stock-raiser, Ong, 
Neb. Mr. Bush is another of those of foreign 
birth who have come into this county and made for 
themselves a comfortable home, becoming respected 
citizens of the community. He was born April 29, 
1835, in Uslar, Kingdom of Hanover, Germany, 
where also his parents, Louis and Caroline (Burch- 
ard) Bush, first saw the light. There they passed 
their entire lives. Mr. Bush was a pensioner, hav- 
ing served in both the German and English armies, 
and lived a retired life. Charles A. Bush remained 
in his native country and the town of Uslar, Han- 
over, until seventeen years of age, or until 1852, 
when he emigrated to the United States, settling 
first in St. Louis, and after a residence there of 
three years, where he followed his trade of baker, 
he removed to Jersey Countv, 111. There he tilled 



the soil vip to the breaking out of the war. In 
August, 1862, he enlisted in the Ninety-seventh 
Illinois Infantry. Company K, and served his 
adopted country faithfully and well for three years. 
He participated in the first and second battles and 
the entire siege of Vicksburg, in the l)attles of Port 
Gibson, Champion's Hill, Black River. Miss., siege 
and surrender of Jackson, Miss. , and Blakely and 
Miiliile. Ala. He was wounded in the right leg 
and left hip by a shell at Blakely and was perma- 
nently disabled. He received his discharge May 
22, 1805. in the general hospital at Sedgwick, La., 
and then returned to Jersey County, where he fol- 
lowed agricultural jjursuits until 1872. In the 
spring of that year he moved to Nebraska, arrived 
in Clay County in April, and homesteaded 160 
acres. Since then he has purchased eighty acres, 
and now has 210 acres of excellent land near Ong, 
all well cultivated. He has a comfortable house, 
a good new barn, substantial outbuildings, and a 
wind pump. He has a small grove on his place, 
two orchards, both bearing, about 200 trees, and 
has fill conveniences. In his jjolitical views he is 
a Republican and has held several local positions. 
He was first road supervisor of the township and 
served as justice of the peace for about seven 
years. He is now serving two years as supervisor 
of his township, and also served seven years as a 
member of the school board. Mr. Bush was mar- 
ried in St. Louis December 4, 1855, to Miss Lena 
Kleinhouse, a native of Hanover. Germany, where 
she was reared. To this union were born five liv- 
ing children; Orleana( wife of William Hulburt, of 
Nebraska), Charles P., John N., Roy A. and Ora 
A. Mr. Bush is a member of the G. A. R., and he 
and wife are membei'sof the Presbyterian Church. 
They are highly esteemed and respected by all who 
know them. 

Dr. Fletcher A. Butler is a well read and 
highly successful physician of Harvard. Clay Coun- 
ty, and was born near Jacksonville, Morgan Coun- 
ty, 111., January 22, 1854, being a son of James 
L. and Oletha P. (Sargent) Butler, the former a 
native of Virginia, and the latter of Ohio. James 
L. Butler was a son of Levi Butler who was born 
at Alexandria, Va. , and was educated in the School 



for Oiphaiis, foundpd by Georgo Washington. 
Tli<> inothor of Dr. Butlor was a daughter of Will- 
i;mi M. ami Melinda (Moss) Sargent, with wliom 
she roiiiovcd to Morgan County, 111., when a little 
girl. Hn<l there im^t and married Mr. Buller. Her 
father was born in Mason. County, Ky., November 
21. 1799. being taken to Brown County, Ohio, 
when a lad of ten years, there making his home 
until twenty live years of age. at which time he re- 
moved with his family to Illinois, his residence be- 
ing in Morgan County until in April, ISOfJ. He 
then took up bis abode in Savannah, Andrew Coun- 
ty, Mo., and here died April 3, 1882. He repre- 
sented Morgan County, III., in the State Legisla- 
ture for two successive terms, Abraham Lincoln 
at that time representing Sangamon County, 
and during the Inte Civil War he was ap|)ointed as 
agent to the sanitary department at Nashville, 
Tenn. , in 1863. He was a member of the Method- 
ist Episco])al Church for sixty one years and was 
loved and esteemed by all . The father and mother 
of Dr. Butler were married about 1845, and reared 
a family of twelve childi-en, of whom ho was the 
fifth. Nine of the family are now living and two 
sons became physicians: Thomas, whose residence 
is at Winnipeg, Manitoba, whore he has an active 
and lucrative practice, and the snliject of this 
sketch. Another son, A. C, has been superintend 
ent of the city schools at Beardstown, 111., ten 
years. He is at present vice-president of the Illi- 
nois State Teachers' Association. Another son, 
John T., is at present county clerk in La Moure, 
La Moure County, N. D.ik. Another son, Charles 
W., was in tho Twenty second Illinois Artillery, 
was in Libby Prison, in Richmond, when Cien. Grant 
with the Union forces captured the city. Charles 
came home on a furlough, returned and died in 
the service at the age of twenty years, being the 
eldest son. William, another son, is superintend- 
ent of a coal mine at McKeesport, Pa., owning 
the farm on which the coal mine is located. The 
parents of these children are both Irving, their 
home lieing in Neosho County, Kas. When the 
suljject of this sketch was eight years of age he re- 
moved with his parents to Macon County, 111., and 
at the ajie of sixteen went with them to Vernon 



County, Mo., and two years later to Bourbon 
County, Kas. At the age of nineteen years he 
began teaching school and followed this occupation 
in connection with attending a normal school at 
Fort Scott, Kas., until he had completed a fall 
course in that institution, after which he took up 
the study of medicine, but continued to teach dur- 
ing the time he was pursuing his studios, and thus 
acquired an excellent knowledge of medicine ami 
surgery. He then successively attended tho Bush 
Medical College of Chicago, 111., the College of 
Physicians and Surgeons of Keokuk, Iowa, and 
the Louisville Medical College, from the two lat 
ter institutions possessing certificates of gradua- 
tion. He began practicing his profession at Sher 
idan. La Salle County, 111., April 1, 1879, and in 
June, 1885, located in Harvard, Clay County, Neb., 
where he has been actively and successfully en 
gaged ever since. Dr. Butler is not only a close 
and careful student and a liberal contributor to 
medical journals but he also devotes much of his 
spare moments to literary pursuits, and in the last 
two years has mastered the German language, 
under his efficient instructor. Prof. C. F. KoU)e, 
professor of modern language, Buchte] College, 
Akron, Ohio, so that he can read, write and speak 
it. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., the A. O. 
U. W. , the Nebraska State Medical Society, the 
Medical Society of the Missouri Valley, in all of 
which he is an honored member. He is a man of 
superior ability and he possesses an energy that 
insures success at whatever he may undertake. He 
is in possession of a lucrative practice and is very 
pleasantly and comfortably situated, and has one 
of the most attractive homes in Harvard, also own- 
ing other town property, and a half section of land 
in Western Nebraska. He makes a specialty of 
surgery and his reputation in this branch of the 
science extends far beyond the limits of Clay 
County. He is a popular and agreeable gentle 
man, and he and his estimable wife are highly re 
spected and esteemed. He was married September 
1, 1887, to Miss Emma Keebler, who was one of 
Clay County's nio.st efficient teachers, and both are 
consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Miss Keebler' s father and mother came 



^7 



\> ^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



423 



to America from Wurtemburg, Germany, in the 
year 1844. Mrs. Keebler's maiden name was Web- 
ber, a descendant from the family of Webbers 
renowned the world over as among the great mu- 
sicians of modern times. Mr. Keebler has been 
a mechanic of no ordinary degree, having invented 
several useful articles pertaining to mechanics and 
mining. The Doctor has always been a stanch 
Republican, in his political views. In July. 1889, 
he had the degree of bachelor of science conferred 
upon him by the Correspondence University, a 
branch of the Chicago College of Science, a title 
he well deserves. The Doctor is pursuing other 
studies in the National University of Chicago, 
which when completed will entitle him to the de- 
gree of master of arts. These studies will be 
completed in June, 1891. 

Barton W. Campbell, farmer and stock-raiser, 
Clay Center, Neb. Since his residence in this 
county Mr. Campbell has Ijeen very prominently 
identified with the material affairs of this com- 
munity, indeed far more so than the average man. 
Particularly in the direction of agricultural affairs 
is this true. He was originally from Scott County, 
111., where he was born May 21. 1S3S, and is the 
son of Joseph and Sophia (Kennedy) Campbell. 
The father was a Kentuckian and one of the early 
settlers of Illinois, where the mother of our subject 
died when he was (juite yonng. Barton W. Campbell 
was early initiated into the duties of farm life, and 
received an ordinary English education in the com- 
mon schools. In the fall of ISOO he removed to 
Macon County. 111., where he followed agricultural 
pursuits, and was also engaged in merchandising 
at Maroa. that county, for a number of j'ears, meet 
ing with moderate success. In September, 1884, 
he emigrated West, stopping three months at Seb 
etha. Kas. . and in Deceml)er came to Clay County, 
Neb. Ho rented a farm in this township, and 
three years later removed to his present farm, on 
the northeast corner of Section '2. Town (>. Range 
7. and is now the owner of 240 acres of good 
farm land, well improved with comfortable resi- 
dence and substantial outbuildings. Jlr. Camp 
bell is a decided Republican in his political views, 
and has taken an active part in the affairs of his 



township and county. He y/Ufi township assessor 
in 18.S8, and in the fall of that year he was elected 
supervisor for Lone Tree Township, a position he 
has held by re-election to the present time, having 
discharged its duties in a highly satisfactory man- 
ner. On October 8, 1862, Miss Mary Cooper, a 
native of the Buckeye State, became his wife, and 
to them have been born the following children: 
Joseph W. (deceased), Charles H., Lillian W., 
Emma Etta, Hugh B., Claude C. John M. and 
Ella. Mr. Campbell and wife are members of the 
Christian Church, and he is justly regarded as one 
of Clay County's most enterprising and respected 
citizens. 

Charles E. Cantield, a farmer and stock-raiser, 
living on Section 14, Township 8, Range 7, Har- 
vard Township, Clay County, is one of the very 
earliest settlers of this county, and has seen its 
growth and improvement from the start. He came 
to Nebraska in 1871 and homesteaded his present 
farm of 160 acres in Harvard Township, and has 
ever since been engaged in farming, at which he 
has been eminently successful. He was born in 
Lewisborough, Westchester County, N. Y., in 1824, 
the second in a family of seven children, four sons 
and three daughters, born to Daniel and Sarah 
(Nash) Cantield; the latter, a daughter of Samuel 
and Sarah (Northrop) Nash, was born in Ridgelield, 
Conn., in 1799, and married in 1818. Mr. Cantield 
was a son of Cornelius and Rebecca (Don) Can- 
field, and was born in Westchester County, N. Y.. 
November 19, 1795, and was reared, educated and 
married in that county. Their children were: 
Sarah (born in 1821, and died in Connecticut in 
1887), Chai'les E. (the subject of this sketch, was 
born March 12. 1824), Samuel O. (was born Janu- 
ary 30, 1827), William H. (was born October 21, 
1831 ), Annaliza (born July 12, 1833) and Joseph 
(born December 14, 1838). Mr. Cantield died in 
New York State in 1879, and his widow is still sur- 
viving and resides in Fairtield County, Conn., at 
the advanced age of ninety one years. They were 
both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
The immediate subject of this sketch was reared on 
a farm in York State and attended school at Lewis- 
borough. In 184") he started out in life for himself 



& 
•< — 1- 






I)y eni^iiging in agricultiirHl pursuits, and later 
ciitorcJ llie iiH'rcaiitile business. In 1851 he was 
inanii'il. choosing aa his companion in life Miss Car- 
rie L., (laughter of Charles and Mary (Olmst-ead) 
()sl)orn, the former born in 180'J and died Decern 
her 14, IN()7. and the latter born in 1809 and died in 
.lainiaiy, both members of the Methodist Episcopal 
C'hurch. She was born November 21, 183 1 , in New 
York City, one of six children, viz.: Carrie L., 
David (born in 1834). Clara E. (born in 1837), Kate 
(born in 1840). Mary (born in 1846), Libbie K. 
(boiii in 1840). After his marriage Mr. Canfield re- 
mained in New York State for about five years and 
then went to Bridgeport, Conn. , where he engaged 
in the mercantile business and reared his family. 
In 1871 he immigrated to Clay County, Neb., set- 
tling in Harvard Township on 1(50 acres of land. 
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Canfield resulted in the 
birth of three children, two of whom are still living. 
They are: Charles S. (1 torn November 29, 18r)2, who 
is married and has a family, and lives in Bridgeport, 
Conn.); William E. (born June 14, 1851), is married 
and has one child, and lives at home with parents) 
and Jennie L. (born November 20, 1859, and died 
February 7, 1883). Both Mr. and Mrs. Canfield 
are worth}' members of the Metho<list Episcoj)al 
Church. Socially Mr. Canfield is an Odd Fellow, 
and politically an Independent, and is actively in- 
terested in all enterprises for the good of his com- 
munity. 

Lorenzo It. Chapman. This prominent farmer 
and stock-raiser is a native of Ohio, born in Wind- 
ham Township, Portage County, January 25, 1834, 
a son of Chauncey and Martha (Maynard) Chap 
man, both natives of Connecticut. The subject of 
this sketch was reared to manhood in Paris and 
Windham Townships, county of his birth. He 
was given a good English education, taking two 
terms in the academy of his native town. At the 
age of seventeen years he commenced learning the 
trade of a blacksmith, entering the shop of Wilson 
Messenger, in the center of Windham. He stopped 
here for two years when he started out as a jour- 
neyman, working at first under instruction, finally 
settling in Ravenna, same State, in the carriage fac- 
tory of N. D. Clarke & Co. Here he remained for 



two years when he went to Trumbull County, 
working in another carriage factory for a short 
time. In 1858 he made a trip to Michigan and 
Wisconsin looking for farm land, but returned 
home without purchasing, and in the fall of 1859 
he came west to Missouri with his brother, Charles 
H. , settling in the then village of Macon City, 
where he followed his trade until the spring of 
1800, when he went to Kirksville, Adair County, 
and worked at his trade. In the fall of the sanje 
year, becoming alarmed at the hostility evinced l)j' 
the sympathizers of the Southern cause, he re 
moved, going to Palmyra, same State; after stay- 
ing there but a short time he went to Adams 
County, 111., where he eidisted in the Union 
army. May 4, 18()1, and on the 24th was mustered 
into the Tnited States service by Capt. Pitcher, in 
Company H, Sixteenth Illinois Infantry, Capt. 
William Petrie, commander, under Col. C. F. 
Smith, serving in the AVestern division, chiefly in 
Missouri. While in this State he engaged in sev- 
eral hard skirmishes: They were under tire of the 
Southern force at Monroe Station while guarding 
bridges in that locality. They quartered in St. 
Joseph and fortified the city until January 24, 
1862, then went to Cairo, 111. In March they 
commenced operations for the capture of Island 
No. 10, under the command of Gen. John Pope; 
moved ni)on Island No. 10 in the night by attack- 
ing its flanking position, New Madrid. The place 
was defended l)y strong earth works, one heavy 
fort and six gun boats in the river. "The Union 
force in front, Tenth and Sixteenth Illinois In- 
fantry, were under a furious cannonade from daj'- 
light until dark of that day, and the bursting of 
the heavy shells close to our heads deafened me 
so I have never fully recovered. The following 
night the rebel forces defending the town and 
island promptly evacuated both places and tried to 
escape down the river but were overtaken and 
about 8,001 > of them wore captured at Tiptonville. 
The Tenth and Sixteenth Illinois Regiments of 
Infantry were in advance in all these movements 
for the capture of Island No. 10. They then has- 
tened to re-enforce Gen. Grant at Shiloh, and 
were under the command of Gen. Halleck during 



CLAY COUNTY. 



425 



the siege of Corinth. In the fall of the same year, 
under Gen. Palmer, we marched around from 
Missacro Settlement, Ala. , to Nashville, Tenn., and 
remained there during the winter of 1.SG2-C3, and 
fortified and held the place while Gen. Buell fell 
back with his main army to the Ohio River, and 
were there without outside eomnmnication until 
Gen. Rosecrans returned from the North in com- 
mand of Buell's army in the spring of 1863. We 
wore on the left Mauk of the army, guarding a ford 
across Duck River at the battle of Stone River, 
in hearing of the guns, but were not engaged. 
We then took part in the Chattanooga campaign, 
and after the battle of Chickamauga were on the 
flank of the army. About this time Wheeler's 
cavalry (rebel) captured and destroyed a whole 
supply train and for about four months we were 
on quarter rations and nearly starved out. In the 
fall of 1S()3 Gen. Grant took command and drove 
the enemy from Lookout Mountain and Missionary 
Ridge. We went into winter quarters at Ross 
ville, Ga. I was then sent back to Quiucy, 111., 
to recruit for Company H, Sixteenth Illinois Infan- 
try. Soon the whole regiment came back on 
thirty days' veteran furlough. I returned to the 
front with the regiment and re-enlisted at the old 
camp, Rossville, and went home to Ohio on thirty 
days' furlough. On expiration of my furlough I 
overtook the regiment at Big Shanty, Ga. , on the 
Atlanta campaign. While at Kenesaw Mountain 
lying on the ground in front of our brigade bat- 
tery of six ten-pound Parrott guns, battery firing 
over our heads, the sharp crack of the guns hurt 
my hearing for the second time and I am slightly 
deaf in both ears at present. While Sherman was 
moving on Hood's rear at Jonesboro I went to a 
spring outside the lines with canteens and a coffee 
can for water. The spring was between the steep 
banks of a willow fringed run I filled my vessels 
with fresh, pure water and came up in sight, 
through the bushes a short distance from me, of a 
squad of rebel cavalry waiting for me to come up. 
They called for me to halt and surrender, but, as I 
was nearer our lines than they, it did not suit my 
complexion to do so. I started for camp with the 
best speed I could muster, swinging my hand hold- 



ing the coffee can vigorously in my haste to get 
farther away from them. The water flew in spray 
all over me from the open can, while the rebel 
squad all discharged their rifles at me at short 
range, but dare not pursue as I was so near camp. 
Our pickets were just being put on post and they 
commenced firing on the rebels who got out of 
range in as much haste as I had done a moment 
before. I was not hit by any of their shots and I 
think now it must have been due to the dust from 
my heels and the spray of water from the coffee 
can that hid the target to such a degree that they 
didn't have a fair chance to aim. In a short time 
I arrived safe in camp, clear out of wind, covered 
with water and dust, my canteens all right, but 
coffee can empty. If capture<l I sh(juld have lieen 
obliged to board with Jeff Davis a while at some 
of his health re.sorts, such as Andersonville, Libby 
or Bell Isle, and I was never willing to accept his 
hospitality. We were in the charge of the Four- 
teenth Corps at Jonesboro and routed Hood's 
forces and compelled the evacuation of Atlanta liy 
Gen. Hood's force, then went into camp near the 
city of Atlanta, while the army refitted for the 
march to the sea. We arrived at Savannah, Ga., 
in December, 1864, went into camp a short time, 
then started on the return march across South and 
North Carolina to Goldsboro, N. C. On the way 
we had a sharp skirmish at Averasboro, N. C, 
and a severe fight between the enemy and the 
Fourteenth Army Corps, where two brigades of the 
Second Division were charged by the enemy and 
nearly surrendered, but drove the enemy Ijack on 
all sides with heavy losses. In this engagement 
the writer had two men shot liy his side. Samuel 
A. Meicalf killed and Peter Hines wounded, of 
Company H, Sixteenth Illinois Infantry. We lay 
that night in the thick pine woods, with the rebel 
wounded between the lines calling and pleading 
in a pitiful manner for water and help. The fol 
lowing night Johnston withdrew his force from 
our front and we went on to Goldslioro and formed 
junction with the Twenty third Army Corps. We 
followed Johnston's retreating army slowly toward 
Rolla, N. C. While here news reached us of the 
surrender of Lee's forces and a grand jollification 






V 




took place. Tlu; iiows of the assiissiuatiuQ of Pres- 
ident AInabam Lincoln reached us there. On this 
occasion the army was in a most desperate, sullen 
and gloomy mood, and would have fought with 
desperate valor. After the surrender of Gen. 
Johnston to Gen. Sherman wo started for Wash 
iiitrton, D. C, and i)assed through Richmond on 
the way. We remained at Washington a while 
and went through the grand review on Pennsyl 
vania Avenue, and were then sent to Louisville, 
Ky., being discharged from service on July 8, 
1805. I served through the war as a private 
and non commissioned officer, being miastered out 
wearing the stripes of sergeant. We were then 
sent to Springfield, 111., and there disbanded. I 
then went to Quincy, 111., and engaged to work in 
a machine shop for the firm of Sylvester & Warlell. 
In the fall of 1865 I went to Andrew County, Mo., 
and purchased 827 acres of land for myself and 
'hrothers, Charles H., Kobert R. and Thomas C. 
I worked in the city of St. Joseph in the winter of 
ISfiu-fifi, in company with a Mr, Dempsey part of 
the time, and then in the wagon factory of E. 
Dutton. In the spring of 1806 I returned to 
Hiram. Portage County, Ohio, and engaged in black- 
smithing, remaining there until the spring of 
ISOS, and returned to Missouri, with the wives 
of my brothers. Ivoliert R. and Charles H., Thomas 
C. remaining in Ohio. In the fall of 1872 Ire- 
moved to Clay County, Neb., and homesteaded my 
present farm, and have remained here ever since." 
Mr. Chapman now owns besides his home place 
the southeast quarter of Section 29, the north half 
of the northeast cjuarter of Section 32, in this 
township. Marcii (), 1874. he was married to 
Sflonna A. Newcoinb, Imrn August 4, 1845, in the 
same county of hei- husl)and"s birth, a daughter of 
Timothy J. and I'riuda (Goodell) Newcoml), both 
natives of Ohio, and. not having any children of 
their own, adojtted the daughters ot Thomas G. 
Chai)man, their father and mother both being dead. 
Their names are Mariam F. and Lucy I. Chapman. 
Mr, Chapman is a Prohibitionist; he was formerly 
a Repulilican and held the otH(;<' of school director 
for several terms. Both himself and wife are 
members of the Christian Church at Fairfield. 



Mr. Chapman is a member of the P'armers' Alli- 
ance. He was one of the early settlers of this 
comity, and it is by his own endeavors anil hard 
work that he has accumulated his possessions. 
His home is large and comfortable; his barn and 
granari(>s are large and well filled. He has a good 
bearing orchard of 150 apple trees. He planted 
a large peach orchard of ],()()() trees, which dieil 
owiiig to the excessively cold winters. His home 
is encircled by a beautiful grove, containing S,0(H) 
shade trees, and the 400 acres of land which he 
possesses is all tillable and well watered and easy 
to cultivate. 

Hon. Samuel W. Christy, attorney at law, Ed 
gar. Neb. This profession is the most momentous 
and important of human callings, and he who 
takes upon himself the practice of it assumes the 
weightiest responsibilities that the confidence and 
trust of his fellow men can put upon his shoul- 
ders. It brings into play the most brilliant tal- 
ents, the most extensive knowledge, the strongest 
sentiments, moral, spiritual, material, and its 
power for good or evil is vast and invincible. As 
a gentleman whose career has been above criticism 
and whose ability places him in the front rank of 
the western bar is Mr. Christy. He was born in 
Keokuk County, Iowa, June 20, 1856, a son of 
Samuel and Margaret A. (Harper) Christy, natives 
of Harrison Comity, Ohio. Hon. S. W. Christy 
was reared on a farm in his native State and 
county, and in his youth secured an excellent En- 
glish education. In 1873, with the energy which 
had ever characterized his actions, he came west- 
ward, and until 1875 was a resident of Nemaha 
County, Neb., after which he moved to Clay 
County and worked at manual labor and attended 
school until 1877. In the fall of 1878 he commenced 
the study of law with a view to making it a pro- 
fession, and began bis studies in the law office of 
M. S. Edgington, of Edgar. Neb., and was admitted 
to the bar November 17, 1880, and was a law part- 
ner of Mr. Edgington until 1884, since which time 
he has remained alone. He is considered one of 
the able lawyers of the State, and displays much 
ability and sagacity in the management of the 
cases which come under his control. He has 



<a fc_ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



-« © 



427 



\ 



always been a stanch Kpi)ublicau iu politics and 
has taken an active and prominent part in the polit- 
ical affairs of Clay County, and in 1888 was elected 
by his party as one of the representatives of the 
Forty-second district to the State Legislature, and 
served with honor and distinction in the Twenty- 
first General Assembly of that body. He was chair- 
man of the committee on miscellaneous subjects 
and served on other important committees. March 
22, 1879, he was united in marriage to Miss Jen- 
nie Ellis, a native of Ohio, by whom he ia the 
father of three children: Pearl M., Winnafred 
and Gwendoline. Mr. Christy is a Eoyal Arch 
Mason, a member of the I. O. O. F. and the 
A. O. U. W., and has held prominent positions in 
each of these orders. 

Elijah Post Church (deceased). On January 13, 
1888, there died at his home in Clay County, Neb., 
Elijah Post Church, a man who had gained for 
himself a reputation which left no doubt as to his 
standing and character as a citizen. He was born 
in Trumbull Township, Cortland County, N. Y., 
September 25, 1818, and removed with his parents 
to Ashtabula County, Ohio, when twelve years of 
age. There he spent his youth and early manhood, 
and there he was married on October 14. 1840, to 
Miss Caroline Wilcox, a native of Honeoye Falls, 
N. Y., born on March 17, 1821. During his res 
idence in Ashtabula County, Ohio, Mr. Church 
gave his attention to farming, and in about 1853 or 
1854 removed to Toledo, then resided in Michigan 
for a few years, then in Chicago, and a few years 
in Mattoon, 111. While in Toledo, Ohio, and Mich- 
igan he followed the drug business, in Chicago the 
connuission business, and in Mattoon he was the 
proprietor of a hotel and also did a notion bus- 
iness. In 1866, on account of his daughter's 
poor health, he removed to Anoka, Minn. Re- 
turning to Illinois in 1870 he located in Watseka, 
but in 1872 came to Nebraska and settled in 
Beatrice, where he embarked in the furniture bus- 
iness. In August, 1873, he moved to Sutton, where 
for eight years he was the proprietor of the old 
Clark House, a very popular hotel at that place. 
In November, 1881, he removed to Harvard, where 
for one year he was proprietor of the Metropolitan 



House, and afterward was engaged in the drug l)us- 
iness, which he carried on until his death. His 
wife's death occurred on June 6, 1S84. Three 
children were born to their marriage. The first 
two were each called Cordelia Emogene, the lirst 
having died before the second was bom. The 
second one bearing that name married Rev. 
Thomas Walter Brookbank, a graduate of Garrett 
Biblical Institute, Evanston, 111., and a minister of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Brookbank 
subsequently served as county superintendent of 
schools in Clay County, Neb. His wife died Jan- 
uary 15, 1877, leaving an only child named Belle 
Hurlbut, who is now a young lady of fifteen. The 
third and only living child of Mr. and Mrs. Church 
is Miss Mira Rosalthe, who occupies the family- 
residence in Harvard. Mr. Church was a member 
of the Masonic fraternity, and was one of the 
oldest Odd Fellows in the State. In politics he 
was a Republican. He possessed a gertial nature 
and had a large circle of warm friends, there be 
ing probably no man in Clay County more oxten 
sively or favorably known in the county. His life 
was one worthy of emulation and his memory is 
cherished by the public. He together with his 
wife and daughter are interred at Siitton, Neb. 

Martin V. B. Clark, M. D. , third son of David 
and Ximena Clark, was born in Parma, Cuyaho- 
ga County, Ohio, April 28, 1840, of Connecticut 
parentage. He commenced his education at the 
district school iind pursued it during the winters 
at Baldwin University, and in the summer studied 
and worked on the farm. He enlisted under Lin 
coin's first call for three years' troops as a private 
in Company C (Oberlin company). Seventh Regi- 
ment Ohio Volunteers, on June 20, ISfil, going di- 
rectly from his father's corn-field into the regiment 
at Camp Dennison, Ohio, with which he marched 
a few days afterward for Virginia. He was later 
transferred to and was honorably discharged as 
sergeant of artillery of the Eighth Ohio Independ- 
ent Battery. At the close of the war he returned 
to farm life, and was married on July 4, ]8()('), to 
Miss Mary D. Henry, eldest daughter of Robert 
W.and Francis C. Henry, of Parma. Ohio. Tiieir 
children were AUie E., Mamie L. (deceased), Edith 



428 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



iinil Ruth. Dr. Cliirk graduatiHl in pliurmaey at 
Baldwin University ou Fehriiary 4, 1807, receiving 
the degree of hachelor of medicine, and graduat- 
ing in medicine in the Cleveland Medical College 
on February 28, 18()S(. He was professor of phar- 
macy and toxicology at Baldwin University, Ohio, 
for a period of live years, and was a nieml)er of the 
convention to revise the United States Pharmaco- 
pceia for 1870. Subsequently he emigi-ated to 
Nebraska, and with his brother bought out the town 
of and settled at Sutton, Neb., on November 25, 
1871. He is one of the pioneer physicians and 
druggists of Clay County. In the year 1873 he 
was elected coroner, served six years, and has held 
the ofifice of United States pension surgeon, com- 
missioner of insanity, and was one of the first five 
trustees of the village of Sutton, being twice re- 
elected to the last named office. He was post 
commander of the Sutton Post of the G. A. R., 
and president of the Sutton board of education. 
In July, 1881, he made the chemical analysis for 
the State rs. Anderson, for the poisoning of J. S. 
Johnson with arsenic, which occurred near Sutton. 
Subsequently he was emj>loyed by the State in the 
following cases of criminal poisoning: State vs. 
Lee, Saline County, for poisoning with strychnine; 
State vs. Rath, for poisoning with strychnine, Clay 
County; State t's. Morse. Gage County, for poison- 
ing with strychnine, which resulted in a conviction 
of murder in the first degree, but owing to an in- 
formality in the verdict a new trial was granted. 
A second trial resulted in a disagreement of the 
jury, and the third trial is now pending; the State 

I'.s. — , Nuckolls County, corrosive sublimate, 

wherein a Miss Carrie Eisley was supposed to have 
been poisoned by mistake of a druggist; in all five 
cases. Dr. C'lark was elected to the York, (Neb. ) 
Seminary — afterward college — as lecturer on nat- 
ural science; is a member of Nebraska State Medi- 
cal Society, and the Nebraska State Railroad Sur- 
geons' Society. He has been chairman of the for- 
mer in the section of medical jurisprudence and 
toxicology, and a member of the section in surgery. 
Ho is the assistant surgeon at Sutton for the Bur- 
lington & Missouri River Railroad and Union 
Pacific Railroail. Dr. Clark is a carefnl and safe 



physician and surgeon, and one* of thi- lir^t chem- 
ists of this portion of Nebraska. 

Oiville C. Clark. Prominent among the estab 
lishments of Harvard, Neb., which add strength 
and importance to her already enviable reputation, 
is the grocery house belonging to Mr. Clark, and 
although he is a young man and has only been in 
business here since the fall of 1888, he is already 
well known in mercantile establishments. He was 
born in Shelby County, Ky. , on the 1 1th of August, 
1852, and is a son of Drur)' and Amanda (Camp- 
bell) Clark, the former born in Shelby County, 
Ky. , and the latter in Ripley County, Ind. They 
were married in the latter county in 1851, and 
became the parents of the following children: 
Orville C, Sallie, Kansas, Eva, Rosa J., Charles 
M. and Oda A. The father of these children was 
twice married, their mother being his second wife. 
His first union resulted in the birth of three chil- 
dren: John W., Thomas and William H., the first 
named being the only one now living. The father, 
who was a farmer by occupation, died in Hen- 
dricks County, Ind., February 17, 1875, but his 
widow survives him and makes her home in Har- 
vard, Neb., with her son, Orville C. When the 
latter was but two years of age his parents re- 
moved to Hendricks County, Ind., and here spent 
his boyhood and youth on a farm. His early edn 
cation was received in the district schools, and in 
early manhood be learned the plasterer's trade. 
When twenty-otie years of age he went to Indian- 
apolis, Ind., and for one year was employed as a 
clerk in a dry goods establishment, after which he 
returned to Hendricks Count}', where he followed 
farming for a few years. He next engaged in 
mercantile pursuits in the town of Pittsboro, Ind., 
but after remaining there two years he came to 
Harvard, Neb., and after working in a dry goods 
e.stablishment here for about five years he clerked 
in a grocery store for some nine months, and in 
the fall of 1888 opened an establishment of his 
own, being associated in business with his lirother- 
in law, James S. Catterson, the firm name being 
Clark & Catterson. They keep a full and excel- 
lent line of goods, and are in a position to meet all 
competition and make prices as low as the lowe.st. 



-rf s[t> 



CLAY COUNTY. 



429 



Mr. Clark was married in Hendricks County, Ind., 
October 17, 1874, to Miss Romera Jesse, a native 
of Shelby County, Ky.. born May 5, 1853. They 
have four chiklreu: Nora, born September 20, 
187fi; Guthrie D., born April 12, 187U; Claud, 
born December 3, 1880, and Raymond, born June 
27, 1888. Mr. Clark has always been a Republican 
in his political views, and as a citizen no less than 
as a business man he has won many warm friends. 

William E. Close is a native of Michigan, his j 
liirth occurring at Three Rivers in 1834, he be- 
ing the eldest son of Teris and Hannah (Gray) 
Close, both natives of the State of New York. 
They were both reared and married in that State, 
and shortly after their marriage, which occiu-red 
when Mr. Close was about twenty-three years of 
age, he moved to Michigan, and here gave his at- 
tention to tilling the soil. The fruits of his mar- 
ried life were two children; William E. and Sarah 
E., the latter dying at about the age of six years. 
After residing in this State until about 1845 they 
returned to their former home and there he spent 
the rest of his days. He was an active Republican 
in politics. William E. Close obtained a fair 
knowledge of books in Y<irk State, and when sev- 
enteen years of age began life for himself as a farm 
hand in Wisconsin. On the opening of the Civil 
war he dropped all work to enlist in Company I, 
First United States Sharpshooters, and was an act- 
ive participant in the battles of Yorktown (Va. ), 
Big and Little Bethel, Chickahominy Swamp, Seven 
Pines, battle of the Wilderness, and many others. 
He was wounded at the second battle of Bull Run, 
in the left hip, which resulted in permanent injury, 
and was discharged at New York City in 1803, hav- 
ing been in the service nearly two years. In 1805 
he was married to Miss Mary A. Pester, a daughter 
of Josiah and Mariah Pester, and to them a family 
of live children have been born: Adelbert, Willie, 
Frank M. , Charley and Martha. After the war Mr. 
Close turned his attention to farming in Wisconsin, 
and in the fall of 1870 came to Clay County, Neb., 
and took up his present farm under the homestead 
law. His land is in an excellent state of cultivation, 
and he is quite extensively engaged in breeding 
Short-horn cattle and Poland China hogs. He is 



also a successful fruit-grower and is much pleased 
with the result of his labors in Nebraska. He is a 
Prohibitionist in politics, is one of the school board 
of his district, and is a meml>er of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

Frank M. Coleman is the efficient publisher of 
the Edgar Post, which is one of the most influ- 
ential papers in this section of the country, hav 
ing been in existence since April 10, 1884. Mr. 
Coleman was bom in Decorah, Winneshiek County, 
Iowa, October 20, 1859, and is the third of eight 
children born to Dr. William F. and Jane (Grout) 
Coleman, who were born in the "Green Mountain 
State" and Canada respectively. His early ad- 
vantages were of the best and he acquired an ex- 
cellent education in the Decorah Business College, 
graduating in 1878. Being very fond of and 
having a natural aptitude for music he determined 
to make that his calling through life, and after de- 
voting much time to the study of this branch and 
becoming very proficient he liegan teaching, com 
mencing his professional career by organizing the 
now famous Decorah Dram Corps, which carried 
off the blue ribbon in the contests at Waterloo, 
Dubuque and Des Moines, Iowa, and Nashville, 
Tenn., Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, La. Mr. 
Coleman was next on the road for three years with 
a theatrical company, but finally in 1887 settled in 
Minneapolis, Kas. , where he engaged in contract- 
ing, painting and band-teaching, but left that place 
in April, 1889, and purchased the Edgar Post 
which has since lieen under his management, it 
beinc now one of the representative journals of the 
West. On July 18, 1888, he was married to Ada 
L. McCumber, n daughter of E. R. and Eliza 
(Youngman) McCumber, who were born in Ohio 
and Indiana, respectively, his wife's birth occur- 
ring on November 7, 1868. Mr. Coleman is a Re- 
publican in politics, in the interests of which party 
he edits his paper, and he is an intelligent and 
popular gentleman and keeps fully apace with the 
times. 

William Combs, farmer and stock-raiser, Sut- 
ton, Neb. There ar<' many' citizens represented 
within the pages of this volume but none more de 
serving of mention than Mr. Combs, who is closely 



^1 



« 4^ 



4:30 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



associated with the interests of Clay County, in 
every worthy particular. Ho was born in Wilkes 
County, N. C, on April '2:5, 1821, and is the 
fourth in a family of fourteen children, the result 
of the union of John and Elizalieth (Bell) Combs, 
natives of the same State as subject. The latter 
received limited educational advantages and re- 
mained on his father's farm until nineteen years 
of age, when he left North Carolina and went to 
Tennessee. One year later he moved to Rush 
County, Ind. , where he remained for nine years, 
when he became desirous uf moving farther west, 
and consequently, in 1839, he moved fo Cole 
County. Mo. After remaining there one year he 
moved to Bond County, 111., and four years later to 
Tipton County, Ind., thence four years later to 
Rush County, and Keokuk County, Iowa, in 1853. 
There he remained for nineteen years and was 
(juite successful. In 1872 he moved to Miami 
County, Kas. , where he remained for one year, 
and then moved to Clay County, Neb., where 
he purchased KiO acres from the Burlino-ton 
& Missouri River Railroad. In 1844 he mar- 
ried Miss Margaret Legg, a native of Fayette 
County, Ind., and the daughter of Thomas and 
Marv (Ammon) Legg. natives of the Keystone 
State. To Mr. and Mrs. Combs were born thir- 
teen children, eight of whom died in Keokuk, 
Iowa, of diphtheria, and within twenty-one days. 
Those deceased were named: Samuel H., Rebecca, 
Harriet E., Margaret, Wesley, Cecelia, Alice and 
Emma. The ones living are named: Thomas F., 
William H., Newton J., Nina L. (widow of Wal 
ter S. Wilson), and Mary R. (wife of Richard Mc- 
Donald). When Mr. Combs and family first came 
to Nebraska, it was in its natural, wild condition, 
and his residence was the sixth house in the town- 
ship. He now has a comfortal)le residence, large 
and substantial sheds, numerous granaries and 
wind mills, and his was the first deeded farm. He 
has 130 acres und(>r cultivation and the balance in 
l)asture. He has planted a large number of trees 
around his farm and hiis a fine place. He is a vet 
erinary surgeon and has followed this profession in 
the different localities where he has made his home. 
J ohn H. Croft, Sr. , is a pioneer farmer of Lone 



Tree Townshi]i, Clay County, Neb., having come 
here in 1874 from Iowa. He was born in Bedford 
County, Pa., March 31, ISl'.l, and is a son of 
Daniel and Margaret (Hippie) Croft, natives of 
Pennsylvania, where they lived and died. John 
H. was reared to manhood in his native State, and 
was there married in the month of September, 
1840, to Miss Elizabeth Teeter, who was also born 
there, and about 1S45 removed westward to Iowa, 
and was engaged in grist and saw milling in that 
State for many years, coming to Clay County, 
Neb., in the year above named. He purchased 
120 acres in Lone Tree Township, and by earnest 
and persistent endeavor has achieved a place 
among the agriculturists of this county, which is 
by no means an inferior one. He has always iden- 
tified himself with all feasible enterprises, and has 
contributed liberally of his means in their support. 
Although formerly a Whig in his political views, 
be has been a R('pnl)lican since the organization of 
the party, and his first presidential vote was cast 
for William Henry Harrison. He and his wife are 
members of the United Brethren Church, and 
their union has been blessed in the birth of nine 
children: Mary A. (wife of Lindon Coltrain), Mar- 
garet (wife of Jacob Hager), Barbara E. (wife of 
Andrew J. Clark), John H., Caroline (wife of 
Nathaniel Graham), Eli, William T., Edward, and 
Isabel (wife of John Kirkpatrick). 

John H. Croft, Jr., is entitled to a j)romiuent 
place in the history of Clay County, for he has 
been usefully and prominently identified with its 
farming and stock-raising interests and with its 
advancement in every worthy particular. He was 
born in Van Buren t^ounty, Iowa, March 16, 1850, 
and is a sou of John H. and Elizabeth (Teeter) 
Croft, whose sketch appears above. He was 
reared to manhood and learned the milling busi- 
ness of his father in his native State, but at the 
age of eighteen years he started out for himself 
as a farmer, and in 1873 came to Clay County, 
Neb., and entered 320 acres of land in Sections 20 
and 29 of Lone Tree Township, which ho still 
owns. Farming has been his chief business, and 
the energetic manner in which he has taken 
advantage of all methods and ideas tending to 



^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



431 



enhance the value of bis property has had a great 
deal to do with obtaiuiiig the competence he now 
enjoys. Like his father lie is a Republican, politi- 
cally, and socially he belongs to the Farmers' 
Alliance. He is now treasurer of his township, 
and is the present road supervisor of his district. 
His estimable wife was formerly Miss Isadore F. 
Masterton, born in Spencer County, Ind., No 
vember 15, 1846, their union taking place on May 
14, 1S68. She is a daughter of Clark and Susan 
(Woolen) Croft, natives of Indiana, and by her 
he has three children: Adella J. (wife of Charles 
K. Spear), Alpheus M. and James R. 

Peter Criiickshank, postmaster. Clay Center, 
Neb. Mr. Cruickshank, a resident of this county 
for over sixteen years, is a worthy descendant of 
an old and highly respected Scotch family. He, 
himself, is a native of the grand old commonwealth 
of Scotland, his birth having occurred there May 
12, 1846, and is the sou of James and Anna (Iron- 
side) Cruickshank, natives also of Scotland. Peter 
Cruickshank was reared to manhood and secured a 
liberal education in his native country. He took 
passage for the United States in 1S74, reached that 
continent in safety, and located on a farm in Clay 
County, Neb., where he remained until in July, 
187U, when he removed to Clay Center. Since 
then he has been in the postoffice. Mr. Cruick- 
shank was married April 23, 1874, to Miss Sophia 
Lawrie, a native of Scotland, who has the aj)point- 
ment of postmaster, or rather postmistress, al- 
though Mr. Cruickshank fulfills the duties of the 
office. To this union were born three children: 
James A., William S. and George S. Mr. Cruick- 
shank is a Republican in politics, and is a member 
of the K. of P. He is a member of the Congrega- 
tional Church and is an enterprising and esteemed 
citizen. 

Sherwood Culver. Prominent among the agri- 
culturists of Clay County, Neb., whose careers have 
been both honorable and successful, is the subject 
of this sketch. He was born in Morris County, N. J . . 
December 13, 1827, and is a son of William and Re- 
becca (Culver) Culver, also natives of New Jersey, 
and of German parentage. Sherwood Culver was 
reared to manhood in his native State, and there 



his early youth and manhood were spent in attend 
ing the common schools and in learning the brick 
and stonemason's and plasterer's trades, these oc 
cupations being his chief means of livelihood for a 
number of years. In September, 1862, he enlisted 
in Company C, Twenty-seventh Regiment New 
Jersey Volunteer Infantry, and was a faithful serv- 
ant of "Uncle Sam" until July, 1863. In 18()8 
he settled in Bureau County, 111. , and there worked 
at his trade for some time, investing his savings in 
real estate, and in time became the owner of a small 
farm. He disposed of this property, however, and 
in March, 1885, he came to Clay County. Neb. , and 
purchased his present fertile farm which he has 
been engaged in tilling ever since. Mr. Culver 
is a Democrat in politics and an anti -monopolist, 
and socially is a member of the Farmers' Alliance 
and the I. O. O. F. In the month of February, 
1849, he was married to Miss Arminda Nichols, a 
native of the same place as himself, but he was 
called upon to mourn her death in May, 1883, 
she having borne him nine children: Hugh M., 
George C, Elizabeth (wife of Henry M. Harris), 
Jesse H., Adaline, Clara (wife of Louis Renfrew), 
John N., Erie, and May (wife of James Ridge 
way). Mr. and Mrs. Culver are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

William Darby is one of the well-known farmers 
of Clay County. Neb., and is extensively engaged 
in the breeding of Poland China hogs. He was 
born in Canada, July 6, 1848, being a son of David 
Darby, a native of Yorkshire, England. In 1844 
Mr. Darby removed with his family to Canada, and 
after following the tailor's trade there until 1885, 
he removed to Chiy County, Neb., where he has 
made his home with his son, William Darby. He 
buried his wife in March, 1890. William Darl)y 
grew up to manhood in Canada, and in 1865 came 
to the United States, and for a number of years 
was engaged in farming in Porter County, Ind. 
He removed from there to Nebraska and settled in 
Clay County, in the fall of 1878. In 1884 he pur- 
chased his present farm, which consists of 160 
acres, well improved, with a good residence and a 
good barn and pigery. and other conveniences, also 
a tine young orchard just beginning to bear. He 



432 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Las Ix'oii iiclively cngiigcHl in tbo lireeding of 
I'olnud Chiiiii hogs since the H])riiig of 1885. At 
that timo he weut to Butler t'onuty, Ohio, and 
|iurchased his foundatiou stock, and has oacb year 
since that time made [juicliases from the best herds 
in Ohio and Indiana. His herd consists of about 
twenty-tivebead of registered stock, and about 100 
head of young animals all eligible to register, 
among them are some of the finest animals that 
can be fovind. He is prepared to furnish choice 
slock to his customers at all times and at reason- 
al>le prices. He has taken numerous premiums at 
different fairs, and has done much to improve the 
lino stock interests of Nebraska, and especially in 
Clay. County. He also owns an interest in a tine 
imported English Shire stallion, and a Bashaw 
stallion of considerable notoriety. He has a few 
tine mares on his farm rearing colts. Mr. Darby 
is a member of the Farmers' Alliance and the A. 
O. U. W. In 1874 he was married to Sarah Wors 
ter, of Porter County, Ind. She was born in Ohio 
and reared in Indiana, she being a member of the 
Christian Church. His farm is located two and 
one-half miles north of Edgar, Clay County. Any 
one wishing to inspect his herd can do so in about 
twenty minutes' drive from Edgar, on a nice 
smooth road, and will be cordially welcomed by 
Mr. and Mrs. Darby. 

Edward D. Davis, sherifF, Clay Center, Neb. 
Mr. Davis, the popular sheriff of this county, though 
l)orn in North Wales on November Ki, 1846, has 
resided here since 1878, and the confidence which 
the people repose in him is therefore intelligently 
placed. His parents, David and Elizabeth (Hughes) 
Davis, were also both natives of Wales. The 
father and family came to the United States at an 
early day, locating near Johnstown, Pa., where 
the father died in 1883 and the mother in 1889, 
she being one of the victims of the noted Johns- 
town flood. Edward P. Davis was reared to man- 
hood in Pennsylvania, securing a common school 
education, and in 1878 be emigrated to Nebraska. 
He first located at Glenville, Clay County, where 
he followed the trade of blacksmith until the fall 
of 18S7, when he was elected sheriff of Clay County, 
a position he has held liy re election t'j the pres- 



ent time. Ho is an able and efficient officer, and 
a man of courage and goo<l judgment. His wife 
was formerly Miss Elizabeth Rees, a native of 
Wales, whom he married on May 10, 1871. Mr. 
Davis is a stanch Republican, and has always ad 
hered closely to that grand old party. In 1863 
ho enlisted in the 100-day service, and in 1804 in 
Company H, Eighty third Pennsylvania Volunteer 
Infantry, serving as private until the close of the 
war. He is a Mason, a member of the I. O. O. F. , 
the A. O. U. W. and the G. A. R. He is one of 
the county's most prominent citizens. 

William H. Deeder. Within the limits of Clay 
County, Neb., there is not a man who possesses 
a more substantial or progressive spirit than Mr. 
Deeder. and ho has had an active career in agri 
cultural pursuits and in stock raising, and by his 
progressive ideas has done not a little for the farm- 
ing interests hereabouts. He was born in Penn- 
sylvania in 1838, and is a son of Isaac and Sophia 
Deeder, who were also born in that State in ISIS 
and 1821, respectively. About 1850 the family 
removed to the State of Illinois, and made their 
home in Pike County until the death of his father. 
William H. Deeder grew to manhood and received a 
good common school education in Pike County, and 
in the year 1S5S was united in marriage to Miss 
Sarah J. Mountain, a daughter of James and Eliz- 
abeth (Perigo) Mountain, natives of England. Mr. 
Deeder was so unfortunate as to .lose his wife by 
consumption in 1863, she having borne him one 
child, Isaac, who has since died. In 1861 Mr. 
Deeder enlisted in Company H, Second Illinois 
Light Artillery, United States Army, and served 
three years and eight months, participating in the 
following battles and skirmishes: Fort Donelson, 
the second Fort Donelson, Fort Columbus (Ky. ), 
Clarksvill(>, Nashville (Tenn.) and numerous othiM- 
skirmishes. He was under Gen. Grant when the 
river was opened from Cairo to Donelson, thence 
to Clarksville and from there to Nashville, and re- 
moved all the torpedoes from Fort Columbus, be- 
ing a m(>mber of a regiment that held the river. 
He was mustered out of service in 1865, returning 
home, to Pittsfield, Pike County, 111. Ho was mar 
ried, August 14. 18()4, to Miss Cefronia Osborn, 



a daughter of John Osborn, of Nashville, Tenn. 
They have nine sons and one daughter. In 188() 
he and his family moved to Clay County, Neb., 
where they have since resided on their present 
farm, which comprises a tract of 160 acres, all 
tillable and well- improved land, which he has made 
by diligence and perseverance. He is a member 
oi the G. A. R. iiud the United Brethren Church. 
Samuel R. Dillinger, grain dealer. Inland, Neb. 
Mr. Dillinger, one of the most successful and enter- 
prising business men of Inland, was born in Des 
Moines County, Iowa, in 1855, and is the elder of 
two children born to the union of Daniel and Nancy 
(Davis) Dillinger, the latter a daughter of John A. 
and Lucy Davis. The father was born in West- 
moreland County, Pa., in 1828, and was a car- 
penter by trade. He was married in Iowa, m 
1854, to Miss Davis, and to them were born two 
children: Samuel R., and Daniel W. (who is now 
living in Sherman County, Kas., is married and 
has r family). The father died in Iowa in 1857. 
He had followed the carpenter trade all his life, 
bat in connection carried on farming for some 
time. Both he and wife were members of the Uni- 
versalist Church. After the death of her husband 
Mrs. Dillinger remained a widow for seven or eight j 
years, and then married Christian Ziegler, and is 
now living in Des Moines County, Iowa. By her 
last marriage four children were born: David, 
Lucy, William and Harriet. The paternal grand- 
father was named Daniel Dillinger. Samuel K. 
Dillinger passed his school-boy days in Pennsyl- 
vania and Des Moines County, Iowa, and in 1874 
started out for himself as a tiller of the soil. He 
came west in 1 877, settled in Clay County, Neb. , and 
was there engaged in cultivating the soil until the 
winter of 1878, when he returned to Iowa. In the 
spring of the following year he returned to Clay 
County and continued his former occupation. In 
1878 he bought eighty acres of land, which he be- 
gan immediately to improve, but this he sold in 
1 879. He was married in 1880 to Miss Melissa B. 
Gallentiue, a native of Pennsylvania, born in ISfiO, 
and the daughter of Daniel and Sarah Gallentine. 
Four children are the result of this marriage: Sam- 
uel R., Helen L., Nellie M. and Otis W. From 



1883 to 1884 Mr. Dillinger was engaged in mer 
chandising and was very successful in this. In 
1885 he again engaged in merchandising, which 
he continued until 188() and then sold out. He 
embarked in the grain business by himself in 1888, 
but in 1889 consolidated with Mr. Ealer and con- 
tinued the same under the tirm name of Dillinger 
& Co. They are doing a good business and are 
wide-awake, live men. Mr. Dillinger is a Demo- 
crat in politics, is a member of the Masonic Fra- 
ternity, Lodge No. 44, Harvard, Clay County, and 
is a man of energy and good, practical common 

sense. 

Hon. John B. Dinsmore, president of Sutton Na- 
tional Bank, Sutton, Neb. Every life has a history 
of its own. and although in appearance it may pos- 
sess little to distinguish it from others, yet the po- 
litical career and experience of Mr. Dinsmore, as 
well as his popularity as a citizen, have contributed 
to give him a wide and popular acquaintance with 
nearly every citizen of the county. He is a native 
of the Empire State, his birth occurring in Chau 
tauqua County, on March 15, 1838, and is the son 
of John B. and Harriet H. (Alden) Dinsmore, na- 
tives, respectively, of New Hampshire and New 
York. The father was born in Windom, August 
I 14, 17U2,and died August 15, 1871. He was by 
i occupation a farmer, but early in life he spent four 
1 years as a sailor on the high seas. He was a son 
of John Dinsmore, who was born in New Hamp- 
shire, and who there passed the closing scenes of 
his life. The mother of our subject was born in 
1800, and died in July, 1876. She was the third 
wife of Mr. Dinsmore, and by him became the 
mother of six children, of whom Hon. John B. 
Dinsmore was the eldest. The latter was reared 
to agricultnral pursuits in his native county, re 
ceived the rudiments of an education in the dis- 
trict schools, and later was a student at Grand 
River Institute, at Austinburg, Ohio. When 
about twenty one years of age he spent a short 
time in Kansas, and about one and a half years 
in Saline County, Mo., but the Rebellion com 
ing on he returned to New York for the purpose of 
enU'ring the service, and on September 20, 1801, 
\ enlisted in Company I, Ninth New York Cavalry, 






^ 



J, 



434 



HISTORY OF NEBKASKA. 



iiiul served until Octol)or 20, 18fi4, wlien, as second 
litMitciiani, lie was honorably discharged. The fol- 
lowing year he went on his father's farm in York 
State, and in April, ISHH, he engaged in mercan- 
tile j)ursuits, which he continued in that Stiite for 
about six years. In 187'2 he caiue to Clay County, 
Neb., and took a homestead in the southern part of 
the same. Since coming here he has been engaged 
in agricultural pursuits and stock raising, and is 
now the owner of 1,000 acres of well im|)roved 
land. He has a fine herd of Short horn cattle, 
and is engaged quite extensively in raising Poland- 
China hogs. In politics Mr. Dirismore is a stanch 
K('[)ublican, and in April, 1873, he was appointed 
to till out an unexpired term as county commis- 
sioiu'r. In the fall of the same year he was elected 
sheriff of Clay County, and served in that position 
one term. In 1875 he was elected to the position 
of district and county court clerk, and iu 1880 was 
elected to represent Clay County in the Senate of 
the Nebraska General Assembly. Upon the organ- 
ization he was elected president pi'o tmi. , was chair 
man of the oommittoe on j)euiteiitiaries, and intro- 
duced what is now known as the mechanic's lien 
bill. On January 1,1877, in partueiship with L. 
It. Grimes, Mr. Dinsmore engaged in the banking 
business under the firm name of Grimes & Dins- 
more, and after three years Mr. Dinsmore contin- 
ued the business under the title of J. B. Dinsmore 
& Co., until 1887, when the Sutton National Bank 
was organized. In March, 1888, he, in company 
with others, organized the Sutton Creamery Asso- 
ciation, of which he has been a member for some 
time, and of which, in 1883, 1884 and 1885, he 
was jjresident. All these years he has been one 
of the most active members of that body. He was 
married on April 12, 1865, to Miss Helen M. 
Matteson, a native of Chautauqua County, N. Y., 
born in 1844, and the daughter of Victor M. and 
Marietta (Hoag) Matteson, natives of the Empire 
State. Mr. Dinsmore is a member of the A. F. & 
A. M. , Evening Star Lodge No. 4W, and is a mem- 
ber of the Mount Nebo Commaudery at Hastings. 
Ho is also president of the l)ank of Stockham, 
Hamilton County, Neb., and u member of the G. 
A. R. and Loyal Legion of the United States. He 



is one of the leading men of Nebraska, and a 
j)rominent member of the Congregational Church. 

H. H. Disbrow, harness-dealer. Harvard, Neb. 
Man owes so much, both in the way of luisiness 
and pleasure, to that noble animal, the horse, that 
any industry which has for its object the supplying 
of the horse with harness, saddles ortrap])ings for 
his better utilization, should surely be regariled in 
the light of a public Ijenefactor. At least, in a 
comprehensive work of this kind, recognition must 
be paid to this important enterprise. Among 
those prominently engaged in this branch of 
industry in Harvard is Mr. Disbrow, who estab- 
lished his business here in 1874. He was born in 
New Brunswick, N. J., December 4, 1853, and 
is the son of E. S. and Harriet E. (White) 
Disbrow, the father being a native of New Jer- 
sey. The mother died in Wisconsin in 1864. H. 
H. Disbrow was the fifth of nine children by his 
father's first marriage, and early in life was taken 
to Wisconsin, where he was educated in the schools 
of Fond dxi Lac. \Vhen sixteen years of age, at 
the above mentionj'd city, he began learning the 
harness maker's trade, and came to Harvard in 
1873. The following year he began the harness- 
maker's business in that town, and there he has 
since continued. He always does a good business 
and now employs three harness-makers, carries a 
complete stock of harness and saddles, etc., and is 
one of the most successful business men of the 
place. His marriage occurred in 1884 to Miss 
Lottie Pearsall, and they now have three children; 
Glen, Claude and an infant as yet unnamed. In 
politics he adheres to the llepublican party. He 
is one of the pioneer settlers of Clay County, and 
for ten years has been engaged in the live stock 
business. He is also one of the owners of the 
opera house, in which he has one-half interest. 
He has made his own way in life, and is one of the 
substantial men of Harvard. 

Hon. James Donnelly is the present mayor of 
the city of Harvard, Neb., and he is also a prom- 
inent hardware dealer of that place, and although 
he has only resided in the place for about six years 
he has identified himself with every interest and is 
recognized as a valuable and trustworthy citizen 



W 






<a k. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



435 



anil mail of business. His birth ocenned in Ire- 
laud August 12, ]N44. In the year 1850 he re- 
moved with his parents to Wetherstield, 111., and 
on the 7th of August, 1862, James Donnelly en 
listed in the Union army, in Company A, of the 
One Hundred and Twenty -fourth Illinois Vol- 
unteer Infantry, with which he served until May 
16, 1868, at which time he was wounded in the 
battle of Champion's Hill, Miss., from a gun shot 
striking the lower part of his left leg, which neces 
sitated its amputation. On the field he was taken 
prisoner a few days later, but was paroled about 
July 1, and returned up the river to Memj^his, 
where he remained in the hospital for about two 
weeks. He was then transferred to the hospital at 
Jefferson Barracks, Mo., where he was honorably 
discharged August 7, 1863, just one year after the 
day he enlisted. Prior to the battle of Champion's 
Hill he had j)articipated in the battles of Port 
Gibson, Kaj'mond, and Jackson, Miss., in all of 
which he proved himself a brave and intrepid sol- 
dier, and loyal in thought, word and deed to his 
country. Rendered unfit for further duty he, on 
receiving his discharge, returned to his home in 
Wetherstield, 111., where he remained until 1868. 
In the spring of 186-1 he entered Bryant & Strat- 
tou's Business College of Chicago, 111., completing 
a full commercial coiu'se in the fall of 1864 as well 
as a full course in telegraphy. Upon returning 
home he engaged in the dry goods and grocery 
l)U8iness in connection with Charles Lester, and 
was thus engaged until 1868, also discharging the 
duties of postmaster from 1865 up to that time. 
He was also collector of his township from 1864 
to 1867, and in February, 1868, removed to Afton, 
Iowa, and for one year was employed as a book- 
keeper in a store. At the end of that time he 
formed a partnership with one of the proprietors, 
U. V. Matthews, and the firm of Matthews & Don 
nelly founded a hardware store in Plattsmouth, 
Neb., in February, 186U. In the fall of 1871 the 
firm was dissolved, and shortly after Mr. Donnelly 
established a like estaljlishment at Crete and was 
a well known business man of that place until 
1881. In May of that year he removed to Denver, 
Colo., where for a little more than two years he 



was engaged in the real estate business. In the 
fall of 1883 he returned to Nebraska, and in No- 
vember located in Harvard, where he has ever 
since been established in business and is a prom- 
inent and honored citizen. He was married in 
Wetherstield, 111., in September, 1870, to Miss 
Delia S. Gage, a native of Norfolk, St. Lawrence 
County, N. Y., born February 22, 1846, their un- 
ion being blessed in the birth of five children: May 
J., Bertha G. (deceased), Frederick and two oth- 
ers that died in infancy. The mother of these 
children passed from life February 29, 1880, in 
Crete, Neb., and November 5, 1889, Mr. Don- 
nelly was married to Charlotte Renton, a native 
of Staten Island, N. Y., a daughter of Charles 
and Mary Renton, who were born, reared and 
married in England. Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly are 
members of the Congregational Church, and he 
is a member of the G. A. R. and the A. O. U. 
W. He has been commander of his post two 
years, and is at present master workman in the lat- 
ter order. He has always been a stanch Republican 
in his political views, and for two years was mayor 
of Crete, Neb., and served as a member of the 
school board of that city eight years. He was sec- 
retary and trustee of Doane College at Crete for 
three years, and filled all these positions in a 
highly satisfactory manner. In the spring of 1886 
he was elected a member of the city council in 
Harvard, and held this position for two years. In 
April, 1889, he was elected to the position of 
mayor, and he is now discharging the duties of 
that ofSce to the satisfaction of all concerned. 
He is a shrewd and successfiil man of business, 
and is a man of undoubted honesty and integrity, 
well and favorably known throughout Clay County. 
Byron H. Dunn, treasurer. Clay Center, Neb. 
Mr. Dunn, the present efficient incumbent of the 
office of county treasurer, owes his nativity to 
Carroll County, III., where his birth occurred Sep 
tember 18, 1849, and his parents, Samuel S. and Mar 
tha B. (Holman) Dunn, are both natives of York 
State. Byron H. Dunn was reared and educated in 
his native county, following the occupation of a 
farmer and stock-raiser until the fall of 1880, when 
he emigrated to Nebraska. He located on a farm on 



.y 



\> "V 



436 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



the main lino of the Buiiiiij^jtou & Missouri River 
Raih'Oiid, midway between Sutfcou and Harvard, iu 
Clay County, and became tlie owner of 560 acres 
of as good land as there is to he found in the 
county. Mr. Dunn is, and always has been, a 
stanch Republican in Ijis [lolitical views, and has 
taken quite iui active interest, in the political 
affairs of the county, havini^ been elected school 
and township treasurer of Lewis Township. In 
November. ISSl'.l, he was elected l»y his party to the 
office of county treasurer, which position he now 
tills to the satisfaction of all. It is biit saying the 
truth when the statement is made that no more 
ca[>ab]e man for the position could be found than 
Mr. Dunn. He is popular with all, kind and 
courteous in his intercourse with his fellow men (a 
secret, no doubt, of bis great popularity), and 
always willing to aid any enterprise which tends to 
the inteiest of his adqpted county. He was mar- 
ried March •J4, 1870, to Miss Mary A. Trail, a na 
tive of Maryland, and to them have been born four 
living children: Sherman H. , Howard L., Reuljen 
B. and Clarence B. He is a member of the Ma- 
sonic fraternity and is a man universally respected. 
William Ealer, grain dealer. Inland, Neb. This 
prominent business man, a member of the tirm 
of Dillinger & Co., was born in Northampton 
County, Pa., in 1841. and is the son of Rol)ert 
Ealer and the grandson of Abraham and Mary 
(Trail) Ealer. His grandparents both came from 
England, being among the tirst settlers of the 
country, and lo(;ated at Easton. Northampton 
County, Pa., about the year 1750. Robert 
Ealer was born in Northampton County, Pa., in 
1808, and was a carpenter by trade. He also 
farmed some in his younger days and was married 
in about 1886 to Miss Rebecca Frey, a native of 
Pennsylvania, born in 1818, and the daughter of 
Jacob Frey, also of the Keystone State. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Ealer were born seven children: Jane, 
Edwin, William, Henry, John P., Matilda C. and 
Ellen. The father of the.se children is still living 
in P(>nnsylvania, but the mother died in that State 
in 1861. in the same coutity in which her birth oc- 
curied She was a member of the Lutlieran 
Church, to whicii her hnsliand at the present time 



I)elongs. William Ealer' s early life was divided 
b(<tweeu assisting on the farm and in attending the 
common schools. At the age of eighteen years he 
learned the carpenter's trade, and at the breaking 
out of the war enlisted in Comjiany D, Twelfth 
Pennsylvania Cavalry, and under Col. L. B. Peirce, 
and later Col. Reeno. |)articipated in some of the 
hard fought battles: Culjjepper, Chancellorsville, 
Second Bull Run (where he was taken prisoner and 
paroled on the field); was in the Ijattle of Antietam 
and Sheridan's campaign and in numerous skir- 
mishes, and also with Col. Mosby's men in the 
Shenandoah Valley, Va. He was struck with balls 
several times, but was not seriously injured. He 
ranked as tirst sergeant, and was discharged in 
July, 1865, after V)eing in service over four years. 
He then returned home and worked at his trade. 
In February, 1865, he was united in marriage to 
Miss Agnes E. Michler. a native of Pennsylvania, 
born in 1842, and the daughter of Thomas and 
Elizabeth (Keller) Michler, also natives of Pennsyl- 
vania. After working for twelve years in Pennsyl- 
vania Mr. Ealer and his family emigrated to the 
West and settled in Clay County, Inland Township, 
in 1878. He purchased 160 acres of land two 
miles south of Inland, b<<gan improving the same, 
and aside from this is the owner of a half interest 
in a grain elevator at Inland. He is one of the 
practical and reliable citizens of the county. To 
his marriage were born four children: Harry H. 
(living at home), Frank W. (married to Ida Bar- 
rett, of Clay County), Anna M. (married to J. J. 
Watts, in Clay County, and died in Sherman County, 
Kas. , leaving a child, Grace A., who makes her 
home with our subject), and Thomas E. (who died 
in Penn.sylvania when an infant.) Mr. Ealer is a 
Repul)lican in politics and he and wife are mem- 
bers of the Lutheran Church. The firm of Dillin 
ger & Co. was established in 1889. on the Chicago 
& North Western Railroad, Fremont branch. The 
firm holds grain, lumlier and coal, and are doing a 
good business 

Anderson Eller, now engaged in faiiiiing and 
stock-raising in Edgar Township. Clay County, 
Neb., was born in the State of North Carolina in 
Wilkes County, April .'{(). 1S40, being a son of 



^ 



jjj 






CLAY COUNTY. 



437 



Harvey EUer, whose wife was formerly Mary G. 
Vauuoy. They were also born in that State and | 
county. In 1S54 they left their native State and 
removed to Iowa, settling in Jefferson County, Init 
are now residing on a farm in Wapello Coiinty. 
Anderson Eller grew to manhood in Iowa, and 
made his home with his father, assisting him on , 
the farm imtil he attained his twentieth year, then | 
began doing for himself, and worked a? a farm 
liand for two years. In the spring of 1N73 he 
determined to seek a home in the fertile prairies 
of Nebraska, and took up a homestead claim in 
Marshall Precinct, of Clay County, being one of 
the first settlers in that part of the county. He 
experienced many hardships the first two years of 
his settlement here, and in the month of April, 
1873, witnessed aU the horrors of a blizzard, , 
and the second year was affected with the grass 
hoppers. He pre-empted bis present property in 
1S75, and now has eighty acres in a good state of 
cultivation and improved with good buildings of 
all kinds, and a young bearing orchard of 150 
trees. He was married in this county on Decem- 
ber 24, 1875, to Miss Cora B. Mizener, a daughter 
of I. M. Mizener, of this couuty. She was born 
in Macoupin County, 111., and in 1872 came with 
her brother in law, J. H. Hazlett, to Nebraska, and 
maiTied at the early age of sixteen years. They 
have two children: Harvey N. and Tindall Ord. 
The family worship in the Christian Church, in 
which Mr. Eller is a deacou. 

Jesse F. Eller, cashier of First National Bank, 
Harvard, Neb., and an old resident of Clay Conn 
ty, was born in Ashe County, N. C, on February 
12, 1852, and is the son of Harvey and Mary C. 
(Vannoy) Eller, natives of North Carolina. Har 
vey Eller was born in 1819, and was married in 
1838 to Mi.ss Mary C. Vannoy, whose birth occurred 
in 1821. The fruits of this uoion were fifteen chil 
dren, ten of whom were sons, and thirteen are now 
living, the youngest being nineteen years of age. 
The parents are both living, their home being in 
Iowa. Our subject's paternal grandparents were 
Simeon and Fanny (McNeil) Eller. Jesse F. El- 
ler accompanied his parents to Wapello County, 
Iowa, when but eight months old, was reared on a 



farm, and when twenty one years of age entered 
the university at Pella, Iowa, where he attended 
six months. In the meantime, in 1873, he came 
to Clay Countj', Neb., and took an eighty acre 
homestead in Marshall Township. During the 
great storm of April, 1873. he was snowed in his 
sod house, and had nothing to eat from noon Sun- 
day until noon Tuesdaj'. On leaving college he 
returned to his homestead, and for several years 
worked on that during the summer months, and 
taught school during the winter. In 1883 he re- 
moved from his homestead to Clay Center, where 
he engaged in the real estate and loan business. 
Upon the organization of the First National Bank 
in Harvard, in 1889. he was elected its cashier, and 
he now holds that position. His residence, since 
that date, has been in Harvard. He selected for 
his comi^anion in life Miss Lavina Troxel, a native 
of Wapello, Iowa, and the daughter of Daniel 
and Susannah (McCall) Troxel, natives, respect- 
ively, of Kentucky and Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Eller 
were married on December 4, 1877, and to them 
have been born three children: Marj' M., Anna V. 
and Charles J. Mary M. died in early childhood. 
Mr. and Mrs. Eller are members of the Christian 
Church, and the former is a Mason and a Republi- 
can. Mr. Eller is what is termed a self-made man, 
and although he started with no capital, he is now 
one of the substantial and esteemed citizens of 
Harvard. 

James C. Elwood, farmer and stock- raiser, Sut- 
ton. Neb. Mr. Elwood is one of the pioneers of 
Clay County. He has been located here since 1873. 
and has not only become well known and respected, 
but is one of the most successful farmers, as a 
glance over his fine estate will show. His finely 
improved farm of 240 acres is adorned with a very 
commodious and comfortable residence, and the 
outbuildings are all of the best. Mr. Elwood was 
born in Chenango County, N. Y., March 18, 1827, 
and was the ninth of eleven children born to 
Nathaniel B. and Atlana (Curtis) Elwood, natives 
also of the Empire State. The father was a suc- 
cessful agriculturist and followed this occupation 
all his life. James C. Elwood secured a fair edu- 
i cation in the common schools, and at the age of 



;!^ 



CiS 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



ninotoon began to fight. lifo'H liatMos for himsolf on 
H fiuin in Stoubfn Cimnty, wlioro h(» romained for 
twoiitj oiHi years. He then moved to Uockton, 
111., in 1808, and continued tilling the soil until 
1873, when he moved to Nebraska, settling in this 
place. He first homesteadod eighty acres ou hift 
present farm, and to this he has since added 100 
acres. In 1848 he married Miss Sallie A. Styles, a 
native of New York, born May 5, IHHH, and the 
daughter of J. T. Styles, on whose farm Mr. El wood 
reraaiiKvl so long after leaving home. Five chil- 
dren worn the fruits of this union: Nathaniel B. 
(married to Miss Bettie Elder), Simeon S. (married 
to Miss Ida M. Hurlburt), Wesley V. (married Miss 
Ennua A. Herrington), Eleanor (wife of Leonard 
•J. M. Nehf) and James S. Mr. Elwood atJiliates 
witli the Republican party in his ])olitical views, 
and Mrs. Elwood is a memt)er of the Grove Free 
Baptist Church. He is one of the best and most 
enterprising farmers of the county, and as such 
merits the respect which he receives. 

John L. Epperson, county attorney, Clay Center, 
Neb. Mr. Epperson is a good example of what can 
be accomplished in life when a thorough deter 
mination to succeed in any calling is coupled with 
energy, perseverance and close application in the 
direction chosen. He was originally from LaFay- 
ette, lud. , where his birth occurred November 6, 
1834, and is the son of James H. and Martha J. (Os 
born) Epperson, natives, respectively, of Lexington 
and Maysville, Kj'. The father and family immi- 
grated west to Iowa City, Iowa, in 1840, and there 
resided until after the mother's death in 184<i. He 
then removed to near Plattsville, Wis., where John 
L. worked in the lead mines for three years At the 
age of eighteen years the latter removed to McDon- 
ough County, 111., with his father, settled ou a farm 
and there read law. Upon the breaking out of the 
late war he enlisted in 1862 in Com])any L, Seventh 
Illinois Cavalry, and served three years as a private. 
For a long time he followed the stars and stripes 
in their many conflicts and struggles on to victory, 
and at last returned to his home with the full satis- 
faction of having served his country well. Re- 
turning to Illinois he practiced law, and was 
also in the employ of the Chicago, Burling- 



ton & Quincy Railroad until 1879. when be came 
to Clay County, Neb., and settled on a farm 
west of Fairfield. Four years later he removed to 
Fairfield, entered the practice of law, and in the 
fall of 1888 was elected county attorney. He then 
removed to Clay Center. Ou December 11, ISyfi, 
Miss Sarah (,'. Rine, a native of Franklin County, 
Pa., became his wif(», and to this union were born 
three living children: Martha J. (wife of George 
W. Gaumer), Charles H. (attorney at Fairfield) and 
Ambrose! C. Mr. Epperson is a Republican and a 
warm advocate of the principles of his party to day. 
He is a Mason, a meml)er of the G. A. R. , a man 
universally esteemed and respected, and a legal 
practitioner of experience and ability. 

A. P. Erickson, farmer and stock-raiser on 
Section 18, Town 8, Range 6, Eldorado Township, 
Clay County, is a native of Sweden, born near 
Linsisipine, March 18, 1861. His father, John 
Erickson, spent his school days in Sweden and 
learned the shoemak(>r's trade. At the age of 
twenty five years he married Miss Cora Connot, 
and by this union has had three children: Swan (liv 
ing in Clay County, Neb.), Williamette (deceased) 
and A. P. (the subject of this sketch). The father 
died when our subj(>ct was about five years of age, 
a member of the Lutheran Church, and when he 
had reached his ninth year his mother emigrated 
with him to America, settling in Warren County, 
111. Here he received a limited education and 
worked by the month on a farm until he was sev- 
enteen years of age, when he came to Clay County, 
Neb., and bought and settled on the farm he now 
owns, consisting of \'20 acres of land, all well im- 
proved, with a nice dwelling, l)arn, out buildings, 
fences, etc. As a fruit raiser, he has been very suc- 
cessful, having an abundance of fruit of all kinds. 
He raises good cattle, mostly of the Short-horn 
breed, as well as good horses. In November, 
1884, he was married to Miss Mary, daughter of 
A. P. and Christina E. (Grin) Munson, and the 
fruits of this union have Iseen two children: Frank 
H. and Augustus F. Mr. Erickson is a mem- 
ber of the Farmers' Alliance and of the Baptist 
Church. In his political views he affiliates with 
the Repulican party, and takes an active interest 



V 



CLAY COUNTY. 



439 



in the politics of bis county. He has been very 
successful in Nebraska, and is well pleased with 
the State, and has made what property he owns by 
his own exertions and i^ood management. 

Daniel W. Evans, farmer and stock-raiser. 
Spring Rauche, Neb. Among the successful agri- 
culturists of Clay County, Neb., whose merits are 
such as to entitle him to representation in the pres- 
ent work, is Mr. Daniel Evans, the sul\ject of this 
sketch. He was born iu Highland County, Ohio, 
in 1841, and is the fourth in a family of children 
born to Charles and Susan P. (Eastman) Evans, 
natives of Ohio and Massachusetts, resjjectively. 
The father was born in 1809 and spent bis entire 
life in Highland County, Ohio, where he carried on 
farming and was a very extensive hog and cattle 
buyer, driving his hogs to Cincinnati long before 
railroads were known. Iu politics he was first a 
■' Know Nothing," then a Whig and lastly a Re- 
publican. He was an energetic and prominent 
leader in political affairs, both focal and at large, 
and was a representative citizen. He was reared 
an Old- School Presbyterian and took a great deal 
of interest in the upbuilding of churches and 
schools and the welfare of the country generally. 
In 1830, he married Miss Susan P. Eastman, and 
to them the following children were born: Eliza J. 
(deceased in infancy), Effie A. Arthur (of Cham- 
paign, 111.), William H. (residing at Greenfield, 
Ohio), Daniel \V., James E. (died at Greenfield, 
Ohio, at the age of forty-one years), Mary M. Ar- 
thur (of Council Bluffs, Iowa), Leander (who died in 
infancy), Hugh A. (a farmer near Champaign, 111), 
and John F. (a farmer in Indian Territory). The 
mother of these children died at Hillsboro, Ohio, in 
1851, of Asiatic cholera, and the father was mar- 
ried the second time, in 1855, to Miss Mary Eliza- 
beth Selph, who bore him five children: Mrs. 
Alice Nevin (of Colorado), Horace S., Lena M. 
(married at Hillsboro, Ohio, on the old home- 
stead), David M. (at Hillsboro) and Bertha (at 
home with her mother). The father died in 1871. 
Daniel W. Evans received a common-schopl edu- 
cation in his native State and in Aiigust, 1861, he 
enlisted in Company H, First Ohio Cavalry, tor 
three years, or during the war. He participated 



in the battle of Shiloh, Perryville, Corinth, Stone 
River, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Chicka- 
mauga, Murfreesboro, and all the battles of the 
Atlanta campaign, and numerous other engage- 
ments of more or less note. Between battles he 
was on cavalry raids, chasing Morgan. He went 
as far as Jonesboro during the Atlanta camjjaign, 
and was discharged at Columbia, Tenn., on Oc 
tober n, 18(54. Dnring service he was iu twenty- 
six or twenty seven hard-fought battles and was a 
brave and fearless soldier. Returning to Ohio at 
the close of the war he followed farming for two 
years, and in March, INOG. was united in marriage 
to Miss Delia S. Flesher, the daughter of Elias 
and Susan (Scudder) Flesher, the father a machin- 
ist of Warren County, Ohio. Our subject moved 
to Southern Illinois in 18(57, thence to Adams 
County, Iowa, in 18(51), and from there to Clay 
County, Neb., in 1870, and settled on his present 
place of residence. During all this time be has 
followed farming and has made a success of the 
same. He did not bring his family to Nebraska 
until the fall of 1871 on account of the Indians 
who were hostile at that time. He homesteaded 
1(50 acres of land and has since added to this eighty 
' acres, making a fine farm of 240 acres. It is said 
that the first white child born in Clay County after 
the settlement was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
William Griffith, on February 14, 1871. She is 
married now. Mr. Evans removed to Kansas in 
1877, engaged in farming, and after remaining 
there three yeai's returned to his homestead in 
Clay County. To his marriage have been born 
three children: Jessie M. (a teacher of Clay 
County), Charles F. (at home), and Harry G. (at 
home). Mr. Evans is a Republican in politics and 
represents his precinct often in both county and 
Congressional conventions. He is serving his 
second term as supervisor from Spring Ranche 
Township, is also treasurer of his school district, 
and is steward and recording secretary in the 
Methodist Episcopal C-hurch, of which he and his 
wife are both members. He is a member of the 
A. O. U. W., and G. A. R., L O. G. T. and Farm 
ers" Alliance. 

Josiah Everett, supervisor of Sheridan Town- 



440 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ship, also farmer aud stock raiser, Edgar, Neb. A 
lifetime of liard, earnest endeavor in pursuing the 
occupation to which he now gives his attention, 
coupled with strict integrity, honesty of purpose 
and wise liberality, has placed Mr. Everett among 
the truly respected and esteemed men of the 
county. He owes his nativity to Mercer County, 
Pa., where he was born on January 5, 1842, and 
is the seventh in a family of eight children, the re 
suit of the union of Peter and Elizabeth (Marsters) 
Everett, natives of Pennsylvania. Josiah Everett's 
only education was that of the ordinary farmer's 
son of that day, working on the farm in the sum- 
mer and in the winter attending the district school. 
In the spring of 1863 he assisted in driving a herd 
of horses from Winnebago County, 111. , to Sacra- 
mento, Cal., and while West was engaged in min- 
ing and assisting in the construction of quartz 
mills, a court house, etc., in Washoe City, Washoe 
Valley, Nev. He experienced the usual hardships 
and came very near losing his life from a band of 
Goshoot Indians, then on the war path, who tried 
to stampede the horses. He then left Sacramento 
on a steamer to San Francisco, and from there 
went to New York by way of Panama. From there 
he went to his home in Illinois. Prior to this, in 
1861, he enlisted in the Union army, upon the 
tirst call for troops, and served four months in 
Company C, Sixty seventh Illinois Infantry under 
Capt. Hiram R. Enoch in the Western division. 
After returning to Illinois from his California trip 
he went to farming, but in August, 1864, he enlisted 
in Company C, One Hundred and Forty-sixth 
Illinois Infantry, and served until the close of the 
war. Being on detached service he did not par- 
ticipate in any of the principal battles, but was in 
several severe skirmishes and was wounded twice, 
once liy a bushwhacker under the left shoulder 
blade, and another time l)y the falling of a horse. 
He served as a non commissioned officer, but was 
afterward promoted to the rank of captain, and 
given charge of a colored company (F), First Ken- 
tucky Volimteers. After the war he returned to 
Illinois, remaining there until 1871, and then went 
to Grundy County. Iowa, where he made his home 
for eleven years. He then sold his farm and 



moved to Nebraska, where he purchased his pres 
ent property. He was married in 1866 to Miss 
Adelia Lockis a native of Connecticmt, born in 
1845 and the daughter of William and P. Locke, 
natives also of Connecticut. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Everett have been born two children: Elias E. ami 
O.scar J. Mr. Everett is a member of the (i. A. 
R. at Edgar, and is a Republican in politics. He 
has been school director, road supervisor, and in 
1889 he was elected township supervisor, and 
March 25, 1890, he was elected president of a 
Farmers' Alliance of his townshij). He and wife 
are members of the Baptist Church, of which he is 
clerk. He is a successful agriculturist and is the 
owner of 160 acres of excellent land. 

James M. Farley its a well known and highly 
successful stock-raiser of Lone Tree Township, 
Clay County, Neb., and nowhere in the entire com- 
munity in which he resides is there to be found a 
man of more ene/gy, force of character and deter 
mination than he. He was born in that State of 
progressive and intelligent farmers — New York, his 
birth occurring in Cattaraugus County, February 
3, 1844, he being a son of John and Caroline (Bush) 
Farley, natives, respectively, of Ireland and Hol- 
land. James M. removed to La Porte County, Ind., 
with his parents when a small child, and at the age 
of eight years was taken to Will County, 111., and 
two years later to Winneshiek County, Iowa, where 
he was reared to mauhood on a farm. In 1859 he 
engaged in steamboatiug on the upper Mississippi, 
but at the opening of the war laid aside all personal 
considerations and enlisted in Company F, Second 
Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, serving his country 
as a private and non-commissioned officer until the 
close of the war, after which he returned to his 
home in Iowa, where he remained until 1867. He 
then located in Kansas City, where he was engaged 
in contracting for city improvements for one year, 
after which he removed to Fayette County, Iowa, 
and engaged in the lime and stone business luitil 
1874, at which time he came to Nebraska. He pur- 
chased a quarter sectiou of land in Lone Tree 
Township, Clay County, of the Burlington & Mis- 
souri River Railroad, and homesteaded another 
quarter- section, making his home on the former 



-*- 



CLAY COUNTY. 



441 



piece of laud, being engaged iu farming and stock- 
raising until 1885, when he purchased and removed 
to his present property, which consists of 
acres of excellent farming land. His farm ie an 
exceptionally line one for stock purposes, the con- 
veniences, etc., being unsurpassed, and he is one 
of the most extensive dealers in stock cattle in the 
county. November 17, 1867, he was married to 
Miss Mary M. Lee, a native of Norway, and by 
her he has a family of seven children: Effie B. 
(wife of John W. Arrowsmith, a professor in Mor- 
rison College), George ^^'., Eva M., Minta K. Ma- 
bel, Nellie M. , Jessie L. and James Walter. Mr. 
Farley has been a Republican ever since he at- 
tained his majority, but is now in sympathy with 
the farmers' movement, opposing monopolies, and 
is a leading and active member of the Farmers' 
Alliance. He is a Itoyal Arch Mason, having 
passed all the chairs in Fairfield Lodge, and be- 
longs to Edgar Chapter No. 22. He is also a mem- 
ber of the A. O. U. W., and belongs to George Oli- 
ver Post of the G. A. R., at Fairfield. In 1882 
he was elected commissioner of Clay County to 
represent the district, and tilled the diities of this 
oiBce ill a faithful and efficient manner for two 
terms of three years each. He has also been 
elected to the office of justice of the peace, but has 
never qualified. He is a true representative of 
that oft much abused phrase "self-made man," 
for he started in life with no means whatsoever, Irat 
by energy and intelligent management has acquired 
a comfortable competency and commands the re- 
spect of all who know him. 

John G. Farrell, farmer and stock-raiser, Har- 
vard, Neb. No name is more closely associated 
with the farming interests of the county than the 
one that heads this sketch, for it is borne by a man 
who is progressive in his ideas, and during his 
residence in this county has been one of its most 
successful agriculturists. He owes his nativity to 
County Cork, Ireland, vphere his birth occurred in 
]84fi, and is the seventh of nine children born to 
John and Ellen (Cotter) Farrell, and the grandson 
of Timothy Farrell, who was born in Ireland in 
1800 John Farrell, Sr., reared the following chil- 
dren in Ireland: Mary, Nora, Ellen, Timothy, Cor- 
as 



nelius, Jeremiah, Dennis, John and James. 'J'he 
father of these children died in Ireland in 1888. 
but the mother died previous to this, in the old 
country, in 1884. John G. Farrell passed his 
early life in Ireland, where he received his educa- 
tion, and at the age of twenty -four years emigrated 
to the United States, landing in the State of New 
York, where he remained about three years. From 
there he went to Mississippi, remained there one 
year, and in 1 873 came to Clay County, Neb. , set- 
tling on 160 acres of land, having taken up eighty 
acres and purchasing the rest of the Burlington & 
Missouri River Railroad. He was married in 1874 
to Miss Patience Brown, daughter of Steven Brown, 
one of the early settleis of Clay County, who came 
here in 1871. To Mr. and Mrs. Farrell have been 
born five children: Mary E. (born in 1876), Pa- 
tience A. (born in 1877), Timothy (born in 1882), 
Steven (born in 1887) and Constance K. (born in 
1889). Mr. Farrell has a nice farm, pleasantly 
located, and, being a progressive farmer, has every 
convenience. He is a Democrat in politics, a mem- 
ber of the Farmers' Alliance, and he and wife are 
members of the Catholic Church. He takes a deep 
interest in churches and schools, and has held the 
office of school director for some time. In connec- 
tion with his farming interests he is engaged in rais 
ing a good grade of cattle, hogs and honses. 

G. Z. Fink is the present justice of the peace 
of Glenville Town.ship, and, though a successful 
farmer and stock-raiser for the past six years, he 
is now retired from the active duties of life. He 
was born in Baden, Germany, December 18, 1835, 
and possesses the sterling characteristics of all Ger- 
man-Americans — energy, frugality, honesty and 
perseverance. He is the eldest of six children born 
to Jacob and Margaret (Zeh) Fink, who were born 
in Baden in 1808 and 1814, respectively, and 
moved to the United States in 1836, settling in 
Philadelphia, Pa. In 1839 the family moved to 
Evansville,Ind., where the father was engaged in the 
lumlier business, but afterward moved to St. Louis, 
Mo., thence to Wheeling, W.Va., moving from there 
at the end of nine months to his old home in Penn 
sylvania, living in Reading at the time of his death 
in June, 1867. G. Z. Fink was fortunate enough 



— ei 









442 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



to 8t'ciiic a LTood common-school (>ducat.ion, aud, 
iiiiliko a groat many boys, made good use of his 
opportunities. He then entered the academy of 
Pittston, from which institution he was gradu- 
ated, and from the age of seventeen until he was 
twenty-one years old he worked at tlie trade of 
locomotive machinist, on the Philadelphia & Read 
ing llailioad, and after a few years time accepted 
the position of locomotive engineer, which position 
he ably filled at intervals for fourteen years. On 
July 4, 18(U, while hauling a passenger train, 
loaded with excursionists, his engine collided with 
another train, and although considerable damage 
was done, and he was quite l)adly scalded on the 
anil auil leg by the steam, fortunately no lives 
were lost. His life was full of the dangers inci- 
dent to an engineer, so that in 1865 he gave up 
this calling, and accepted the position of superin- 
tendent of the Blue Creek Oil Company, of Charles- 
ton, W. Va. , a position he held with success for 
two years. After retiring from the management 
of this concern he went to Philadelphia, and em 
barked in the furniture business, but becoming 
tired of mercantile life he .sold out, and in 1867 
became managing foreman of a furniture factory 
belonging to D. B. SlifFer, a position he retained 
until the spring of 1871. He then became fore- 
man of a lumber camp in Perry County, and in 
1873 he started a carriage and blacksmith factory 
in Churchtown, Cumberland County, where, by his 
honest dealing and the excellent quality of his 
work, h(* built up an extensive trade and made a new 
start ill life. In 1877 he became interested in the 
"■rowing West, and selling out his factory he came 
to Clay County. Neb., and settled in (ilenville 
Township, and purchased a farm of eighty acres 
of th(^ Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Com- 
pany, which lie still owns. Being also a carpenter 
by trade, he rented his farm and engaged in the 
business of contracting and building, and has built 
or assisted m Imildiiig nearly every house iu the 
town. In 1884 he retired, and for some time en- 
cai'ed in farming, raising and dealing in stock. 
January 24, 1859, he was married to Miss Alcinda 
F. Rnpi), a daughter of Prof. I. D. and t'aroline 
(De Arested) Rupp, a teacher of languages in Swa- 



tara Collegiate Institute, of Jonestown, Pa., the 
former born in 1803, and the latter in 1808. Mrs. 
Fink was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, May 14, 
1880, and her union with Mr. Fink resulted iu the 
birth of five children: Daniel J., Maggie C. (wife 
of P. Ij. Kissenger), and Addie M. ; two children 
died ill infancy. Mr. Fiiik is a Mason and a mem- 
ber of the I. O. O. F., and is a member in good 
standing in both these organizations. He is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, his 
wife of the German Reformed, and in 1880 he was 
elected justice of the peace of his township, and 
has held the position ever since, being a popular 
and just oflficial. He is a patron of all worthy 
enterprises, and is a man whom all respect and 
esteem. 

M. L. Fishburn, residing near Fairfield, Clay 
County, Neb., was brought up to the life of a 
farmer by his father, John Fishburn, and like the 
majority of boys has since followed in his father's 
footstei)s, and is now a successful agriculturist and 
stockman of this State. He was born in Will 
County, 111., in 1856, being the second child of 
John and Phcebe (Wright) Fishburn, the former 
of whom was born in Pennsylvania and was there 
reared to manhood, learning the shoemaker's trade 
in his youth, aud began life for himself at about 
the age of twenty -five years. He came to Illinois 
at an early day and was there first married to Miss 
Cynthia Cox, by whom he had a family of five 
children. Of these Mrs. Elizabeth Hardy is a 
resident of Clay County, Neb., Joseph lives in 
Oregon, and Mrs. Cynthia Grant is a resident of 
Will County, 111. The mother of these children 
died about 1850, and about 1852 Mr. Fishburn 
married Miss Wright, a daughter of James Wright. 
This union i-esulted in the birth of seven children: 
Mrs. Mary Kidwell (living in Will County, 111.), 
M. L. (the subject of this sketch), James (living 
in Lincoln County, Neb.), Mrs. Martha Bagley 
(residing iu Fairfield, Neb. ), Catherine L. (who 
died at the age of five years), John (living in Lex- 
ington, Dawson County, Neb.) and Daniel (who 
died at the age of two years). The father was a 
shoe-maker and farmer by occupation, and having 
been captain of a company of Pennsylvania State 



liL^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



443 



militia he was engaged in drilling troops during 
tbe late war. He was a meml)er of the Methodist 
P^piscopal Church and died in 1865, his wife pass- 
ing from life in Will County, 111., June 4, 1889, 
having suffered two years from a dislocated thigh. 
M. L. Fishburn obtained a fair education in the 
common schools of Illinois, an<l when twenty-five 
years of age began the battle of life for himself. 
He came to Clay County, Neb., in 1879, and was 
married here, June 3, 1880, to Miss Mary L. Hall, 
a daughter of Henry and Esther (Rose) Hall, who 
were born in London, England, and came to the 
United States in 1872, settling in Clay County, 
Neb. To Mr. and Mrs. Fishburn a family of three 
children have been born: Arthur, Leonard and 
Ernest. After coming to Clay County, Neb., Mr. 
■Fishburn learned and for five years worked at the 
carpenter's trade, but for the past six or seven 
years has been engaged in tilling the soil and has 
met with well deserved success. He is (piite ex- 
tensively engaged in breeding Poland-China hogs, 
and at the present time has about twenty five head 
of thoroughbred animals, and also keeps a good 
grade of horses and cattle. He and wife are mem 
l)ers of the Congregational (church, and he is a lib- 
eral supporter of schools and churches. 

Daniel F. Fisher, farmer and stock-raiser, 
Fairfield, Nel). Mr. Fisher has been niuisnally 
active in the affairs of this portion of this county, 
ever contribnting by precept and example to live 
the life of an honest, upright and industrious 
agriculturist. He was born in Francestowu, 
Hillsborough CoTmty, N. H., on April 14, 1834, 
to the union of Moses, Jr. . and Fanney (Fuller) 
Fisher. Moses Fisher, Jr., was born in Fran- 
cestowu, N. H., on October 25, 1790, and was 
the son of Moses and Louisa (Thorp) Fisher. 
The father was born in Dedham, Mass. , November 
27, 1755, and the mother September 26, 1762. The 
mother of our subject was born August 17. 1793. 
and was the daughter of Andrew Fuller, of Lynd 
borough, N. H. The children of Moses Fisher, 
Jr., and wife wei-e named as follows: Louisa (wife 
of Moses H. Bradford), Elizabeth T. (wife of The 
ron Palmer), Moses B. (married Tersis A. Varnum), 
Fanney Jane (married John M. Sanborn), Harriet 



(married John Tevere). Hannah, Frances and 
Mary Ann died while very young. Mavy Frances 
died at the age of eighteen years. George Ed- 
ward was united in marriage to Mary K. Pettingill. 
Daniel F. Fisher received only a good district- 
school education, and when nineteen years of ago 
apprenticed himself in Gage, Warner & Whitney's 
macliine shop, Nashua, N. H., where ho remained 
until he had served his time, which was three 
years. From there he went to Salem, Mass., 
where he followed his trade for some six months, 
returning to Nashua, where he was in the railroad 
shop for a while. From there he went to Milford, 
N. H. , and wishing another change he went to 
Manchester, N. H., and found employment in the 
Amoskegg locomotive shops. In September, 1857. 
he emigrated to Denmark, Lee County, Iowa, where 
he found employment on the farm with a half 
brother of his father's, Asa Fisher, with whom he 
remained one year. He then bought a small farm 
and erected a house, and set out an orchard 
and small fruit and started in the small fruit 
business, besides making many other improve 
ments on the place. In 1859 he returned to 
Nashua. N. H., where he resumed his trade. 
He finally drifted again to Manchester. Febru- 
ary 29, 1860, his father died and he was detained 
settling up the estate. In February. 1861, he was 
married to Miss Mary A. Bullen, daughter of 
William and Hannah (White) Bullen. The father 
was born in 1801, and died in 1865. and the 
mother was liorn in 180(\ and died at the age of 
seventy-five years. Mrs. Fisher was born in 
Hallowell, Maine, on Fel)ruary 12, 1837, and 
is the third in the family of five children, viz. : 
Sarah E. (wife of John R. Smith), Hannah Frances 
(wife of Larking Trask), Julia Octavia (wife of 
Henry Carlton), and Joseph W., (who was a pris- 
oner at Andersonville prison during the late war, 
and was supposed to have starved to death ). Daniel 
F. Fisher enlisted in the engineer regiment of 
the West, afterward known as the First Mis 
souri Engineers, also as Bissell's engineers, Sej) 
teraber 15, 1861, and participated in the siege of 
New Madrid about March 8, 1862, and Island 
No. 10, April 8; siege of Corinth, which was 



V 






ovncujitpd May 30 of same year; battle of Corinth, 
Octol)er 4, ISO'i; siege of Vicksburg, Miss., in 
1803, and Atlanta in 18(U. A great deal of his 
time was spent in building fortilications and 
keeping the way open for transportation. After 
the surrender of Atlanta, his three years hav- 
ing expired, Mr. Fisher was discharged on No- 
vember 2, 1864, and returned to Denmark, Lee 
County, Iowa, where he was engaged in the nursery 
business until the fall of 1872. He then sold out, 
made a lengthy visit among old home places in 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, and 
in 1873 came to Nebraska. He is a Republican in 
politics, has held a number of town offices, and is 
now township clerk, holding his second term. He 
is a member of the George C. Oliver Post No. 43, 
G. A. R., Fairfield, also of Fairtield Lodge No. 
84, A. F. & A. M. , and he and wife are members 
of the Congregational Church. He has always 
been a leading spirit in benevolent acts, caring for 
the sick and needy, and supporting enterprises of 
public benefit. To his marriage were born two 
children: Walter H. and Jennie L., both single. 
Fedde Fixsen, farmer and stock-raiser. Inland, 
Neb. The reader is herewith handed a plain 
record of a useful man; for certainly, if what is 
the most use is of the most value, then indeed it 
is in recording the lives of representative men that 
biography is to be useful to posterity. Fedde 
Fixsen is a native of Germany, born in 1826, and is 
the fourth in a family of nine children, the result 
of the union of Fedde and Margaret Fixsen. natives 
also of Germany, where they passed their entire 
lives, the father dying in 1840 and the mother in 
1847. Their children were named as follows: 
Betti, John F. , Fredricke, Margaret, Fedde. Cath- 
erine, Augusta, Sophia and Mary. Fedde Fixsen, 
Jr., attended the schools of his native country and 
served six years in the German army. In 1853 he 
came to the United States, settled in Pennsylvania, 
Fulton (bounty, and there carried on farming. He 
was married in that State, in 1855, to Mrs. Mary 
H. (Blair) Kerr, widow of a Mr. Kerr, and the 
fruits of this union were six children: Anna (now 
Mrs. Friday, of Minnesota), Minnie (now Mrs. 
Dilinircr, of Kansas), Holmes (in Kansas), Nettie 



(at home), Erwin (married, and resides in Kansas) 
and Otto (who was one of the first to remove to 
Nebraska, and died in that State in 1872). Mr. 
Fixsen continued to till the soil in Pennsylvania un- 
til the spring of 1872, when he emigrated to Ne- 
braska and settled where he now resides. He took 
160 acres of land, also has 160 acres of railroad 
land, and forty acres are laid off in town lots. 
The town of Iidand is on his place. He has been 
very successful since coming to Nebraska and has 
accumulated all his property by his own exertions. 
He was one of the pioneers of Clay County, and 
his house for years was a stopping place for all the 
emigrants going west. He and wife are both 
members of the Presbyterian Church, and in his 
political preference he affiliates with the Bepnblican 
party. He is an honest, upright citizen, and has 
ever been willing to assist in all laudable enter- 
prises for the good of the county. He has helped 
to improve 280 acres of land and on this he has a 
nice orchard, a good grove and is nicely fixed in 
every respect. He is quite deeply interested in 
raising stock, especially Hereford cattle and Poland- 
China hogs. In March, 1865, Mr. Fixsen enlisted 
for three years, or during the war. in the One Hun- 
dred and Third Pennsylvania Infantry, and was 
discharged in July of that year. 

Dr. John T. Fleming, dentist. Harvard, Neb. 
Art as well as science has in recent years made 
rapid strides, but in no direction has it been more 
marked in its coni'se and more beneficial in its re- 
sults than in the [irofession of dentistry. Among 
those prominently engaged in this profession in 
Harvard is Dr. John T. Fleming, who was born in 
England, March 30, 1841, and who is the son of 
John and Mary (Shergold) Fleming, and the grand- 
son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Goulden) Fleming. 
The maternal grandparents of the Doctor were 
Richard and Sarah (Douty) Shergold, the former 
of whom lived to be ninety-nine years and eleven 
months of age. Dr. John T. Fleming passed his 
youth and early manhood in his native country, and 
early in life studied medicine, surgery and dentistry, 
making himself thoroughly familiar with those 
subjects, and graduating from the Royal College 
of Surgeons, the Royal College of Physicians and 



s- 



J'- 



A. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



445 



the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, all 
located iu London. For tive years prior to emi- 
grating to America he practiced medicine and den- 
tal snrivery, and was also a partner in a drug store 
at Downton. He was married November 7, 1864, 
to Eliza Mary Down, daughter of Aaron Down, 
who for twenty seven years was in the service of 
the British army, and who for his long and faith 
{n\ service and for his meritorious conduct in the 
battle of Waterloo was awarded two medals. The 
mother of Mrs. Fleming, before her marriage, was 
Miss Martha Crabbe. In 1S7'2 Dr. Fleming and 
wife emigrated to America and on reaching this 
country came directly to Nebraska. They located 
in Linn Township, Clay County, on an eighty 
acre homestead, and there resided seven years. 
They then located in Harvard, where the Doctor 
has since devoted his attention to the practice of 
dentistry. He is thoroughly skilled in his profes- 
sion and besides his professional training he pos- 
sesses a tine classical and literary education. He 
and wife are members of the Episcopal Church. 
In politics Dr. Fleming is a Republican and has 
served two years and eight mouths as supervisor of 
Clay County, also one term as city clerk of Har- 
vard. He is a man of superior intelligence and 
as a citizen is esteemed and respected by all who 
know him. 

John Flick, farmer and stock-raiser, Inland, 
Neb. Mr. Flick was originally from Dane County, 
Wis., where his birth occurred in 1853 and his 
parents, Joseph and Savenah (Zink) Flick, were 
natives of Northampton County, Pa, the for- 
mer born in 1818 and the latter in 18'20. The 
parents were married in 1838 and the father fol- 
lowed farming in the State of Wisconsin for many 
years. They were the parents of eight children, 
all now living: Calvin (married and resides in 
Clarke, Wis., was in the Eleventh Wisconsin In- 
fantry during the war), Charlotte (now Mrs. Peter- 
son, residing in Inland township, Clay County, 
Neb.), Helen (now Mrs. Poole, living in Hastings, 
Neb), Sarah (now Mrs. Merrell, living in Easton, 
Northampton County, Pa.), Frances (now Mrs. 
Jones, residing in Thomas County, Kas.), John (at 
Inland), Charles (living in Omaha) and Demma 



(now Mrs. Janes, residing in Phelps County). Mr. 
Flick is the grandfather of thirty two children, all 
living, and seven great grandchildren, who are 
also living. Mr. Flick immigrated to Wisconsin 
at an early day (1844) settling near Madison, but 
later moved to Nebraska and settled in Clay County 
in 1871. He followed farming for some time but 
at last retired and now resides in Hastings. He 
has been a successful business man and one who 
has the contidence and respect of all acquainted 
with him. He and wife are members of the Pres- 
byteriau Church and he is a Democrat in poli- 
tics. John Flick, the grandfather of our subject, 
founded a village in Northampton County, Pa., 
and named it Flickville. John Flick (our subject) 
received his education in Wisconsin and came west 
to Clay County, Neb., with his parents. In 1873 
he started out for himself, bought 120 acres of 
land, began improving the same, and now has a 
very tine place. He was married in 1879 to Miss 
Alice Sluyter, a native of Genesee County, Mich., 
born in 18()0, and the daughter of J. Sluyter, of 
Harvard, Clay County. To Mr. and Mrs. Flick 
were born five children : Sarah, Lena, Myrtle, Reu- 
ben J. and Howard. Mr. Flick was elected justice 
of the peace in 1882 and assessor in 1888 and 1889. 
He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance and in 
his political views is a Democrat. He and Mrs. 
Flick are worthy members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church. Mr. Flick has been a member of 
the school board for six years and is deeply inter- 
ested in educational matters. He takes some in- 
terest in stock-raising and has Hereford cattle, 
Poland-China hogs and Clydesdale horses. He 
likes Nebraska and thinks of making it his per- 
manent home. 

A. J. Frautz, farmer and stock-raiser. Fairfield, 
Neb. Nowhere within the limits of Clay County 
can there be found a man who takes greater inter- 
est in its agricultural and stock affairs than A. J. 
Frantz, or who strives continually to promote and 
advance these interests to a higher plane. He was 
born in Allegany County, Md., in 1847, and is 
the eldest son born to Joseph and Charlotte (Fike) 
Frantz, the father a native of Bedford County, 
Md,, l)oru in 1815. The latter began life for him- 



44(5 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



solf as H farmer at the age of tweuty oiglit 
years, unci was marrioil to Miss Fike in 1840. 
This iiiiiou rosiiHi'd in the Inrth of four chil- 
dren: A. J., B. b\ (of Paw Paw, Lee County, 
111.), Liuda aud Jennie. The father removed 
to Pennsylvania in ahout 1850, aud followed 
his cho.sen occupation in Somerset County. He 
reiuoved to Illinois in 18()(5 aud established a 
large hotel at Princeton, Bureau County, but lost 
this l)y tire. He then removed to East Paw Paw, 
De Kail) County, j)urchased a farm and tilled the 
soil, hut at the present time he is engaged in the 
farm implement l)iisiaess in West Paw Paw, 111. 
He is an active Republican in politics and is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. So- 
cially he belongs to the I. O. O. F. Lodge. A. J. 
Frautz passed his youthful days in Pennsylvania, 
aud in 1864 entered the United States army in 
Company I, Third Maryland Infantry, participat- 
ing in a number of the principal engagements 
and numberless skirmishes. He was taken pris- 
oner August 11, 1804, at Berry ville, Va., by 
Mosby's guerrillas while guarding a wagon train 
through from Harper's Ferry to Winchester, and 
taken to Belle Isle, whence after one month he was 
taken to Salisbury, N. C, and there remained six 
months. He was paroled the last of February, 
1805, and discharged from service at Camp Pa- 
role, Annapolis, Md., by General Order No. 77, 
June 28, 1805. Returning to Pennsylvania after 
the war, he remained there until 1800, when he went 
to Illinois with his father's family. He was mar- 
ried at Leavenworth City, Kas., in 1870, to Miss 
Lucy Tiiompson, this union resulting in the birth of 
a daughter, December 4, 1871, who died February 
10, 1880. In 1880 Mr. Frantz came to Nebraska, 
and to Clay County in 1885, purchasing 240 acres 
of land, which he has improved very much, and is 
now one of the foremost farmers of the county. 
In his political views he affiliates with the Re- 
publican party, and has been a delegate to the 
conventions a number of times. He is an active 
member of the school board, is a member of the 
Farmers' Alliance, the I. O. O. F., the G. A. R., 
and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 



William H. Frazell is engaged in farming and 
stock-raising on 100 acres of land in Section IW, 
Harvard Towu.ship, Clay County, Neb. , but is also 
the owner of forty acres more on Section 15. He 
was born near Oquawka, Henderson County, 111., 
in 1848, and was the youngest of three children 
born to Jason and Margaret (Alder) Frazell, the 
former a native of Vermont, a son of Earl Frazell, 
and a cooper by trade. He removed to Ohio with 
his parents when a small boy, there received his 
schooling, aud was married shortly after this event, 
removing to the State of Illinois, and settling in 
Henderson County, where his three children were 
born: Leonard E. (born in 1844), Esther A. (born 
in 1840) and William H. (born in the above-men- 
tioned year). The mother (jf these children was a 
daughter of Jonathan Alder, of Ohio, and was born 
in 1-814 in that State, her death taking place in 
Illinois, in 1800. Jason Frazell had previously 
married Catherine Barler. but she died a year or so 
later, leaving one child: Desire (now Mrs. Black- 
burn, residing in Marshtown, Minn. ). Mr. Frazell's 
third and last marriage took place in 1880, and 
since that time he has lived a retired life in Gosper 
County, Neb. William H. Frazell spent his 
school-days in Illinois, and in 1800 started out 
in life for himself as a farmer, being married the 
same year, and in that State made his home until 
1871, when he came to Nebraska and settled in 
Clay County, where ho homesteaded eighty acres 
of land. He has since added forty acres to his 
original purchase, this property being purchased 
of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, and 
he is now considered one of the prosperous aud 
wide awake farmers of this region. He is quite 
extensively engaged in stock raising, his horses 
being of an exceptionally good grade, and his 
property has been earned by hard and persistent 
endeavor. He learned the carpenter's trade in his 
early manhood, and in connection with his farming 
operations he carries on this business also, and 
has constructed some of the best buildings in the 
county, among which are many of his own build- 
ings. He is a Democrat in his political views, has 
served as a member of his di.strict school board, 
and socially is a member of the Farmers' Alliance. 



S) > 



CLAY COUNTY. 



447 



He and his wife (whose maiden name was Mary S. 
Speck) are members of the United Brethren Church. 
She is a daughter of Frank Speck, of Illinois, and 
was l)orn in 1848. They have a family of eight 
children: Alma E. (horn in 1S6S, is the wife of 
Charles Hasloah, of Eldorado Township), Louis F., 
Olive A., Emma E.. Henry W., Ira L., Ella O. 
and Jennie E. 

John W. French is one of the most successful 
and e.xtensive farmers and stock raisers of Clay 
County, Neb. He owes his nativity lo Essex 
County, England, his birth occurring at Chelms- 
ford in 1838, and is the son of William and Mary 
(Haverty) French, both natives of England, the 
father born about 1814 aod the mother about 1816. 
The grandfather, Thomas French, was of English 
descent. On the mother's side our subject is of 
Irish descent, her ancestors coming from County 
Galway, Ireland. His grandmother (Haverty) 
came to America in 1854, bringing Mr. French 
with her, and he has never returned to his native 
country nor has he ever seen his family since. He 
and his grandmother landed in New York, went 
from there to Newark, N. J., and finally located in 
Jersey City of that State, where he remained until 
1855. From there he went to Illinois, locating in 
Peoria County, where he remained until 1801, and 
then, on April 19 of that year, enlisted in Com 
pany A, Second Regiment Illinois Light Artillery, 
and served until September 14, 1804. The com- 
pany was ordered to Alton, 111., on July 6. 1861, 
from there to St. Charles, Mo. , and there the bat- 
tery was separated into detachments and sent to 
various places, meeting again at Jefferson Barracks, 
where the company was properly mustered into 
the Union service. They were ordered to Jeffer- 
son City by Fremont, thence to Boonville, Mo., 
Georgetown, etc. In the fall of 1801 it formed a 
part of Fremont's expedition to Springfield, but 
returned to Otterville and remained in the vicinity 
until January 27, 1802, when it was placed in 
Gen. JefiP C. Davis' division and ordered to Leb 
anon, Mo., to join the second expedition to Spring 
field under Gen. Curtis. The battery was a part 
of Gen. Curtis' command at Pea Ridge, Ark. , 
fought March 7 and 8, 1802. Subsequently the 



battery was divided, and one section under Lieut. 
H. Barnes was left at Cassville, in Southwestern 
Missouri. Mr. French went with another division 
to Helena. Ark. , where it remained until the spring 
of 1803, after which it joined the army of Gen. 
Grant, destined to operate against Vicksburg. It 
took part in the battles of Port Hudson, Champion's 
Hill and Black Kiver Bridge, at which place, by 
order of Gen. Lawler, it charged with the infantry 
ixpon the enemy's works, crossed the ditch sur- 
rounding the parapet, mounted their works, and 
again opened fire on them. This battery was in 
the front during the entire siege of Vicksburg, 
and upon the surrender of that place took part in 
the expedition against Johnston and assisted in the 
second taking of Jackson, Miss. Returning to 
Vicksburg, a part of the Thirteenth Army Corps 
was transferred to the Department of the Gulf. 
In 1863 it left for Carrollton, La., where it was 
joined by Lieut. Barnes, and remained in New 
Orleans until August, 1804; then it formed against 
Mobile Bay and was in the engagement at Forts 
Gaines, Morgan and Powell. Returning to New 
Orleans, Mr. French came to Springfield, 111., and 
was discharged September 14, 1864. He lived 
near Galva, 111., and was married December 25, 
1867, to Miss Julia M. Stanton, daughter of D. 
R. and Mary (Brace) Stanton. This union resulted 
in the birth of the following children: Walter M. 
(born October 22. 1868), Willie B. (born March 12, 
1872). Freddie (deceased, born November 26. 
1874), Frank L. (born November 26, 1S74). Roy 
E. (born February 25, 1879), Delma J. (born 
December 3, 1880), Nettie M. (born June 15, 
1SS4) and John H. (born June 16, iSSS). Mr. 
French came to Nebraska in the fall of 1872, took 
a soldier homestead, and now has 100 acres of ex- 
cellent land, all fenced and well improved. He 
has forty-five acres of good tame grass, raises a 
good grade of stock, selling quite a number every 
year, and is one of the representative farmers of 
this section. He is a member of Richardson Post 
No. 00. G. A. R. . at Harvard. He is a Republican 
in politics. 

Louis F. Fryar, ex county clerk. Clay Cen 
ter, Neb. There are few men of the jiresent day 



A 



448 



HISTORY OF NKBKASKA. 



wliom thu world acknowledf^ea as successful, more 
worthy of honorahk) niiMition, or whose life's his- 
toi'y affords a better example of what may he ac- 
(•i)iii])lished by a determined will aud perseverance, 
tliaii Louis ¥. Fryar. He owes his nativity to 
Uarke County, Ohio, where he was born on No- 
vi'inher 1, 18t"2, his parents t)eini:; Hezekiah and 
Delilah (Spencer) Fryar, natives, respectively, of 
Virginia and Maryland. The parents both spent 
the greater ]>art of their lives and died in Darke 
County, Ohio. Louis F. Fryar passed his boy 
hood days in securing an education in the common 
schools, and in 1860 went to Rock Island County, 
III., where in 18()1 he enlisted in Comjjany A, 
Thirty- seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
served four years and nine months in the War of the 
llebellion. Returning to Illinois, he resumed farm- 
ing and continued this until his removal to Ne- 
braska in 18611. He lirst located in Thayer County, 
and in the fall of 1870 he came to Clay County, 
locating at Liberty Farm. When the town of Fair- 
Held was started a year aud a half later, ho re- 
moved to that place and engaged in the agricult- 
ural implement business. In 1882 he removed to 
Clay Center, where he has since resided. Mr. 
Fryar has always been a stanch Republican in 
|)olitics and was elected by that party in the fall 
of 1881, as clerk of Clay County, which position 
he tilled in a highly creditable manner for eight 
years, three successive terms. He was married to 
Miss Laura A. Bancroft, a native of New Hamp- 
shire and a distant relative of the famous histo- 
rian of that name, and the fruits of this union have 
been four living children, Louis C. , Mabel, Myrtle 
and Earl. Mr. Fryar is a member of the Masonic 
Fraternity, being past master of Clay Center 
Lodg(> No. 18U. He is also a K. of P., and belongs 
to the A. O. U. W. and G. A. R. He is one of the 
prominent men of the county. 

William L. Gaddis, farmer and proprietor of 
an ex])ress line, Harvard, Neb. Mr. Gaddis, one 
of the most highly respected and deservedly pop- 
ular citizens of Harvard, was born in Clinton 
County, Ohio, on August 11, 1852, and is the son 
of Allen and Sarah J. (Yeo) Gaddis, the father a 
nalivft of Pennsylvania, and })orn in Fayette 



County, and the latter born near Winchester, Fred- 
erick County, Va. William L. Gaddis was early 
taught the duties of farm lilV and received his ed- 
ucation in the common schools. In early manhood 
he learned the carpenter's trade aud in 1879 he 
emigrated to the West, settling on a farm near 
Harvard, Neb. He sul)se(juently bought a farm 
of 160 acres in Linn Township, Clay County, and 
this he still owns, also a fine residence, and in Har- 
vard two business houses. In 1884 he removed 
from his farm to Harvard, and for the past two years 
has been proprietor of an express line. He was mar- 
ried on February 28, 1882, to Miss Rillie Burdick, 
a native of Juneau County, Wis., born February 
10, 1859, and the daughter of Jared and Isabel 
(Jones) Burdick, her father a native of New York 
State aud her mother of the Old Dominion. Mr. 
and Mrs. Gaddis are the parents of an only son, 
Earl B., who was Iwrn on March 22, 1885. Mr. 
Gaddis is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, the 
A. O. U. W., also the Select Knights, and in pol- 
itics affiliates with the Republican party. He is a 
thorough going, industrious man and possesses in 
an eminent degree those qualities which are neces- 
sary to success. He is a Hrst-class citizen and 
he and his wife are highly respected. Both are 
members of the Christian Church. 

Charles E. Gaddis, dealer in confectionery, etc.. 
Harvard, Neb. The American people, now the 
wealthiest, are rapidly acquiring the cognomen of 
the most luxurious people in the world. In their 
love of a rich diet they show their good sense, and 
their high living is seen in the enormous amount 
of work, both mental and physical, which they 
perform. It is for this reason that the manufacture 
of candy and fruit preserves has come to be one of 
the greatest interests of our country, and the estab- 
lishments in this line rank in standing and extent 
of trade with any class of business concerns. One 
of these institutions is conducted by Mr. Charles 
E. Gaddis, who was born in Warren County, Ohio, 
on April 23, 1859, and is the son of Allen and Sarah 
J. (Yeo) Gaddis, natives, respectively, of Pennsyl- 
vania and Virginia, and the grandson of William 
Gaddis. His maternal grand] )arents were John 
and Elizabeth Yeo. To the marriage of Mr. and 



:>: 



^ — ^t?-, 




Mrs. Gaddis were born a family of six sons and 
six daughters, five of whom are living. The 
father died about 1805, and the mother in Febru- 
ary, 1890. Charles E. Gaddis, as soon as large 
enough, assisted ou his father's farm in his native 
county until twenty years of age, or until 1879, 
when he made his way to Clay County, Neb., and 
for live years tilled the soil in the vicinity of Har- 
vard. In 1884 he located in Harvard, and in 
March. 1885, lie became the owner of a confec 
tionery establishment, which he has very success- 
fvilly conducted ever since. He was married on 
June 25, 1885, to Miss Allie M. Dalton, a native of 
Indiana, who bore him one child, Clara Irene, 
whose birth occurred on February 17, 1888. Mr. 
Gaddis is a member of the A. O. U. W., and in 
politics he affiliates with the Republican party. He 
is the owner of one-half of the opera house block 
in Harvard, which property he and H. H. Disbrow 
erected in 1888. Mr. Gaddis is also the owner of 
other business property in Harvard. He began 
with nothing, and, although young, he is now in 
good circumstances. He has those characteristics 
of energy, promptness and sobriety whichever se- 
cure success. 

Casper W. Gardner, butcher, Harvard, Neb. 
Among the many line meat stores of Harvard, 
none are more worthy of consideration than that 
conducted by Mr. Casper W. Gardner. Courteous 
attention awaits customers at this store, while con- 
fidence in the proprietor and his assistants is fully 
justified. Mr. Gardner owes his nativity to Bel- 
mont County, Ohio, where his Ijirth occurred on 
November 26, 1847, and he is one of nine children, 
five of whom are living, born to the union of An 
drew and Susan (Mercer) Gardner, the former a 
native of West Virginia, born in 1813, and the lat 
ter born in 1823. The father, who was a success 
ful farmer, died in June, 1880, and the mother 
died a year later. Casper W. Gardner accompa- 
nied his parents to Lee County, Iowa, when but two 
and a half years of age, and was there reared on 
a farm. At the age of twenty three years he 
emigrated to Nebraska, and after stc)i)ping a few 
months in Lincoln City, in June, 1871, came to 
Clay County, where he took a pre-emption of 160 



acres near Harvard. He resided on this a year 
and then sold his right and secured a position as 
baggage master on the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad, holding the same for one year. 
He then followed the carpenter's trade for three 
years, and later learned the butcher' s trade, which 
he has continued ever since. For the past ten 
years he has conducted a meat market of his own, 
and has been very successful, now carrying on a 
thriving trade. He was married on December 15, 
1880, to Miss Ella Nora Moore, a native of Clinton 
County, Ohio, born December 1, 1858, and the 
daughter of Taylor and Eleanor J. (Tiegue) Moore. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gardner have had four children: 
Nora, Ruby, Clyde and Erraa, of whom Nora died, 
aged twenty-one months. Mr. Gardner is a mem- 
ber of the A. F.& A. M., the A. O. V. W. and the 
M. W. A. In politics he is a Republican. He is 
an enterprising business man, and has many warm 
friends. 

Daniel W. Garver. Among the individuals of 
the present day worthy of honorable mention is 
the subject of this sketch. He first saw the light 
of day in Franklin County, Pa., Octolier 20, 
1850, his parents being Benjamin and Barbara 
(Bender) Garver, who were born in Pennsyl- 
vania and Maryland, respectively. Daniel W. was 
reared to manhood in the "Keystone State," came 
to Illinois in 1869, and there completed a very lib 
eral education in the State Normal School at Nor- 
mal, 111. He followed school-teaching as a pro 
fession from the age of sixteen years until 1883. 
but also followed farming from 1872 up to that 
time. In the spring of 1872 he came to Clay 
County, Neb. , and pre-empted a quarter section of 
land in Lone Tree Township, where he has since 
resided, having purchased an additional eighty 
acres adjoining, in Section 29. In the fall of 1873 
he was elected county superintendent of schools, 
and tilled this position in a faithful and highly 
efficient manner for one term of two years. He 
thou taught school in the county until 1883, since 
which time he has devoted his attention to his farm 
and to the raising of stock, in which enterprises he 
has been oi>e of the most successful in his town- 
ship. He has always supported the principles of 



450 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



I 



the ixt'publicaii paiiy aud is a member of the 
Farmorfi' Alliance. He was married on September 
20, 1M71, to Miss Sarali K. Epley, a native of 
Stephenson County, 111. , and a dauorhter of Peter 
and Mary (Heckmaii) E[)ley, and l)y her he has a 
family of three children: Clytie B. , Harry G. and 
Frederick B. 

Isaac Gill, fanner aud stock raiser. Gleuville, 
Neb. In the history of Glenville and Glenville 
Township, in the development, growth and contin 
ued advance to communities of wealth and infln- 
ence in the county, Isaac Gill has borne a promi- 
nent part. He was originally from the Keystone 
State, where his birth occurred on July 7, 1828. 
and his parents, John and Myra P. (Arnold) Gill, 
were natives also of Pennsylvania, the father born 
in 1807 and the mother in 1817. Being compelled 
to work for a living at an early day, Isaac was en- 
abled to obtain but a slight education, and when 
nineteen years of age he commenced learning the 
slioe-maker's trade with his uncle, Jacob Arnold, of 
Snyder County, Pa. After continuing with him 
for two years he opened a shop in Union County, 
Pa., where he remained live years, doing a first- 
class business and then sold out and returned to 
his uncle, in whose employ he entered. Three 
years later he formed the notion of going west, 
and consequently emigrated to Stephenson County, 
111., where he worked at his trade and followed 
farming for sixteen years. After that he emi- 
grated to Nebraska and homesteaded a farm of 
eighty acres near his present home. Alwut 1847 
he married Miss Susanna M. Burns, a native of 
Penn.sylvan a, born in 1826, and the daughter of 
John and Hannah (Keitz) Burns. To this union 
was born one child, Mary (now the wife of Jere- 
miah Epley, whom she married in 1870, and by 
him became the mother of seven children: George 
W., Eddie E., OUie O., Laura A., Frank, Charles 
and Malinda B. This family recently moved to 
Albany, Ore.). After the birth of their daugh- 
ter Mrs. Gill's health failed, and her death 
occurred in October, 1888. During the same year 
Mr. Gill sold his homestead to go west to Oregon 
with his son-in-law, but Mr. Epley not selling his 
place, Mr. (tHI purchased his present home of 



forty acres and is now prepared to spend the bal- 
ance of his days in peace and comfort. On Sep- 
tember 22, 1S8V*, he was married to Mrs. Margaret 
Dutt, born May 25, 182*), and the youngest in a 
family of twelve children, the result of the union 
of John and Catherine (Croye) Knisley, natives of 
Pennsylvania. Mrs. Gill was a resident of the 
Keystone State until 1870, when she visited her 
son, Willliam T. Stuft't, of Clay County. Neb., but 
returned to her home two years later. In 1886 
she returned paying them another visit. Mr. Gill 
is a Republican in politics, and he and wife are 
members of the Presbyterian Church at Glenville. 
He is always ready to assist in all enterprises of a 
public nature and benefit, and is one of Glenville' s 
foremost citizens. 

Jacob H. Goehring, retired, Harvard, Nei). As 
an evidence of the usefulness and prominence to 
which those of foreign birth have seemed to attain 
in this county, attention may be directed to the 
subject of this sketch, a native of Bavaria, born 
January 24, 1832, and the son of Louis and Kate 
Goehring. Jacob H. Goehring came to America 
when but ten years of age, and spent his youth in 
New York State, w'orking at the brewing business. 
He left the State of New York, went to St. Louis, 
and three years later to New Orleans, La., where 
he spent seven years. Returning northward to 
Peoria, 111., he was married there in 1858 to Julia 
Schmidt. He afterward resided in Chicago for 
four years, in Racine, Wis., for four years, and 
then, in 1872, emigrated to Nebraska aud settled 
in Harvard, Clay County. Since coming here he 
has given his principal attention to hotel-keeping 
until lately, aud by his pleasant and hospitable 
manner made a success of that business. He re 
tired from that, however, a few years ago, and is 
now living a retired life. He is regarded as relia- 
ble aud straightforward, and has deservedly ac- 
quired a comfortable competency. To his mar- 
riage were born two interesting children: Adolph 
and Ida, both of whom are married. In politics 
Mr. Goehring affiliates with the Democratic party, 
and is one of the many e.'icelleut citizens of the 
county. 

Frank S. Granger is the assistant superintend- 




ent. of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
at Edgar, Neb. , and in addition to filling this posi- 
tion with grace and ability, has been active in all 
public matters, and is a decided acquisition to the 
county. He was born in Detroit, Mich. , January 
4, 1855, and is a son of Sylvester and Mary (Ver 
nia) Granger, natives, respectively, of New York 
and France. He was reared and educated in the 
' ' Hoosier State ' ' and at the early age of seventeen 
years began railroading as a brakeman for the 
Pennsylvania Railroad system, and remained with 
this company for five years, rising to the position 
of conductor. In 1880 he entered the employ of 
the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad as brake- 
man, but was soon promoted to the position of con- 
ductor of a freight train and afterward to passen- 
ger conductor, then to train master. February 1, 
1889, he was made assistant superintendent of the 
Southern Division of the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad, and in this capacity has proved an 
influential, faithful and highly efficient officer. He 
has always been a great fancier of fine stock, es- 
pecially horses, and while not professionally in the 
Imsiness he has some fine specimens of registered 
trotting horses and Jersey cattle in his stables at 
Edgar. He has always voted for the men and 
measures of the Republican party, and socially is 
a meml)er of the K. of P. and is a Royal Arch 
Mason. It may be faithfully stated in conclusion 
that he is one of the representative and enterpris- 
ing citizens of this portion of the State, and com- 
mands the respect of all for his many worthy so- 
cial and business qualities. His marriage to Miss 
Lizzie Harnden, who was born near Montreal, 
Canada, took place September 15, 1877, and their 
union has resulted in the birth of three children: 
Ina, Oharles E. and Harvey C. Mr. Granger is a 
stockholder in the Edgar Canning Factory. 

William Griess, merchant, Sutton, Neb. Of 
the many prominent and successful business men 
of foreign birth now residing in Clay County, none 
are more deserving of mention than the subject of 
this sketch, who is not only a prominent merchant, 
but has held a number of positions of trust in the 
county. He is at present a member of the board 
of supervisors and is tilling that position in a cap- 



i able and efficient manner. His birth occurred in 
I Russia on November 7, 1852, and is the son of 
1 Henry and Margaretha (Roemmich) Griess, natives 
also of Russia. The father was born in August. 
j 1819, and died in Sutton, Neb., in February, 1885. 
! He was a farmer by occupation and followed this 
calling in his native country for many years. After 
coming to America he was engaged in the grain 
business in Sutton and was an active business man. 
[ The mother was born in April, 1821, and died in 
Sutton in January, 1888. William Griess, the 
fourth of five children, was early taught the duties 
of farm life, and, received his education at the 
Odessa Reform School, where he spent four and a 
half years of his life and from which he graduated 
in 1868. The family then emigrated to America, 
settled in Clay County, Neb., in 1873, and 
William remained on the farm for five years. 
He then came to Sutton and for six years was en- 
gaged in the grain business, continuing until 
1885. In 1883, however, he engaged in the gen- 
eral merchandising business and continued the two 
until 1885, since which time he has been merchan- 
dising. His present business building was com- 
pleted in 1888, and is a brick, 100x24 feet, and 
one of the best- furnished stores in this part of Ne- 
braska. He is doing a good business. Mr. Griess 
is an uncompromising Republican, and in 1888 was 
elected a member of the county board. He is also 
a member of the Sutton council. . He was married 
in 1878 to Miss Kate Ochsner, a native of Russia, 
born in 1850, and to them have been born six chil 
dren : William F. , Lydia K. , Maggie S. , Mary A. , 
Leon K. and Frieda H. Mr. Griess is an old set- 
tler of Clay Cotinty, and one of its representative 
men. He and family are members of the German 
Reformed Church. He still owns the farm four 
miles north of Sutton, consisting of 560 acres of 
well-improved land. 

P. Griess, grain dealer, Sutton, Neb. No bet 
ter proof of the advancement of Clay County, and 
especially the town of Sutton, within the last ten 
years can be shown, than the dimensions which the 
grain traffic has assumed. One of the largest 
dealers and best-known business men of Sut- 
ton is P. Griess, who was born in Russia Feb- 






"® \ 



452 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ruary 14, 1851, and is the son of Henry and Mar- 
gai-etha (Roeiuniicli) Griess, both of whom were 
natives of Russia. P. Griess was the third of five 
living children, and was reared in Russia, attend- 
ing school at Odessa, where he remained four and 
a half years, and graduating from the school in 1868. 
He then came with his parents to the United States, 
settled in Clay County, Nel)., in 1873, and for twelve 
years was engaged in farming. Since then he has 
been inthegiain business, is the owner of two ele- 
vators in Sutton, and does all the grain business on 
the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad at this 
point. He is the owner of fiOO acres of land four 
and a half miles northwest of Sutton, and has it 
all well improved. He was married in 1870 to 
Miss Sophia Grosshans, a native also of Russia, 
born September 17, 1850, and the fruits of this 
union have been nine children: Theodore, Henry, 
John, William, Edward, Albert, Ferdinand, Lydia 
and Gustave M. In politics Mr. Griess is Demo- 
cratic, but cast his first presidential vote for 
R. B. Hayes. As a farmer Mr. Griess was 
one of the best in Clay County, and October 19, 
1885, he removed to the town of Sutton from his 
farm. In 1888 he was elected a member of the 
Sutton school board, and filled that position in a 
highly creditable manner. He is one of the old 
settlers of Clay County, and one of the leading 
citizens. He is a member of the German Reformed 
Church. 

Elias G. Groff, surveyor. Clay Center, Neb. 
Mr. Groff, who is the present able and eflicient 
incumbent of the office of county surveyor, was 
born in Lancaster County, Pa., on January 11, 
18'.28, and is one of the following children born to 
Mark S. and Nancy (Good) Groff: Elias G., Solo- 
mon G. (a resident of Lancaster County, Pa.), 
Marks G. (a resident of Hannibal, Mo.), Frances 
(wife of Christian S. Hoffman, Esq., of Lancaster 
County), John G. (deceased), Michael G. (resides 
in Lancaster County), Anna (deceased, who was 
the wife of Moyer Hoover, of Lancaster County), 
Catherine (wife of Lewis \Vingenroth, of the same 
county), and IClizabeth (wife of Mr. Aaron D. 
Christ, of Du Page County. 111.). The parents 
were both natives of Lancaster County, Pa., where 



they spent their entire lives, the father being a 
descendant of one of the earliest and most influ- 
ential families of that State and county. His 
ancestor, Hans Graaf, located in said county in 
1717, and was the first settler of Earl Township, 
which was so named in honor of him, and has 
since been divided into Earl. Earl East and Earl 
West. Elias G. Groff was reared to manhood in 
his native coiinty, secured an academic education, 
which he later im|)roved l)y attending the State 
Normal School and by private study during the 
thirteen years he taught school in his native 
county. He became proficient as a teacher, and 
was for three years principal of the public schools 
at New Holland in Lancaster County. He also 
studied civil engineering, which he followed, 
together with abstracting, settling of estates and 
conveyancing of real estate after his time of 
" pedagoguing," until he left for the West in 
1879. He came direct to this county, located upon 
a farm near Inland, whence, in 1882, upon his 
qualifications in civil engineering becoming known, 
he was appointed county surveyor to fill a vacancy 
then existing. The following year he was elected 
to this office, and has held that position contin- 
uously from that time to the present by re-election. 
It is needless to say he has discharged the duties in 
a highly efficient and capable manner. He was mar 
ried, March 1 1, 1858, to Miss Catherine A. Diffen- 
derffer, a native also of Lancaster County, Pa. , and 
a descendant, too. of one of the prominent pioneer 
families of that region. She died October 7, 1887, 
having borne him the following children: Anna 
Mary (wife of William H. Sheets, of Clay County), 
David D. (deceased), Frederick W. (deceased), 
Charles C. and Helen Amelia (the latter two now 
at home). Mr. Groff was oiiginally a Whig in 
politics, and was a warm advocate of the Union 
cause during the Lite war, holding a position in the 
United States revenue service soon after the Rebel 
lion. He has been a stanch Republican since the 
organization of the party, and has always taken an 
active interest in the welfare of his party both 
here and in his former home, where he also held 
for ten years the office of justice of the peace, 
school director for thirteen vears, and other local 



;r^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



453 



>> 
V 



offices of more or less importance. Socially he is 
a member of the Masonic P'raternity, the I. O. O. 
F., the K. of P., and is also a member of the 
Encampment. He was originallj' a member of the 
Reformed Church of the United States, and was 
closely identified in his former home with church \ 
and Sunday school work, having superintended the 
Sunday-school of his church for twenty two years, i 
Since his residence here he has affiliated with the 
Congregationalists, and is a consistent member and 
trustee of that religious body. 

Henry Grosshans, president of First National 
Bank, Sutton, Neb. In looking over a compara- 
tive statement of the institutions of a financial 
character doing business in this city, we tind them 
in comparison with the same class of organizations 
elsewhere, solvent, prosperous and useful in the 
highest degree. The First National Bank adds no 
little to this, and is one of the best and most sub- 
stantial of its kind in the State. The president of 
this bank, Mr. Grosshans, was born in Russia on 
March 13, 1859, and is the son of John and Chris- 
tina (Melhaffe) Grosshans, natives of Germany. 
The father's birth occurred in 1S20, and he is now 
a resident of Clay County, Neb. The mother died 
in Russia in 1863. Mr. Grosshans, the youngest 
of eight living children, came to the United States 
in 1873, and in the fall of that year settled in Clay 
County. He followed farming for two years, and 
after that was in the grain business for seven years. 
From that time up to 1889 he was in the agri- 
cultural implement business, and in November of 
that year he was elected president of the First 
National Bank, which position he is holding at the 
present time. In politics he is a Repul)lican, and 
in 1887 was elected mayor of Sutton, which posi 
tion he held for one year. He has always taken 
a deep interest in political affairs. In 1883 he was 
married to Miss Lizzie Zimbelman, a native of 
Russia, born in 1863, and they have two children: 
Henry J. and Herbert A. He and wife are mem- 
liers of the German Reformed Chiu-ch, and are 
highly respected residents of the coiinty, where 
they have made their home for the past sixteen 
years. 

I. M. Grulil), farmer and stock-raiser, Glenville, 



Neb. In the history of Inland Township, in its 
development, growth and continued advance to 
communities of wealth and influence in the county, 
I. M. Grubb has borne a prominent part. Born 
in McMinn County, Tenn., in 1839, he is the son 
of William and Mahala (Anderson) Grubb, natives 
of Tennessee aud Virginia, respectively. The 
! father followed farming in Tennessee in his younger 
days, and was married about 1823, first to a Miss 
Plank, who bore him six living children: John, 
Mary, James, Margaret, Elizabeth Ann and Sarah 
Emiline. The mother of these children died in 
1834, and his second marriage was to our subject's 
mother, in ]S3e"). To the last union were born five 
children: William L., Isaac M., Henry S., Peter J. 
and Allen W. The father died in Tennessee in 
1846, and the mother in 1887. The maternal 
grandparents of our subject, Abijah and Mary An- 
derson, were natives of Delaware. I. M. Grubb 
passed his boyhood days in McMinn County, Tenn., 
and started out for himself as a farmer in 1861. 
In 1862 he enlisted in Company B, Sixteenth Bat- 
talion Tennessee Cavalry, and was in the tight of 
Chiekamauga, also a numlier of skirmishes. He 
received his discharge in 1863, and afterward en- 
gaged in farming. In 1866 he emigrated to Henry 
County, Iowa, and was there married in the fol- 
lowing year to Miss Sarah M. Anderson, daughter 
of Peter aud Sarah Anderson, of Iowa. Mr. Grubb 
is a carpenler by trade, and while in Iowa worked 
at this with success, from 1866 to 1878, when he 
emigrated to Clay County, Neb. He bought H)(1 
acres of land, to which he has added, and now 
has 200 acres of excellent land. It was all prairie, 
but this he has improved, and is given a recog- 
nized position among the leading agriculturists of 
this township. In ]i()litics he is independent, and 
in all matters of education and progress he takes a 
warm interest. He reared three children, but only 
two are now living: Laura (died in 1873), Joseph 
P. (at home) and Frank A. (also at home). Mr. 
Grubb was justice of the peace in Inland Town- 
ship in 1880, and he has Ijeen a member of the 
school board in District No. 61. His wife is a 
member of the Baptist Church. 

Elmer E. Hairgrove, attorney, Sutton, Neb. 



1^ 



454 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



This proraincut momhor ni' tbo legal profession 
was born at Jacksonville, 111., on August 7, 1861, 
anil is tho son of William J. and Minerva J. 
(Whitlock) Hairgrove, the father born in Alabama 
in 1832 and the mother at Jacksonville, 111., in 
1S88. The father was a successful agriculturist, 
hut is now retired. Of the four children born to 
his marriage, Elmer E. is the yoimgest. He first 
attended the public schools of Jacksonville, and 
in 1882 graduated from Illinois College at that 
place. In 1884 he graduated from Drake Univer- 
sity at Des Moines, Iowa, law department, and 
afterward located for the active practice of his pro- 
fession at Waverly, 111., where he continued until 
March, 1888, when he came to Sutton. There, the 
May following, he was admitted to the Clay County 
bar. For two terms he was city attorney of 
Waverly, 111., and is a young man of unusual abil- 
ity and promise. He is doing a good business and 
is an energetic student. On December 11, 1884, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Gray, a 
native of Keokuk, Iowa, born on April 3, 1865, 
and to them has been born one child, Anna E. Mr. 
Hairgrove is a member of Sutton Lodge No. 75, 
K. of P., and he and Mrs Hairgrove are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

J. M. Halloran, grain and coal dealer. Inland, 
Neb. Among the enterprising business hoiises of 
this town, whose operations are worthy of record 
in a work of this kind, is that of Mr. J. M. Hallo- 
ran, dealer in grain and coal. This business was 
established here in 1887 by Mr. Halloran, and in 
it he has been very successful. This gentleman 
was born in La Salle County, near La Salle, 111., 
in 18')2. and is the eldest of live children, the re- 
sult of the union of Michael and Johanna (Don- 
ivan) Halloran. The father was born in Ireland, 
but about 185") he immigrated to this country and 
settled on a farm in La Salle County, 111., where 
he married Miss Johanna Douivan, who bore him 
these children: John M. , Mary, Nellie. Michael 
and Maggie. Later the father moved to Woodford 
County. 111., farmed there for a few j'ears, and 
came with his family to Adams County, Neb., set- 
tling on land purchased of the railroad company 
in 1878. He has become a large land holder and 



has over a thousand acres. He started to buy 
grain in a town (Halloran Station. Adams County, 
Neb.), named after himself, in 1884, and there he 
still resides, engaged in that business. In politics 
he is .strongly Democratic. In 1887 our snl>ject 
started in the grain business in Inland, Clay 
County, Neb., and has continued this successfully 
since. He also has a tract of land in Clay County, 
which he is actively engaged in improving. Like 
his father he is Democratic in his political princi- 
ples, and is interested in all matters relating to the 
good of the county. 

Nels Hanson, farmer and stock raiser, Sutton, 
Neb. In the history of Clay County, in its devel- 
opment, growth and continued advance to a com- 
munity of wealth and influence, Mr. Hanson has 
borne a prominent part. He is one of the sul)- 
stantial farmers, and the neatness and system dis- 
played in and about his farm indicate to a certainty 
the progressive and intelligent citizen that he is. 
He was bom in Denmark on October 25, 1850, an<l 
there received a good practical education in the 
common schools. He then beg'an tillinsr the soil, 
and this continued until 1872, when he emigrated 
to the United States, landing in New York, but 
locating a short time afterward in Madison County. 
111. After remaining there a short time he went to 
Du Page County, and after a residence there of 
four years, immigrated to Nebraska He purchased 
a claim, now his present home, and soon was ac- 
tively engaged in improving the same. In 1877 
he was married to Miss Cary Gormsen, a native of 
Denmark, and to them were born four children: 
Mary E., Hans M. , Willie and Dora. By careful 
management and economy Mr. Hanson has become 
the owner of 200 acres in this township and 
eighty acres in Sutton Township. He has his farm 
under fence, has a good liarn, good cattle sheds, 
wind-mill, granaries, and, in fact, has everything 
to contribute to comfort. Mr. Hanson is the son 
of Hans Nelson and Mary (Nelson) Hanson, natives 
also of Denmark. 

Albert Hardy, farmer and stock-raiser. Fair 
tield. Neb. Mr. Hardy, one of the enterprising 
and substantial farmer of the county, owes his 
nativity to Meigs County, Ohio, where his birth 



CLAY COUNTY. 



455 



occurred on July 2, 1846, and is the fifth child 
born to the union of Russell and Elizabeth (Smith) 
Hardy, natives of Ohio and Virginia, respectively. 
The father spent his school days in Ohio, and was 
a coal miner by occupation. When about twenty- 
three years of age he married Miss Smith, and to 
this union were born six chihlren, only two of 
whom are now living: John (of Athens County, 
Ohio) and Albert. The parents are still living, 
and make their home in Will County, 111. Albot 
Hardy started out in life for himself at about the age 
of twelve years by commencing to learn the black- 
smith's trade, but gave this up to join the army. 
He entered the United States service in 1862, in 
Company K, One Hundredth Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, and was in the following engagements: 
Mount Vernon, Stone River, Chickamauga, Mis 
sionary Ridge, Atlanta campaign, Franklin and 
Nashville. He was wounded in the right leg at 
Chickamauga, and was discharged at Chicago, 111., 
in 1865, after being in service two years, ten months 
and eleven days. At the close of the war he re- 
turned home, attended school for about a year, and 
then took up the occupation of a farmer in Wiscon- 
sin. He was married on August 2. 186S, to Miss 
Elizabeth Fishburn, daughter of John and Martha 
(Cox) Fishburn, who moved to Will County, 111., in 
1831, and Mrs. Fishburn was the tirst white woman 
to reside in Wilmington, 111. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Hardy were born two children : Otis (whose birth 
occiu-red on September 15, 1S73, named after Otis 
Hardy, of Joliet, 111.), and Cynthia Ella (born No- 
vember 13, 1875). Mr. Hardy came to Clay County, 
Neb., in the fall of 1871, and homesteaded his 
present farm. He is one of the early settlers, and 
has witnessed the development and growth of the 
country. He was very fond of hunting, and as 
game was abundant, kept his family for the first 
two years in meat. The main herd of buffaloes at 
that time was between the Little Blue and the Re- 
publican Rivers, during the winter of 1871 and 
1872. The last buffalo killed in Clay County was 
brought down in front of Mr. Hardy's house on 
April 30, 1874, and his front gate now marks the 
spot. Mr. Hardy is an active Prohibitionist in 
politics, and is a member of the G. A. 11. He is 



also a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and an 
active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
He organized the tirst Sunday-school in Clay 
County, December 10, 1871, and takes a deep in- 
terest in all church work. He likes Nebraska, and 
intends making that State his permanent home. 
He is raising Jersey cattle, Poland China hogs 
and a good grade of horses, and is one of the en 
terprising citizens of the county. 

William Harrison, farmer and stock-raiser, Ve- 
rona, Clay County, Neb. Mr. Harrison was origin- 
ally from England, whei'e his birth occurred on 
July 80, 1830, in Poulton Wilts, and is the second 
of seven children, four sons and three daughters 
born to the union of John and Ann (Ivey) Harri 
son, natives also of England. In 1854 our subject 
crossed the ocean, and settled in Caledonia, Racine 
County, Wis. , where he cultivated the soil until Sep- 
tember 1, 1864, when he enlisted in Company G, 
Forty-third Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers, un 
der Col. Asa Cobb, and operated principally in 
Tennessee. He was taken sick in Johnsonville, of 
that State, sent to the hospital at Nashville and 
later to Milwaukee, Wis., where he remained until 
the close of the war. In 1871, he took a contract 
for building bridges on the Chicago, Milwaukee 
& St. Paul Railroad, under Lindon, Lander & 
Shepherd, of Minneapolis, Minn., from 186U to 
1872. During that time he was treasurer of Cale- 
donia Township. At the expiration of that term 
Mr. Harrison went to Nebraska on a visit, but lik 
ing the country quite well, concluded to locate and 
homesteaded his present farm in 1873, on Section 
13, Town 6, Range 5 west. He was marrie<l on 
November 15, 1853, to Miss Ann Page, a native of 
Middlesex, England. She was born in 1829, being 
the oldest of eleven children, the result of the 
union of John and Ann (Fisher) Page. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Harrison were born eleven children, nine 
now living: John W., Elizabeth A. (wife of A. W. 
Hall), Richard Francis (deceased), Douglas L. , 
Elmer E., Ulysses G., Isaac H. (deceased), George. 
Page, Albert and Robert W. The first experience 
of Mr. Harrison in Nebraska was three days in a sod- 
house 8x10 feet, through a storm of snow and hail, 
then in 1875 he experienced the plague of grass - 







hoppers, in 1879 the drouf:;ht., and in ISSO aud 1881 
immense hail stones. During his residence here he 
has been township treasurer, school clerk of his 
district, justice of the peace and has held numerous 
other local offices. He is a Republican in politics. 
Himself and family are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and he is Sunday school super- 
intendent and steward. He has an excellent farm 
of 480 acres, and fine groves, orchard and substan- 
tial buildings. In 1885 he and his sons went to 
Dundy County and took up six timber claims and 
two homesteads, which they have since improved 
until they are now valuable farms. Mr. Harrison, 
in connection with his sons, has 1,840 acres of 
land. J. W., D. L., E. E., Grant and A. W. Hall 
are living on their places and Mr. Harrison in- 
tends following soon. During the fall and winter 
the boys ran a sheller and threshing machine and 
are watching every opportunity to l)etter their con- 
dition, but yet are not grasping. They assist in 
all laudable enterprises and extend a helping hand 
to their neighbors in distress. 

William A. Hart. On his present homestead 
of 360 acres, situated near Edgar, Mr. Hart and 
his family have been residing since 1880, and there 
he is giving considerable attention to the propaga 
tion of cattle, and ships about one car-load each 
year. He was born in Macoupin County, 111., Jan- 
uary 30, 1858, and is a son of Malachi and Elsie 
(Cox) Hart, the former born in Morgan County, 
111., and the latter in Indiana. Mr. Hart followed 
the occupation of farming until his death, Novem- 
ber 11, 1862. his wife surviving him at the present 
time, and residing in Sangamon County. William 
A. Hart remained with his mother until grown, 
receiving the most of his education and rearing in 
Sangamon County. At the age of twenty years he 
left his native State to come to Nebraska, aud settled 
in Clay Coanty, near the town of Edgar, purchasing 
and tilling a farm near the town, Imt afterward sold 
it and bought his pre.sent ])roperty in the year above 
named. His farm is situated three miles from 
Edgar and is one of the finest tracts of land for 
successful agricultiiral purposes in the county. It 
is all fenced and in a fair state of cultivation, and 
on it are erected a comfortable house and fair out- 



buildings. He has an ajiple and cherry orchard 
comprising about 100 trees, and is also engaged in 
raising soni(> small fruits, sufficient for home use. 
His marriage to Miss Ella Nail took place in Clay 
County, Neb., December 25, 1885, she being a na 
live of Morgan County, III, but reared and edu 
cated in Clay County. Her father, B. F. Nail, 
still resides in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Hart 
have thre(> children: Nola, Hazel and Earl. Mr. 
Hart and his wife are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and he belongs to the Farmers' 
Alliance, and is now acting as justice of the peace 
of Edgar Township. 

Moses Hartley, farmer. Harvard, Neb. This 
representative, substantial citizen of Clay County. 
Neb., was born in England, April '26. 1851, and is 
the son of Charles and Ann (Cluff) Hartley, with 
whom he came to America when but two years of 
age. The family settled in Stark County, 111., 
where our subject spent his early life on a farm, 
and there ho received his education. He was 
married February Tl, 1877, to Miss Anna Willett, 
a native of Stark County, 111., and the daughter of 
Hiram and Mary Willett. In 1880 Mr. Hartley 
emigrated to Nebraska, and first located in Leices- 
ter Township. Clay County, where he tilled the 
soil for six years. In 1887 he removed to Harvard 
and engaged in the livery business, condiicting a 
large barn in that city until March 1. 1890, having 
as a partner during the last year and a half James 
Burns. This barn is one of the largest and best 
equipped in Clay County, and was built and 
founded by Mr. Hartley. This gentleman now 
owns a section of land in Leicester Township, 
Clay County, and his attention is given strictly 
to its management. Mr. and Mrs Hartley have 
have had four children: Charles Willett (born Oc- 
tober 10, 1878), Leroy Earl (born October 27, 
1880), Cora Pearl (born June 25. 1883) and Grace 
(whose birth occurred October 31, 1885). Mr. 
Hartley is a member of the M. W. A., and in pol 
itics affiliates with the Democratic party. In all 
his operations he is meeting with substantial evi- 
dences of success, results which all concede that 
he deserves. 

M. L. Hartman. meat dealer. Harvard, Neb. 



•<j 'S y 




Among the go-abead meat markets in Harvard that 
of Mr. M. L. Hartman stands prominently in the 
foreground. He established his business in Har- 
vard in 1883, and has ever exhibited coui'tesy and 
fair dealing to all parties, which is the cause of his 
standing so well. Mr. Hartman was born in Han- 
cock County, Ohio, F'eliruary Ifi, 1854, and is the 
son of Amos and Eleanor (Trout) Hartman, the 
former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of 
Hancock County, Ohio. The parents are now re- 
siding in Boone County, Iowa, and of the family 
of children born to their union five are now living. 
M. L. Hartman left his native county when ten 
years of age and went with his parents to Moin- 
gona, Boone County, Iowa, where he received a 
good pulilic school education. In 1874 he went to 
California, but the following year returned to 
Boone County and there learned the butcher's 
trade, which he has followed chiefly ever since. 
About 1876 he engaged in the butcher's business 
for himself, and in September, 1882, he came to 
Neliraska. spending one year at Aurora. In the 
fall of 1883 he came to Harvard, where he has 
since lived, and here he has conducted a meat mar- 
ket ever since, with the exception of one year that 
be spent on a farm. He is now a member of the 
firm of Hartman & Ayton, and is doing a success- 
ful business. He was married September 5, 1876, 
to Miss Sai'ah Sims, a native of Jasper County, 
Iowa, born February 9, 1857, and the daughter of 
George and Elizabeth (Slater) Sims, natives of Eng- 
land, who were married in America. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hartman have three children: Clifford, Har- 
vey and Blanche. Mr. Hartman is a Republican 
in politics and takes a deep interest in that party. 
He owns two farms in Harvard Township, each of 
which contains 160 acres. He has made what he 
has by his own exertions, and is a tirstclass citizen. 
Michael Helmers, farmer and stock-raiser. Har- 
vard, Neb. A glance at the lives of many repre- 
sentative men whose names appear in this volume 
will reveal sketches of some honored, influential 
citizens, but none more worthy or deserving of 
mention than Michael Helmers. Mr. Helmers was 
born in Germany in 1844, received his education in 
the schools of that country, and in 1866 was mar- 



ried there to Miss Maggie Brandt, a daughter 
of Chris and Adelheit (Yungen) Brandt, the 
former of whom died in 1870, in Germany, and 
the latter in this country in 1886. Mr. Helmers 
emigrated to Illinois from the old country in 1870, 
settled in Tazewell County, at Washington, and 
there tilled the soil until 1874, when he moved to 
Chatsworth, Livingston County, and fi-om there to 
a farm near Strawn, in the same county. In 1882 
he came to Nebraska, settled near Tracy, Clay 
County, and in 1885 came to his present farm, 
which consists of 200 acres of improved land. 
Since then he has tilled the soil and has been act- 
ively engaged in raising a good breed of cattle, 
hogs, sheep and horses. He has been quite suc- 
cessful since coming to Nebraska, and with his sub- 
stantial buildings, good orchard, etc.. is now pre- 
pared to enjoy life. To his marriage have been 
born eight children (four sons and two daughters 
are living): Jessie (born in 1867 and died at the 
age of four weeks), Christopher (born July 23, 
1867), Michael (born July 22, 1869). Mary (born 
June 28, 1871), Jessie (born September 1. 1872), 
John (born December 28, 1873), Peter (born March 
28, 1874) and Lena (born December 23, 1875). 
Mr. Helmers' parents, Michael and Jessie (Cli) 
Helmers, were natives of Germany, and were mar- 
ried in that country. There the mother died in 
1858 and the father in 1886. 

Albert Herrick is a successful merchant and 
liveryman of Ong. Clay County, and his fame 
as a business man is co-extensive with the county 
and surrounding country. He was born in Mil- 
waukee, Wis., June 16, 1837, and is a son of Aug- 
ust Herrick, who was born in Berlin, Germany, 
and was married there. They came to the United 
States about 1830, and settled in Milwaukee, but 
the mother's death occurred when her son, Albert, 
was but an infant. Albert Herrick resided in Mil- 
waukee and Racine, Wis., until he was about nine 
teen years of age, then went to Ogle County, 111., 
and from there enlisted on Augiist 9. 1862, in 
Company H, Ninety second Illinois, and served 
until he received his discharge in July, 1865. He 
participated in the battles of Cbickamauga, Keue- 
saw Mountain, the liattles in and around the siece 



■ -^ fv" 



2iJ: 




of AtlantH, and was in all the engagemonts m 
which Sherman participatod ou his lueniorable 
march to the sea. After receiving his discharge in 
North (!aroliiia, ho returiiod to Oglo County, 111., 
and ro.sided there until tlie fall of that year, when 
he removed to Boone County, Iowa, and was there 
married. May 15, 1807, to Miss Mary J. McMillan, 
a native uf Pennsylvania, being there reared and 
educated. After farming in this State for two 
years, Mr. Herriek engaged in timber contracting 
for a railroad, and after following this business for 
a year, he moved to Madi.son County, Iowa, and 
resumed his farming operations. In 1871 he 
moved to Nebraska and settled in Clay County, 
taking up a homestead in Sutton Precinct, and here 
imjn-oved an excellent farm of 160 acres. It is 
furnished with fair buildings, a good young or- 
chard, and is situated about two and a half miles 
from Sutton. In September, 1886, Mr. Herriek 
rented his farm and moved to Ong, where he first 
engaged in the livery Irasiness in the summer of 
188'.), also opening a grocery establishment on a 
smaller scale. He is doing a fair business, and 
has built up a reputation which goes far toward 
making him successful. He also owns considera- 
ble town property besides his farm, and has now a 
comfortable competency which he has gained 
through his own exertions. He is a Repul)lican in 
politics, and although he does not aspire to posi- 
tions of honor and trust, yet for six years he has 
been treasurer of his school district. No. 18, Sut- 
ton Township. He belongs to Sutton Po.st No. 19, 
G. A. R. He and wife are the parents of the 
following children: John, Emma, Lillie, Amelia, 
Anna, Charles, Mary, William and Albert. Mrs. 
Herriek and her daughters, Emma and Lillie, are 
members of the Presbyterian Church. 

George A. Herzog, real-estate dealer. Harvard, 
Neb. The steady growth of Harvard and the 
rapid increase in population in the county have 
opened up a wide and important iield of enter- 
prise in the line of real estate. Many prominent 
citizens of Harvard are engaged in this business. 
Among those well known in this line, and whom 
familiarity with the city and experience in these 
transactions have fitted so eminently for the bus- 



iness, is Mr. George A. Herzog. He was born in 
Bavaria, Germany, on August 12, 18")l), was reared 
on a farm, and when sixteen years of age came to 
America. From 1867 until 1874 he resided near 
Buffalo, N. Y., where he was employed on a farm, 
and in the fall of the last named year he came to 
Clay County, Neb. Here he took an eighty acre 
homestead in Leicester Township, tilled the soil 
on this until 1883, when he moved to Harvard. 
Here he was employed by an implement dealer for 
one year, and after that he was engaged in the in- 
surance business, which he has followed ever since, 
having at the present time a tirst class line of com- 
panies. After he had been in the insurance bus- 
iness a year he added to it a real-estate business, 
and has since conducted the two together very 
successfully. His marriage was celebrated on 
October 7, 1877, to Miss Emma Parks, a native 
of Benton Harbor. Mich., she being the tirst white 
child born in that place, and the daughter of 
David B. and Alsoua (Aldrich) Parks. Mr. and 
Mrs. Herzog are the ]iarents of live children, as 
follows: Frank H., Arthur M., William H., Anna 
V. and Raymond H. , of whom the first two are 
deceased. Mr. Herzog is a member of the Ger 
man Reformed Church and the M. W. A. In pol- 
itics he is Democratic and has been a member of 
the board of aldermen at Harvard for two years, 
being at present a member of the board. He still 
owns his old homestead in Leicester Township, 
and besides a good property in Harvard. He is a 
man of strict integrity and inflexible honesty, and 
is strictly reliable in all his dealings. He is now 
the owner of 5'20 acres of land, all in Clay County 
except 120 acres in Hamilton C!ounty. He com- 
menced with nothing and has made all his prop- 
erty by industry and good business tact. He was 
one of thirteen children, all of whom are living, 
the youngest being twenty-four years of age, born 
to the union of George A. and Margaret (Rife) 
Herzog, both of w-hom still reside in Bavaria. 
Twelve of the children now reside in America. 

Edmond Taylor Heuston was born in Jefferson 
County, Iowa, October 17, 1847, and is the fifth of 
eleven children born to Richard C. and Emma 
(Hull) Heuston, the former liorii in Mount Holly, 



■S fc_ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



^ ® 



459 



K^ 



\ 



N. J., in 1817, and the latter in Newark, Ohio, in 
IS'22. The father was a farmer and stoek-raiser, 
and in 1841 moved to Iowa, where he spent the 
remainder of his days, dying in 1859. In 1885 
his widow with her family moved to Washington 
Territory, and are there now living. Edmund T. 
Heustou remained at home, assisting his mother in 
the care of the home farm until 1873, when he 
emigrated to Clay County, Neb., where he entered 
his present farm as a timber claim, but not having 
success in starting his trees growing he gave it up 
as a tree claim and homesteaded it. He attended 
th^ district school near his home in Iowa, and was 
a student at the Axline Academy two terms. He 
was married, in 1875, to Helen S. Ingham, daugh- 
ter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Hyde) Ingham, of 
Washington County, Iowa. She was born Janit 
ary 28, 1851. Her union with Mr. Heuston re 
suited in the birth of seven children, six of whom 
are now living. Mr. Heuston is an active worker 
in the Republican party, has been a delegate to 
different conventions, and a member of the county 
central committee. In the fall of 1888 he was 
nominated and elected the first supervisor of his 
township, the county having just adopted the 
system of township organization. He is a member 
of the Farmers' Alliance, and by his energy and 
enterprise has earned his presept property. 

Stephen A. D. Hinton, proprietor of the Com- 
mercial Hotel, Clay Center, Neb. This is one of 
the most comfortable hotels in the city, whose 
host, by able management, has secured a vastly in- 
creasing patronage, and contributes much to the 
house's desirability as a home for the traveling 
public. Mr. Hinton was born on March 13, 1860, 
in Shelby County, 111., and is the son of John and 
Ellen (A\hittington) Hinton. Stephen A. D. Hin- 
ton was reared to years of discretion in his native 
count}', and received excellent educational advan- 
tages. He first attended the common schools, then 
the State Normal School, at Valparaiso, Ind , and a 
business college at Jacksonville. 111. He afterward 
engaged in merchandising with his father- in his na 
tive county, but in 1887 he came to Nebraska and lo- 
cated at Hastings, where he was engaged in abstract 
business. In March, 1888, he came to Clay Cen- 



ter, where he has since conducted the hotel business 
and has also been an assistant in the county clerk's 
office. On March 13, 1884, his marriage with 
Miss Flora Shinkle was consummated, and the re- 
sult of this union has been two children: Sarah 
Gertrude and Sylvia. In his political principles 
Mr. Hinton is Democratic. He is a member of the 
K. of P. and A, O. U. W. 

Benjamin F. Hockett, farmer and stock raiser. 
Harvard, Neb. In his farming operations in this 
county Mr. Hockett has pursued the same progres 
sive and enterprising principles which have char 
acterized his ancestors for many generations. He 
is a native of Guilford County, N. C, born January 
13, 1829, and is the son of Samuel and Edith (Ves- 
tal) Hockett, natives of North Carolina, the father 
born about 1790, and the mother in 1800. In the 
spring of 1833 the parents removed to Morgan 
County, Ind., and there passed the closing scenes 
of their lives. Benjamin F. Hockett left Indiana 
in 1851, went to Indianola, Iowa, and there re- 
sided until April, 1852, when he was taken with the 
gold fever and crossed the plains to Northern Cal- 
ifornia. He followed mining for about eighteen 
years, made considerable money, and on April Ifi, 
1870, he returned to the East and settled in Dps 
Moines, Iowa. He sold his mining interests atul 
returned to Indiana, where he remained but a 
short time, and then again located in Iowa. In 
1871 he came to Clay County, Neb., took a claim 
on the northwest quarter of Section 2, Township 
7, Range 7 west, and there he has since resided. 
He has a fine farm of 160 acres, and has it well 
stocked with sixteen horses, seventy head of cattle 
and sixty hogs. He has a good young orchard 
and plenty of forest trees. In 1874 he was mar 
ried to Miss Mary Eller, who was born in 1850. 
and who was the third in a family of ten children 
born to William and Catherine (Parnell) Eller, na- 
tives of North Carolina. To Mr. and Mrs. Hock 
ett have been born ten children, eight of whom 
are still living: Edith M. (born February 19, 1875), 
Samuel W. (born November 2, 1876), Martha C. 
(born July 31, 1877). Ida B. (born Novemlier Id. 
1879, and died August 22, 1882), Cora E. (born 
February 12, 1880), Robert V. (born June 29,1882), 






4. 



460 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Alien (bora Novemhor 23, 1883, and died October 
VI, 1884), Homer (bom April 23, 188")), Ralph 
(born January 21, .1887) and Nellie (born Novem- 
ber 23, 1889). Mr. Hocketi is a motnber of the I. 
O. O. F., Lodge No. 70, at Harvard, Neb., and 
until 185(5 was a member of the Whig party, since 
which time he has affiliated with the Republicans. 
He is at i)resent serving his fourth term as consta- 
ble of Linn Township. Mr. Hockett is a grand- 
son of the celebrated Nalan Hockett of North Car- 
olina, who was the minister of the Society of 
Friends, noted throughout the States for his brill- 
iancy. 

John L. Hodges is a successful farmer and 
stockman of Clay County, and has continued to 
" pursue the even tenor of his way" until he is 
now one of the wealthy men of the county. He 
was born in Macoupin County, 111., August 6, 
1836, being a son of Daniel L. and Caroline 
(Blake) Hodges, who were born in Missouri and 
New Jersey, respectively, but Ijoth were reared in 
Illinois, and were there also married. Mr. Hodges 
was one of the early settlers of the State, and 
made his home there up to 1873, at which time he 
moved to Nebraska and settled on land in Clay 
County, on which a portion of the town of Edgar 
is now situated. Here he made his home until hj« 
death, which occurred in January. 1877, his first 
wife having died in Illinois. His second union 
took place about 1847. John L. Hodges is the 
second of two sons, and remained with his father 
until he attained his majority. He engaged in 
farming for himself in Macoupin County, and 
from there enlisted in May, 1864, in the One 
Hundred and Thirty-third Illinois Infantry for the 
1 00-day s' service, and was engaged in guarding 
prisoners at Rock Island, 111., until his term of 
service had expired. In 1878 he purchased the 
place on which he is now living, which consisted of 
160 acres of land, and on this farm he located 
with his family in 1884. His land is fertile and in 
an excellent state of cultivation, and on it are a 
good residence, substantial out buildings and an 
excellent young orchard, which is just beginning 
to bear. He is quite extensively engaged in stock 
dealing and breeding, and he is the owner of some 



exceptionally tine thoroughbred Short-horn cattle 
and Toland-China hogs. He contemplates engag- 
ing in the breeding of red-polled cattle, which he 
considers superior to other tine breeds both as far 
as the milk is concerned and for beef. They are 
very hardy and good grazers. While a resi- 
dent of Macoupin County, 111., he was married 
March 26, 1S.'')7. to Jemima Rice, a daughter of 
Jasper Rice. Mrs. Hodges was born, reared and 
educated in Illinois, and for some time followed 
the occupation of school teaching there. She and 
Mr. Hodges are the parents of three children: 
Edgar A. (who is married and resides in Clay 
County, Neb. ). Charles (who is a young man and 
still resides at home), and Lam-a Mary (who is 
also at home and is engaged in teaching music). 
The family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
of which Mr. and Mrs. Hodges are members, and 
he is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, being 
president of the local alliance and vice president 
of the county alliance. He is a substantial farmer 
of the connty, and in every respect deserves the 
success which has attended his efforts. 

Edgar A. Hodges. One of the neatest, most 
home-like and best-managed places in Clay County, 
Neb., is that owned by Mr. Hodges, comprising 
160 acres of land, nearly all of which is enclosed 
by a good hedge fence. He was born in Macoupin 
Count v. 111., November 24, 1860, and is a sou of 
J. L. Hodges, whose sketch precedes this. He 
grew to manhood on his father's farm in Illinois 
and received the advantages of the common 
schools, but at the age of twenty-one years began 
the battle of life for himself, and was married on 
his birthday, November 24, 1881, to Miss Emma 
Henderson, a daughter of D. M. Henderson. Mrs. 
Hodges was liorn in Greene County, but was reared, 
educated and married in Macoupin County, the 
latter county being hers and her husband's home 
for three years after the celebration of their mar- 
riage. In the fall of 1884 they moved to Nebraska 
and purchased their present property in Clay 
County, which he has since put in excellent farm 
ing condition. He has a fair house, and barns, 
etc. , a good grove on the north, and an excellent 
bearing ore^hard of about 250 trees, consisting of 



■4 ' »— 



CLAY COUNTY. 



461 



select varieties of apple, cherry, peach and plum 
trees. He also raises a quantity of small fruit, 
and expects to make a speciality of the fruit busi- 
ness. He gives considerable attention to the rais- 
ing of fine stock, and keeps tv?o fine horses for 
breeding purposes, one of the Black Hawk Morgan 
breed, and the other a Hambletonian, both of high 
grade. He also has a number of thoroughbred 
Poland China hogs, and his position relating to 
stock matters is conceded to be among the foremost 
in this portion of the State. He has always affil- 
iated with the Republican party, and in the fall 
of 1889 was elected constable of his township, 
and is still ably serving in that capacity. He is 
a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and is ser- 
geantat-arms in his lodge. He and wife have two 
children, Jessie and Lawrence Earl. 

Frederick J. Hoerger, hardware merchant, Sut- 
ton, Neb. No better proof of the advancement 
of Sutton within the last ten years can be .shown, 
than the dimensions which the hardware trade has 
assumed. Among others, one of the largest is the 
well known house of Frederick J. Hoerger, which 
was estalilished in 1877. Mr. Hoerger owes his 
nativity to Holmes County, Ohio, where his birth 
occurred on January 17, 1852, and is the son of 
Henry and Catherine (Schmidt) Hoerger, natives 
of Germany. The father was born on January 
12, 1815, and died in Holmes County, Ohio, on 
January 19, 1881. He came to the United States 
in 1833, and one year later settled in Holmes 
County, Ohio. The mother was born on October 
26, 1818, and came to the United States in 1835. 
She is now residing on the old Ohio homestead. 
Of the nine children born to their union Frederick 
J. is the sixth in order of birth, and six are now 
living. Frederick J. Hoerger was reared to farm 
life, and received his education in his native State. 
At the age of seventeen years he began learning 
the wagon-maker's trade at Winesburg, Ohio, and 
followed this in Ohio until 1875, after which 
he emigrated to Nebraska, settled iu Sutton, Clay 
County, and there he has .since remained. For 
two years after coming here he followed his trade, 
and in 1877 engaged in the implement business, 
which he continued until 1881, though previous to 



this, in 1879, he was in the hardware busine.ss, 
and since 1881 he has given his entire attention 
to the same. He carries a complete stock and is 
doing a good business. He was married in 1878 
to Miss Catharine Scheufler, a native of the Buck- 
eye State, born October 26, 1854, and the fruits 
of this union have been three children: Mabel L., 
Minnie V. and William F. Mr. Hoerger is a 
Democrat in politics, and cast his first presidential 
vote for Samuel J. Tilden. He is a member of 
both the Masonic and Odd Fellow lodges, and was 
for five years a member of the Sutton council. He 
is one of the representative business men of Clay 
County, and is a much-esteemed citizen. He and 
wife are members of the Lutheran Church. He 
is chairman of the Clay County Democratic Cen- 
tral Committee, and is a stock holder and vice- 
president of the Sutton Exchange Bank. He was 
one of the originators of the Sutton Creamery, 
which was established in 1883, and which, in 1889, 
made 368,893 pounds of butter. 

Charles Hoevet. Mr. Hoevet was l)orn in 
Mecklenburg- Schwerin, Germany, on June 3, 
1832, being a son of William and Fretlerica (Smith) 
Hoevet, both of whom were born in Germany, and 
there resided until their death. The father was 
born on November 14, 1779, and died September 
13, 1832, the grandfather's birth occurring in 1736. 
and his death in 1808. Mr. Hoevet is in possession 
of the genealogy of his family, which traces it back 
to the year 1139. and many members of the family 
were men of prominence. Charles Hoevet is the 
youngest of nine children, of whom four are still 
living: William, George, August and himself. Af 
ter serving an apprenticeship of four years in the 
mercantile business, Mr. Hoevet emigrated to this 
country, arriving here in June, 1852, and chose 
farming for his calling; he staid a few years in 
Indiana, then located iu Kankakee County, 111., 
where he made his home until the spring of 1880, 
when he came to Nebraska and settled on the 
farm he now occupies. His marriage to Miss 
Elizabeth Ritter took place in 1859, she being the 
daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Hamman) Ritter, 
who were born in Ohio. Nine children were born 
to Mr. aud Mrs. Hoevet, of whom seven are livinir 



402 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ill iirosent: Louis, Charles, Delia, Otto, Edward, 
AUhtI hikI Floyd. Mr. Hoovt't has been a Repub- 
lican in politics since the organization of the Re: 
publican party, has held offices of trust in Illinois, 
and is at [)n<sont a niomher of the county board of 
Clay County. 

A. J. Hull, farmer and stock raiser, Sprinj^ 
Kanche, Neb. In Peinisylvania, in the year 1S;52, 
theie was born to Francis and I'olly (Lee) Hull a 
son, who is now taken as the snl)ject of this 
sketch. The parents were both natives of the 
Keystone State, and tht> father was a sailor by 
occupation, first mate of tlu' steamer "Madison," 
running between Buffalo and Chicago. He re- 
ceived a fair education in the common schools, 
learning the miller's tiade, which he followed in 
Cattiwaugiis CouQty, N. Y.. ixntil 1837, when he 
wont on the lake as a sailor. He went to California 
in 184'J, embarked in the fur business, and was 
killed by a grizzly boar in 1857. A. J. Hull came 
to La Salle County, 111., when seven years of age, 
and, as his mother was deceased, he lived with an 
uncle, receiving his education in the common 
schools. Subsequently he learned the trade of 
plasterer or stucco workman, and began working for 
himself at the age of fifteen years. He followed 
his trade in connection with contracting and build- 
ing, at different j)laces, initil 1862, and in that 
year he entered the United States service, in the 
Seventy fourth Indiana Infantry, and participated 
in the l)attles of Perry ville, Hoover's Gap, Chicka- 
mauga. Missionary Ridge, and numerous other 
minor engagements. He lost the hearing in his 
right ear at Chickamauga, and was discharged at 
Louisville, Ky., in 18(35, after being in service for 
three years. Mr. Hull was married in 1867 to Mrs. 
Susan Hill McCagg, of Orland, Steuben County, 
Ind., and by this union became the father of two 
children: Eugene and Frank. He lost his wife in 
Clay County, Neb., in 1875, and was married the 
second time, in 1877, to Miss Margaret Anderson, 
the daughter of James and Nancy (Laugly ) Ander- 
son, natives of Erie County, Pa. Mr. Hull came 
to Clay County, Neb., in 1871, homesteaded a 
farm, and was among the first settlers of that 
county. In 1877 he purchased his present home, 



the north half of the northwest quarter of Section 
8-5-8, Spring Ranche Township, Clay County, 
Neb. In 1881 he had charge of the mason work 
of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in Colorado, 
: for one year, after which he was in the Elk Mouu 
tain range mines for five years, and was also 
superintendent of the Menominee Gold & Silver 
Mining Company. When Mr. Hull first settled in 
Nebraska game was plentiful, and he spent a great 
deal of his time in hunting, of which employment 
he was very fond. He has seen the full develop- 
ment of the country' to its present prosperous con- 
dition, and is one of the energetic and successful 
citizens of Clay County. He takes an active inter- 
est in politics, and votes the Republican ticket. He 
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Josiah N. Hursh, county superintendent of 
schools, Clay Center, Neb. This prominent and 
enterprising citizen owes his nativity to Franklin 
County, Pa., where his birth occurred on Novem- 
ber 24, 1852, and his parents, John and Cath- 
erine (Niswander) Hursh, were natives of the same 
State and of German descent. The father died in 
1855, and the mother and family emigrated to Illi- 
nois in 1870. Here Josiah N. attended the Wes- 
leyan and State Normal Universities, and later 
followed teaching in that State. In 1884 he came 
to Clay County, Neb., took charge of the Fairfield 
schools, and there continued until the fall of 1887, 
when he was elected county superintendent. So 
great was his popularity, and so well did he fill 
this position, that he was re-elected in the fall of 
1889. He studied law while in Illinois, and the 
same characteristics which marked his progress in 
the school room, were prominent in his legal stud- 
ies, and after a thorough course of instruction he 
was admitted to the liar in that State. At present 
he is a member of the bar in Clay Center, and is a 
man of judgment and unusual ability. In October, 
1887, he married Miss Nellie H. Loomis, a native 
of Lee County, Iowa. Prof. Hursh is a Republi- 
can in ]iolitics and a strong adlierent to that party. 
Socially he is a member of the A. F. & A. M., the 
I. O. O. F., and belongs to the Modern Wood- 
men of America. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



463 



George Huttou, farmer and stockman, Harvard, 
Neb. Mr. Hutton, one of the most successful and 
enterprising farmers and stock-raisers of the coun- 
ty, was born at Sterling, Whiteside County, 111., in 
1850, and is the second of six children, the result 
of the union of George and Louisa (Davis) Hutton, 
natives of Kentucky, the former born in 1823 and 
the son oi Spencer Hutton. George Hutton passed 
his youthful days in his native State, and when 
twenty one years of age went to Whiteside County, 
111., settled at Sterling, and there engaged at 
brick laying and also followed milling. He mar- 
ried our subject's mother in Kentucky about 1842, 
and reared a family of six children: Ann, George, 
Mary, Spencer, Cordelia and Stephen. The mother 
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
and died July 18, 1861. The father enlisted in 
the army at Sterling in 1862, and was a brave and 
fearless soldier. He is still living and makes his 
home in Sterling, HI. George Hutton passed his 
boyhood days in Whiteside County, III., and at- 
tended school at Sterling, where he received a 
good, practical education. He started out for 
himself at the early age of thirteen and first worked 
on a farm. In 1873 he married Miss Margaret 
Lyle, a native of Ogle County, 111., born in 1844, 
and the daughter of James and Agnes (Allison) 
Lyle, natives of Scotland, the father born in 1811 
and the mother in 1812. Her parents came to the 
United States at an early day and died in Illinois 
in 1866 and 1875, respectively. Mr. Hutton en- 
gaged in farming in Whiteside County, 111., in 
1875, and three years later emigrated to Clay 
County, Neb., where he now resides. He pur- 
chased 160 acres of the Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad Company and there resided until 1881, 
when he returned to Illinois and settled at Rock 
Falls, where he worked in a machine shop. In 1886 
he came back to Nebraska and settled again on 
this farm, where he is at present engaged in farm- 
ing and stock raising. He has a fine farm, good 
orchard and grove and is comfortably fixed. His 
wife is a member of the Methodist Ei)iscopal 
Church and is much respected by all. Mr. Hutton 
has been a member of the school l)oard in District 
No. 37, is interested in schools and churches, and 



all things for the good of the county. He is a 
member of the Farmers' Alliance, and in his polit- 
ical views affiliates with the Democratic party. To 
his marriage were born the following children: 
Annie L. (born November 27, 1873), George E. 
(born March 16, 1875), Janette L. (born July 31. 
1876), Charles R. (born Octol>er 30, 187U), Mary F. 
(born September 3, 1881), and Agnes J. (born 
March 22. 1887). 

John W. UifF, farmer and stock-raiser of Eldo- 
rado Township. Clay County. Mr. IlifF is one of 
many young men who came to this coanty while 
comparatively in its infancy, and by their energy, 
pluck and enterprise have established for themselves 
and families good homes. He was born in Hunt- 
erdon County, N. J., March 30, 1852, the third in 
a family of seven children born to the union of 
Alpheus and Mary E. (Philhower) IlifF. His father 
was a native of New Jersey, born August 15, 1828, 
attending school and learning the blacksmith's 
trade in his native State. He married at about the 
age of twenty three years. He enlisted in the 
United States service in July, 1862, in Company E, 
New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, and participated 
in the battles of Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Bull 
Run, and skirmishes and battles of lesser import- 
ance. He was captured at the battle of the Wil 
derness while on detached duty, and was compelled 
to spend seven months in Andersonville Prison. 
In August, 1863, he was honoraljly discharged, 
after having served three years. He is still living 
on a farm near Pottersville. The subject of this 
sketch spent his school days in New Jersey, and at 
the age of eighteen began life for himself as a farm 
hand. In 1877 he went to Bureau County, 111., 
and worked on a farm for about seven years, when 
he removed to Clay County, Nel)., and engaged in 
farming on a farm which he bought in 1882, con- 
sisting of 160 acres of land, which he has since 
improved with a good, comfortal)le dwelling, barn, 
outbuildings, fences, etc., and by planting fruit 
and forest trees. He was married, in 1885, to Miss 
Barbara Osborn, daughter of Wesley and Sarah 
(Barnet) Osborn, natives of Pennsylvania, and by 
this union has one child, Fermin H. Mr. Uiff has 
been exceedingly successful since coming to Ne- 



M 



404 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



braska, ami is well satisfied tu iiuiko his pormaueut 
homo iu this State. He is a member of the Farm- 
ers' Alliance, and is the present supervisor of El- 
dorado Towuship. He is a llepublican in his po- 
litical views, and takes an active interest in politics, 
as he does in all pul)lic i'nt(»rprises. 

Ira B. Iliff, a well-known farmer of Clay Coun- 
ty, Neb., owes his nativity to that land of progres- 
sive farmers — Iowa — his birth occurrinjr in Fayette 
County on June 10, 185(5. He is a son of Benja- 
min and Hannah (Kirkpatrick) Iliff, natives of 
Ohio and Indiana, respectively. Ira B. Iliff was 
reared and educated in his native State and county, 
and in the month of May, 1872, came to Clay Coun- 
ty, Neb., and purchased the farm where he now re- 
sides of the Burlington & Missouri Kiver Railroad. 
He has been a successful farmer and stockman ever 
since, and he fully deserves the success which has 
attended his efforts, for he has spared neither time 
nor energy in the acquirement of his jiresent pos- 
sessions. He has proved a vahialile citizen to the 
county, and has always contributed liberally of his 
means iu the support of worthy enterprises. He 
is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and in his 
political views is a Prohibitionist. His worthy 
wife, before her marriage, was Miss Laura Han- 
cock, who was bom in Taylor County, Iowa, and 
is a daughter of A. A. Hancock, who resides in 
Lone Tree Township, Clay County, Neb. Mr. and 
Mrs. Iliff are the parents of two children, Winfred 
and Clarence, and are members of the United 
Brethren Church, enjoying the respect and es- 
teem of all who know them. 

George F. Iliff, like his brother, whose sketch 
immediately precedes this, was born in Fayette 
County, Iowa, January 20, 1852, and in his youth 
was brought up to learn the details of farm work. 
iVfter attending the common schools until he had 
acquired a fair education he entered Western Col- 
lege, Iowa, in which institution he was an earnest 
and hard working student for some time. Since 
October, 1873, he has Ix-eii a resident of Clay 
County, Neb., and almost iminediatoly became the 
owner of his present excellent farm, and here he is 
now giving his attention to tilling the soil and rais- 
ing stock, his enterprises meeting with excellent 



results, as they fully deserve to do. In addition to 
his homestead farm he owns an adjoining eighty 
acres on Section 1, in Glenville Township. Janu- 
ary 2, 1870, he was married to Miss Maggie J. Kin- 
caid, a native of Fayette County, Iowa, and their 
union has resulted in the birth of live children: 
Amy, Fannie, lleid K. , Grace and liuth. Although 
formerly a Repul)lican in politics Mr. Iliff is now 
a Prohibitionist, and socially belongs to the Farm 
ers' Alliance. He and his family worship in the 
Methodist Episcopal Church and are considered 
useful and valuable citizens. 

Luther H. lugersoU is possessed of advanced 
ideas and progressive principles regarding agri- 
cultural life, and being industrious and a shrewd 
manager he is now one of the well-to-do farmers 
and stockmen of Lone Tree Township. His birth 
occurred in Fayette County, Iowa, February 25, 
1850, and he is a son of Franklin F. and Frances 
A. (Risley) Ingersoll, who were born in the State 
of New York and are energetic tillers of the soil. 
Luther H. Ingersoll was reared to manhood in his 
native State and secured a good education in the 
common schools and in Iowa College, at Grinnell, 
Iowa, and afterwai'd followed the occupation of 
school -teaching oft' and on, until 1880, at the same 
time being engaged in farming and stock raising. 
In the fall of 1882 he came to Nebraska and lo- 
cated in Hamilton County, but in March, 1888, he 
came to Clay County, and purchased the property 
where he now lives and where he has since been 
engaged in farming. His estate comprises 220 
acres, 80 acres in Section 19, and 140 acres in 
Section 8. To his wife, formerly Mrs. Jane B. 
(Crnickshank) Wel)ber, he was married December 
31, 1885, she being a native of Scotland. She 
and Mr. Inger.soll have one son, Charles H., and 
by her former husband, John A. Webber (de- 
ceased), she had the following family: Mary A. 
and Jessie M. Mr. Ingersoll is a Prohibitionist in 
his ]jolitical views, is a member of the district 
school board and the Farmers' Alliance, and he 
and Mrs. Ingersoll are members of the United 
Brethren Church. 

A. G. Jacobs is a contractor and builder and 
farmer of ('lav County. Neb., his farm, which now 



'I ^" 



"* — J- 



At^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



465 



comprises eighty (although he formerly owned 320) 
acres, being situatotl in Edgar Township. He was 
born in Ashtabula County. Ohio, October 11, 1834. 
and is a son of Aaron and Lucy (Trask) Jacobs, 
the former a native of Vermont and the latter of 
Ohio. They were married in the last-named State, 
and lie followed contracting and building in Ashta- 
bula and Trumbull Counties until his death, which 
occurred in August, 1864, his wife surviving him 
until 1883. A family of five sons and three 
daughters were given to them, and all grew to 
mature years and became the heads of families, 
and all are now living with the exception of one 
son and one daughter. A. G. Jacobs is the 
youngest of this family, and in youth, under his 
father's instruction, he learned the car])enter's 
tr"ade, at which he worked until the opening of the 
war. November 17, 1862, he enlisted in Company 
B, Sixth Ohio Cavalry, as a private, but was after- 
ward promoted to the position of sergeant and 
served until discharged in July, 1865, taking part 
in the engagements at Gettysburg, Wilderness, 
around Petersburg, Fort Stephenson, Hagerstown, 
South Mountain, Antietam Creek, Cold Harbor 
and Apjiomattox, being in all in sixty-seven en- 
gagements, both great and small. After the war 
he returned to Ashtabula County and engaged in 
farming and carpentering once more, and in his 
native State made his home until 1871, when he 
came West as far as Missouri, but after spending 
one year in Andrew County he came to Nebraska 
and entered the land on which he now resides, 
which then consisted of 320 acres. His buildings 
are all in good repair, and he has a tine fruit 
orchard and took eight premiums at the Harvest 
Home in 1889. In connection with farming he 
has followed contracting and building since locating 
here, and has built many houses, barns and other 
Iniildings in Clay County. While still a resident 
of Ohio he was married, December 30, 1855, to 
Frances M. , the daughter of Chauucey Chapman. 
She was born in New York, but was reared in 
Portage County, Ohio, and her union with Mr. 
Jacobs has resulted in the birth of five children: 
Charles H. (who is married and resides in Kansas), 
Ida (wife of Stephen Northrop), N. E. and Lulie 



A. (wife of J. D. Smith). Another child died in 
infancy. Mr. Jacobs has been a member of the 
school board and treasurer of his district for fifteen 
consecutive years. He is a member of the G. A. 
R. , and is now adjutant of his post, having served 
in five other positions. He belongs to the Veteran 
Cavalry Corps and the Farmers' Alliance. He has 
tilled all positions in the Nebraska Cavalry Corps 
from quartermaster to colonel, which position he 
now holds. 

Edward J. Jenkins. For a period now of twen- 
ty-three years, Mr. Jenkins has resided in Clay 
County, Neb., and during this time he has made 
for himself an honorable name and secured a com- 
fortable competence with which to pass the remain- 
der of his days, when the mantle of old age is fall- 
ing about him. He was born in South Wales, 
October 7, 1830, and being imbued with the idea 
that the new world offered excellent opportunities 
for a young man, he emigrated to the United 
States in 1852, and first located in Carbon- 
dale, Pa., but afterward followed coal mining 
throughout that State until 1867, then moved to 
Missouri, and in that State was engaged in milling 
and logging until the spring of 1873. Since that 
time he has resided in Clay County, Neb., and up 
to 1880 was engaged in farming, one mile west of 
Fairfield, and owns considerable business and res- 
idence property in town. He is one of the pioneer 
citizens of the county, is a stanch Republican in 
his political views, and socially is a Royal Arch 
Mason, and a member of the I. O. O. F. He was 
first married, in 1860, to Miss Mary Johns, a native 
of Wales, who died in 1 864, having borne a family 
of four children, all of whom are deceased. He mar 
ried his second and present wife in 1866, her name 
being Winifred Pugh, a daughter of Rev. Thomas 
Pugh. a pioneer minister of the Congregational 
Church, and a resident of Fairfield. Mr. Jenkins 
and his present wife are the parents of seven chil- 
dren: John P., Evan L., Henry W., George W., 
Thomas W., Christopher C. and Winifred. Mrs. 
Jenkins is a member of the Congregational Church, 
and he believes in the doctrines of that church, al 
though not a member. He is one of Clay County's 
enterprising and respected citizens, and, as has 



m'} 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



been showu. bis life from his earliest youtli up has 
not been uselessly or idly spent. His parents, 
John and Ann (Lewis) Jenkins, wore born in 
Wales. 

Davis S. John.son has carved his way np from 
a humble station in life to a snb.stantial and as- 
sured position, and although he is not what the 
world would call wealthy, he has gained a comforta- 
ble competency, and better than all, the respect of 
a large circl(> of friends. He was born in Essex 
County, N. J,, August 27, 1823, being a son of W. 
D. and Martha (Shackelton) Johnson, the former 
of whom was born in New Jersey, on December 
I'.t. 1799, being a farmer by occupation, as were all 
liis ancestors. His father and grandfather were 
in the Revolutionary W ar, om^ a colonel and the 
other a captain, under Gen. George Washington. 
A\ . D. Johnson was the eldest of five children: W. 
D. . Isaac C Samuel, Ira and Maria; and in 1819 
was married, his wife having been bora in Somer- 
set County, N. J., in 1796, their union resulting 
in the following children: Permelia (born in Jan- 
uary, 1822), U. S. (born in August, 1823), R. S. 
(born in February, 1824), Theodore (born in April, 
1828). Oakley (born Felirnary, 1830), Mary J. 
(born in 1832), John H. (born in January, 1835) and 
Andrew R. (deceased, was born in 1837). Davis S. 
Jojinson emigrated to Illinois with his parents in 
1834, and was among the earliest settlers of Ful- 
ton County, where he grew to manhood and re- 
ceived a good common school education, also leai-n- 
ing the carpenter trade in his youth. He was 
foreman on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 
Railroad, from 1868 to 1879, with headquarters at 
Chicago, 111. In 1883 he came to Clay County, 
Neb., where he purchased a farm which is one of 
the best for successful agricultural purposes and 
stock-raising in the county. He has excellent 
l)uildings of all kinds, has a fine walnut grove and 
a timber tract of at least 2.00(1 trees, besides an ex- 
cellent young orchard. He was married in 1846, 
to Miss Esther A. Rapalee, of New York, who had 
removed with her parents to Illinois, and by her 
h(< became the father of ten children, born between 
1848 and 1860. Losing his first wife, he mar 
ried again, and to this union was born one child. 



Nora M. He lost his second wife, October 28, 
1886. The record of his first family was lost by a 
cyclone in 1858 at Ellison, 111., and he could not 
supply it fully from memory. 

Theodore F. Johnson, retired farmer, Harvard, 
Neb. New Jersey has given to Clay County many 
estimable citizens, but she has contributed none 
more highly respected or, for conscientious dis- 
charge of duty in every relation of life, more worthy 
of respect and esteem, than the subject of this 
sketch. Mr. Jcjlmson was originally from Essex 
County, N. J., born March 26, 1827, and the son 
of William D. and Martha (Shackelton) Johnson, 
mention of whom is made in the sketch of Oakley 
Johnson. When Theodore F. Johnson was be- 
tween five and six years of age he accompanied his 
parents to Fulton County, 111., and was there 
reared to the duties of farm life. He was married 
in that cotuity, June 26, 1851, to Miss Elizabeth 
Martin, a native of Franklin County, Pa., born 
April 10, 1830, and the daughter of Daniel and 
Mary (Brent) Martin, natives also of the Keystone 
State, the father born in 1802 and the mother in 
1806. In 1852 Mr. Johnson moved to Warren 
County, 111., where he resided for four or five 
years, engaged in mercantile pursuits, and then 
removed to Knox County in the same State, where 
for four years he labored at the carpenter trade. 
In 1859 he removed to Blue Earth County, Minn., 
there followed his former trade one year, and then 
returned to Warren County, 111., where he resided 
from the spring of 1860 to 1884. He dealt in 
grain and merchandise a few years, and in April. 
1864. enlisted in the Union army in Company E, 
One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Illinois Regi- 
ment, with which he served about five months. 
Returning home he resumed merchandising, and 
this continued for ten years, after which he dealt 
in grain for several years in Warren County, 111. 
In 1877 he began a grain, lumber and coal busi- 
ness in Harvard, Neb., but did not remove his 
family to that place, however, until 1884. He 
continued in the last named business until 1881, 
and from that time until 1884 he was engaged in 
farming. Since the last date he has been looking 
after his farming interests in the vicinity of Har- 



e> 







vard, which are somewhat extensive, being the 
owner of 800 acres of good land in Clay County. 
This laud embraces five farms, all well improved. 
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had two children: 
Luella and John W. (both living). In politics Mr. 
Johnson is a Republican, and is an honorable, up- 
right man. 

Oakley Johnson, an old settler and an influen- 
tial and substantial citizen of Harvard, Neb. , was 
born on February 4, 1830, and is the son of Will- 
iam D. and Martha (Shackelton) Johnson, both 
natives of New Jersey, the former born on Decem 
ber lU. 1800, and the latter in 1796. The paternal 
grandfather, Samuel Johnson, was a native of New 
Jersey, and was of English descent. His wife, 
however, was a descendant of emigrants from 
Holland. Mrs. Johnson was the daughter of Col. 
Richard Shackelton, a native of New Jersey, and a 
descendant of English ancestors. He took a promi- 
nent part in the Revolutionary War. The parents 
of our subject were married in 1819, and to their 
union were born eight children, of whom six are 
now livin"-. Three of the sons, six in all, served 
in the Union army. They were Theodore F.. John 
H. and Andrew R. (of whom Andrew R. was killed 
at the battle of Perryville, Ky.). John H. John.son 
commanded the ram "Lancaster" of the Missis 
sippi flotilla at the capture of Memphis. When 
Oakley Johnson was three years of age he went 
with his parents to Fulton County, 111. , where he 
attained his growth on a farm. He received a good 
English education, and at seventeen years of age 
started out to light life's battles for himself. 
After spending a few months in Chicago he went to 
Sycamore, 111., where he clerked in a store for nine 
months. Then, in the spring of 1850, he engaged in 
merchandising at La Harpe, Hancock County, 111., 
continued there one year and a half, and then moved 
his stock to Ellison, Warren County, 111., where he 
remained for four and a half years. In the spring 
of 1856 he went to Kirkwood, Warren County, 
111 , and during the succeeding fourteen years was 
engaged in the grain and live-stock busine.sa at 
that place, also at Galesburg and Chicago. In the 
si)ring of 1870 he went to California, where he 
resided four years, and then, in 1874, returned to 



Chicago, from which ijlace he removed to Harvard. 
Neb., in 1878. Previous to this, however, in 1875, 
he had started the grain business at Harvard, which 
he continued. In 1879 he made a trip to Europe, 
where he spent several months visiting the British 
Isles, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, 
Italy and France. Returning to Nebraska, he con 
tinned the grain business a short time, and in 1880 
turned his attention to the real estate business. He 
has purchased and sold a number of farms, and at 
the present time is the owner of 1,300 acres of good 
land in Clay County, which embraces nine different 
farms, the most of it being well improved. On 
September '20, 1860, Mr. Johnson was married to 
Miss Lissa Wilson, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, 
born March 4, 1841, and the daughter of Luke 
Wilson, a native of New York. Her mother was a 
native of Vermont. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson 
were born three children: Frank W., Howard O. 
and Waldo S., of whom the second, Howard ()., 
died at the age of sixteen months. Mrs. Johnson 
died on June 7, 1883. She graduated from the 
Cleveland (Ohio) Ladies' Seminary in June, 1860. 
and was a woman of excellent accomplishments. 
Mr. Johnson is a Republican in politics, and one 
of Clay County's most enterprising men, and one 
of her most worthy and esteemed citizens. 

Levi L. Johnson, farmer and stock-raiser, also 
grower and manufacturer of sorghum molasses, In- 
land, Neb. This successful and enterprising tiller 
of the soil owes his nativity to Marion County, 
Ohio, where he was born in 1850,. and where he 
spent his early days. At the age of eighteen years 
he began working for himself, first as a farmer, 
but from there he went with his father to La 
Grange County, Ind., where he was married in 
1872, to Miss Martha Coney, the daughter of 
Michael and Ann (Cooper) Coney. After follow- 
ing farming in Indiana for seven years Mr. John 
son emigrated west to Nebraska, settled in Clay 
County, Inland Township, in 1879. and bought 
eighty acres of prairie land, which he at once be 
gan to improve. He has since been engaged in 
farming, and in connection makes about 2.500 gal 
lona of molasses per annum. To his marriage 
have been born five children, four now living: 



^? 



>>• 




Cburlt's C. (whose birtL occuireil iu 1871^), Sclmy 
ler W. (born in 1874), Ella L. (born in 1883), Min- 
nie A. (who was born iu 1S85 and died in ISSlt) 
and Ottie L. Mr. Johnson has been unuHnally 
successhil since coming to Nebraska, and his prop- 
erty is the result of many days of hard, honest 
work. He is iut(Tested in political matters and 
votes with the Democratic party. He is deeply 
interested in educational and religious matters, in 
fact everything for the advancement of the com- 
munity, and being one of the early settlers, has 
witnessed the growth and development of the 
country. He is secretary of the Farmers' Alli- 
ance, and was a member of the school board from 
1S80 to 1888. He is the son of Levi and Mary 
(Slirock) Johnson, natives of Ohio, and the latter 
a daughter of Adam Shrock, of Pennsylvania. 
The parents were born in Ohio and Pennsylvania, 
respectively, the father in 18'20 and the mother in 
1827. The former was a minister of the United 
Brethren Church, and followed his ministerial 
duties in Ohio for a number of years His death 
occurred in Tennessee in October, 1888. He was 
a Repui)lican in politics, and was called out in the 
Ohio State military service in 1865. The mother 
died in Indiana in 1869. Of the eight children 
born to their union, four are now living: Oscar E. 
(in Ohio), Orren J. (in Iowa), Levi L. and Lo- 
renzo (living in Illinois). Those deceased were 
named Mary M., David E. , Oliver S. and Simon. 
Samuel Jones, farmer and stock-raiser. Inland, 
Neb. Personal popularity, it can not be denied, 
results largely from the industry, perseverance 
and close attention to i)Usiness which a person dis- 
plays in the management of any particular branch 
of trade. And in the case of Mr. Jones this is 
c(ntainly true, for he has adhered so closely to 
farming and the stock-raising industry since com- 
ing to this State, and helped in so many ways to 
advance all worthy interests in this community, 
that he has become one of the prominent and most 
respected citizens of the township. Born in New 
Haven County, Conn., in 1826, he is the second of 
eight children born to the union of Samuel and 
Ulioda (Munson) Jones. The father's birth oc- 
curred in Connecticut in I7U1, and he followed 



farming on the old homestead in New Haven Coun- 
ty. He was married in Connecticut about 1820 
and reared a family of eight children: Louisa, 
Dickerman (died in 1885), Samuel, llussell (de 
ceased), Isaac (living in Connecticut), Catherine 
(in Connecticut), Betsey, and Robert (deceased). 
There were five children who died in infancy. The 
father emigrated to Wisconsin and settled in Dane 
County, where he died in 1867. The mother died 
in Connecticut in 1861). Both were members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the father 
was a Democrat in politics. The paternal grand 
father, Pratt Jones, was an aid de-camp to Gen. 
AVashington inthellevolutiouarj' War, and was but 
twelve years of age when he enlisted. He served 
all through the war and afterward settled in New 
Haven, Conn., where he tilled the soil. He mar- 
ried a very wealthy lady by the name of Dicker- 
man, who owned the township of Hamdon, and the 
lake was named after her, ''Dickerman jjond." 
The original family of Jones came fnmi Wales. 
Pratt Jones was born in 1762 and died about 1852. 
Samuel Jones passed his early life in Connecticut, 
and there, in connection with tilling the soil, he 
was engaged in the brick making trade. He left 
Connecticut in 1848 and went to Michigan, where 
he remained one year, engaged in brick making. 
He then went to Wisconsin, where for four vears 
he was occupied in brick making and farming, and 
in 1849 took a trip to Denver, then to Salt Lake 
City, from there to Carson Valley, and was one of 
the first to discover gold in that place. Subse- 
quently he went to Marysville, Cal. , where he en- 
gaged in mining, and from there went to Southern 
California, where he was interested in cultivating 
the soil. After this ho went to Oregon, engaged 
in the saw mill business, and later embarked iu the 
lumber business at Salem, Ore. In 1858 he 
went to South America, where he traveled and en- 
joyed himself, and later came to New York City, 
then to his old home in Connecticut, where he vis- 
ited for some time, and afterward went to Wiscon- 
sin. He was married in 1854 to Miss Jane A. In- 
galsbe. daughter of Elias and Maria (Smith) In 
galsbe, and grand- daughter of Ezekial Smith, a 
native of Connecticut. Her mother was born in 



^1 



CLAY COUNTY. 



469 



Washington County, N. Y., and her father in 
the same county. The latter followed farming, 
and emigrated to Wisconsin about 1840, where he 
died about 1867. The mother is still living, is 
about eighty years of age, and makes her home in 
Clay County, Neb. The Ingalsbes are of English 
descent and the Smiths of Scotch. Mr. Jones and 
family resided in Wisconsin from 1854 to 1873. but 
followed his former trade in Shelbyville, Shelby 
County, Mo., in 1864. In 1873 he emigrated to 
Clay County, Neb., and in June moved on the 
place where he now lives and there homesteaded 
eighty acres of land. He is now the owner of 240 
acres in the home tract. Nine children were born 
to his marriage, six of whom are now living: Lil- 
lie H. (born in 1855, married, in April, 1876, 
Washington Klepper, by whom she had one child, 
now thirteen years old; after being divorced, she 
was married November 25, 1887, to Peter Powers; 
their two children are Lee. aged two years, and 
Jay, three months old), Fred D. (was married in 
Wisconsin, August 9, 1881, to Mary Jane Green, 
of English descent, born in Baraboo, Wis., in 
1857; he died April 7, 1888, leaving four children: 
Burr, uged seven; Maud, aged live; Blanch, aged 
three, and Jessie, one year old), Mary L. (now 
Mrs. Hollister, liorn in 1859, has five children: 
Walter, aged ten; Ettie, aged eight; Earl, five; 
Cora, three, and Mabel, two years old, all living in 
Inland, Clay County, Neb. ), Jennie M. (now Mrs. 
Brown, was born in 1863, and has one child, Nora, 
aged four years), Levi (born in 1865. was mar- 
ried February 25, 1890), Hattie (now Mrs. 
Moody, of South Omaha, born in 1869, has one 
child, Blanch, two years old), Jessie (now Mrs. 
Green, living in Fremont, was born in 1871), 
Willie (died April 30, 1876, aged three years). 
Mr. Jones is a Democrat in politics, and an excel- 
lent citizen. 

Thomas J. Kemp, Spring Ranche, Neb. Clay 
County is indeed fortunate in having among her 
foreign- born element men whose industry, strict 
attention to business, economy and perseverance 
have produced such substantial results in the differ- 
ent affairs with which they have connected them- 
selves. Mr. Kemp belongs to this class, for, orig- 



inally from England, his location in this county 
dates from 1871. He was born in Kent County 
in 1852, and is the eldest son born to the union of 
Thomas and Ann (Castle) Kemp, natives also of 
England. The father was a shoemaker by trade, 
was a member of the Prince of Orange Society, and 
also a member of the Episcopal Church. Thomas 
J. Kemp, the subject of this sketch, received a high 
school education in his native country, and there 
liitcr in life learned the grocer's trade. He came 
to the United States in 1871, landed at Portland, 
Me., and came direct to Lincoln. Neb., and to 
Adams County of that State in May, 1871. He 
homesteaded government land two miles west of 
Hastings, improved the same, and farmed in 
Adams County nine years. He was married in 
1876 to Miss Bertha Purdy, the daughter of James 
and Mary A. (Kirkhan) Purdy, both natives of 
England, and the fruits of this union have been five 
children: Alfred, Bertha, Ralph, Eunice and Oak- 
ley. Mr. Kemp came to Spring Ranche in 1879, 
engaged in general merchandising, also kept the 
postofiice, and followed this business six or seven 
years, since which time he has been engaged on 
the railroad. He was among the first settlers of 
Adams County, Neb. , was enrolled on the first list 
of voters, assisted in electing the first set of county 
otficers, and has seen the full development of these 
western counties of Nebraska. He has ever taken 
an active part in politics, and votes with the Re- 
publican party. He is a member of the Congre- 
gational Church, and is deeply interested in relig- 
ious and educational matters. 

William Kewley, farmer and stock-raiser, Ong. 
Neb. Among the foreign-born elements of Clay 
County, Neb. , none are more highly respected or 
esteemed than the subject of this sketch, vfho was 
born on the Isle of Man on December 26, 1832. 
His parents, Thomas and Isabella (Tear) Kewley. 
vpere both natives of the Isle of Man also, and the 
father was a succe.ssf ul tiller of the soil. Both par- 
ents received their final summons there. William 
] Kewley, when lint fourteen years of age, emigrated 
to the United States with an aunt, and in 1846 
located at Rochester, N. Y. He there learned the 
I shoemaker's trade, worked at the same in that city 



9 \ 



• sS^ 



470 



HI8T01iY OF NEBRASKA. 



for four years, and then returiuMl to the land of his 
nativity. Two years hitei' he returned to the 
States, via New Orh-ans. and spent tlu! virinter of 
1852 iu that city. From that time uj) to the break- 
ing ont of the war he resided in the Sonlli for live 
winters, and in Peoria and Henry Counties, 111., the 
remainder of the time. Enlistiiif^ in ISCil in the 
Seventeenth Illinois Infantry for three years, he 
was discharged in the spring of 1803 for disability. 
After recovering he re-enlisted (spring of 18f)4) in 
the Ninth Illinois Cavalry, Company K, and was a 
non-commissioned ofTficer, serving until the close of 
the war, being discharged in the summer of 1865. 
While iu the Seventeenth Infantry he participated 
in the following battles: Fredericktown, Belmont, 
Fort Henry, Donelson, Shiloli, Corinth, Burns 
ville and numerous skirmishes. After being dis- 
charged he returned to Galva, Henry County, 111., 
where he cultivated the soil for a number of years. 
He then sold out, and in the spring of 1887 moved 
to Nebraska, where he now has IHd acres of land. 
He has everything comfortable about his place, and 
all the modern conveniences. He was married in 
Bureau County, 111., April 30, ISfifi, to Miss Marion 
Winger, a native of Switzerland, but reared and 
educated in Henry County, 111., and the daughter 
of Hiram and Elizabeth \Vinger. Mr. and Mrs. 
Kewley have reared two children, one a nephew of 
Mr. Kewley' s and the other a nephew of his wife. 
Mrs. Kewlej' is a member of the IMethodist Epis- 
copal Church. Socially Mr. Kewley is a member 
of the I. O. O. F. , and has tilled the chairs in the 
subordinate lodge. He is a member of the En- 
campment. 

Joseph R. Kidd has been familiar with the 
duties of farm labor from his earliest youth, and 
he is now considered one of the successful agricult- 
urists and stock-raisers of Clay County, Neb. He 
was born in Morgan County, Ohio, January 3, 
1843, and is a son of Peter and Mary Ann (Gray) 
Kidd, being the second of their nine children, all 
of whom are living with the exception of one 
daughter, and are the heads of families, Joseph 
R. Kidd was reared in his native county and ob- 
tained a fair knowledge of books in the common 
schools near his home. In the fall of 1803 he en- 



listed in the Ninth Ohio Cavalry and served until 
he received his discharge, June 10, 1805, having 
participated in a nnmlier of hard charges and 
skirmishes, but shortly after was stricken with 
typhoid fever and was unable to do any work for 
about two years. Upon his recovery he was en- 
gaged in clerking for al)out two years, but in 1807 
removed to Washington Coiinty, Iowa, and was 
there occupied in contracting and building for 
aliout live years. In 1872 he removed to Nebraska, 
and the following year settled in Clay County, 
where he entered a farm under the homestead law, 
in Sheridan Township, on which he resided until 
1877, he being one of the first settlers of that 
region. He next purchased 'propertj' in Edgar, 
moved there, and engaged in the mercantile busi 
ness, which occupation continued to receive his at 
tention until 1888, Imt he has since devoted his 
attention to farming and stock-raising in which he 
is quite successful. His farm comprises 160 acres 
of arable land, all of which is in a good state of 
cultivation, his buildings are in thorough re 
pair and he has a tine, young, bearing orchard of 
about 200 trees. He has always supported the 
Republican party, and in 1883 was nominated and 
elected sheriff of Clay County, upon which he 
moved to Clay Center, serving, by re election, two 
consecutive years. He has since tilled several 
other positions of trust, such as assessor, and has 
always proved an excellent officer. He was mar- 
ried in Morgan County, Ohio, February 21, 1867, 
to Miss Josephine Young, a daughter of William 
Young, of Unionville, Ohio, but his wife died in 
Clay Center, Neb., April 14, 1888, leaving besides 
her husband, a family of seven children to mourn 
her loss: Anna Belle (wife of Dr. Mell Stone, of 
Washington Township), Louie, Mattie, Albert, 
Loren, Fred and Hattie. On February 13, 1880, 
Mr. Kidd was married, in Hastings, Neb., to Miss 
Ella Conner, who was born, reared and educated 
in Grundy County, 111., a portion of her education 
being also received in St. Joseph, Mo. Her father, 
J. W. Conner, resides in Clay ('enter. Neb. Mr. 
Kidd by his last union has one child, Mary Blanche. 
He is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the G. A. 
R. , and also the Farmers' Alliance. 



^F 




John A. Kidd is a prosperous tiller uf the soi 
of Logan Township, Clay County, Neb., and is a 
native of Morgan County, Ohio, his birth occurring 
on November I'i, 1853, he being a son of Peter 
and Mary Ann (Gray) Kidd, who were also born in 
the 'Buckeye State." The father was engaged 
in farming all his life and taught his sons the de- 
tails of this calling, and this has since proved their 
chief occupation. He died in the summer of 1877, 
his wife still surviving him, aijd she is at present 
residing on the old homestead. Their family con- 
sisted of six sons and three daughters, all of whom 
are living but one sister. John A. Kidd received a 
high-school education in his youth, and after reach- 
ing a proper age began teaching the "young idea," 
an occupation he continued for about four years, 
continuing this with alternately attending school 
until the spring of 1878, when he came to Nebras- 
ka, and located in Clay County, where he pur- 
chased land. He taught school the three follow- 
ing winters and during the summer months tilled 
the soil, but in 1880 settled permanently on his 
present farm which comprises a tract of eighty 
acres in a fine state of cultivation. He has a good, 
new frame residence, excellent out-buildings, and 
a tine young fruit orchard. For the last seven 
years he has been dealing in stock, and ships from 
thirty to fifty car loads aimually. He has been 
very successful, considering the fact that he began 
for himself with little or no means to start on, and 
his present calling seems to be one for which he 
has a natural aptitude. He was married in Chilli- 
cothe, Ohio, September 14, 1876, to Miss Maggie 
Wheeland, a native of Koss County, Ohio, she 
being a daughter of Samuel Wheeland. She was 
educated in Chillicothe and her union with Mr. 
Kidd has resulted in the birth of four children: 
Russell M., Joseph R., Paul C. and Mabel F. 
The eldest child died April 25, 1887, at the age of 
seven years and eight months. 

Stephen King, retired farmer. Harvard, Neb. 
This honored citizen of Harvard, Neb., was born 
in Bracken County, Ky., March 29, 1823, and was 
the son of William B. and Anna R. (Greening) 
King, both of whom were born in Fauquier Coun- 
ty, Va. , or in Powell's Valley, the former born 



April 23, 1783. When a young man William B. 
King went to East Tennessee and was there mar- 
ried to Miss Greening, after which he and wife 
removed to Fayette County, Ky. From there they 
removed to Clark County, Ky., thence in 1815 to 
Bracken County, Ky., and in 1830 to Sangamon 
County, 111., where both spent the remainder of 
their days. They were the parents of twelve chil- 
dren: Thomas A., Reuben, Elizabeth, James M., 
William G., Henry J., Sarah, Stephen, Hester F., 
Anna R., Fielding A. and John F. Of these 
James M. , Henry J., Stephen, Fielding A. and 
John F. are living. The first four were born in 
Clark County, Ky., the next seven in Bracken 
County, Ky., and the youngest in Sangamon 
County, 111. The father of these children died 
October 19, 1863, and the mother died March 27, 
1873. The father of the subject of this sketch 
was the son of William and Betsey King, both 
natives of the Old Dominion. The former served 
in the Revolutionary War under Gen. George 
Washington, and his father was a native of Eng- 
land. Our subject's maternal grandparents, Reu 
ben and Sarah Greening, were both natives of Vir- 
ginia. Stephen King was seven years of age when 
his parents located in Sangamon County, 111., and 
there he spent his boyhood, attending the district 
school in winter and laboring upon the farm in 
summer. In early life he took the vocation of a 
teacher and followed this in Sangamon County for 
seven years. February 15, 1855. he was married 
to Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, widow of John Smith, 
and the daughter of Anthony and Nancy A. (Dean I 
Hendrix. Mr. Hendrix was born in Fleming 
County, Ky., December 19. 1789, and his wife 
was a native of Clark ('onnty, Ky. They were 
the parents of eleven children: Susan, George, 
Rebecca, Amy, Samuel W., Sally A., Elizabeth, 
Nancy A., Mary, Eliza J. and John, of whom Re- 
becca, Elizabeth, Nancy A., Mary and John are 
living. The first seven were born in Kentucky 
and the last four in Clear Lake Township, Sanga 
mon County, 111. The father and mother of these 
children died in Sangamon County, 111, After 
his marriage Mr. King followed agricultural pur 
suits in Sangamon County, 111., until 1885, when 



9 



-^ > V 



Tv 



472 



HISTORY OF NEBllASKA. 



he moved to Cla_v County, Neb., aiul located in 
Harvard where they have since lived a retired life. 
Mr. King is the owner of 240 acres of land near 
Harvard, and he spends much of his time attending 
its management. By his marriage he became the 
father of seven children: John Albert (born .Inly 
8, isr)0, and died February 15, 1800), Mary Ellen 
(born April 25, 1858, and died April 18, 1888), 
(ieorge L, (iiorn Octolier 19. 1S60), Charles H. 
(born March 25. 1S62), William A. (born May 26, 
18(54), Katie (born February 8, 180(5) and Eddie 
F. (liorn January 23, ISO'J). By her former mar- 
riage Mrs. King had three daughters: Susan, Alice 
and Jennie, all of whom are now deceased. Mr. 
and Mrs. King are members of the Christian 
Church, and in politics the former affiliates with 
the Republican party. He and wife are much es- 
teemed citizens of the community. 

Georo-e W. Kincf, another of the successful 
farmers of Eldorado Township, has been iden- 
tified with the material interests of Clay County 
since 1S74, at which time he came to this county 
and homesteaded the farm he now owns, which he 
has improved with a nice comfortable residence, 
barns, outbuildings, fences, etc., and also with fruits 
of all kinds. He has been very successful since 
coming to Nebraska, not having had a total fail- 
ure in crops since his arrival, and is well pleased 
to make this his permanent home. He is devoting 
CDiisideralile attention to stock raising and believes 
in propagating good farm stock, and to this end is 
breeding good horses and cattle and Berkshire 
hogs. He was born in Orange County. Va., in 
1830, the third child of John and Isabella (Atkins) 
King, both natives of Virginia. The father re- 
ceived a good common school education and grew 
to maturity in his native State. He was a shoe- 
maker by occupation. He married at the age of 
nineteen years, and the fruits of his union were 
twelve children, seven of whom are still living: 
John (living in Vinton County, Ohio), William 
(deceased), George W. (the subject of this sketch), 
Frances (now Mrs. Charles Moss, of Cincinnati, 
Ohio), Isabella (deceased), Martha (now Mrs. 
Theo. Seeds, of Hilliards, Ohio), Margaret (de- 
ceased), Nancy J. (now Mrs. Robert Mackey), 



Matilda (now Mrs. B. Sheid), A. J. (deceased), 
Charles (deceased), and Joseph (living in Vinton 
County, Ohio). The father removed to Ohio in 
1830, and spent the rest of his life in that St.ito, 
dying in 1807, at the age of sixty years. The 
mother ditid in 1872. Both she and husband were 
worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Socially, the father was a Free Mason, 
and politically, a Democrat. The subject of this 
sketch spent his school days in Ohio, and learned 
the shoemaker's trade. At the age of nineteen 
years he began life for himself by engaging in 
farming. In September, 1853, he was married to 
Miss Margaret J. Campbell, daughter of John and 
Louisa (Hainsbrough) Campbell, both natives of 
Virginia. He had one son who was educated at 
Milton College, Wisconsin, and is now a book 
publisher of Springfield, Mass. In the fall of 
1804 he went into the United States service, first 
in the National Guards in Ohio, and later in the 
United States Guards, Capt. Waddal commander, 
and served sixty -two days in this capacity. He 
removed from Ohio to Wisconsin in 1800, and 
worked at shoeraakiug and carpentering for about 
seven or eight years, and then came to Nebr.iska, 
where he has since made his home. He is an 
active Republican in politics, and often serves as 
delegate to conventions. He is a member of Pa- 
cific Lodge No. 58 (Wis.), I. O. O. F. 

Joseph Kintner, farmer and stock-raiser, Glen- 
ville, Neb. Since starting in life for himself Mr. 
Kintner has, to some extent, followed cabinet- 
making and carpentering, but his principal atten- 
tion has been given to agricultural pursuits, in- 
cluding the raising of stock. In these occupations 
he has risen to more than ordinary prominence. 
He is the owner of IfiO acres of land, and is in the 
truest sense of the term a self-made man, for from 
a low l)eginuing he has by energy, economy and 
correct business habits secured a good competency. 
He was born in Middle Smithfield, Pa., July 9, 
1821, and is the seventh in a family of ten chil- 
dren of Rodolvus and Margaret (Fellinzer) Kint- 
ner, the father a native of Burke County, Pa.. 
born in 1702, and the mother of Monroe County, 
Pa., born in 17U5. Their children are named 



CLAY COUNTY. 



473 



as follows: Samuel, George, Peter, Philip, Dan- 
iel, Jonas, Michael, Joseph, Rudolph, Conrad, 
Henry. Delilia, Elizabeth and Mary. Joseph Kint- 
ner received but a limited education, for at the age 
of seventeen years he was left without a father 
and was obliged to start out in life for himself. 
He selected the trade of a cabinet-maker, and ap- 
prenticed himself to William Clark for three years. 
After this he worked at his trade at different 
places, and being a natural mechanic, was soon 
familiar with the carpenter trade, which he carried 
on in connection with the cabinet-maker's trade. 
He remained in his native State until the breaking 
out of the late war, when he enlisted in the engi- 
neer department, working at the carpenter trade 
in building fortifications, but about the middle of 
the war he was pressed into the regular service. 
He was under Gen. Thomas at Nashville, Tenn., 
but during service he escaped actual battles. 
When the war was over, in 1865, he returned to 
Middle Smithtield, Pa., where he resumed his 
trade as carpenter. In 18t)(') he immigrated to 
Ogle County, HI., still following his trade, and in 
the spring of 1873 they moved to this county, tak- 
ing a homestead, on which he now resides. In 
March, 1847, he was married to Miss Mary Vliet, 
daughter of Al)raham and Elsie (Ocres) Vliet, and 
a native of Pennsylvania, born December 22, 1827. 
Her father was born in 1787, and the mother in 
New Jersey, in 1801. To Mr. and Mrs. Kintner 
were born nine children: Margaret (wife of Daniel 
H. Chase), Eleanor (who died at the age of four- 
teen), George (married Miss Emily Loomis), Re- 
becca (wife of Augiistus T. Snndwell), Wilbur F. 
(married Miss Lizzie Eggleston). Garret (now de- 
ceased), Alice (died in infancy), Albina (wife of 
William McGaffey) and David (who is single). 
Mr. Kintner is a Republican in politics, and, not 
aspiring to political honors, has refused several 
good offices. He and wife are worthy members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was 
a class-leader, superintendent of Sunday-school 
and steward. He is a member of the Good Temp- 
lar Lodge at Glenville, and holds the office of 
chaplain in the same. By his own energy and 
that of his faithful wife, who, by the way, is a 



stanch Prohibitionist, he has accumulated quite a 
handsome property. Mr. Kinter was the first post 
master in Glenville, under Grant's admiuLstration, 
in 1874, and tilled that position in a highly satis- 
factory manner. 

Thomas W. Kirkpartrick was born in Woodford 
County, 111., October 29, 1840, being a son of 
Samuel and Anna (Hougham) Kirkpatrick, both of 
whom were born in Ohio, settling shortly after 
their marriage in Woodford County, Dl. , of which 
they were among the pioneers. They both passed 
from life there, the former in 1874, and the latter 
in 1872. Thomas W. Kirkpatrick is the eldest of 
three sons and three daughters, all of whom grew 
to mature years and became the heads of families, 
and are now residing in McLean County, 111., with 
the exception of our subject, and in Woodford 
County he grew to manhood. In August, 1 862, he 
enlisted in the Ninety-fourth Illinois Infantry as 
sergeant, but at the end of three months he was 
promoted to flag-bearer, and carried the grand old 
' ■ stars and stripes ' ' for two years and nine months. 
He was in the tight at Prairie Grove, siege and 
surrender of Vicksburg, Fort Morgan and Spanish 
Fort, and made several trips to the Gulf of Mexico 
with his regiment. In August, 1865, he was dis- 
charged at Springfield, 111., and returned to Wood- 
ford County, where he was married on April 11, 
1867, to Miss Amanda McKeo, a daughter of Will 
iam McKee. She was born, reared and educated 
in Woodford County, and after residing there for 
several years after their marriage, they moved to 
McLean County, where they were engaged in farm- 
ing until 1888, then moving to Normal, 111., and 
in March, 1885, to Nebraska. Their first year was 
spent in Fairfield, after which they purchased 
their present farm of 160 acres, all excellent till- 
able land. He has a good residence, barn, grove 
and a j'oung orchard just commencing to bear, and 
is already well known throughout the county as a 
successful tiller of the soil. He and his wife are 
the parents of three children: Emma Alice (wife 
of George McClure, who is cashier of a bank in 
Gibson City, 111.), Ada Estella, aged K), and Loren 
Jesse, aged 18. Mr. and Mrs. K. are members of 
the Christian Church at Edgar, and he is a Pro- 



'^ S" 



— ?> 



if*- 



474 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



hibitionist in polities, altlionfjb formoily a Ite- 
|)iil)li('an. 

John N. Kirkpatrick has been a resident of 
Clay County, Nob., for the past sixteen years, and 
his example of industry and earnest and sincere 
endeavor to succeed in life is well worthy of imi- 
tation. He was born in Tippecanoe County, Ind., 
February 15, 1830, and is a son of George 
and Jemima (Newman) Kirkpatrick,, who were 
born in the "Buckeye State," and after residing 
in Indiana for some time, moved to Will County, 
111., in 183*'), and there John N. was reared to 
maidiood, receiving a good common-school educa- 
tion. In 18r)4 he removed to Fayette County, Iowa, 
where he followed the occupation of farming, and 
while there the Civil War broke out. In 1862 he 
left the plow to take up arms in defense of his 
coimtrv, and became a member of Company F, 
Thirty-eighth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 
and served as a private until the close of the war, 
returning home with the consciousness of having 
served his country faithfully and well. He was a 
participant in the siege of Vicksburg, Fort Mor- 
u-an and Fort Blakely, besides numerous skirmishes, 
and after his return to Iowa he settled in Madison 
Coimty, Vmt removed, in the month of April, 1873, 
to Nebraska, taking up a homestead claim of 160 
acres in Clay County, and has since purchased an 
adjoining eighty acres, his farm now comprising 
240 acres of tine land. His marriage to Miss 
AHiina Scpieirs, a native of Vermont, took place on 
Deceml>er 2"), 1856, and by her he has a family of 
six children: Grace (wife of Albert Elden), John 
H, , Hardy, Chester. Bina and Lester. Mr. Kirk 
])atrick was originally a Republican in his political 
views, but is now a Prohibitionist, and he and his 
wife are memljers of the United Brethren Church, 
and are well known and highly esteemed citizens. 

George Krell, farmer and stock-raiser. Spring 
Ranche, Neb. ■ The entire life of Mr. Krell has 
been one without any material change from the 
ordinary pursuits of farm life, with the exception 
of the time spent in the army. He was born in 
Columbus, Ohio, in 1840, and is the son of George 
Krell, who was a native of Alsace, France. The 
father came to this country about 1830, settled in 



Columbus, Ohio, and there followed the under 
taker's business for many years. He died in that city 
in 1857, and was a wortiiy member of the Luth- 
eran Church. George Krell, Jr., received a good 
practical education in the schools of Columbus, 
Ohio, and began lif(^ for himself at about seven- 
teen years of age. In January, 1862, he enlisted 
in Company F, Sixteenth Regiment United States 
Infantry, and took a prominent part in the follow- 
ing battles: Shiloh, Stone River and Chickamauga, 
where he was taken prisoner. He was confined in 
several of the Southern j)risons, including about 
seven months in Andersonville, and two weeks in 
Millen, Ga. He was discharged at Lookout Mount- 
ain, Tenn., on April 12, 1865. At the close of the 
war Mr. Krell engaged in farming in Iowa, and in 
1866 was united in marriage to Miss Laura A. 
Stephenson, daughter of Frank and Jidia (Lara- 
bee) Stephenson, and to this union were born six 
children: Lena, Fred, George, Letha, Maud and 
Vernie. Mr. Krell came to Clay County, Neb. , in 
1871, and now has a tine farm in that county. He 
is one of the first settlers and has seen the full de- 
velopment of the country. He has been success- 
ful financially since coming here, intends making 
this State his permanent home, and is one of the 
prominent citizens of the county. He has made a 
success of his efforts at fruit-raising. He is a mem- 
ber of the Far.'uers' Alliance, the G. A. R. , and 
is a worthy member of the Presbyterian ChiU'ch. 
W. Lambie. Among the agriculturists and 
stockmen, so many of whom are mentioned in these 
pages, Mr. Lambie deserves prominent mention, 
for he has been closely identified with both these 
euterju'ises in Clay County, Neb. , since the spring 
of 1878. He was born in Scotland in 1841, and 
is the youngest child born to W. and Jeanette 
(Reed) Lambie, who were born in the parish of 
Milton, Scotland. The father xtas a farmer by oc- 
cupation, and he and wife were members of the 
Presljyterian Chun/h. The immediate subject of 
this sketch spent his school days in his native land, 
and at the early age of fifteen j'ears began life for 
himself as a farmer and lumberman in the State 
of Wisconsin, his parents having come to the 
United States in 1856 and settled in that State. 



^<n<5 



-i s 







He was married in 1S06 to Miss Hattie A. White, 
H daughter of Harris and Mary (St Clair) White, 
both of whom were born in the State of New York, 
and his union with this lady resulted in the birth 
of four children: Frank, Ida, Willie and Grace. 
Since the spring of 1878 Mr. Lambie has resided 
in Clay County, Neb., and has proved himself to 
be one of its able and succossfnl agriculturists. 
His present farm is well improved, and his efforts 
at fruit-raising have proved a decided success. He 
has a pleasant home for his family, and he and his 
estimable wife are excellent neighbors and citizens. 
He gives liberally of his means to worthy enter- 
prises, and is an earnest member of the Presbyte- 
rian Church. 

Thomas Lanham, owner of a brick yard, Har- 
vard, Neb. Among the important industries of 
any civilized community is that of brick-making. 
Mr. Lanham has been engaged in this enterprise 
at Harvard since 18N4, and has made a success of 
the same. He was born in the town of Yeovil, 
County of Somerset, England, June 21. 1N50, and 
was the son of William and Harriet (Durham) 
Lanham, Itoth of whom died in England. They 
were the parents of seventeen children, of whom 
Thomas was the sixteenth, and four of whom, 
three sons and a daughter, came to America. Only 
live are now living. Thomas Lanham was reared 
in his native country, being reared chiefly to the 
l)rick-making business, and was married in Lon- 
don, England, at the age of nineteen, or on April 
"), INTO, to Miss Jane Hann, who was also born in 
Yeovil, England. Immediately after his marriage 
Mr. Lanham emigrated to the United States, set- 
tled first at Brownville, Nemaha County, Neb , and 
there resided two years, being engaged in different 
occui)ations. In the fall of 1S72 he took an eighty- 
acre farm in Saline, Neb., and located on the same 
in the spring of 1873, proving up, after which, in 
iS75, he sold it. From there he removed to Crete, 
Neb. , but shortly afterward, for health purposes, 
he returned with his family to England where he 
resided three years. During that time he was em 
ployed in the capacity of policeman. In the spring 
of 1 N79 he again came to the United States, located 
in Crete, Neb., and there made his home until 



1884, employed at the manufacturing of liricks, 
when he removed to Harvard and there continued 
his former pursuit. He has owned and operated a 
brick yard there ever since, but in connection has 
given considerable attention to feeding cattle. To 
his marriage hiive been born nine children: Albert 
Thomas, Clara, Lanra, May, Frank. Lillie, Eddie. 
Ada and Hilda. Of these Clara, May and Lillie 
are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lanham are memliers 
of the Episcopal Church, and the former is a mem- 
ber of the Masonic fraternity, a prosperous man 
and a good citizen. In politics he is a Republican. 
Albert M. Lathrop. farmer, fruit-grower, and 
stock-raiser. Inland, Neb. Every community is 
certain to have among her citizens a few men of 
recognized influence and ability, who b)* their sys- 
tematic and careful, thorough manner of work, at 
I tain to a success which is justly deserved. Among 
this class is Mr. Lathrop. a man esteemed as a 
prominent and substantial, as well as progressive 
farmer of Clay County. He owes his nativity to 
New London, Conn., where his birth occurred in 
1841. and is the son of Jason and Susan (Peck- 
ham) Lathrop. and the grandson of Dixwell and 
Mahala (Phillips) Lathrop. Jason Lathrop was 
born in Griswold, Conn., in 1812, liegan farming 
at an early day, and in 1840 was married to Miss 
Peckham, who bore him eight children: Albert M. . 
George (living on the home place in Connecticut), 
I Henry (engaged in farming in Indiana), Sarah (now 
! Mrs. Lamb, of New London, Conn.), Helen (now 
, Mrs. Congdon, of Griswold, Conn.), Lucy (at home), 
Jason (a farmer of Connecticut) and Charles (en- 
gaged in the hotel bui;iness in Kansas). The par 
ents of these children are still living and are resi 
dents of Griswold, C'onn. Both are members of 
the Bajitist Church. The father is a Demociat in 
his ])olitieal views and is a public-spirited citizen. 
The maternal grandfather, Rowland Peckham. was 
a native of Newport, R. I., and died in Connecti 
cut in 1S81. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. 
Albert M. Lathrop was reared on the old honn- 
place in Griswold, New London County, Conn., 
and was favored with such educational advantages 
as the district schools afforded. When about 
twenty one years of age he enlisted in Com])any E, 



-^ 



476 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Eigliteenth Coiiiicoticnt, Tafiuitry, luulor Col. Will- 
iam G. Ely, Jiiul partici])utiHl in the following 
battles: Wiachester, on June 18 and 14, 18(58; 
Suminifs Point. June 15. 18P)8; New Market, May 
1"), l8fU; L'iedinont, Juno 5, I8()4; Lyachljnrg, 
Juno 18, 1S64; Cedar Creek, August 12, 1864; 
Berry ville, September 8, 1864, Harrisonburg, June 
8, 1864; Lexington, June 11, 1864; Buchanan, 
June 14, 1864, and several others. He was color 
cor|)oral, and marched over 800 miles on Hunter's 
raid, barefooted. He received his discharge at 
Harper's Ferry in June, 1865, and returned to his 
home, satisfied that notwithstanding the many 
hardships he had undergone he had served his 
country faithfully and well. He afterward taught 
school for seven years, and in 1868 selected for 
his companion in lifp Miss Anna Lawton, daughter 
of Thomas and Rowena (Campbell) Lawton, all of 
English descent. To this marriage were born six 
children, three now living: Edith, Susie E. and 
Chelsea. Those deceased were named Elmer L. 
(whose death occurred in 1869), Walter (who died 
in 1881 at the age of three years) and Birdsey 
(who died in infancy in 1881. In 1872 Mr. Lath- 
rop emigrated to Nebraska, settled in Clay County, 
Inland Township, and took up 160 acres of land 
before any one had thought of Hastings. He began 
improving the same, and his residence, barns and 
outbuildings, and in fact all necessary conven 
iences, indicate the quality of farmer that he is. 
He and wife are members of the Baptist Church 
at Inland, Clay County, and he is the superin- 
tendent of the Sunday-school at that place. He 
is interested in the iipbuilding of schools and 
churches, and in fact all things for the growth and 
improvement of the county. He has been a Re- 
imhlican in his political views, and is now inter- 
ested in the Prohibition party. He has been con- 
tinuously in office as justice of the peace, since 
1874, or for sixteen years, receiving the votes of 
all political parties; besides he has been a member 
of the election board since the organization of the 
precinct and townshij), and is naturally inclined to 
support all movemetits for moral and political re 
form. Mr. Lathrop is president of the Farmers' 
Alliance, belonging to the Glenville G. A. R. 



John Lenzen, grain dealer of Fairfield, Neb., 
is a man who, through his fair, honest and satis- 
factory manner of doing business has gained a 
large patronage, and has become one of the well 
known and highly esteemed citizens of the com- 
munity in which he resides. He was born in 
Prussia. Germany, on April 8, 1843, and is a son 
of Bernard and Helena (Mayers) Lenzen, who were 
also born in that country. The family removed to 
the United States and became subjects of " Uncle 
Sam" in 1852, and located on a farm in McHenry 
County, 111., where John was reared to manhood. 
His knowledg(> of the world was only such as could 
be gained on his fathei's farm, and this occupa 
tion continued to receive his attention for twenty - 
six years, he being also engaged in grain dealing 
in McHenry County. In May. 1S77, he came to 
Fairfield, Neli. , where he has followed the grain 
business ever since, with the exception of two years 
which were spent in the far West, where he was 
occupied in cattle dealing. Mr. Lenzen is an ex- 
cellent example of the successful business men of 
the West, and is pushing and progressive in his 
views, and is honest and upright in all his deal- 
ings with the public. He has met with financial 
reverses at different times, but with the energy 
which has ever characterized his efforts he has 
surmounted all difficulties and has now a very 
handsome competency, owning 480 acres of valu- 
able farming land in Clay County, and some vain 
able town property in Fairfield. He has an ex- 
cellent elevator in the town, also one at Deweese 
and Keene, Neb., and on an average ships 1,200 
car loads of grain jier year. He was married on 
May 15, 1862, to Miss Adelina King, a native of 
Westphalen, Germany, who died in 1872, leaving 
three children: Bernard (manager of the elevator 
at Keene), John A. (filling the same position at 
Deweese) and Margaret. October i), 1874, Mr. 
Lenzen married Mrs. Mary (Freund), a native of 
Prussia, and the following are their children: 
Emma, Lena and Joseph. Mr. Lenzen is a Dem- 
ocrat, and the family attend the Catholic Church. 

Charles L. Lewis, cashier of the Citizens' 
Bank, Fairfield, Neb. In looking over a compar 
ative statement of the institutions of a financial 



CLAY COUNTY. 



477 



I 



character doing business in this city, we tiud them 
in comparison with the same class of organizations 
elsewhere, solvent, prosperous and useful in the 
highest degree. The Citizens' Bank adds no little 
to this and is one of the best and most substantial 
of its kind in the State Mr. Lewis, the efficient 
cashier, is a native of Winchester, Scott County, 
111., where he was born on January 26, 1858, and 
is the son of Ephriam and Sarah J. (Martin) 
Lewis, both natives of the Old Dominion. Charles 
L. Lewis removed with his parents to Henry 
County, Iowa, in 1868, and thence eight years 
later to Union County, where the parents are resid- 
ing at the present time. His early life was spent 
in agricultural pursuits, and he received a good 
English education, taking an academic course and 
preparing himself for teaching. This profession 
he pursued successfully for about four years, in 
Iowa, and in August, 1881, he came to Fairfield, 
where he accepted a clerical position with the 
Fairfield Exchange Bank. Later he was made 
cashier of the same, and upon the organization of 
the Citizens' Bank, in August, 1886, he was elected 
as its cashier, which position be has since tilled in 
a faithful and highly satisfactory manner. Novem- 
ber 26, 1884, he was united in marriage to Miss 
Florence A. Hoskins, of Union County, Iowa, and 
the fruits of their union have been two children: 
Lela V. and Ruby C. Mr. Lewis is a stanch 
Republican in politics, and was elected mayor of 
the city at the spring election of 1890. He is a 
member of the Modern Woodmen Fraternity, and 
is connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Capt. G. W. Limbocker was born in Chautau- 
qua County, N. Y., in May, 1830, and while still 
quite young removed with his parents to Erie 
County, Pa., and afterward to Jennings County. 
Ind., where, at the age of fifteen years, he en- 
listed in the Mexican War, in 1846, serving until 
the close of that war. In 1854 he moved to Iowa, 
and here he first engaged in the newspaper busi- 
ness, pulilishing the Columbus City Enterprise. 
Here he married in 1857 Miss H. A. Gray, who has 
been his life-long companion. In 185U he re- 
moved to Boscobel, W'is. , and began the pulilica 
tion of the Boscobel Democrat, which he continued 



until 186'*, when he was appointed United States 
assistant census marshal for his assembly district. 
In April, 1861, he organized a company of infantry 
for the Civil War. was elected captain, and served 
as such until discharged on surgeon's certificate of 
disability, in August. 1862. He was afterward 
commissioned in the Veteran Reserve Corps, where 
he served until after the close of the war. In 
1878 he moved his family, consisting of wife and 
three daughters, to Harvard, Neb., and began the 
publication of the Clay County Journal, which he 
has since successfully continued. In 1885 he 
served a term as sergeant-at-arms in the State Sen- 
ate, and in 1887 was elected mayor of Harvard, 
and served in that capacity for one year. He is a 
member of the Masonic Fraternity, having been 
raised a Master Mason in Beautiful Grove Lodge 

No. , at Boscobel, Wis., in 1860, where he 

served as worshipful master for five years; he was 
also a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge of the 
same place, in which he held all the principal 
offices. He is now a member of Harvard Lodge 
No. 44, A. F. & A. M., of Richardson Post No. 
60, G. A. R., and is a Republican by nature and 
practice. 

Charles A. Linstrum, merchant tailor, Sutton, 
Neb. Among the most skilled and reliable mer- 
chant tailors of this city must be classed Mr. 
Charles A. Linstrum. As a practical tailor of the 
highest skill Mr. Lin.strum has no superior in this 
city, and he has no hesitancy in guaranteeing most 
perfect tits in garments in all cases. He was born 
in Sweden, May 6, 1860, and is the son of C. F. 
and Huldah Linstrum, natives, also, of Sweden, 
where the mother died in 1882. The father came 
to the United States, and is now residing in Iowa. 
Charles A. Linstrum came with his father to the 
States when nine years of age, and received his edu- 
cation in the schools of Keokuk, Iowa. In 1874 
he began learning the tailor's trade in Keokuk, 
Iowa, in the shop of Eraser Brothers, and for ten 
years worked as a journeyman tailor. In 1884 he 
began the merchant tailoring business at the 
above-mentioned place, under the firm name of 
Eraser & Linstrum, and continued this for two and 
a half years, when the firm dissolved and Mr. Lin- 



V 



47.S 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



stiuiu I'uiui' to Sutton, Nub. HeiH' he bus since 
continued, and has a cuuipleti^ line of merchant- 
tailoring stock. His |)H(ronajro is not continod to 
Sutton, l)ut takes iu a larire scope of couutiy. 
None but experienced hands are kept, and no gar 
iiieiits are allowed to leav(> the store which are not 
carefully iiisjiected and entirely satisfactory to the 
customer. As a consequence this house has re- 
ceived a hii^h popularity, not only iutbis immediate 
section, but from patrons at a distance. He was 
married in 1887 to Miss Emma Johnson, a native 
of Sweden, born iu 1S()4, and to this union was 
born one child, Edna C. In his political views Mr. 
Liustrum is an independent Republican, and so- 
cieUly is a member of the K. of P., Sutton Lodge 
No. 75, and the A. O. U. W., No. 156. He has 
always been thrown upon his own resources, and 
through his energy has succeeded, and is doing a 
prosperous business. 

Hugh B. Louden, a successful agriculturist of 
Clay County, Neb., is of Scotch ancestry, although 
his birth occurred in County Antrim, Ireland, Octo- 
ber '.il, 1850. His parents, Daniel and Margaret 
(Beard) Louden, were born in Scotland. Hugh B. 
spent his youth and early manhood in his native 
county, and there learned the details of farm-work 
of his father, an occupation which continued to re- 
ceive his attention after starting out in life for him- 
self. In 1871 he came to the United States and 
located in Livingston County, N. Y. , but three 
years later came west as far as Kankakee County, 
111., and in March, 1877, settled on an eighty acre 
tract of land in Clay County, Neb. Three years 
later he purchased eighty acres more, and here he 
has resided uj) to tht^ [)reseiit time, his farm being 
one of the most fertile and best kept in the county. 
His marriage to Miss Clara Hagei-, a native of Ap- 
panoose County, Iowa, born August 11, 1864, was 
consummated January 5, 1882, she being a daugh- 
ter of Jacob and Margaret (Croft) Hager. Mr. and 
Mrs. Louden have an interesting family of five 
children: Margaret B., Carl E.. Bertha M., Ger- 
trude and James N. Mr. Louden has always been 
a Hepul)lican in politics and is a member of the 
Farmers' Alliance, believing firmly in the principles 
of that organization. He is a Master Mason and 



a member of the K. of P. He has held several local 
oflSces of tru.st, being constable of his district, and 
is considered by all a man of excellent principles 
and a useful citizen. 

Rev. J. L. Lower, a Presbyterian minister, was 
born in Williamsburg, Pa., July 14, 1829, and 
attended the common schools of his native State, 
after which he entered college, the means for pay- 
ing his tuition and board being obtained by teach 
ing music. He graduated from the Princeton (N. 
J.) Theological Seminary April 2(i, 1859, and be- 
gan his ministerial labors in Ohio and Indiana, 
and later in Nebraska. On August 24, LSfU, he 
was married to Miss Susan T. Chase, a daughtei- 
of William Chase, of Massachusetts. His wife was 
born March 17, 1880, and graduated from Gor- 
ham Female Seminary, at Gorham, Me., in 1856, 
and she and Mr. Lower became the parents of five 
children: Maggie A. (born in 1862 and died in 
1881), Wallace B. (born in 1864 and died in 1868), 
Ralph L. (born July 5, 1866, and is residing in 
Denver, Colo.), Albert P. (born May 14, 1868) and 
William H. (born February 15, 1871). Oncoming 
to Clay County, Neb., Mr. Lower .settled on a farm 
of eighty acres in Harvard Townshiji, in 1887, pur- 
chasing his land from the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad Company, and this place he set im 
mediately to work to improve. In 1883 he was 
elected by the board of directors of the Presby- 
terian College at Hastings as financial secretary of 
that institution, and this position he held one year. 
His first pastoral charge was held iu Hamilton 
County, and for about five years he preached the 
Gospel at Harvard, Clay County. In 1887 he 
went to Colorado and located a claim at Otis, and 
at the same time took charge of a church at Akron, 
where he now resides. He is a Prohibitionist in 
politics, is interested in all things for the improve- 
ment and development of the county, and is a man 
whom all respect and esteem, for he is an earnest 
follower of the (iolden Rule. His son, Albert P. 
Lower, is residing on his father's farm in Harvard 
Townshii). and here heisipiite extensively engaged 
in the raising of horses and hogs, the latter being 
of the Poland-China breed. After he had attended 
the schools of Harvard for a number of years he 



CLAY COUNTY. 



479 



entered the Presbyterian College at Hastings, 
which institution he attended one year. He has 
since been devoting his energies to his calling, 
and is meeting with marked success in his business 
ventures. Like his father, he is thoroughly public 
spirited and a Prohibitionist in his political views. 
He also belongs to the A. O. U. W. 

Horace G. Lyon, publisher and proprietor of 
the Edgar Times, of Edgar, Neb., was born in 
Pierceviile, Van Buren County, Iowa, December 
27, 1858, being the youngest of live children born 
to John and Sarah (Caulield) Lyon, natives of the 
State of New York. Horace G. received excellent 
advantages for acquiring an education and besides 
attending Howe's Academy at Mount Pleasant, 
Iowa, for some time, he took a course in the Mis- 
souri State Normal School at Kirksville, Mo. , which 
institution he attended three years. He next en- 
tered the National Normal University at Lebanon, 
Ohio, and after a one year's course graduated in 
scientific and business courses, being then admira- 
bly fitted for the profession of teaching. After re- 
turning to his native State from Ohio, he accepted 
the position of principal of the Quaker Academy in 
Dallas County, Iowa, and afterward accejjted the 
same position in the public schools of Van Meter, 
continuing here until 1883, when he came to Clay 
County, Neb., and started a private normal school, 
consisting of a three-year's course. Some time later 
he purchased the Times of Kautzman & Banington 
and has since continued to publish the journal with 
the greatest success, it being considered one of the 
ablest edited and best-paying papers in this sec- 
tion of the country. Mr. Lyon has proved a cap- 
able newspaper man, and his progressive ideas 
are reflected in every corner of his paper and in 
its management. During his work here he has ac 
cumulated considerable property and has l)uilt up 
his paper to its present admirable proportions. He 
was a very successful educator and reluctantly 
abandoned that calling. He is a Republican in 
his political views and socially is a member of the 
A. O. U. W. and the M. W A. He and wife, 
whom he married in 1882, and whose maiden name 
was Neva Semans, are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. She is a daughter of J. B. 



and Hannah (Vale) Semans, natives of Indiana, 
and her union with Mr. Lyon has resulted in the 
birth of three children: Horace T. , Orin Raymond 
and Opal N. 

Samuel McClure, farmer and stock-raiser, 
Glenville, Neb. Mr. McClure is a man who has 
risen to considerable prominence in the affairs of 
Clay County, not less in agricultural matters than 
in other circles of active business life, and is a re- 
spected, intelligent and progressive citizen of the 
community in which he makes his home. He owes 
his nativity to Butler County, Ohio, where his 
birth occurred on May 7, 1835, and is the second 
of eleven children born to the union of John and 
Sarah (Mitchell) McClure, natives of Kentucky 
and Ohio, and born in 179-1 and 1804, respectively. 
Their children were named as follows; Mary, Mar- 
tha, Samuel, Catherine, Louisa, Thomas, Robert, 
Mitchell, Elizabeth and Jeanette. Not being of a 
studious nature or disposition, Samuel neglected 
what advantages he had for an education, but as- 
sisted his father on the farm until twenty-one years 
of age when he started oiit to fight life's battles for 
himself. He first engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
which he continvied in Ohio until 1859, when he 
emigrated west to Marshall County, Iowa, and 
there continued his former occupation. After re- 
maining there for sixteen years he moved further 
west and settled in Clay County, Neb., in 1874. 
While in Ohio, in 1858, he married Miss Rebecca 
McClure, a native of Butler County, Ohio, and the 
daughter of Robert and Nancy (Gibbs) McClure. 
To this marriage were born four children: Flora, 
B., Samuel Calvin, Carrie May and Frederick. 
Mr. McClure is a stanch L'epublican and has 
always taken an interest in the welfare of his 
county and township. His first f)residt'ntial vote 
was cast for a Whig candidate and he has since fol- 
lowed liis early convictions, never voting from his 
party. Although a prominent worker and an ac- 
knowledged leader in his party he has never occu- 
pied any office, believing he could better serve the 
interests of the same by doing service at the polls. 
During the presidential campaigns he was one of 
the foremost to form campaign clubs and worked 
most zealously to elect his candidates. He and 



J: 



\H0 



HISTORY 0¥ NEBRASKA. 



family aii' members of tin- First I'rosbyterian 
Church of Glenville. By bis bard work and care- 
ful habits he has acquired a lari^c and handsome 
farm of 3'20 acres in the west half of Section 3, 
all the result of his own individual labor, assisted 
by his faithful wife. He has added to his stock 
until his farm stands among the foremost in the 
township and county. 

James McCormick is a tiller of the soil, and is 
known over a large region of country tributary to 
Verona, and his reputation is that of a man hon- 
oral)Ie and reliable in every walk of life. He may 
l)e truly said to be a self made man, for he started 
out in life with little or no means, and is now far 
beyond the reach of want. He was born in Pais- 
ley, Scotland, December 20, 1810, and is a son of 
William and Margaret McCormick, natives, re- 
spectively, of Ireland and Scotland. James Mc- 
Cormick came to the United States with his par- 
ents in 1845, and was brought up in Philadelphia, 
Pa., where he learned the occupation of garden 
ing. In the spring of 1872 he came to Clay 
County, Neb., and homesteaded the quarter sec- 
tion of land on which he is now living, and since 
1879 has been a permanent resident of this coun- 
ty, and has followed the occnjjations of farming and 
stock-raising very successfully. When the war, 
which had so long threatened this country, liecame 
an assured fact, Mr. McCormick quit the j)low to 
enlist in Company D, Sixth Regiment New Jersey 
Volunteer Infantry, and was a faithful servant of 
Uncle Sam for twenty-one months. He is now a 
member of the G. A. R. , and is one of the county's 
enterprising and successful citizens. He has held 
various local offices of trust, and at the present 
time is school director in his district. On July 2, 
1872, he was united in the bonds of matrimony to 
Miss Mary Ann Daugherty, a native of the "Blue 
Hen State, ' ' and by her he is the father of three 
children: Mamie, William and Annie. Mr. McCor- 
mick is a Democrat in his political views, and is a 
member of the Catholic Church. 

John McCune, farmer and stockman, Glenville, 
Neb. Mr. McCune is recognized as a careful, ener- 
getic agriculturist of this community, and by his 
advanced ideas and j)rogressive habits has done no 



little for th(( farming element hereabouts. Orig- 
inally from Cumberland County, Pa., where his 
birth occurred in 1840, he is the eighth in a family 
of eleven children Ijorn to Robert and Nancy 
(Gibbs) McCune, natives of the Keystone State, 
the father born in 1804, and the mother in 1806. 
The parents were married in their native State, 
and in 1855 emigrated to Marshall County, 111., 
where they followed farming. There the father 
died in 1877, and the mother one year later. Both 
were members of the Presbyterian Church, and the 
father was a Republican in polities. Their children 
were named as follows: Ellen J., Rebecca, Mar 
garet, Elizabeth A., Hugh, Mary, Caroline, John, 
Susan, Bethsheba and Robert S. Young John 
McCune in his boyhood days attended the common 
schools of Pennsylvania for a short time, and yet, 
with this limited education, he has by subsequent 
study and observation gained such excellent knowl 
edge that no one would imagine at this time that 
he enjoyed other than the mo.st liberal educational 
opportunities. He emigrated with his parents to 
Illinois, and there started out in life for himself as 
a farmer, which occupation he continued in Mar- 
shall County, of that State, from 1862 to 1877. 
He was married in 1868 to Miss Johanna Heoly, 
daughter of William Heoly, and a native of Illinois, 
born in 1847. She was left an orphan when but a 
child. Mr. McCune emigrated to Nebraska in 
1877, settled on the open prairie, and bought 160 
acres of railroad land, which is his home tract. 
He has 160 acres in Glenville Township, and eighty 
acres in Linn Township — 400 acres altogether. 
To his marriage have been born eight living chil- 
dren, six sons and two daughters: Robert E., Will- 
iam J., Hugh, John H. . Elizabeth, Fred, Martha 
and Ralph. Rena Ellen died in January, 18U0, at 
the age of ten years. Mr. McCune has been suc- 
cessful since he started out for himself, and has 
made all his jirojierty by honest, earnest endeavor. 
He has always adhered to the Republican party, 
and is interested in all public enterprises. He has 
a large grove on his place, a good orchard, and 
about the Hnest {)lace for a residence in the county. 
Hugh McCune is a well-known and highly es- 
teemed resident of Clav County, Neb., and was 



:>: 



born in Cumbprland County, Pa., on July 16, 
1838, beinsr the eldest son of eleven children born 
to Robert and Nancy (Gibbs) McCune, natives of 
Pennsylvania, born in 1804 and 1806, respectively. 
The schools of those days were not as good as at 
the present time, and Mr. McCune only obtained 
the advantages of the common schools, and during 
the vacations he as.sisted his father in tilling the 
soil, moving in 1852 with him to Ohio, and settling 
in Butler County. After making that State their 
home for about four years, they emigrated to 
Marshall County, III, from which county Hugh 
McCune enlisted in the Union army, in March, 
1862, in Company C, Sixty fifth Illinois Infantry. 
He served in the Shenandoah Valley in the spring 
and summer of 1862, was captured at Harper's 
Ferry, Va., under Col. Miles, September 16, 1862, 
and exchanged in January, 1863. He served, in 
the spring and summer of 1863, in Eastern Ken- 
tucky, accompanied Gen. Burnside into East Ten- 
nessee in autumn of 1803; was through all the battles 
and siege of Knoxville, and re enlisted at Straw- 
lierry Plains, Tenn. , in April, 1864. After spend 
iug thirty days at home on veteran furlough, he 
rejoined Gen. Sherman's army near Dalton, Ga. , 
and served through the campaign, till the fall of At- 
lanta, following Hood when he started north on his 
raid to Tennessee. The corjis to which he belonged 
(the Twenty-third) was then detached and sent 
back to Nashville under Gen. Thomas, after which 
Mr. McCune participated in the fighting at Colum- 
bia, on Duck River, the battle of Franklin, the 
siege and battle of Nashville, which terminated in 
the almost total annihilation of Hood's army. The 
Twenty-third Corps was then transferred via Wash- 
ington City to Fort Fisher, N. C. ; was engaged in 
the fighting at Fort Anderson, Cape Fear River, 
the fight at old Town Creek and capture of Wil- 
mington, and rejoined Gen. Sherman at Golds- 
liorough, N. C, and served through the operations 
of th:it army, which terminated in the surrender 
(if Gen. Johnston's army and the downfall of the 
Southern Confederacy. He was discharged from 
the United States service the latter part of July, 
1865, at Greensborough, N. C. After receiving 
his discharge, Mr. McCune returned to his home 



in Illinois, and in the spring of 1873 emigrated to 
Clay County, Neb. , where he took up a homestead 
claim. January 23, 1869, he was married to Eliza- 
beth, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Stephens) 
Whitton, natives of Scotland. Mrs. McCune was 
born in 1843, and her union with Mr. McCune has 
resulted in the birth of nine children, eight of whom 
are living: Laura (wife 6f William H. Haight), 
William, John C, Margaret N. , Thomas Francis, 
Carrie E., Arthur and Bertha M. Gracie is de- 
ceased. Mr. McCune is a Republican in politics, 
is a member of John A. Jordan Post No. 239, G. 
A. R. , of Clay Center, and was elected to the 
office of junior vice-commander. He owns a tine 
farm of 320 acres, and is engaged in farming and 
stock raising. 

Hugh H. McKee, farmer and stock- raiser. In- 
land, Neb. Mr. McKee is one of those sterling 
men of Pennsylvania nativity, so many of whom 
are met with in this portion of the State, who 
possess such qualities of character as make them 
successful and prominent almost without exception 
wherever their lot is cast. He was born in Wash- 
ington County, Pa., in 1834, and is the only 
child reared by his parents, Thomas and Martha 
(Hamilton) McKee, natives also of the Keystone 
State. The father was born in 1808 and died in 
his native State in 1839. He was a tailor by 
trade. The mother also died in that State in 1846. 
Hugh McKee' s early life was divided between 
attending school and in assisting, at farm labor. 
He emigrated to Illinois in 1850, was there married 
to Miss Sarah Jones, daughter of John Jones, in 
1834, and remained in that State engaged in farm 
ing for about thirty years. He owned a fine farm 
in this State, which he sold in 1880 and moved to 
Clay County, Neb , where he bought his present 
tine property, which now consists of 320 acres of 
land in Section 27, Township 8, Range 8. This is 
all iinder cultivation, and his residence, barns, 
outbuildings, and, in fact, all necessary conven 
ienees, indicate the quality of farmer that he is. 
His success is owing to his good management and 
honest, hard work. He is a Democrat and is 
interested in political events; also takes a decided 
interest in all matters relating to the public good. 



482 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



i's[)i'ciiilly religious and edueatioual afFairs, and is 
a first-class citizen. He expects to make Nebraska 
his home, and aside from his farming interests is 
engaged in stock-raising, having a laige number of 
Poland China hogs and about 100 head of cattle. 
H. Ij. IMcKibbon. grain shipper for L. But- 
lerfield & Co. of Denver City, is located at Saron- 
ville. Neb., and is one'bf the prominent business 
men of the place. He was born in Stephenson 
County, 111., in 18()6, and is the son of J. L. and 
M. J. (Kerr) McKibben, both natives of the Key- 
stone State. The father came to Illinois when a 
young man, located near the present site of Chi- 
cago and followed farming. He distinctly remem- 
licrs that at one time he got stuck with a yoke of 
oxen in the streets of Chicago. He raked after 
the first reaper (a J. P. Manney) that was ever 
taken West. He emigrated to Nebraska in 1887, 
and is now a resident of Saronville. The mother 
is also alive. They are the parents of ten children, 
and are members of the United Brethren Church. 
The McKibbens are of Scotch Irish descent. The 
paternal grandmother was a Kilpatrick and the 
maternal grandmother was a Murry. H. L. Mc- 
Kibben passed his boyhood days in Missouri and 
Illinois, and received his education in the common 
and high schools of Stephenson County, 111. He 
has been a machinist the principal part of his life, 
and worked in Chicago for the Northwestern Rail- 
road for three years. He came here and worked 
first under Patrick Eagan, present minister to 
Chili. At present he is in the employment 
of L. Butterfield & Co.. works on a salary and 
does an immense business. He was married No- 
vember 2S, 1888, to Miss Addie Ohlson, a native 
of Nebraska. Mr. McKibben is a Democrat in 
politics, and is a prominent man. He shipped 
about 250 car loads of corn during the year 1889. 
William A. McLean. lu giving a sketch of the 
lives of the valuable and successful residents of 
Clay County, Neb., mention should be made of 
Mr. McLean, who is one of the leading farmers 
and stockmen of this region. He was born in 
Montgomery County, 111., November 2~), 1838, 
being one of three surviving members of a family 
of fiv(^ children born to Joseph and Abigail (Pais- 



ley) McLean, who were natives of the "Old North 
State. ' ' William A. McLean resided in Montgom- 
ery County, being engaged in attending school 
and farming until the opening of the Civil War, 
and April 9, 1861, volunteered to serve in the 
Union army, in the Ninth Illinois Kegiment, under 
Capt. J. J. Phillips, and served until the time of 
enlistment had expired, when he returned home, 
remaining until August 9, 18(')2, when he re-en- 
listed, this time becoming a member of Company 
B, One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois, under 
Capt. Robert McWilliams. He was shot in his 
right arm in askirmish near Champion's Hill, and 
was a participant in the following engagements: 
Pleasant Hill, Tupelo, Nashville, Forts Spanish 
and Blakely, and was in a number of skirmishes 
near Mobile. He was in about thirty-three en- 
gagements in all, and served until August 5, 1865, 
when he was given an honorable discharge. He 
then returned to his Illinois home, but in the spring 
of 1872 he came west and pre-empted a claim in 
Clay County, Neb., which now makes him a com- 
fortable home. He was married in the spring of 
1862 to Miss Eliza Minor, by whom he has a fam- 
ily of three children: Abigail E (wife of John 
Cruickshauk), Hattie and Cora. Mr. McLean was 
called upon to mourn the death of his wife August 
6, 1871, her death being caused by consumption, 
and after remaining a widower until June, 1885, 
he espoused Miss Margaret J. Dawson, a daughter 
of Matthew and Hannah (McCandless) Dawson. 
She was born in Illinois August 18, 1855, and by 
Mr. McLean is the mother of three children: Will- 
iam L., Earle H. and Earnest M. Mr. McLean 
is a Republican politically, and since his sojourn 
here has been elected to fill a number of positions 
of trust, being elected to the position of constable 
in ISSl. He is a member of John A. Jordan Post 
No. 239, of the G. A. R., in which he is senior vice- 
commander, and he also belongs to the Farmers' 
Alliance. Himself and wife are members of the 
Clay Center Congregational Church, and he has a 
farm which comprises 320 acres of land, well im- 
proved with buildings and in an excellent state of 
cultivation. 

George R. McMaster, farmer and stockman. 



Spy 



CLAY COUNTY. 



483 



Of the many citizens of foreign birth now residing 
in Clay County, none are more respected or held 
in higher esteem than the subject of this sketch. 
He was born in Scotland in 184S, and his parents, 
John and Anna (Strouthcr) McMaster, were na- 
tives of the same country. They emigrated to the 
United States in 1860, settled in the State of Illi- 
nois, and there received their final summons, the 
mother in 1885 and the father in 1888. George 
R. McMaster came with his parents to the Uni- 
ted States, settled with them in Illinois, and was 
married in Knox County, of that State, to Miss 
Blanche Shear, the daughter of Henry D. and 
Elizabeth Ann (Moulter) Shear, both now living 
and residing in Knox County, 111. To Mr. and 
Mrs. McMaster were born six children: Blanche, 
John H. , Jeanette. Frank, George A. and Clara 
E. la 1885 Mr. McMaster came to Nebraska, 
settled in Lincoln Township, Clay County, and is 
now the owner of 200 acres of excellent land, all 
the result of his own exertions. He has also been 
very successful in raising fruit, and is considered 
one of the substantial and progressive farmers of 
the county. He is a stanch Republican in bis 
political views and takes quite an interest in poli- 
tics. The family are members of the Presbyterian 
Church. 

Capt. George AV. Martin is the present popular 
and efficient postmaster of Harvard, Neb. , and is 
a highly esteemed and worthy citizen of that place. 
He was born in Ohio County, W. Va. , about four 
teen miles southeast of Wheeling, July 22, 1827. 
and was a son of Samuel and Susan (Sisson) Mar- 
tin, who were born in Wheeling, W. Va. , and 
Baltimore, Md. , in October, 1797, and in May, 
1804, respectively. The paternal grandparents, 
Alexander and Mary (Williamson) Martin, were 
natives of Ireland and came to America with their 
respective parents and became ac<piainted and were 
married in West Virginia. The mother of Capt. 
Martin was the daughter of Lewis and Frances 
(Powell) Sisson. the former a Virginian and the lat 
ter born in Maryland. Their parents were born in 
England. Samuel Martin and his wife were married 
in Washington Coimty, Pa., about 1820, and be- 
came the parents of nine children: Maria, Frances, 



George W., Sarah, Eliza Ann, Alexander, Mar- 
tha, Lewis L. and Susan C, all of whom are liv- 
ing except Maria. The father of these children 
was an energetic tiller of the soil, and died in 
Scott County, 111. , November, 1845, his wife dying 
in the same house in February, 1866. When the 
subject of this sketch was between six and seven 
years of age, or in the spring of 1834, his parents 
moved to that part of Morgan County, 111., that 
has since become a part of Scott County, 111., and 
there his boyhood and early manhood were spent in 
farm work and in attending the common schools. 
On March 18, 1847, he was married in Greene 
County, 111., to Miss Angeline Conway, a native of 
Madison County, 111., Vrorn March 12, 1829, being 
a daughter of John and Hannah (Renfro) Conway, 
the former a Kentuckian and the latter a native of 
Madison County, 111. In the fall of 1848 Mr. 
Martin removed with his wife and one child to 
Dallas County, Tex. , where he gave his attention 
to farming for ten years, and there his wife died 
on March 8, 1855. December 22, 1856, he 
espoused Miss Rachel M. Harris, who was born in 
Madison County, 111., December 25, 1828, being 
a daughter of John and Rachel (Ramsey) Harris. 
Mr. Martin was so unfortunate as to lose this 
wife also, her death occurring in Dallas County, 
Tex.. October 29, 1857. Shortly after her death 
Mr. Martin, accompanied by his two children, re- 
turned to Illinois and located in Scott County, 
which had been formed in 1839. There he was 
married, on April 10, 1860, to Miss Cornelia M. 
Richmond, of Madison County, N. Y., born De- 
cember 28, 1837, a daughter of Tragen Hoyt and 
Lydia Maria (Kazier) Richmond. While residing 
in Scott County, on August 9, 1802, Mr. Martin 
enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Twenty- 
ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he 
served until September 21, 1864, when, on account 
of impaired health, he was honorably discharged 
at Atlanta, Ga. Ho had enlisted as a private, but 
ujion the organization of his company, he was 
elected its captain, and served in this capacity dur- 
ing the whole time he was in the service. He 
commanded his company in the battles of Resaca, 
Ga., the .Dallas Woods tight and the battle of 



>^ 



484 



HISTORY OF NEBKA.sk A. 



Peach Tree Creek, in all of which he made a brave 
ami competent officer. He returned to Scott 
County, 111., and in the fall of 1805 was elected to 
the office of county clerk, and by re-election served 
in all twelve consecutive years. For four and a 
half years after his last term expired he served as 
deputy county clerk for his successor, hut this 
position he resigned in June, 1882, and the follow- 
ing fall was elected sheriff of that county, serving 
one term of four years. Iti ISSfi he removed to 
Harvard, Neb., reaching this ])lace on December 
10, and here h(> pui'chased a i)ook and stationery 
establishment, which he has successfully conducted 
ever since. October 1, 1889, he was appointed 
postmaster of Harvard, and is a capable officer. 
He and his present wife have a family of nine 
children: Dora F. , George L. A.. Nora A.. Ida 
('., Minnie A.. May, Hoyt R., Holland and Ed 
ward S. , of whom Dora, George, Holland and 
Edward are deceased. Capt. Martin, his wife and 
all their children are members of the Christian 
Church, and he is a Royal Arch Mason and a 
member of the G. A. E. and the I. O. O. F., be 
ing a member of the Encampment in the last 
named order. He has always been a devoted 
member of the Republican party. He is an up- 
light and worthy citizen, and in every station in 
life, whether as a military or civil officer, or as a 
jirivate citizen, he has discharged his duties in a 
manner V)ecoming a loyal citizen and a true man. 
He had four children by his first wife: Eliza J., 
Susan H., Mary E. and John C. ; Snsan H. and 
John C. dying in infancy. Eliza J. married M. 
W. Wilcox, M. D., and Mary E. married Elijah 
Bradwell, who is a druggist of Fairfield, Neb. 
Dr. Wilcox is among the leading practitioners in 
Central Nebraska. 

Thomas H. Matters. Bacon says, "the great- 
est trust between man and man is the trust of giv- 
ing counsel, for in other confidences men commit 
the parts of life — their lands, their goods, their 
child, their credit some particular affair; but to 
such as they make their counselors they commit 
the whole. By how much the more are they obliged 
to all faith and integrity. The profession of law 
is thus the mo.st momentous and important of 



' human callings, and he who takes upon himself the 
I practice of it assumes the weightiest responsibili 
ties that the confidence and trust of his fellow-man 
can pnt upon his shoulders. As it is a branch of 
human endeavor wliich Ijrings into play the most 
l)rilliant talents, the most extensive knowledge, the 
strongest sentiments, moral, spiritual, material, its 
power for good or evil is vast and invincible." Mr. 
Matters was born in La Salle County, 111., August 
24, 1858, a .son of Thomas and Agnes (Brown) 
Matters, who were born, reared and married in 
Lanarkshire. Scotlan<l. and emigrated to America 
in 1N54, settlinsr first in Thomastown, Pa., and 
[ later in La Salle County. 111., where they made 
their home until 1S65. They then moved to 
Grundy County. 111., and here the mother's death 
occurred September 13, 1871, and three years later 
Thomas H. accompanied his father to Clay County, 
Neb. Up to this time he had received very meager 
educational advantages, and as his father was in 
very needy circumstances and he. himself, had no 
means whatsoever save willing hands and a mental 
capacity to direct them with prudence, he was 
thrown almost if not entirely upon his own re- 
sources. His first object was to secure an educa- 
tion, and he began applying himself diligently to 
his studies, knowing this to be a sure foundation 
for any future success which he might hope to at- 
tain, being for some time a student in the Harvard 
public schools, and during his leisure moments he 
worked hard and diligently at whatever he could 
find to do, and in this manner passed through 
school. In the meantime he had aspired to law 
as his future calling, and the success which has 
attended his efforts in pursuing this science has 
not been attained without severe and continued 
struggling, which clearly shows that pluck and 
indomitable energy are among his chief character- 
istics. For some time after leaving school he 
labored at farming also, and by good management 
and industry he soon became the owner of a good 
farm. In the month of May, ISSO, he was admit 
ted to the bar, and January 4, 1883, was admitted 
to the supreme court, and has practiced his profes- 
sion with success ever since. He is now one of the 
county's most substantial men, and upon the or- 



:r^ 





Clay County, Nebraska. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



485 



ganization of the First National Bank. August 24, 
1889, he was elected its president and still holds 
that position. As an attorney, he is one of the 
most successful, and his practice reaches through- 
out Central Nebraska. March 21, 1880, he was 
united in marriage to Miss Marguerite L. Wistrom, 
by whom he is the father of three interesting chil- 
dren: Gertrude (born December 23, 188J), Agnes 
Irene (born February 28, 1885) and Thomas H. , 
Jr. (born in February, 188t5.) Mr. Matters and 
his wife are members of the Christian Church, and 
he belongs to the I. O. O. F., and in his political 
views is a stanch Republican and an active worker 
for the cause of temperance. He is one of the 
trustees of Fairfield College, and is a man whose 
judgment is sought on other matters than law. 

J. Meehan, farmer and stock- raiser, Spring 
llanche, Neb. Mr. Meehan is a native of the Bay 
State, his birth occurring in Boston in 1845, and 
when about five years of age went with his uncle, 
Martin McHugh, to West Bend. On account of 
the death of his father he was obliged to start out 
in life for himself when about twelve years of age. 
and first engaged in driving a team along the lake 
shore. This he continued for about five years, and 
in September, 1862, he enlisted in the United States 
army, Company G, First Wisconsin Cavalry, and 
during the war was in the battles of Cape Girardeau, 
Chickamauga, Athmta, Shelbyville, and numerous 
other engagements. He was taken prisoner at Ceu- 
treville, Ala. , while on the Wilson raid and while 
carrying dispatches for Maj, Shipman. He was 
discharged at Madison, Wis., in June, 1865, and 
at the close ot the war settled at Mankato, Minn., 
where he tilled the soil on land entered from the 
government. He was married in 18()6 to Miss Mary 
Wilson, the daughter of George and Alvina (Brown) 
Wilson, of Minnesota. Mr. Meehan came to Ne- 
braska in the fall of 187(1, settled in the neighbor- 
hood of Spring llanche with a company of trappers, 
and found everything wild and unsettled. Indians 
were numerous and wild animals of all kinds 
abounded. The place on which his pleasant home 
now stands was the site of the old Pawnee Ranch, 
on the St. Joseph branch of the California trail, 
which was destroyed by the Sioux Indians in 1862. 



On this place are eleven graves; one has a head- 
stone bearing the name of Francis Huff and the 
date of death, 1860. Another part of a stone bears 
the name of Roper, and some of the graves are 
supposed to contain the remains of the victims of 
the Sioux Indians. Mr. Meehan took up the south- 
west quarter of Section 4, and has since owned and 
lived on different farms in both Clay and Adam.s 
Counties. He moved to his present farm in 1884, 
and has improved it with good buildings, etc. He 
has followed railroading a great deal since coming 
to Nebraska, and has built twenty-five miles of 
grade on the Kansas City & Omaha Railroad; seven 
miles on the Rock Island, nine miles of irrigating 
ditch in New Mexico, two and a half miles of the 
Queen Copper Company's Railroad at Bisby, Ari- 
zona, five miles of the Paeos Ditch in Southern 
New Mexico, and the county bridge building and 
grading of Clay County for nine years. Mr. Mee- 
han is quite a stock man, and is raising the English- 
shire breed of horses and Poland-China hogs. He 
has an ice field and fish pond on Pawnee Creek, 
containing about thirty acres of ground, in which 
he is feeding Lake Michigan trout, black bass and 
rainbow trout. He has been successful financially 
since coming to Nebraska, and is well pleased with 
the State which he intends to make his permanent 
home. He is a good Republican in politics, is a 
member of the G. A. R. and of the Farmers' Alli- 
ance. His parents, Philip and Catherine (McHugh) 
Meehan, were natives of County Common, Ireland, 
and came to the United States about 1840. They 
settled in Boston, and there the father followed the 
trade of a wood turner. He died in Boston, Mass., 
in * 1849, in full communion with the Catholic 
Church. In politics he was a Democrat. The 
mother died at Passadena, Los Angeles County, 
Cal., March 1, 1890, a Roman Catholic. 

Joseph F. Megrue, farmer and stock-raiser, 
Harvard, Neb. From the biography of every man 
there may be gleaned some lesson of genuine 
worth, for here we discover the secret of his sue 
cess or failure. In the history of Mr. Megrue, 
one of Clay County's active and progressive citi- 
zens, is found much to commend. He was born in 
Ohio County, lud. , in 1844, and was the young- 



If^ 




est of four cLiKlrou, the result of the union of 
Joseph F. ami Keziah (Shipinan) Megrne. Joseph 
F. Megrue was a native of Ohio, born in 1818, 
and was a tailor by trade, having followed tliat 
calling in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was married in 
that city in 1S;{:5. and reared four children: M.iry 
K. (born in 18;{7, is now Mrs. Baker, residing iu 
Ohio County, Ind., and has live sous and one 
daughter), Rachel A. (liorn in 1840, is now Mrs. 
Allen, living in Harvard, Clay County, and has 
three children), Charles (born in 1853, is married, 
resides iu Clay County, and has two children) 
and Joseph F. The father of these children 
moved from Ohio to Ohio County, Ind., where 
he worked at his trade, and later engaged in 
farming. In 1852 he was taken with the gold 
fever, went to California, was there four yeaj-s and 
was successful. On his return, in 1855. he pur- 
chased a farm and tilled the soil in Ohio County, 
Ind , up to the lirst year of the war, when he and 
his brother took a trip to California, to seek gold, 
and were again successful. They remained absent 
until 18(50 (for four years), and then returned to 
Ohio County, Ind., where he lived a retired life. 
He came west to Illinois in 1876. settled in Bureau 
County, where he farmed for live years, and then 
the family came to Nebraska. They settled in 
Harvard, and there the father now resides, living 
a retired life. He and wife have been members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church for lifty-five 
years. He is a Republican and takes a deep inter- 
est in political matter,-). Joseph F. Megrue 
passed his schoolboy days in Ohio County. Ind., 
and received a fair education in the common 
schools. He started out in life for himself by en- 
listing in the I'^ifth Ohio Independent Light Artil- 
lery, and was iu some hard-fonght battles. He 
was at Shiloh, Corinth, siege of Vicksl)urg. and at 
Jackson, Miss. , where he was wounded in the 
shoulder by a shell April 7, 1803. He was in the 
hospital for some time, and later was taken to 
New Orleans, where he was confined in the hospital 
for two months. After this he was sent home, 
where* he remained until he recovered and was able 
to return to his battery. He joined the battery 
again at Little Rock, Ark., iu the fall of 1803, 



and was in tli(> battks of Little Rock. Helena and 
Devall's Bluff. He sei-ved out his time in the 
liattery ami then re erdisted in Company H, One 
Hundred and Forty sixth Indiana Infantry, and 
served until the close of the war, receiving his dis- 
charge in 1805. He then returned to Indiana and 
followed farming. In 1870 he was united in mar 
riage to Miss Elizabeth Zeh, a native of Baltimore. 
Md., born in February. 1851, and the daughter of 
Andrew and Anna Zeh. To Mr. and Mrs. Megrue 
were born five sons (four of whom are living): 
Lawson (died when three years of age), Andrew Z. 
(born in 1872), Elmer E. (born in 1874), Floyd E. 
(born in 1870) and Leroy A. (born in 1878.) After 
his marriage Mr. Megrue emigrated to Illinois 
and tilled the soil for live years, and in 1870 came 
to Nebraska, where he bought 100 acres of land. 
He now has a nicely improved place. In 1884 he 
went to Red Willow County, Neb., and engaged 
in the cattle business for three years, but owing to 
his range being cut up, sold out and came back to 
("lay County, where he purchased 100 acres more, 
on Section 14. He has been successful since com- 
ing here, and il is all owing to hard work and 
good judgment. He is a member of the Repub- 
lican party and a member of Richardson Post 
No. 00, of the G. A. R., at Harvard. He and 
wife are members of the Congregational Church.' 
Mr. Megrue has been a member of the school 
board in his district for a number of years, and is 
a prominent man of the county. In connection 
with his farming interests he is also engaged in 
raising stock. Short horn cattle and Poland-China 
hogs. He is also raising Norman horses, and has 
twenty or thirty line ones. He has a fine place, a 
good orchard and lots of timber growing. He is 
interested in churches and schools and all things 
for the improvement of the country. 

Charles A. Morrill is a member of the well- 
known and highly successful firm of Minnick & 
Morrill, general merchants of Fairfield, Neb., the 
business being e.stablished iu the year 1885. Al- 
though they have only been in business a comj)ar- 
atively short time, they have succeeded in estab- 
lishing a safe and remunerative trade, and their 
close attention to liusiness, combined with a large 



1^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



487 



and well-selected stock of goods, wbicli they sell at 
reasonable rates, have contrilnited largely to their 
success. Their establishment it, located in Hop 
per' 8 Building, at the coiner of D and Second 
Streets. Mr. Morrill, the junior member of this 
firm, was born in North Danville, Caledonia County, 
Vt., January 24, 1859, and was there reared and 
educated. After spending his youth as a farmer' s 
boy, he began teaching school, but did not long 
follow this occupation. In 1883 he emigrated to 
Kewanee, 111., where he clerked and kept Isooks in 
a mercantile establishment until November, 1885, 
when he came to Fairfield, Neb. , and in company 
with G. A. Minnick opened the establishment with 
which he is so intimately connected. He was 
married August 25, 1885, to Miss Anna M, Ander- 
son, a native of Svaneke, Bornholm, Denmark, and 
their union resulted iu the l)irth of one child, Guy 
L. Mr. Morrill was formerly a Republican in pol- 
itics, afterward Independent, and votes for whom 
he considers the worthiest man, irrespective of 
party. He is a member of the Modern Wood 
men of America, and with his family attends the 
Congregational Church. His parents were Charles 
L. and Letitia (Works) Morrill, who were born in 
the "Green Mountain State." Gilbert A. Min 
nick, of the well-known firm mentioned above, 
was born in Kewanee, Henry County, 111., Octo- 
ber 17, 1850, being a son of Peter and Mary 
(Guyer) Minnick, natives of Pennsylvania. He 
was reared and educated in his native county, 
and at the age of eighteen years began life for 
himself as a clerk in a mercantile establishment, 
continuing until March, 1885, when he came to 
Clay County, Neb. , and in the month of April be- 
came associated with A. B. Palmer in business. 
In the fall of the same year he formed the above 
partnership, and did a prosperous business until 
his death. In his political views he was always a 
Republican, but of strong Prohiliition proclivities. 
He was a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
America, and he and wife, whom he married May 
6, 1885, and whose maiden name was Susie A. Pat- 
terson, were members of the Congregational 
Church. Mrs. Minnick was born in Henry County, 
111., and her union with Mr. Minnick resulted in 



the birth of one child, William P. Mr. Miunick's 
death occurred in the latter part of March, 1890. 
John L. Misner is accounted a prosperous 
farmer and stock-raiser of Linn Township, Clay 
County, Neb., and like the majority of native Illi 
noisans is progressive in his views, energetic and 
strictly honest. He was borniu Stephenson County 
in 1849, and is a son of John and Keziah (Good- 
win) Misner, who were born in York State in 1812 
and 1S17, resf)ectively. In 1844 they emigrated 
to the State of Illinois and located in Stephenson 
County on a farm, where the father still resides, 
his wife having died in 1858. John L. Misner 
grew to manhood and received the advantages of 
the common schools of his native county, but in 
1871 left his native heath and sought a home for 
himself on the fertile prairies of Nebraska, home 
steading a farm in Clay County, which has since 
been his home. He has made a pleasant and com- 
fortable home for his family and his farm which 
comprises a quarter section of land is one of the 
best in the county. He has a young forest of at 
least 2,000 trees, an excellent young bearing or- 
chard, and the finest plum orchard in the county. 
He does a general farming business and has been 
one of the successful men of the coimty, and has 
aided largely in making Clay County one of the 
leading ones of the State. Mr. Misner has always 
voted the Republican ticket, is a member of the 
Farmers" Alliance, and has at all times taken an 
active interest iu the political and educational in- 
terests of Clay County. In 1.S73 he was elected 
to the office of constable of his to%vnship, a posi 
tion he held one year. He was married in 1874 
to Miss Josephine Wilhelm, a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, by whom he became the father of four chil 
dren: William, Geo., Celia and Mary. The 
mother of these children died in January, 1889, 
and iu December. 1889, Mr. Misner wedded his 
present wife formerly Mrs. Belle Tonn, of Illi- 
nois nativity. 

Henry J. Mitchell. A lifetime devoted with 
perseverance and energy to the pursuits of agri 
culture have contributed very materially to the 
success which has attended the efforts of Mr. 
Mitchell, a man of substantial and established 



g - 



488 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



worth. He w;is bom iu (.xeniiany ou March 26, 
1849, a sou of Heury and Elizabeth (ScLickadaace) 
Mitchell, also natives of that country. In lSr.2 
they emigrated to America and settled in JcfTer- 
sou County, N. Y., where their son, Henry J., was 
reared to manhood. He only received meager 
educational advantages in youth, but educated him- 
self considerably after becoming of age. and when 
thirteen years old he began the occupation of cheese- 
making, which calling continued to receive his at- 
tention in York State for ten years. At the age 
of twenty-three years he came west and settled in 
Ogle County, 111., and after following the cheese- 
making business for four years turned his atten- 
tion to farming, in which occupation he has since 
been engaged. By careful management and econ- 
omy he saved enough to enable him to purchase 
eighty acres of land, and this small farm he man- 
aged in such an excellent manner that it proved a 
paying investment. In the fall of 1883 he moved 
to Clay County. Neb. , and took up a tree claim of 
160 acres and afterward added to it by purchas- 
ing an additional 160 acres in Section 23. Al- 
though he has not been here any great length of 
time yet he has shown an enterprising disposition 
and has made so many valuable improvements on 
his ])roperty that his farm is considered one of the 
best in the county. He has built a handsome one- 
and-a-half story residence, substantial barns and 
accompanying sheds for his cattle, and his farm 
is well stocked. He has a beautiful grove of ten 
acres west of his residence, eom])osed of young ash 
and box elder trees, and as the trees are nearly all of 
one size they form an attractive appearance during 
the Slimmer and autumn. March 30, 1875, he was 
married to Miss Sarah E. Royce, a daughter of 
Charles C. and Margaret (Rathbou) Royce. her 
birth occurring December 10, 1849. in Illinois, and 
their union has resulted in the birth of four chil- 
dren: Elton H.. Charles E., Myrtle L.and Alta May. 
Mr. Mitchell is now a Prohibitionist, although for- 
merly a Rei)ublican in politics, and he and his wife 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 
Clay Center, he being a trustee and Sunday school 
superintendent. He is a member of the Farmers' 
Alliance and is chaplain of Harmony Lodge. 



E. J. Moger has made his own way in life, as 
he was left an or])han without a great deal of 
means, when m his twelfth year. He was l)orn in 
the city of New York in 1827, being an only chilil 
reared by Jordan and I'hoebe N. (Lyon) Moger, 
l)oth of whom were born in Westchester County, 
N. Y., the latter a daughter of Jonathan Lyon. 
After their mairiage they removed to the city of 
New York, where Mr. Moger became a member of 
the city police force, and there died ou September 
7, 1829, followed by his wife about ten years later. 
E. J. Moger's parents left him forty acres of land 
and he started out in life for himself in La Grange 
County, Ind. , following the occupation of harness 
making for a number of years. He was mariied 
in this State in 1848 to Miss Emeline A., a daugh 
ter of Enoch and Betsey (Pettigrove) Buck, who 
were York State people, her father being l)orn in 
1800. Mrs. Moger was also born in that State, 
September 5, 1829, and she and Mr. Moger have 
had a family of six children born to them: Albert 
J. (born April 3, ISal), Phoebe E. (born July 31, 
1853) Walter E. (born May 14, 1858), William H. 
(born March 1. 1860, and died iu September of the 
same year), Mary O. (born November 17, 1861), 
Edward L. (born April 15, 1866). After leaving 
Indiana Mr. Moger and his family settled in Illi- 
nois, near Princeton, where he followed farming 
and also worked at his trade. From there he en- 
listed in 1862, in Company B, Ninety-third Illinois 
Infantry, but was taken sick at Camp Douglas, 
Chicago, and after returning home he remained 
until about December 12, then joined his regiment 
at Memphis, Tenn. He was iirst in the quarter- 
master's department in this city, then in the post- 
office department as his sickness had unfitted him 
for active service. He was transferred to the Vet- 
eran Reserve Corps. He received his discharge on 
July 5, 1865, at Detroit, Mich., after which here- 
turned to his family in Illinois. He then clerked 
iu a general store in Dover until 1871, and in the 
spring of that year emigrated to Clay County, 
Neb., and took up a claim of 160 acres in Har- 
vard Township, where ho lives at the present time, 
his family having joined him in the spring of 1872. 
During the first few years of his residence here he 



CLAY COUNTY. 



489 



experienced many hardships, biit has slowly, tho' 
surely, improved his place and accumulated means, 
until lie is now a well -to do citizen. His bnild 
inf^s and other improvements are much above the 
average, and although he resided in Harvard from 
1877 to 1890, engaged in the law office of W. H. 
Earner and John D. Hayes, he has been content to 
return to his farm. By a vote of the citizens he 
was elected to ask the Governor of the State for a 
proclamation to organize Clay County, which he 
obtained June, 1871, and as there were not enough 
local voters at that date to hold the offices, the 
matter was postponed until October or November 
of the same year. Mr. Moger is a member of the 
O. A. It., Richardson Post at Harvard, and he and 
wife are members of the Congregational Church. 
Albert J. Moger, agricultural implement dealer. 
Harvard, Neb. The inventive genius of this pro- 
gressive age has found one of its most fertile fields 
in devising implements designed to lighten the la 
l)ors of the agriculturist, and the progressive 
farmer of the day is provided with machines which 
to a great extent relieve him from heavy manual 
labor. Among houses well known for the circula- 
tion of these wonderful devices is that of Albert J. 
Moger, which business was established in Harvard 
in 18S5. Mr. Moger was born in La Grange 
County, Ind. , April 3, 1851, and is the son of Ed- 
ward J. and Amanda (Buck) Moger, the father a 
native of New Y''ork City, and the mother of New 
York State. Mr. and Mrs. Moger were married on 
July 4, 1848. and to them were born six children, 
of whom five are now living. The parents are re- 
siding in Harvard Township, Clay County, Neb. 
Albert J. Moger was but six years of age when his 
jtarents removed to Bureau County, 111. , and he 
was reared partly on the farm and partly in the 
village of Dover. He attended Academy in Dover 
a year and a half after leaving district school and 
at the age of twenty came to Clay County, Neb., 
where he has resided ever since, with the excep- 
tion of four months that he spent in Harlan 
County. Neb. At the age of twenty one he took 
u[) a homestead in Harvard Township, upon which 
he resided during the greater part of the time 
from 1872 to 1S85. At the last mentioned date 



he removed to Harvard, engaged in the implement 
business, and is now one of the leading dealers of 
that kind in the county. He was married on De- 
cember 25, 1879, to Mi.ss Luella Kennedy, a native 
of Illinois, and the daughter of Andrew and Laura 
B. Kennedy, natives of New York State. Mr. and 
Mrs. Moger have had two children. Emma and 
Dorr A. , the younger of whom died at the age of 
three year.s. Mr. Moger is a member of the I. O. 
O. F., the M. W. A., and he is a Republican in his 
political views. He is doing an excellent business 
and is a prominent citizen. 

John T. Mollyueaux, owner and projirietor of 
the Oakland Hotel, at Sutton, was originally from 
the Blue Grass State, his birth occurring in Camp- 
bell County, on November 5, 1850, and is a son of 
Dr. James K. and Harriet (West) Mollyneaux. The 
father was born in Ohio in 1828, and for many 
years, or since 1854, has been a prominent and 
successful physician. The mother was l)orn in 
Richmond, Va., in 1832. Their family consisted 
of eight children, and of these John T. was the 
eldest. He was educated at Lexington, Ky., 
Transylvania University, and in 1871 came to 
Nebraska, where he spent three years at Crete, 
one year at Beatrice, and later, for four years, was 
in tlu' hotel business at Lincoln. He came to Sut- 
ton in 1879, and for eleven years had charge of 
the Occidental Hotel in that place, but in July, 
1889, he became the owner of the Oakland Hotel, 
one of the best on the Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad. Mr. Mollyneaux has spent altogether 
eighteen years in the hotel business, and is emi- 
nently qualified as proprietor and owner to look 
after the wants and comfort of the traveling public. 
He was married in February. 1S79, to Miss Mar- 
garet A. Allen, a native of Canada, born Deceml)er 
11. 1856, and to them have been born two chil- 
dren: Maud and Buford A. In politics Mr. Mol- 
lyneaux is an uncompromising Democrat. He is 
a member of the K. of P., Sutton Lodge No. 75; 
and I. O. F. No. 53, in which he takes an active 
part. 

Joseph Myer, farmer and stock raiser, (ilen- 
ville. Neb. Of those persons of German nativity 
mentioned in this volume, none are more deserving 



^. 



■-^fv 




of special remark than Joseph Myer. who is one of 
the siihstaiitial and piof^ressive citizens of Inhind 
Township. Ho owes his nativity to Baden, Ger- 
many, where his birth occurred in 1843, and is the 
yonni^est in a family of five children born to Jacob 
Myer. The father was a tailor by trade, and left 
his native country (Germany) to come to the United 
States in 1848. He settled in Philadelijhia, Pa., 
and later moved to Freeport, 111., where he died iu 
1883 or 1884. The mother died in the old country 
in 1843. Joseph Myer came to Philadelphia when 
he was only nine years of age, received his educa- 
tion in that city, and when yet a small boy started 
out for himself by learning the barber's trade, 
which he followed until 1861. In April of that 
year he enlisted in Company I, Twenty sixth Penn- 
sylvania Infantry, in May, 1804. being transferred 
to Company F, Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania Volun- 
teers, and took an active part in the following bat- 
tles: Williamsburgh, Fredericksburgh, and in 
the battles of the Eastern army, thirty-three in all. 
In July, 1804, he was taken prisoner at Deep Bot- 
tom, Va., and was confined at Libby Prison about 
six week. He was also retained at Bell Isle for 
two or three weeks, and at Salisbury, N. C. , 
being in prison altogether seven and one-half 
months. He received a gun-shot wound in his right 
side at the second battle of Bull Run, and was in 
the hospital for about six weeks. His wound dis- 
abled him from active work, and he was discharged 
in July, 1805. After returning home Mr. Myer 
worked at his trade until ISTI in Carroll County, 
111., whither he had emigrated after the war, and 
was married there in 1800 to Miss Mary M. Eisen- 
bise, a native of the Buckeye State, born in Miami 
County in 1848, and the daughter of William and 
Rosanna( Walters) Eisenbise, who are now residing 
in Carroll County, 111. Mrs. Myer was the fifth 
in a family of nine children: Peter, Nicholas, Han- 
nah. Levi, Mary, Sarah (deceased). George, John 
(deceased) and Frank. To Mr. and Mrs. Myer were i 
born ten children: Fav W., Charles E., William 
J., Kosa iVIay, Arthur, Josejth, Jr., Ernest A., 
Hattie J., Dioy B. and James. Mr. Myer and fam- 
ily emigrated to Nebraska in 1872, and there took j 
up U'>t' acres of land. He now has three quarter- I 



sections and 100 acres in the home tract. He has 
a nice place, well improved, and is deeply interested 
in the raising of stock. Mrs. Myer is a member 
of the Evangelical Church, and in his political 
views Mr. Myer is a Republican. He was elected 
county commissioner of Clay County in 1885, and 
held this position with credit to himself and the 
people until 1889, when the township was organ 
ized. In 1873 he was one of the first men elected 
on the school board in District No. 51, and has been 
one of the members, more or less, since its organ- 
ization. He has ever been a warm friend of edu- 
cation, taking active part in all movements tending 
to benefit or encourage school facilities in the com- 
munity, and is anxious that his children should 
have every opportunity for an education. He is a 
man of marked character, and more than ordinary 
prominence in the material affairs of Clay County, 
having as a result the respect and esteem of all 
acquainted with him. He has two sisters, Cordelia 
(residing in Philadelphia, Pa.) and Catherine (re- 
siding in Free])ort, 111.). 

Louis M. Nelson, farmer and stock-raiser, In- 
land, Neb. In mentioning those of foreign birth 
who have liecome closely associated with the farm- 
ing and stock raising interests of Clay County, we 
should not fail to present an outline of the career 
of Mr. Nelson, for it is one which has fully borne 
out the reputation of that class of industrious, 
energetic men of Swedish nativity who have risen 
to prominence in different portions of this country. 
He was born in Sweden in 1852, and there received 
a fair education. He emigrated to the United 
States in 1873. settled in Whiteside County, 111., 
and there cultivated the soil. He started to farm 
for himself in 1S75, and the same year was wedded 
to Miss Nellie Johnson, a native also of Sweden 
and the daughter of John Kullburg, also of that 
country. Mr. Nelson emigrated to Clay County, 
Neb. , where he now resides, and he there pur- 
chased eighty acres of railroad land, which he has 
since increased by adding sixty acres. The im 
provements on this place are complete, and the 
neatness and order noticeable al)out the home indi- 
cate the progressive agriculturist that he is. He 
also handles stock to some extent. When he first 



e'J'V 



S W. 



-< s 



K^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



491 



cume to Nebraska he bad but $20 and four horses. 
Since then success has followed his efforts, and he 
is one of the substantial men of the county. To 
his marriage were born eight children; Selma, 
Andrew, Inga, Oscar, Ella, Anna. Mary and Louie. 
Hon. Daniel M. Nettleton, farmer and stock- 
raiser. Spring Ranche, Neb. Clay County is 
acknowledged by all to be one of the best agri 
cultural portions of the State, and as such its citi- 
zens are men of advanced ideas and considerable 
prominence. A worthy man among this class is 
found in the person of Daniel M. Nettleton, who 
owes his nativity to County Antrim, Ireland, 
where his birth occurred November 3, 1S4(), and is 
the youngest of eight children Ijorn to Benjamin 
and Maria J. (English) Nettleton, natives also of 
Ireland. The father came to the United States 
about 1843, settled in Lee County, 111. , near Paw 
Paw, and there entered 140 acres of land and 
engaged in farming and stock raising. He was a 
member of the Presbyterian Church, and was a 
man noted for his great piety and zeal in religious 
work. He died March H, 1852. The mother was 
of Scotch descent, her ancestors having settled in 
Ireland about 1(500. She died at Paw Paw, 111., 
in 1873. Hon. Daniel M. Nettleton sjjent his 
school days at Paw Paw, Lee County, 111. , and his 
early life up to sixteen years of age was divided 
between assisting on the farm and in attending 
the public schools. After this he began teaching 
school, followed this profession in the winters and 
attended La Clare Academy during the summer 
months until the summer of 1861, when he enlisted 
in Company I, Fourth Illinois Cavalry. He par 
ticipated in the following battles: Fort Donelson, 
Shiloh, Corinth, Coffeeville and many others. He 
was wounded at Cross Bayou, Miss., July 22, 1864, 
which resulted in the permanent injury of his left 
leg, and he was discharged November 3, 1864, 
after being in service for three years and two 
months. After returning from the war he engaged 
in farming in Lee County, 111., and thus continued 
until the spring of 1872. He was married in 
1868 to Miss Henrietta Daven})ort, of Bureau 
County, 111., the daughter of William and Marga- 
ret (Phillips) Davenport. In the spring of 1872 



Mr. Nettleton and family emigrated to Spring 
Ranche, Neb., and homesteaded a quarter section 
of land, to which he has since added one half sec- 
tion, and now has a good farm of 480 acres. He 
has been very successful in Nebraska, and is satis- 
fied to make that State his permanent home. He 
has made a decided success of fruit-growing, and 
has one-half acre in small fruit and seven acres in 
apples, peaches,' pears, cherries, etc. He is 
engaged in raising horses, hogs and cattle for the 
general market, and is one of the progressive 
farmers of the county. He is a Repulilican in 
politics, and has served fre([uently as a delegate to 
the county and State conventions. He has served 
two terms as a member of the Legislature with 
perfect satisfaction to his constituents. He is a 
member of the Farmers' Alliance and of the 
G. A. R. 

Hon. William Newton is a prominent farmer 
and stockman of Clay County, Nel>., and was born 
in London, England, December 31, 1845, being a 
son of Clement and Mary A. (Nattrass) Newton, 
who emigrated to America with their family in 
1847, first locating in New York City, where the 
father engaged in contracting and l)uilding; in 
1852 moving to Staten Island. N. Y., where he con 
tinned the same business until his death, in 1872, 
at the age of forty-nine years. His wife died in 
Iowa, in 1858, aged thirty-nine years. William 
Newton learned the mason's trade of his father, 
and at the latter's death he assumed control of af 
fairs until 1S78, then sold out to come west, and 
settled on the southeast quarter of Section 15. 
Township 7, Range 7 west, and has since pur 
chased an adjoining quarter section of land, and 
has it all fenced and well improved. His buildings 
are all substantial and commodious, and he has an 
excellent young orchard and a great number of 
forest trees. All his operations have been carried 
on according to the most advanced and progressive 
ideas, and have resulted to his own good and to 
the benefit of those with whom he has come in con 
tact. He has gained the reputation of being one 
of the foremost tillers of tiie soil in the cimnty, 
and as a man has gained the confidence and respect 
of all who know him. In ISOU he was married to 



492 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Miss Klizabelli Hartloy, of Eiiii;land, slio heiniv jt 
(laui^l)t<M- of Ricliartl auil Ellen (Sutcliff) Hartley, 
of that country. Mr. and Mrs. Newton have live 
children: Alice Maria (born in 1871), Susannah 
(in 1S73), Elizabeth (in 1875), Mark Hartley (in 
1880) and Beatrice (in 1888). Mr. Newton and 
his wife are members of the Episcopal Church; in 
his {)olitical views he is a liepnblican, and for three 
years served as county commissioner. In 1887 he 
represented his county in the State Legislature 
and dischari^ed the duties of this responsible posi- 
tion in a hififhly creditable manner and to the satis- 
faction of all concerned. He has also recently 
tilled the position of township supervisor for Lynn 
Township. 

Flavius Northrop came to Clay County in July, 
1872, locatiuir in Marshall Township (being the 
first settler in this township), where he took up a 
homestead of eighty acres (the north half of the 
southeast quarter of Section 34), and here has since 
resided, successfully engaged in tilling the soil to 
the present time. He was born in Litchfield 
County, Coiui., Decemlter 30, 1828, a sou of Lord 
\\. and Cornelia (Bulkley) Northrop, natives of 
Connecticut. He was reared to manhood in his 
native State, securing a common-school education, 
and learning the hatter's trade, and afterward fol- 
lowed this trade and farming. He was married in 
Ohio, November 22, 1849, to Miss Almira E., 
(laughter of Stephen and Laura (Cochran) Cannon, 
natives of Massachusetts, born in Aurora, Portage 
County, Ohio, March 15, 1820, and immediately 
after his marriage took up his residence in Con- 
necticut. In 1853 he moved from Connecticut to 
Portage County, Ohio, and resided there for two 
years, then emigrated to Johnson County, Iowa, 
where he farmed until 1S5(); then went to Buffalo 
County, Wis., an<i farmed until 1873, when he 
came to Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Northrop are 
the parents of seven children, all living, viz. : 
Welton. Ste|)hen. (^Jlayton, Walter, Doctor, Laura 
and Frederick Mr. Northrop has been a lifelong 
Ke])ulilican, but is now an anti-Monopolist, at)d is 
an enthusiastic member of the Farmers' Alliance. 
He and wife are comfortably situated in their 
pleasant country home, surrounded by several sons 



who own land adjoining and near them, ai^d are 
justly recognized as one of the respected and pio- 
neer families of Clay County. 

John O'Brien, farmer and stock-raiser, Glen- 
ville. Neb. ([)ostoffice, Spring Kanche). Among 
the many enterprising and respected citizens of 
foreign birth now residing in Clay County, none 
are more deserving of mention than the subject of 
this sketch. Mr. O'Brien was born in County 
Meath, Ireland, June 22, 1835, and is the eldest 
in a family of four children born to Thomas and 
Margaret (Bennett) O'Brien, natives of the same 
county as our subject, the father born in 1800 and 
the mother in 1804. The family came to the 
United States in 1840 and lived for a while in the 
city of New Orleans, afterward in St. Louis, Mo. , 
where they remained for two years, moving from 
there to Logan County, 111., and settljng on the 
broad prairies, tive miles southeast of the city of 
Lincoln. There they tilled the soil for many years. 
John O'Brien, by careful management and econ- 
omy, saved sufficient means to purchase a farm of 
eighty acres, which he cultivated until 1885, when 
he sold out for .105 per acre, and emigrated to 
Clay County, Neb. There he purchased his pres- 
ent farm, consisting of 320 acres of as good land 
as is to be found in the county. The farm lies on 
both sides of the road, in the southern part of Glen- 
ville Township, and is well stocked and improved. 
Mr. O'Brien was married January 6, 1807, to Miss 
Anna Nolan, daughter of John and Mary (Kearns) 
Nolan, natives of County Mayo, Ireland. By this 
union there were born five sons and two daughters: 
Thomas R. (born January 18, 1868), J. William 
(March 28, 1800). Maggie A. (April 29, 1S71), 
James E. (February 10, 1873), Peter C. (October 
22, 1874), Patrick H. (October 8, 1877) and Mary 
E. (February 21, bSSO). Mr. O'Brien is a Demo 
crat in his political principles, and his boys are all 
strong adherents to that party. The family believe 
in the Itoman Catholic religion. Being one of the 
progressive farmers, Mr. O'Brien has all the latest 
improved machinery to aid him in his work in the 
fields. He has a handsome residence, substantial 
outlniildings, etc., and is one of the county's best 
citizens. 



fk, 



CLAY COUNTY. 



493 



John L. Oliver, editor and manager of the 
Fairfield "Herald," was horn in Lewistowu, Pa., 
May 10. 1849, and is a sou of George \V. and 
Margaret (Jackson) Oliver, who were also Ijorn in 
Pennsylvania, and were of Irish and (possibly) 
Scotch descent, respectively. About 1864 John L. 
Oliver removed with his mother and the lemainder 
of her children to Illinois, and took up residence 
in Piatt County, 111., in which State and in Indiana 
he finished his literary education, being an attend- 
ant at the Illinois College at Jacksonville for two 
years, and Wabash College of Ci-awfordsville, Ind. 
After following agricultural pursuits in Illinois, 
and later in his native State until 1874, he emi- 
grated to Nebraska and purchased a good piece of 
land near Spring Ranche and was a worthy tiller 
of the soil for several years. In 1881 he pur- 
chased a controlling interest in the Fairfield " Her- 
ald,'" and has been its editor and manager ever 
since. Under his able management it has come to 
be regarded as one of the representative journals 
of this part of the State, and he has proven him- 
self to be a man of excellent judgment in manag- 
ing the editorial policy of the paper. He has ever 
been an earnest advocate of all public enterprises 
calcxilated to benefit the county, and through the 
columns of his paper has wielded no slight influ- 
ence in directing the proper steps to be taken for 
their successful promotion. Mr. Oliver is inde- 
pendent in politics, although formerly a Repub 
lican, and especially espouses the cause of the 
agricultural classes. He was mariied in February, 
1879, to Miss Nellie C. Harrington, a native of 
Lockport. N. Y., and by her has one child, Gracie 
M. The family attend the Baptist Church. 

Nathan A. Overturf. In the brief sketch of 
this useful and well-respected citizen may be seen 
how it is possible for a young man to rise in the 
world through individual efforts, when not in pos- 
session of the means other than natural ones. He 
has been familiar with the details of farming from 
his earliest youth, but since 1877 he has resided 
on a farm of his own, comprising 1<)0 acres, in 
Clay County, Neb., and in addition to following 
the plow has given his attention to stock raising, 
in iioth of which enterprises he has been ipiite sue 



cessful. He was born in Davis County, Iowa, 
A{)ril 2(), 1852, being a sou of John M. and Cath 
erine (Shadley) Overturf, natives of Tipton County, 
Ind. The father, who is now a jiromiueut citizen 
of Clay County, Neb., emigrated west from his 
native State some forty years ago and was one of 
the very first settlers of Davis County, Iowa. He 
made that county his home until Sejjtember, 187(i, 
when he with his family, which consisted of 
William A., Angeline (now the wife of John Ber- 
lochen) and Flora E. (wife of Frederick Geis), 
came to Nebraska and settled in Clay County, 
where he is now living. George F. , the eldest 
sou, had arrived here in 1872. and as above stated 
Nathan A. came in 1877. The latter deserves 
much credit for the interest he has taken in the 
material affairs of the county and as a citizen he 
is held in high esteem by all. He has always sup- 
ported the principles of the Democratic party, and 
from 1885 to 188U he was justice of the peace in 
his district. November 21, 1874, witnessed the 
celebration of his marriage to Miss Margaret Clark, 
a native of Tipton County, Ind., by whom he has 
the following family: Allen L., Mary M. , Genevia 
J, , Malinda P. , Samuel A. and Flora A. 

William L. Palmer, editor and proprietor of 
"The Sun,'' Clay Center, Neb. This paper is re- 
garded as the best-paying newspaper of Clay 
County, and the progressive ideas of its editor and 
proprietor are reflected in every corner of its pages. 
Mr. Palmer was born on Long Island, N. Y., 
March 13, 1843, and is the son of Benjamin H. 
and Mary (Wells) Palmer, also natives of that 
State, and Ixjth born in Soutliokl. Suffolk County. 
The father and family emigrated to Iowa in 1844, 
located where Muscatine now stands, and later 
moved to Wapello County, being one of the pio- 
neers of the same. There he resided until 1873, 
when he moved to San Jose, Cal., and from thence 
to Humboldt County, Cal., and there he now makes 
his home. To his marriage were born six children; 
William L., Benjamin F., John C, Harriet M. 
(wife of John McGonigal), Esther (wife of W. L. 
Cross), and another, the eldest daughter, who died at 
Muscatine, Iowa. In February, 1869, W. L. Palmer 
established the '-Eddyville (Iowa) Advertiser," 



IN" 




a wnekly i)a|)i>r, wlii<'li he conducU'il HUcce.ss fully 
ill Wapello Comity until 1S.S4. He thou moved 
to Clay Center, Neb., and established "The Sun," 
which he has since conducted in an able manner, 
it being the otlicial organ of the Republican party 
in Clay County. He has always been a stanch lle- 
pnlilican in |)olitics. and is and was a warm advocate 
of high license, having gone through thi^ Iowa cam- 
paign an advocate of this principle. He has ever 
been an earnest supporter of all public enterprises 
calculated to benetit Clay County, and through the 
columns of his paper has wielded no slight influ- 
ence in directing the proper steps to be taken for a 
worthy movement. He was married to Miss Fannie 
I. Hamilton, a native of Oskaloosa, Iowa, August 1, 
ISfiT, and two living children have lieen the result 
of this union: Hattie Fay and Clarence H. Mr. 
Palmer is a member of the G. A. K. and K. of P., 
and is recognized as one of Clay Center's success- 
ful business men and citizens. In 1862 he enlisted 
in Company D, Thirty-sixth Iowa Volunteer In- 
fantry, and served as privatti and non commissioned 
officer for nearly three years. 

John Peterson, farmer and stockman, Sutton, 
Neb. This name is not unfamiliar to those in the 
vicinity of Siitton, as well as to others in the coun- 
ty, for he who bears it is numbered among the ; 
most substantial aud progressive citizens. Born 
in Denmark, June 15, lS4y, he is the only child 
l)orn to the union of Peter and Elsie C. (Hendrick- 
son) Peterson, natives also of Denmark. John 
Peterson received a common-school education, and 
emigrated to the United States in 1871 to escape 
enlistment. He located in Grand Haven, Mich., 
where he worked in a brickyard for a few months. ; 
He then got sick, and went to Milwaukee,Wis., where i 
he tilled the soil for two years, and was then in 
the pineries for two more years. After this he 
was in Chicago, 111. , for a year, and was married 
to Miss Cora Anderson. He then went west, home 
steaded a farm, aud later purchased 180 acres. 
He has been very successful since coming to Ne- j 
braska, and likes the State. In his political views 
he affiliates with the liepublican party. He and 
Mrs. Peterson are worthy members of the Lutheran 
Church. Their familv consists of three children: 



Anna Christina, Elsie and Peter Andrew. Mr. 
Peterson's farm is all under fence; he has a nice 
residence, complete sheds for his stock, and has 
ninety acres under cultivation. He is thrifty and 
enterprising, and the future is bright before him. 
John Peterson, farmer and stock raiser. Inland, 
Neb. This esteemed resident of Clay County, a 
man who has an extiMisive a(^iiuaintance, was born 
in Northampton County, Pa., in 1845, and is 
the sixth in a family of seven children, the result 
of the union of John and Hannah (Daily) 
Peterson, natives of Denmark and Pennsylvania, 
respectively. The father was born about 1803, 
came to the United States when but a boy, and 
settled in the Keystone State, where he was engaged 
in the manufacture of furniture. He was married 
there to Miss Hannah Daily, and to this union 
were born the following children: Sabina, Aaron, 
Maria, Hannah C. Emma, John and Julia. Mr. 
Peter.son died in Northampton County, Pa., in 
1848, and his wife in the same State in 1878. 
Both were members of the Lutheran Church. The 
maternal grandparents were named John and 
Elizabeth Daily. John Peterson received a good 
practical education in his native State, and when 
sixteen years of age enlisted in Company E, Forty - 
seventh Pennsylvania Infantry, and served in the 
Eastern army. He participated in the following 
engagements; Sabine Cross lioads. Berry ville. 
Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, at 
which place he was wounded in the neck and had 
his collar l)one frjictured. and was in the hospital 
for about live months. He was in service four 
years and live months, and was a brave and fear- 
less soldier. He received his discharge in January, 
1865. After the war Mr. Peterson returned home, 
and entered a sash and door factory, where he 
worked for seven years. He was married in 1868 
to Miss Martha Thomas, the daughter of William 
and Lydia Thomas, and to them were born live 
children: William, Grace (now Mrs. Palmer, of 
Denver, Colo.), Frank, Ella and Royal. The 
mother of these children died in Nebraska in 1877. 
to which State Mr. Peterson had emigrated in 1873, 
settling in Clay County, on land in Section 18. 
Mr. Peterson was married in 187',t to Mrs. Char- 



CLAY COUNTY. 



495 



lotte Ingalsbe, widow of Willard Tngalsbe, by whom 
she had these children : Nellie (wife of Mr. Taylor, 
of Clay County), Charles, Alice, Lottie and Vinnie. 
By her marriage to Mr. Peterson she became the 
mother of one child, Florence. Upon coming to 
Nebraska Mr. Peterson took up a claim of 160 
acres, improved it, but in 1882 he sold this, and 
settled on a place owned by his wife, where he now 
resides. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, 
has l)een a member of the G. A. R., and votes with 
the Republican party. He is interested in churches, 
schools and all matters pertaining to the good of 
the county, and is one of its best citizens. 

James H. Phelps, one of Clay County's (Neb.) 
well-known farmers and stockmen, is a native of 
Washington County, Ind., born August 28, 1842, 
being a son of William B. Phelps, a native of New 
York, who moved to the "Hoosier State" with his 
parents when a lad, and was there reared to manhood 
and educated, learning the carpenter" s trade in his 
youth. He was also married there to Miss Lu- 
cinda C. Thomas, a native of that State, and in 
1844 they moved to Iowa and settled in Davis 
County, where he made a farm and there resided 
until his death in 1869. His wife survives him, 
and resides on the old homestead in that State. 
James H. Phelps was the third of four sons and 
three daughters, all of whom are living and all 
luajried with the exception of two, and in Davis 
County, Iowa, he grew to manhood, and from 
there enlisted, in the month of August, 1862, in 
Company F, Thirtieth Iowa Infantry. He took 
part in the battles of Haines Bluff, siege and sur- 
render of Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain, Mission- 
ary Ridge, Ringgold, Atlanta, and was in all the 
engagements in which Sherman participated on his 
march to the sea, the siege of Savannah and 
(ioldsboro, besides numerous skirmishes. On the 
8th of January, 1863, he was wounded at Fort 
Hindman by a i)ieee of shell, but considering the 
number of engagements in which he participated 
he was quite fortunate to escape so easily. He 
was present at the grand review at Washington, 
D. C, and after receiving his discharge at Daven- 
port, Iowa, on the 15th day of June, 1885, he 
returned to his home in Davis County, Iowa, but 



soon after moved to Hancock County, 111. After 
remaining there for about a year he returned to 
Davis County and followed farming and stock rais- 
ing up to 1873, after which he moved to Jefferson 
County, Neb. In April, 1875, he arrived in Clay 
County, Neb., and homesteaded a farm of eighty 
acres where he now resides. He now owns 160 
acres, nearly all of which is fenced, and on his 
farm are fair buildings of all kinds. He has had 
a liberal share of the misfortunes that have befallen 
the early settlers of Nebraska, such as prairie tires, 
grasshoppers, hot winds and hail storms. He was 
married in Davis County, Iowa, January 3, 1869, 
to Miss Martha J. Hall, a native of Virginia, 
reared and educated in Davis Cotinty, Iowa. She 
is a daughter of George B. Hall, now deceased, 
and l)y Mr. Phelps is the mother of five children: 
Guy O., Ross W., Clem a, Louis and Ray. Mr. 
Phelps is a member of the G. A. R., Edgar Post 
No. 16. 

Hugh E. Potter. Although this gentleman has 
only resided in Clay County, Neb.', since April, 
1886, he enjoys the reputation of being not only a 
substantial and progressive farmer and stock-raiser, 
but an intelligent and well posted man on all pul)- 
lic matters. He is a native of Illinois, his birth 
occurring in McHenry County on April 13, 1857. 
a son of Simeon Potter. His youthful days 
and early manhood were spent there, and he ob- 
tained a good practical education in the common 
schools. In the month of April, 1886, he deter- 
mined to seek a home for himself on the fertile 
prairies of Nebraska, and came almost imiuediately 
to Clay County and purchased his present admir- 
able farm, consisting of 240 acres, which he has 
since been successfully engaged in tilling. Mr. 
Potter has always supported the men and measures 
of the Republican party, and socially is a member 
in good standing of the A. O. U. W. His marriage 
with Miss Martha L. Dodge was consummated on 
February 11, 1880, she Vieing a native of Johnson, 
Vt. , and their union has been blessed in the birth 
of two children: Dollie M. and Mollie S. 

Hon. M. S. Price, supervisor of Lewis Town- 
ship, Clay County. New York has given to Linn 
Township many estimable citizens, but it has con- 



J, 



-< g) 



4iin 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Irilmtinl uoiio iiiurt^ bij^Lly respected, or, for con- 
scientious discharge of duty in every relation of 
life, more worthy of respect and este(>m, than the 
subject of this sketch. Hon. M. S. Price was born 
in Corthiud County, N. Y., in 1834, and secured 
ii fair education in the district schools. He then 
embarked in the lumbering business in Cattarau 
gus County, and was there man-ied to Miss Ellen 
J. Lyon, a native of Chautauqua Cimnty, N. Y. 
The March after his marriage he went to Stephen- 
son County, 111. . settled near Ereeport, and there 
tilleil the soil for eleven years, residing there dur- 
ing the war. In 1872 he emigrated to Nebraska, 
and in the spring of the following year moved his 
family there. He homesteaded the eighty acres 
where his house now stands in the fall of 1S7'2, and 
purchased some of his other tracts of land. In 
1 879 he was elected to the Legislature as a " floater ' ' 
from Clay and Fillmore Counties, and served one 
term of two years. He has since been on his farm, 
and Las tilled the office of supervisor two terms, 
holding his second term at the present time. He 
is a representative citizen, and one who holds the 
respect and esteem of all. He is now the owner 
of 3'2() acres of land, is quite a stockman, and feeds 
al)out fifty head of cattle annually. In politics he 
affiliates with the Republican party. To his mar- 
riage were born the following children; Ethel W., 
Jessie N. (wife of A. Weir) and Sterling M. The 
I'lice family were originally from England, two 
brotlieis having immigrated to this country at an 
early date, one settling in New York and the other 
drifting westward, where Gen. Price's family orig- 
inally came from. The paternal grandfather of our 
sulijcct was a native of New York, and the latter's 
parents, John and Mary (Wiley) Price, were also 
natives of th(! Empire State, l)()th of Oswego Coun 
ty. the father liorn on January 18, 1 7'.)0. and the 
mother liorn on May 30, 178y. They were the 
I )a rents of ten children, nine of wlunn grew to 
maturity. The mother died in July, 1850, and the 
father in 18()6. 

Charles M. Prickett, real estate, loan and insur 
ance agent, Fairfield, Neb. The magnitude of 
the real estate interests in this city and the inces 
SHut activity in the maiket have enlisted the serv 



ices of many of our most responsible men, and 
among the number is Charles M. Prickett. He 
was born in McHenry County. 111., on INIay 22. 
1851, and is tlie son of Henry and Charlotte 
(Lusty) Prickett, natives of England. Charles M. 
was educated at the Illinois Industrial Fniversity 
(now Illinois University), of Champaign, where 
he completed a three-years' course in civil engineer- 
ing. He then taught school a year, after which 
he followed his profession in Iowa and Dakota, 
making railroad surveys and government surveys of 
lands, at which he continued until the fall of 1885, 
when he came to Fairfield. He soon after engaged 
in his present business, in which he has met with 
very good success. On October 20. 1886, Miss 
Nellie C. Ladd, a native of McHenry County, 111. , 
became hie wife, and to them has been born one 
child, a daughter. Bernice M. Mr. Prickett is a 
Democrat in politics, but belongs to the conservative 
class. He is one of the prominent men of the 
county and at present holds the office of city civil 
engineer of Fairfield. 

Rev. Thomas Pugh is a retired minister of the 
Congregational Church, and is now residing at 
Fairfield, Neb. He was born in the south of 
Wales on December 9, 1813, and is the eldest son 
of John and Winifred (Davis) Pugh. both natives 
of South Wales. The j)aternal grandparents were 
John and Winifred (Hughes) Pugh. John Pugh, 
the father of our subject, learned the iron manu- 
facturer's trade in his youth and rose to the posi- 
tion of sriperintendent of the iron mills at Aber- 
nant, in Aberdore, Wales, these mills having been 
erected in 1823. He was married when about twen- 
ty-five years of age. and his union resulted in the 
birth of six children: Mrs. Rachel Evans, Thomas 
(the subject of this sketch). Mrs. Margaret Thomas, 
Mrs. Ruth Williams (a resident of Hyde Park, 
Pa. ), Henry (who died in Wales about 1855) and 
Mrs. Ann Thomas (who died in 1888 near Cleve- 
land. Ohio). The father of these children was a 
deacon in the Congregational Church in Wales and 
died about 1853, his wife passing to her long home 
in 1828. Thomas Pugh was educated in his na- 
tive land and after learning the iron manufact- 
urer's trade he began doing for himself when aliout 






CLAY COUNTY. 



497 



twenty three years of age. On October 10, 1836, 
he was married to Miss Mary Williams, a daughter 
of Tliomas and Joan Williams, the former of whom 
WHS also an iron manufacturer of Wales. To this 
union a family of eight children were born; six of 
the children died young — two daughters are still 
living: Mrs. Winifred Jenkins (of Fairlield, Neb.) 
and Mrs. Ann Davis (of Denver, Colo. ). At the 
age of eighteen years, Thomas Pugh began his 
theological studies while working at his trade, 
was ordained in 1841, and in 1842 came to the 
United States and settled in Eastern Pennsylvania, 
wheie he acted as pastor of a Welsh congregation 
for over three years. In the latter part of 1844, 
he removed to Pittsburgh, Pa., and there like 
Paul of old, made tents and preached the gospel, 
for he devoted some of his time to his trade as 
well as to saving souls. In 1 852 he removed to Iron- 
ton, Lawrence Connty, Ohio, where he organized 
and had charge of a Congregational Church until 
1858, at which time ho returned to his native land, 
and there remained until 1862. While there he 
recognized the great need of schools for the educa- 
tion of the young, and through his efforts, he being 
aided by mtans by the superintendent of the iron 
mills, he was enabled to erect an educational insti- 
tution in his native town, which has ever since been 
in a flourishing condition and a great blessing to 
the rising generations thereabouts. In 1S62 he 
came back to America and again settled in Eastern 
Pennsylvania, taking charge of two Welsh Congre- 
gational Churches in the Lehigh Valley, l)ut in 
1S68 removed to Macon County, Mo., remaining 
there until 1870. when he settled in Dodge County, 
Neb. After a two-years' residence there he came 
to Clay County, and organized and took charge of 
the First Congregational Church at Fairlield. and 
after filling the pulpit for six years he retired on ac 
count of his advanced years, much to the regret of 
every member of his charge. During his minis- 
terial labors he was identified with almost all 
church and Sunday-school work, and by example 
as well as precept instilled into the minds of his 
followers the true beauties of a Christian life. He 
has lived an active and useful life and is now en- 
joying a hale old age. A short time since the 



fiftieth anniversary of his marriage was celebrated, 
at which time he and his venerable wife received 
many tokens of love and esteem from their num 
erous acquaintances and friends. He is high in 
his praise of Nebraska as a home, both for busi 
uess enterprises and social surroundings. 

Erwin Ramsey, merchant, Inland, Neb. Aside 
from the general mercantile business, of which he 
makes a success, Mr. Ramsey is also engaged in 
farming and stock raising, and his residence, barns, 
outbuildings, etc., on his fine farm, two miles east 
of Inland, indicate the quality of farmer that he is. 
He was born in Franklin County, Pa., in 1S52, and 
his parents, William and Eliza (McConnell) Ram- 
sey, are natives of the same State, born in Frank- 
lin and Jiiniata Counties. The father's birth oc- 
curred in 1813, and he followed mercantile pur 
suits the principal part of his life. He emigrated 
to Illinois in 1877, located in Fountain Green, 
Hancock County, and after a residence of one year 
there moved, with his family, to Clay County, Neb. . 
and settled in Inland Township, where he bought 
land in 1878. His death occurred in November of 
the same year. The mother is still living at In- 
land with her son, Erwin. She is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and the father be- 
longed to the Presbyterian Church. He was a Re 
publican, took an active interest in political affairs, 
and was a man possessed of more than ordinary 
business qualifications. They had eight children : 
Erwin, William, Jennie, Robert, James, Mardie, 
Anna and Lila. All the children are living ex- 
cept Robert, who died at the age of two years, of 
membraneous croup. They reside at Inland, ex- 
cept one sister in Kansas and one sister and a 
brother in Loup County, Neb. The earlj' life of 
Mr. Ramsey was spent in Pennsylvania, where he 
attended the graded .schools. At the age of eight 
een he went west, located in Wichita, Kas., where 
' he remained one and a half years, returned to 
Iowa and Illinois, where he lived one year, but on 
account of ill health went back to Penn.sylvania, 
where he commenced teaching school, and taught 
one winter, returning to Illinois in the spring and 
attended Carthage College, and later on took a 
course in Rush Medical College, Chicago. He 




eiiiii^nited to Nebraska in 1878, located at Inland, 
and bought eighty acres of railroad land, which he 
has since increased to 1f)0 acres, and als(5 owns a 
<|narti'r section in Loup County and some town 
liropiTty in Inland. He eujj)loyed himself in 
leacliinii; and farming until two years ago. when he 
l)onght out the lirm of McDowell & Blair, dealers 
in general merchandise. He was a member of the 
school lioard for several years, served as assessor 
for three terms, and was appointed euumei'ator to 
take the national census in 1880. He was mar- 
lied in 18S8 to Miss Olive Campbell, daughter of 
W illiam and Julia Campbell, of Adams County, 
Neb. His wife had been a teacher for several 
years. To them were born four children: Mervie, 
Linnie (who died in ISS'.I), A\'alker and William 
(twins, one of whom died in 1889). In politics 
Mr. Ramsey affiliates with the R(>publiean party, 
and takes an active interest in political affairs. He 
is largely engaged in raising stock, and makes a 
specialty of Poland China and Jersey Red hogs. 
He is a member of the K. of P. Lodge No. 
83, Harvard, Clay County, Neb., and is a man 
who has ac(juired his property bj' his industry and 
good business ability, and enjoys the confidence of 
his fellow-men. 

Hon. William S. Randall, the very efficient 
editor and manager of the Fairfield News, was 
i)urn in Trumbull County. Ohio, September 4, 
1810. being a son of Amos S. and Mary A. (Gal 
higher) Randall, who were born in Ohio and Penu 
sylvania, respectively. The father removed to 
Iowa in bSTil, and settled in Washington County, 
and h(>re his son, William S. , was reared to man- 
liDod as a farmer, receiving his education in the 
district schools near his father's home. He was 
eneigetically engaged in farm work when the 
threatening war cloud burst in all its fury, and in 
-August, 18fil, he enlisted in Company C, Eighth 
Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and as a 
private soldier served "Uncle Sam" faithfully 
until May, ISfifi. lu the spring of 1873 he came 
to Clay County, Neb., and took up a homestead 
claim in Marshall Township, and here made his 
home until February, 1877, when he moved to 
Sutton, having been elected to the position of 



county treasurer the previous fall. He dis- 
charged the duties of this position in a highly 
efficient maimer until 1880 by re election, and 
in the spring of the latter year removed to Fair 
field and embarked in the agricultural implement 
business, becoming, in February, ]S8f), manager of 
the Fairfield News, and has edited and conducted 
the pa[)er successfully up to the present time. 
The paper is well established and is consideied a 
representative journal of the State, being edited 
in behalf of the Republican party, of which Mr. 
Randall has always been a stanch member. In 
the month of November, 1886, he was elected by 
the Republicans of the district to the Nebraska 
Legislature, and served in the Twentieth General 
Assembly of that body with honor and distinction. 
He was on the soldier's home committee, the com- 
mittee for constitutional amendments, taxation and 
banks, besides many others of im[)ortance, the 
most noticeable of which was to select from the 
tiles the most meritorious liills and recommend 
them for passage, the committee convening toward 
the last of the session, he being chairman of the 
same. In 1890 he was appointed by President 
Harrison as supervisor of the census for the First 
census district of Nebraska. March 31, 186-1, he 
was married to Miss Mary C. Boden, a native of 
Morgan County, Ohio, and by her is the father of 
four children: Maie L., Edgar S., Frank W. and 
Laura Pearl. Mr. Randall is a prominent mem- 
ber of the G. A. R., and has been commander of 
George C. Oliver Post No. -18; was senior vice- 
commander of the dejiartment of Nebraska in 18^7, 
and was also first commander of George C. Meade 
Post of Sutton. He is a Mason, and is now serving 
his fourth term as wor-shipful master: a meml)er of 
the A. O. U. W., and he and wife are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

J. Ray, farmer and stock raiser, Fairfield. Neli. 
Mr. Ray is a practical, go ahead farmer, and fully 
appreciates the comforts of a competence gained 
by individual efforts. He was born in Muhleul>urg 
County, Ky., in 1828, and his father died before 
he was born, while his mother died during the first 
year of his birth. He was taken and reared by 
James Hammett, of Lacon, Marshall County, 111., 



-^J. 



' ( 



CLAY COUNTY. 



499 



and received a fair education iu that State. He 
began Jife for himself at the age of twenty-one 
years, as a farmer, and was mariied in 1849 to Miss 
E. B. McLau<rhlin, the daughter of H. A. and 
Mary (Hammett) McLaughlin. This union resulted 
in the birth of one child, Mrs. Chira Gates (of Jew- 
ell County, Kas. ). Mr. Ray lost his tirst wife iu 
1854, and in 18S5 was married the second time 
to Mrs. Ann Ridgway, daughter of Thomas and 
Mary (Prosser) James, natives of Wales. Five 
children were born to this union: Mrs. Elizabeth 
Plowman (of Iowa), W. E. (of Montgomery County, 
Iowa), R. J. (in Colorado), Otis and Oscar. Mr. 
Ra}- left Illinois in 1872, settled on a farm in Mont- 
gomery County, Iowa, and there tilled the soil un- 
til 1878, when he came to his present home in Clay 
County, Neb. He there bought raw prairie land, 
began improving it and erected good buildings, 
outhouses, etc., on the same. He has been very 
successful as a fruit-grower, and has an abundance 
of apples, peaches, etc. , for home use. He is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
is trustee of the church he attends. In politics he 
is a Democrat, and as a citizen has the respect and 
esteem of all. He is a member of the Farmer.s' 
Alliance. 

William P. Rhodes, farmer and stock-raiser, 
8j)ring Ranche, Neb. Not without justice, Will- 
iam P. Rhodes is conceded to hold a representative 
position among the prominent and successful 
tillers of the soil in Clay County, and is a man of 
judgment and sound common sense. He owes his 
nativity to Greene County, Mo., where he was l)orn 
in 1854, and is the third child born to the union 
of William J. and Sarah M. (Cowden) Rhodes. 
The father was born in McLean County, 111., in 
1825, and received a good practical education in 
th(> schools of his native county. He is a farmer 
by occupation, a Prohil)itionist in his political views, 
and is a member of the Christian Church. William 
P. Rhodes was reared in McLean County, 111., re- 
ceived a good education in the common schools and 
began life for himself at the age of twenty-one as 
a farmer. He came direct from Illinois to Adams 
County, Neb., in 1877, purchased a farm two miles . 
southeast of Hastings, and there remained until 



the spring of 1SS5, when he sold out and bought 
his present farm. This he has greatly improved 
in the way of buildings, etc., has added eighty 
acres and has the whole farm under fence. He has 
been successful since coming to Nebraska, and is 
satisfied to make this State his home. He is quite 
a stockman, and is engaged in breeding Hamble- 
tonian and Clyde and Clydesdale horses, and also 
Poland China hogs. He votes the Republican 
ticket, and is a man esteemed and respected by all 
acquainted with him. He is a member of the Farm 
ers" Alliance, and takes an interest in the up- 
building of schools, churches, and in fact all that 
pertains to the benefit of the community in which 
he lives. 

James Richard, blacksmith. Harvard, Neb. 
This worthy citizen of Harvard is another of the 
many prominent residents of the county who owe 
their nativity to a foreign country. Mr. Richard 
was born iu Scotland. July 10, 1847, and is the son 
of George and Catherine (Mather) Richard, the 
latter of whom still resides in Scotland. The 
father died there in April, 1885. They were the 
parents of fourteen children, eight of whom were 
sons. Three sons came to America. James Rich- 
ard came to the United States in 1873, and after 
some time spent at Paterson, N. J., he went to 
Port Henry, N. Y., where he spent a year and a 
half. About 1878 he emigrated west and located 
at Harvard. He had learned the blacksmithing 
business in his native country and has followed it 
ever since. He is now in partnership with his 
brother. John, the firm name being Richanl Bros. 
Mr. Richard was married in White Hall, N. Y. , 
to Miss Mary E. Coutts, by whom he has four 
children: James, George, Catherine and Andrew. 
Mr. Richard is a member of the Masonic frater- 
nity. Harvard Lodge. John Richard, the junior 
member of the firm of Richard Bros., was born in 
Scotland, April 9, 1857, and there learned the trade 
of wagon-maker. In 1879 he came to America, and 
iu 1880 located at Harvard, Neb., where he formed 
a partnership with his brother James. They have 
since conducted a first class blacksmith .shop at that 
place and are enterprising business men. In 1885 
he returned to Scotland, and was there married to 



^n- 
.?j. 



<S W_ 



500 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Miss Ellen Taylor, wbu rotuined with him to the 
United States, and who has borne him two chil- 
dren: George and Isal)(>lla. Mr. and Mrs, Rich- 
ju'il are members of the Congregational Church 
and an^ much respected citizens. Mr. Richard is 
a member of the M. W. A., and in ])olitic8 is 
Democratic. 

(). J. Riley, ;i pronjiiieiit. grocer of Harvard, 
Neb., and a substantial and iuHuential citizen of 
that place, was born in Bradford County, Pa., 
April 29, 1844, being a .son of Joseph and Jane 
(Dodge) Riley, the former a native of New Eng- 
land, and the latter of Bradford County, Pa. 
Joseph Riley was a son of Maj. Riley, of Connect- 
icut, and Mrs. Riley v/as a daughter of Loren 
Dorlge. To Mr. and Mrs. Riley a family of six 
chiklr(4i were born, of whoai James O. was the 
second, live of the family being now alive. The 
father, who was a carpenter by trade, died in Oc- 
tober, 1883, his wife dying in the month of Janu- 
ary, 1887. When the subject of this sketch was 
eight years old his parents removed to Corning, 
Steuben County, N. Y., where his youth was spent. 
He learned the carpenter's trade under his father, 
and followed this calling for a number of years. 
At the age of seventeen he went to Tioga, Pa. , 
from which place, about one year later, or in Au 
gust, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Forty Hfth 
Pennsylvania Volunteers, remaining with this com- 
pany until the close of the war, participating in the 
battles of Hilton Head, Fredericksburg, South 
Mountain and Antietam, the siege and capture of 
Vicksburg, Petersburg and Jackson, in all of which 
ho discharged his duties in a very creditable man- 
ner. From the war he returned to Tioga, Pa. , but 
shortly after removed to Hornellsville, N. Y. , where 
he resided two years, employed in the repair shops 
• if the New York & Erie Railroad. In 1868 he 
removed to Afton, Iowa, but after conducting a 
meat market there for one year he returned to 
York State and learned the painter's trade while 
a resident of \\'ellsville. In 187!^ he again came 
West, and this time settled in the State of Ne- 
l)raska, residing one year in Lincoln, a short 
time in Harvard, and then took up a homestead 
claim fourteen miles northwest of Harvard, in 



Hamilton County, where he resided seven years, 
giving his attention to farming. Upon returning 
to Harvard, in 18S1, he engaged in the grocery 
business, which occupation has since received his 
attention. His establishment is one of the lead- 
ing groceries of the place, and he commands a 
large share of public favor. He was married in 
Tioga County, Pa., August 16, 1860, to Miss Mag- 
gie L. Keeney, a daughter of Jesse and Sophrouia 
M. (McArthur) Keeney, the former a native of 
Schenectady Ct)unty, N. Y., born June 17, 1807, 
and the latter born in Vermont, September 21, 
1811. The father of Mrs. Riley was the son of 
Thomas and Anna (Parshall) Keeney, and the 
mother was a daughter of Alexander and Rebecca 
(Wares) McAithur. Her parents were married in 
1830, and had ten children, of whom she was the 
sixth, nine being now alive. The father died April 
17, 1879, but the mother is still living, her home 
being in Mason City, Custer County, Neb. Mr. 
Riley is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in 
which he has taken the 32°, and he is also a 
member of the G. A. R. , the K. of P. and the 
A. O. U. W., being also a member of the Select 
Knights in the last named order. He has always 
been a stanch member of the Republican party, is 
an honorable, upright man, and is one of Clay 
County's very l)est citizens. He possesses an ex 
tensive acquaintance, and by all who know him he 
is highly esteemed and respected. 

John C. Ringer, farmer and stock- raiser, Lone 
Tree Township. Mr. Ringer was born in Darke 
County, Ohio, February 10, 1851, a son of .lohu 
and Mary (Hendricks) Ringer, natives of Pennsyl 
vania and Ohio, respectively. His parents moved 
to McDonough County, 111. , when he was but five 
years of age, and here he grew to manhood and 
received a common school education. He remained 
in Illinois until his twenty-third year, when he 
moved to the county of his !)irtb, in Ohio, and re 
maiued there for five years. In the fall of 1879 he 
started for Crawford County, Iowa, getting there 
September 16, when he purchased eighty acres of 
land aud followed his chosen occupation of farm 
ing. In 1884 he moved to this county, where he 
has ever since remained. In 1887 he purchased 



CLAY COUNTY. 



501 



100 acres of land in Section 17, and has carried on 
farming, meetinu; with varied snccess, ever since. 
He was married, Febrnary Ki, 1S73, to Josephine, 
daughter of Peter and Susannah (Grower) Michael, 
natives of Ohio, horn July 19, 1852, in Darke 
County, Ohio. They are the parents of three chil 
dren, namely: Elmer (born JVliruary 18, 1874), 
Uoss (born January 22, 1879), and Roy (born May 
10, 1884). Mr. Ringer has been a life long D m- 
ocrat, but is now an Anti- Monopolist. He is a 
member of the Lone Tree Alliance, also of the 
County Alliance, of which he is door keeper, and 
is assisting in the great move being made by the 
farmers in ridding themselves of the moneyed yoke 
that has kept them so long in the rear. He is a 
representative citizen, is industrious, and is get 
ting a start toward laying up a comfortable com- 
petency to secure his comfort in old age. 

Samuel M. Risley, liveryman, Harvard. Neb. 
Mr. Risley is not only one of the old settlers and 
much respected citizens of Clay County, but he is 
one of the prominent business men of the town of 
Harvard. He owes his nativity to Susquehanna 
County, Pa., where his birth occurred May 10, 
1843, and is the son of Samuel and Betsey (Cook) 
Risley, natives of Pennsylvania. The parents are 
now residents of Lee County, 111. , to which county 
the family removed in the fall of 1850 from their 
native State. Samuel M. Risley' s boyhood was 
spent on a farm in Pennsylvania until thirteen 
years of age and he then removed with his parents 
to Lee County, 111. On May 14, 1804, he enlisted 
in Company E, One Hundred and Fortieth Illinois 
Infantry for 100 days, and March 2, 1805, he re 
enlisted in Company E, Seventh Illinois Cavalry, 
serving until the close of the war, when he was hon- 
orably discharged. He then returned to Illinois, 
remained on a farm until 1878, when he came to 
Harvard, and on May 8, of that year, engaged in 
the livery business, which he has since successfully 
conducted. He was burned out October 28, 1887, 
losing ten good horses and nearly all of his livery 
stock. Again, July 31, 1888, he was burned out. 
He was married, December 5, 1809, to Miss Mary 
A. Wilbur, who died in Harvard, May 31, 1881, 
leaving four children: Harry M., Kittie E. , Charles 



I), and William E. Mr. Risley's second marriage 
occurred June 19, 1883, to Miss Charlotte Fuller, 
a native of Knox County, HI. Mr. Risley is one 
of the oldest settlers in Clay County and is a man 
who has the confidence and respect of all ac- 
quainted with him. In politics he is a Repub 
lican, and socially he is a member of the I. O. O. 
F., Lodge No. 70, and the G. A. R 

John H. Robertson, farmer and stock-raiser. 
Harvard, Neb. The name which appears above 
will at once be recognized by nearly all of those of 
this community, for it is borne by a man intimately 
associated with the farming and stock-raising in- 
terests of Clay County. Mr. Robertson was born 
in Washington County, N. Y., on October 13, 1839, 
and is the son of Lewis and Jane (Reynolds) Rob- 
ertson, and grandson of Nathanjel and Mary (Ran- 
dall) Rol)ertson, probably born in Vermont about 
1785, and of Scotch descent. Lewis Robertson 
was born about 1812, and immigrated to Wisconsin 
with his family in 1842, locating in Kenosha Coun- 
ty, where Mrs. Robertson still resides. The father 
died in 1884. John H. Robertson began his ca- 
reer in 1859 as a fanner, and in 1802 was married 
to Miss Mary C. Coon, of Wisconsin, and the daugh- 
ter of Sylvester and Catharine (Eycleshymer) Coon, 
who were the descendants of the early pioneers of 
New Y'^ork. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson became the 
parents of the following children: Oliver (born 
September 19, 1802), Jane A. (born May 13. 1804), 
Franklin (born August 11, 1807), Archie (born May 
10, 1870), Susie (born November 22, 1872), John 
(born October 7, 1870), Lewis (born November 14, 
1878), Arthur (born September 10, 1880), Eva 
(born August 8, 1882), and Lizzie (born April 8, 
1886, and died June 28, 1880). Mr. Robertson 
enlisted in the United States army on February 4, 
1864, in Company I, Thirty fifth Regiment of Wis- 
consin Infantry, and was discharged on Alarch 15, 
1800, at Madison, Wis. He went direct from Mil 
waukee on March 22, 1804, and landed in New 
Orleans; later the army was then ordered back to 
Port Hudson, lay there six weeks, and buried 500 
men. From there they went to Morganzie Bend, 
lay there until about July ], and then marched 
up Schafali River, and here were in some sharp 



V 



502 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



.-ikirmisLes with bushwliaekers. About ten days 
later they crossed tbe river and cliased the Imsh- 
wliackers. but then returned tu Moif^iiiizie Bend, 
wliioli phice they left soon after to go to St. 
(.'liarles on the Red River in Arkansas. Tliere 
they remained one month, and then went to De- 
vall's Bluff, Ark., where they went into winter 
quarters. In February they went to New Orleans 
and went into camp at Lake Ponchertrain. From 
there they went to Fort Morgan, thence to INIobile. 
Ala., by land, going through tbe pine swamps, and 
l)eing thirteen days and nights in making the trip. 
They i)esieged Si)anish Fort, Ala., for thirteen days 
and captured it, taking 1,400 prisoners. They lost 
1(5,000 at that place. They then returned to Mo 
bileOity, andlater crossed Tombigbee River, whore 
they captured a fle*t of twenty-two vessels. From 
Mobile they were transferred to Texas Landing, on 
Brazos Island, to Brownsville, where they remained 
until mustered out of service. Mr. Robertson 
came to Nebraska in the spring of 1S7S, bought 
1(50 acres of land, which he has now well fenced, 
well improved, and on which he has good Imild- 
ings. A school-hoiise is on his place. He is a 
member of Richardson Post No. GO, G. A. R., 
at Harvard, and is a Republican in politics. He 
has made all of his property since coming to Ne- 
liraska, a fact that speaks volumes for his energy 
and perseverance. Living as he does in Harvard 
school district, bis family have the advantages of 
a good high school. He has a good young orchard 
and plenty of forest trees on bis place. 

Dr. Ferdinand W. Rose is one of the skillful 
and eminently successful physicians and surgeons 
(if Harvanl, Clay County, Neb., and has attained 
an enviable position among the medical lu-ethren 
throughout the surrounding country. He was 
born in Jackson County, Ohio. September 20, 
1852, and was a son of Horace P. atid Margaret 
(Stephenson) Rose, the former of whom was born 
in (Greenbrier County, Va. , and the latter in Jack 
son County, Ohio. Horace P. Rose was a son of 
Charles and Francina (Harless) Rose, who were 
born in the Highlands of Scotland, and near Barce- 
lona, Spain, respectively. The maternal grand- 
l>arents were John and Mary (Shumate) Stephen- 



son, the former a native of the Highlands of Scot- 
land also, and the latter of Wales. John Stepben- 
.son's mother bon^ the name of Helen Cameron, 
and was a dii-eet descendant from Lochiel, chief of 
the Camerons, who was killed at the battle of Cnl 
loden. The ])aieMts of Dr. Rose were niariied in 
Jackson County. Ohio, iMarch 1(5, 1851, and l)e 
came the parents of eleven children, five sons and 
four daughters being now alive, of whom our sub 
ject is tbe eldest. The father of these children 
was a farmer by occupation, and lesided in Jack 
son County, Ohio, until his death. May 4, 1886, 
his widow still surviving him, her home being in 
that county. The subject of this sketch was reared 
to manhood on the old home farm, in his native 
county, and bis winters were devoted to attending 
the district schools near his home, and his summers 
to following the plow. At nineteen years of age 
he, as a temporary pursuit, took up the avocation 
of school-teaching, and bis labors at this calling 
were performed in Ross County, Ohio. In tbe 
spring of 1875 he entered the Cincinnati College 
of Medicine and Surgery, which he attended dur- 
ing the spring term, but during the winter of 
that year, and in 1876, he taught another term of 
school, as a means of defraying his expenses in 
college. In the spring of 1876 he returned to tbe 
medical college at Cincinnati, and, after taking a 
second course of lectures, be graduated June 27, 
1876. He at once entered upon the practice of his 
profession at Sharonville, Pike County, Ohio, but 
in April, 1877. he removed to Bowersville, Greene 
County, Ohio, where he devoted himself to tbe 
active practice of his profession for a period of 
nine years. In 1886 he came west and located in 
Harvard. Neb., where he has since made his home, 
and where he is one of the leading physicians. He 
was married August 6, 1873, to Miss Hannah Mc- 
Kinniss, of Alma, Ross County, Ohio. She was 
born in Pike County, being a daughter of William 
and Lydia (Slane) McKinniss, the former of whom 
died when Mrs. Rose was a small child. The 
mother is still living, her home being in Sharon- 
ville, Pike County, Ohio. Dr. Rose and his wife 
have a family of four children; Raymond I. (born 
June 27, 1874), Horace (June 10, 1877), Edgar E. 




(June 30, 1879). Leoii C. (Septcmljer '2(1, 1884, and 
died March 25, 1889). Socially the Doctor i.s a 
member of the I. O. O. F., the I. O. R. M., the 
A. O. U. W. aad the M. W. A. He ia a devoted 
member of the Republican party, aud takes an 
active part in local politics, doing all he can to 
promote the welfare of his party. He is not 
only an active and effective worker in the private 
councils of his party, but he has also won for 
himself a reputation as an eloquent and forcible 
stump speaker. As a physician he has been very 
successful, and he now ranks among the ablest I 
practitioners in this part of the State, and is a 
very sociable, agreeable and popular gentleman. 

William Rousey, farmer and stockman of Clay 
County, Neb. , is a man of marked character and 
more than ordinary prominence in the material 
affairs of the county, and his personal popularity 
results largely from the industry, perseverance and 
close attention to business which he has displayed 
in the manasement of his affairs. He was born in 
Morgan County, 111., November 20, 1836, and is a 
son of William and Margaret (Story) Rousey, who 
were native Virginians, and moved to the State of 
Illinois about 1828, having farmed in Tennessee 
for a few years. They made a farm in Morgan Coun- 
ty, 111., and there resided until the father's death, 
which occurred in 1837, his wife surviving him 
until 1884, when she passed from life in Clay 
County, Neb. They reared a family, consisting of 
four sons aud one daughter, to maturity, and all 
are now living and are the heads of families. Will- 
iam Rousey was the youngest of the family, and 
after attaining manhood he settled on a farm in 
Morgan County, continuing until he came to Ne- 
braska, in 1879, taking up his abode on the farm 
where he now lives, which then consisted of raw 
land amounting to 160 acres. He has a substantial 
one and one half story residence, a good barn and 
(jther outbuildings, and an excellent young bear- 
ing orchard of select fruits and a young grove. 
Mr. Rousey is a stanch Prohil)itionist, and does all 
in his power to further the cause of temperance, 
although he was formerly a Republican in his po- 
litical views. In the fall of 1889 he was elected 
one of the board of supervisors of Clay Coiinty, 



aud nearly ever since coming to the State of Ne 
braska he has been a member of his local school 
board. He was married in Morgan County, 111., 
on November 1 2, 1857, to Miss Jane, a daughter 
of Alexander and Polly (Wright) Gunn, she being 
born, reared and educated in Morgan County. To 
them a family of six children have been born: 
Harvey (married, and residing in Edgar), Eli, Ben- 
jamin, James, Edward and Bertha. Mr. and Mrs. 
Rousey are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and he is a Master Mason and a member 
of tilt' Farmers' Alliance. By industry and deter 
mination he has become a representative agricult- 
urist of the comity, and ranks high in the com 
munity in which he resides as a man and citizen. 
Harry E. Rowland, farmer and stockman. 
Davenport, Neb. Among the many successful 
tillers of the soil iu Clay County, none are more 
deserving of mention than the subject of this 
sketch, who owes his nativity to Illinois, his birth 
occurring in Ogle County, April 19, 1861. His 
father, B. F. Rowland, was a native of the Old 
Dominion, and when a young man went to Illinois. 
He settled in Ogle County, and was married in 
Carroll County, to Miss Mary E. Puterbaiigh, a 
native of Pennsylvania, and the daughter of 
George Puterbaugh, one of the pioneer settlers of 
Carroll County. Mr. Rowland followed farming 
in that county until his death, which occurred Oc- 
tober 1, 1888. His wife survives him at this 
writing and resides on the old homestead. Harry 
E. Rowland was the fifth in order of birth of six 
children, all living, and five of whom are married. 
Two reside in Nebraska. He attained his growth 
in Ogle Coianty, and remained with his father un- 
til his majority, receiving a good education in 
the common aud high schools. After this he fol- 
lowed farming in Ogle County until 1885, when 
on February 21, of that j'ear, he arrived in Clay 
County, Neb. He now has 160 acres of hue till 
able land, all in a good state of cultivation, has a 
good residence, and substantial barns and out- 
buildings. Ho has out a young orchard of 10l> 
apple trees, and has plenty of small fruit of all 
varieties. He was married in Ogle County, 111., 
December 21, 1882, to Miss Mollie E. Bittinger, 



a iiiitivt? of Jlaiylaiul, liut learcil and oilncated iu 
Illinois, and the daughter of George Bittinger, of 
Oirle County. There are Iwo children l)y this 
marriage; (xraoie and Kthel. Mr. Howland is a 
nieini)er of the Farmers" Alliance, an<l ;in honest., 
upright citizen. 

A. H. lludd is a proper representative of the 
prosperous business men of the county, and since 
Fehmary. 1887. he has been engaged in the mer- 
cantile Inisiness at Ong. " He was one of the first 
to locate at this place, and his first stock of goods 
was (juite small, but he increased it from time to 
time, and he is now occupying an excellent new 
store building which he built and into which he 
moved in March, 1889. Mr. Undd carries a gen 
eral stock of goods, large and well selected, and 
being intelligent, active and accommodating he 
has won a liberal share of pulilic jtatronage. Mr. 
Kudd is a Republican in politics and has held to 
the principles and siipported the men and meas- 
ures of that party ever since he attained his ma- 
jority. On March 10, 1889, he was appointed 
postmaster of Ong, and the office is held in his 
store. He has held other positions of trust, such as 
town clerk, and in all has discharged his dtities in 
a highly satisfactory manner. He is a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and socially is a 
member of the A. O. U. W. He was born in Sweden, 
October 3, 1 865, but in 1869 emigrated with his par- 
ents to the United States, and after a short resi- 
dence in York State they removed to Massachusetts, 
and in this State Mr. Rudd was principally reared 
and educated, although he took a course iu the 
Galesburg Commercial College in 1S87, just prior 
to his engaging in business iu Ong, having come to 
this State in 1S77. His parents, C. J. and Gustava 
C. Rudd, were both born in Sweden, and are now 
residing in Clay County, Neb. 

Jonathan Sanderson, farmer and stockman, 
Ong, Clay County, Neb. Jonathan Sanderson 
was born in Yorkshire, England, December 5. 
1837. His parents, Thomas and Frances (Bland) 
Sanderson, were natives of England, and with 
their family came to the United States in Septem 
ber, 1851. They located in Columbia County, 
Wis., where they were among the pioneer settlfM's, 



and there the father tilled the soil until iiis death 
[ in 1880. His wife died soon after coming here. 
Thomas Sanderson was collector of government 
taxes ;uid duties in England, for over twenty years, 
but resigned his office to come to America. Jona 
tluui Sanderson remained with his father until 
after he became of age, then followed lumliering 
for about six years. In Dane County, Wis., in 
the fall of 1869, he was mairied to Miss Rebecca 
McCloughan, only daughter of William and Mary 
McCloughan. She was born in Summit Couuty, 
Ohio, but her parents came to Wisconsin when she 
was a child. Jonathan Sanderson and wife have 
eight children, five boys and three girls; they are 
all at home. The eldest daughter is a school 
teacher of Clay Couuty. In the spring of IHl'l 
he moved to Nebraska and homesteaded the farm 
where he now resides. His farm is located one 
and one-half miles from Ong, and consists of 240 
acres of tine tillable land which is under a good 
state of ciiltivation. The place is well imjiroved. 
having a large residence, good barns and every 
thing convenient. There is a good grove of twelve 
acres, besides a young orchard of 150 apple trees 
and small fruits and shrubs, which is beginning to 
bear; also about ten acres of native timber. In 
connection with agricultural pursuits Mi-. Sander- 
son has been giving some attention to the Ijreeding 
of Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs. He 
beean dealiuir in the former in 1874. at that time 
introducing that kind of cattle into the neighbor- 
hood. In 1878 he increased hi? stock, and now 
has about twentj' head, all registered. These cat 
tie are as fine animals as are to be found in the 
county, they having taken several premiums at the 
county fairs. Mr. Sanderson was one of the few 
who oriranized the Harvest Home in Logan Town- 
ship. It resembles a fair and picnic and is kept 
up iu tlie interest of the farmers. It is the only 
one in Clay County. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican and always has been one. He has held the 
office of justice of the peace for two or more terms, 
and has been one of the school board nearly all the 
time, and has held other local offices. At present 
he is township clerk, and fills the office in a satis- 
factory manner. He and wife and eldest son and 



>?• 



CLAY COUNTY. 



50E 



daughter are members of the Farmers' Alliance, 
and he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church in Ong. 

David B. Sanborn. In enumerating the enter- 
prising and ])rogressive agriculturists and stock- 
men of Clay County Mr. Sanborn must not be 
overlooked, for he is in every respect a self-made 
man. and has slowly but surely climbed the ladder 
of success until he is now acknowledged to be one 
of the leading men of the county. He was born 
in Erie County, N. Y., October 24, 1830, his par- 
ents, John T. and Susanna (Hubbard) Sanborn, 
being natives of New Hampshire and New York, 
respectively. After attaining manhood the father 
went to York State and was there married and 
made his home until 1840, at which time he re- 
moved to McHenry County, 111., reaching the lat- 
ter State in March. 1841. Here Mr. Sanborn re- 
sided until his death, which occurred in November, 
185"), his wife dying in February, 1877. Their 
family, consisting of four sons and five daughters, 
grew to mature years, and three sons and two 
daughters are living at the present time. David 
B. Sanborn spent his youth and early manhood 
in Henry County, 111., and in the mouth of March, 
1864, enlisted from there in the Union army, taking 
his brother's place in Company A, after it had 
been consolidated with Company E, Fifteenth Illi- 
nois Infantry, and served until the close of the 
war, proving a faithful and trusty soldier. He was 
taken prisoner after the fall of Atlanta and was 
kept a prisoner for six months, four months being 
spent in Andersonville. While a prisoner he made 
his escape, but was run down, shot and recaptured. 
Upon i-eceiving his discharge he returned to his 
home in McHenry County, and after being engaged 
in farming until 1871, went to Chicago, and was 
driver for a street railway company there for about 
three years. In 1874 he came to Nebraska and the 
same year jmrchased the farm where he is now re- 
siding, twenty-five acres being at that time under 
cultivation. At different times since he has made 
purchases of land, and is now the owner of 246 
acres, nearly all of which is under wire fence and 
is a fine body of land. Near his residence is an 
orchard of about 20t) trees, and his buildings are 

Si 



all in good condition. He has alwaj's been a lie- 
publican in politics, is a member of the G. A. R. 
organization, and he has held some local positions 
of honor and trust in the county. He was married 
in McHenry County, 111., November 1, 187'i, to 
Miss Anna L. Wiltshire, a native of Ohio, but 
reared in Illinois, a daughter of George Wiltshire, 
a native of England. Mr. and Mrs. Sanborn are 
the parents of the following children: Frank J., 
Charles D. , George A. and John A., the last two 
named being twins. 

Louis H. Schaaf. Nothing so markedly shows 
the strength and prosperity of a community as 
the number of large concerns engaged in hand 
ling the staple necessities of life, and prominent 
among these may be mentioned the grocery estab- 
lishment belonging to Mr. Schaaf. He was born 
in Jerseyville, 111., July 12, 18-37, and is a son of 
Henry and Sabra (Bingham) Schaaf, who were born 
in Germany and New York State in 1832 and 1836, 
respectively. The Schaafs were early residents 
of Illinois, and the grandfather was one of the 
first millers and built the first mill in Jersey County. 
Henry Schaaf died in St. Mary's, Mo., in 185S, Vint 
his wife is still living, and is a resident of Edgar, 
Neb. Louis H. Schaaf was the younger of two 
children and was reared in Illinois, there receiv- 
ing his educational advantages, which were only 
such as the common schools afforded. In 1878 
he came to Clay County, Neb., and after being 
engaged in farming near Edgar for two years he 
began clerking, this occupation receiving his at- 
tention for three years. He then ojiened a grocery 
establishment at Edgar, continuing alone for aliout 
a year and a half, and then became associated in 
the same l)usiness with George H. Van Antwerp, 
their partnership lasting until April, 1889, when 
Mr. Schaaf sold out to William Westering, and on 
June 15, 1889, he o]iened his present establii^li 
ment at Sutton. Although he has been established 
here a very short time he has built up a trade and 
founded a reputation which ranks him in every 
way but in age with the oldest houses of the county. 
He has made his own way in the world, and is 
now a leading business man and a highly esteemed 
resident of the county. He was married on April 



V 



;^^ 



ft 



506 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



1, 1872 to Miss Louisa Keller, who was liorii near 
Chicago, III., in l.Sf)3. They have two chihlren: 
Leslie anil an infant unnamed. Mr. Sehaaf is au 
uncompromisini^ llepublicHii.and socially is a mem- 
ber of the A. O. U. W., a charter member of 
Edgar Lodge No. 50. He and wife are members 
of tiic Baptist Church. 

J. H. C. Scherich, farmer and stockman, In 
land, Neb. The estate which is owned by the sub- 
ject of this sketch is one of the finest in Clay 
County, and it is but the repetition of a truth well 
known to say that no man is more deserving of the 
possessions which he enjoys than Mr. Scherich. 
He was born in York County, Pa., in 1842, but 
WHS reared near Harrisburg, Cumberland County, 
and was the fifth of a family of seven children, the 
result of the union of John and llachel (Millard) 
Scherich, both natives of Pennsylvania, and the 
latter the daughter of Isaac Millard, of York 
County, Pa. John Scherich was a native of Lan- 
caster County, his birth occurring in 1812, and 
was married in York County, Pa., to Miss Millard, 
who bore him the following children: Christian, 
Ann Jane, John A., Phoebe S., J. H. C, Rachel 
E. and Wintield. The father was a farmer by oc- 
cupation, and also carried on the carpenter trade. 
He died in Pennsylvania in 188."). The mother 
was born in 1814 and is still living in the Key- 
stone State. Both were members of the United 
Brethren Church. J. H. C. Scherich received a 
good practical education in his native State, and 
in 1804 enlisted in Company F, Two Hundred and 
First Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and served 
one year, or until the surrender. He was dis- 
chari'ed in the fall of 1865. In the last named 
year he was married to Miss Margaret R. Kerr, a 
native of Fulton County, Pa., born in 1842, and the 
daughter of Samuel and Mary (Blair) Kerr. Mr. 
Kerr died in 1854 but his wife, who was born in 
1822, is now living and is a resident of Inland, 
Neb. After his marriage Mr. Scherich engaged in 
cultivating the soil, and in the spring of 1872 em- 
igrated to Clay County, Neb., where he took up 
!()(• acres of land, where he now lives, and to this 
he has since added eighty more acres. He has im- 
proved the same and is one of the substantial 



farmers of the county. He is interested in the 
raising of stock. Hereford cattle, Poland China 
hogs and Norman and Clydesdale horses. He has 
a good orchard and a nice grove on his place. 
Being one of the pioneers he has seen the com 
plete growth and develoj)ment of the county, and 
has aided in all matters pertaining to its general 
good. To his marriage were born eight chil 
dren: Annetta (now Mrs. Charles Kelley, of In- 
land), Harry E., John F., Asher E., Carrie O., 
Minnie M., Clarence R. and Millard B., all at 
home. Mr. Scherich is considerably interested in 
political affairs and votes with the Republican 
party. He likes Nebraska, and thinks it a fine 
State for farming and stock raising. He is inter- 
ested in schools and churches, and has been a 
member of the school board. 

John Schlachter, farmer and stock raiser, Glen- 
ville. Neb. Mr. Schlachter is another of those 
of foreign birth who have come into this county 
and made for themselves comfortable homes, be- 
coming respected citizens of the cominunity. He 
was born in Norden, Germany, in 1841, and is the 
fourth in a family of eight children, the result 
of the union of Robert H. and Sarah (Harmes) 
Schlachter, who were married in 1838. Both par- 
ents were natives of Germany, and the father was 
born in 1803. He was a ship carpenter by trade 
and' followed the sea much of his life. He emi- 
grated to the United States in 1851, settled in 
Peoria County, 111., and there made his home 
for eight years, after which he moved to Woodford 
County, dying there in 1880. He was a successful 
business man, and in his political views affiliated 
with the Republican party. He was the son of 
Henry Schlachter. The mother of our subject was 
thi' daughter of H. Harmes, a native of Germany. 
She died in 1886. Both she and her husband were 
members of the Lutheran Church. They reared 
the following children: Henry, Hero, Mary, John, 
Dina, Lena. Charles and Robert. John Schlach- 
ter was about ten years of age when he came to 
this country with his parents, and attended school 
in Illinois. In 1862 he started out for himself as 
a farmer, and this occupation he has continued to 
follow successfully since. He was married, in 



<2 1^ 



4^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



507 



f 



186."), to Miss Louisa Kampmauu, daughter of Cas- 
par and Lizzie (Thake) Kampmaun, both natives of 
Germany. Her parents came to the United States, 
settled in New York in 1851, and later came to 
Illinois. There they both received their final sum- 
mons in 1885. Mr. Schlac-hter farmed in Illinois 
until 1880, when he moved to Nebraska and settled 
on his present property in Inland Township, Clay 
County. He boutfht at that time 160 acres, and 
now has a half section of wood land, all improved, 
with a fine orchard, groves, and excellent buildings. 
He is also interested in stock-raising and has some 
fine hogs and cattle. He has been successful since 
coming to this State, and fully aopreciates the 
comforts of a compensation gained by individual 
efforts. To his marriage have been born ten living 
children: Roliert H. , Lizzie (now Mrs. Myer), 
Louis William. Clara, Mary, Sarah, Ida, Loiiisa, 
Flora and Ella. Two children, Martha and Henry, 
are deceased. In politics Mr. Schlachter is a de- 
cided Republican. 

Ludwig Schuck, retired farmer, Glenville, Neb. 
Of German birth and antecedents, Mr. Schuck 
possesses to a remarkable degree the qualities 
which seem to characterize those of German de- 
scent — frugality, industry, perseverance and strict 
attention to business. His parents, Adam and 
Catharine (Kuntz) Schuck, were natives of the 
same country and were people of like habits. The 
father was a weaver l>y trade. Ludwig Schuck 
was born in Germany, in 1822, and was the sixth 
of eight children born to his parents: Barbara, 
John, George, Eva, Charles, Ludwig, Henry and 
Christina. The father of these children died in 
Germany in 1S37, and the mother in INul. Lud 
wig's early life and school days were spent in Ger- 
many. In 1S4U he emigrated to the United States, 
settled in Boston for a few months, and then, in 
1850, emigrateil to Illinois, where he followed 
farming in Woodford County. He was married in 
Marshall Comity, 111., in 1858, to Miss Elizabeth 
Mick, a native of Germany, and the daughter of 
Frederick and Barbara Mick, also natives of that 
country. The father died in Germany, but the 
mother died in Illinois in 1874, having emigrated to 
this country in 1822. To the marriage of Mr. and 



Mrs. Schuck were born seven children (four now 
living): Mary A., Catherine (died in 1862), Clara 
E., Jacob, Margaret, Henry (died in 1876) and 
Frederick (died in 1878). Mr. Schuck came to 
Clay County, Neb., in 1875, bought 820 acres of 
railroad land, and to this he has since added 160 
acres, making one of the best farms in the town- 
ship. He has his land well improved, and is a 
prominent and much esteemed citizen. He and 
Mrs. Schuck are members of the Lutheran Church. 
Mr. Schuck takes quite an interest in political 
affairs, and is a Democrat. He is interested in 
schools, churches, and all things for the good of 
the county. His son, Jacob, is farming for himself 
on Section 20, land owned by his father, and the 
latter is now retired from active life. 

Charles Schuck, farmer and stock- raiser, In- 
land, Neb. Located in the midst of one of the 
finest agricultural centers of Clay County, the 
farm which Mr. Schuck now owns and occupies is 
conceded to be among the best in this vicinity, and 
this is saying not a little, for on every hand may 
be seen superior places whose ownership indicate 
thrift and prosperity. He was born in Germany 
in 18-44, and is the son of John and Margaret 
(Shwager) Schuck, both natives of Germany, the 
father born in 1815. He was a stonemason bj' 
trade, and followed this for many years. To his 
marriage were born three children: Charles, Mag 
gie and Katie. The father died at the age of 
sixty-four, and the mother, who was born in 1817, 
followed him to the grave two years later. Charles 
Schuck attended school in bis native country, and 
in 18f)() emigrated to the United States, locating 
in Woodford County, 111., where he followed farm- 
ing. This he continued for about eight years, and 
in 1869 was married to Miss Mary Newman, who 
died during the first year of their married life. 
He was married again in 1871 to Miss Katie Engel, 
who died in 1876, leaving him one child, Lizzie. 
Mr. Schuck emigrated to Nebraska in 1875 and 
bought railroad land. 160 acres in all. His third 
marriage occurred in this State to Miss Augusta 
Fitcke, of Clay County, and to them have been 
born seven children: Anna. Ida, Louisa, John, 
Mary, Etta and Charles. Mr. Schuck began im- 



\ 



J. 



^M 



508 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



mediately to improve his laud, and the same sys- 
tematic condition of affairs about his home is 
apparent in his course as a man. Thoroucrh in all 
that he does, he allows no worthy movement to 
drag for want of enpport if in his power to help it- 
He is now the owner of 240 acres of land, all under 
cultivation and fenced, and has one of the finest 
places in the county. In 1882 be was constable of 
Inland Township, and was also school director. 
After this he was assessor for three years, and has 
been supervisor of Inland Township. Formerly 
he had always voted the Republican ticket, hut he 
is now a Democrat. He is a member of the Farm- 
ers' Alliance, and he and wife are members of the 
(lerman Congregational Church, which he assisted 
in organizing. He is deeply interested in the 
upbuilding of schools and churches. 

George P. Schwab, treasurer of Marshall Town- 
ship, and one of Clay County's most successful and 
enterprising citizens, is a native of Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, Germany, born April 28, 1835, a son of John 
Henry and Margaret (Kuhl) Schwab, natives of the 
same country. The subject of this sketch came to the 
United States with his parents in 1847, the father 
locating in Lee County, 111., where be spent the 
remainder of bis life, and there George P. was 
reared to manhood on a farm, securing a very lim- 
ited education. At the age of twenty-one years he 
beiran farming for himself, and two years later set 
tied on a farm in Bureau County until March, 
ISSO, when he came to Clay ('ounty, buying land 
ill Marshall Township, near where be now lives, 
and the following fall built his present bouse and 
bonu-bt the farm, it lieing the north half of Section 
10. His house and barns are probably the best in 
the township. Mr. Schwab owns altogether 1,280 
acies of land in Mai'shall Township, and the school 
district in which he lives. He is the most exten- 
sive stock raiser in the townshiji, having a number 
(if line specimens of graded cattle and horses, be- 
iiic- one of the first in this line in the township. 
February 7, 1858, be married Miss Katberine 
Keiper, a native of Germany, born April 18, 1840, 
by whom be has thirteen children, namely : Henry 
G. (born December 10, 185.S), Conrad (born Octo- 
ber 7, 1800), Mary :\I. (born November 4, 1802, 



wife of John Anthes), John G. (born Feliruary 11, 
1865), Phillip J. (born May 20, 1807), Albert H. 
(born August IS, 1809), William F. (born Novem- 
ber 20, 1871), Carl F. (born Febriiary 17, 1874, 
died November 3, 1887), George W. (born June 
27, 1870), Daniel H. (born December 17, 1878), 
Josephine F. (born April 13, 1881), Malinda M. 
(born September 12, 1883), Benjamin T. (born 
August 23, 188()). Mr. Schwab has lieen a Re 
publican since 1850, but is now an ally of the Anti- 
Monopolists, being an active member of the Farm- 
ers' Alliance, and presiilent of Marshall Alliance. 
Both he and wife are members of the Evangelical 
Church. 

Frank H. Scott is a prominent young grocer of 
Harvard, Clay County, Neb., and is a .striking ex- 
ample of the success which usually attends hard 
work and honest dealing. His Inrth occurred in 
Cowansville, in the province of Quebec, Canada. 
October 27. 1866, and is a son of Plinny and Can- 
dace V. (Beard) Scott, who were also born in Cow- 
ansville, the former May 31, 1836. He was a son 
of Plinny and Lydia (Bull) Scott, who were born 
in the State of Vermont. The wife of Plinny Scott 
was born October 19, 1839, and was a daughter of 
Oliver and Hannah (Clark) Beard, who were na- 
tives of the State of New Hampshire. The parents 
of Frank H. Scott were married near Cowansville, 
Canada, October 27, 1858, and reared a family of 
three children, of whom the subject of this sketch 
is the youngest, be and a brother and sister being 
the members of the family: Albert P., Lucia L. 
and Frank H. The mother of these children died 
at Harvard. Neb. , November 22, 1888. The father, 
whose occupation has been that of a contractor and 
builder, is still living, bis home being in Harvard, 
where be located with his family in 1880. Frank 
H. Scott was reared to manhood in his native town, 
and received his early education in Missiquoi High 
School of Cowansville. At the age of fourteen 
years he accompanied bis jiarents to Harvard, Neb., 
where he has resided ever since, and in that place 
be is now one of the leading business men. He 
fir.st entered the employ of the Gilchrist Brothers, 
clerking in their grocery store for six consecutive 
years, engaging, on November 1, 1886, in business 



CLAY COUNTY. 



509 



for himself, and has given it his entire attention 
ever since, being at the present time a prosperous 
merchant. He sells his goods at little money, and 
has deservedly acquired a comfortable competency, 
for his start in business was obtained by saving his 
money while clerking. His stock of goods will 
invoice at $8,000, and he does an aniuial business 
of between |35,(iOO and $4(1,000. He is also the 
owner of valuable real-estate, consisting of seven- 
teen lots, three of which are improved with resi- 
dences. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, 
and he also belongs to the K. of P. aad the M. W. 
A. In his political views he is a Democrat. He 
is an enterprising young man, whose business 
(jualifications are of a very high order, and he 
has a large circle of friends, among whom he is 
very popular. 

C. H. Searle. For something over seven years 
Mr. Searle has been identified with the interests of 
Clay County, Neb., contributing in many ways to 
its advancement and progress, especially as re- 
gards stock-raising and agriculture. As a breeder 
of fine stock he is well known throughout the Mid- 
dle and Western States. He has devoted his atten- 
tion to the breeding of Holstein cattle, Duroc Jer- 
sey and Poland China swine. The foundation of 
his fine herd of Holsteins was purchased from the 
celebrated " Shadeland Stock Farm," owned by 
Powell Bros., at Springboro, Pa., and by careful 
breeding he has built up a herd of exceptional 
merit. He already has a fine display of ribbons 
won on his cattle at the Omaha and Lincoln fairs. 
He also has as fine a herd of swine, both in num- 
ber and quality, as ciin be found in the State. He 
is the owner of the noted hog Derby, said to be the 
largest hog in the United States, also many other 
animals which have been prize winners at such fairs 
iis Kansas City, St. Louis and St. Joseph, as well 
as Omaha and Lincoln. There is probably no man 
in the State more extensively engaged in fine stock 
breeding than he, and his example has served as an 
impulse to others to follow him in this industry, 
and to him, therefore, is largely due the credit for 
so many classes of tine stock in Clay County to-day. 
He is an active member of the Clay County Agri 
cultural Society, and was in 1889 made a director 



of the "American Duroc Jersey Swine Breeder's As- 
sociation," at its convention in Chicago, an honor 
which came to him unsought. It is perhaps un 
necessary to say that he is a man of energy, pro 
gressive spirit, and clear perception, unassuming 
in his manners an<l liberal in his contributions to 
worthy enterprises, and when we add that he is an 
earnest worker in the Presbyterian Church, in 
which he is an elder, enough has been said to show 
his worth in any community. He was born in West 
Andover, Ashtabula County, Ohio, February 10, 
1 856, being the second son of S. E. Searle, a na- 
tive of the old ' ' Bay State. " ' C. H. Searle was 
educated in his native State, graduating from 
Grand River Institute in 1878, afterward pursuing 
a special course at Olierlin College. He was mar- 
ried in Madison, Lake County. Ohio, in 1881. to 
Miss Carrie Ford, a native uf Lake County, and 
daughter of Deacon James Ford, of Madison. Mrs. 
Searle also graduated at Grand River Institute, 
in the same class with Mr. Searle, afterward study- 
ing at Oberlin. Their family consists of four chil- 
dren: Ralph H. , Albert A., Ida A. and Carl C. 

Marcellus Sechler is one of the well known and 
esteemed farmers and stockmen of Clay County, 
Neb., and since 1883 has resided on his present 
farm, although during the year 1879 he had re- 
sided here for a short time. He was born in 
Somerset County, Pa., in April, 1855, his pa- 
rents, Joseph and Eleanor (Rhodes) Sechler, lieing 
also natives of that State. The father was a farm- 
er and cooper l)y trade, and resided in Pennsyl- 
vania until his death, which occurred in 1865, his 
wife having died in 1857. Marcellus Sechler at- 
tained manhood in bis native county, but imbued 
with the idea tluit the West afforded better op 
portunities for a young man. he came to Illinois, 
and for one year was a resident of Carroll County. 
In 1879 he settled in Clay County, Nel)., but re- 
turned to Pennsylvania three years later, and was 
married there on July 29, 1883, to Miss Minnie 
Shannon, a native of Somerset County, and a 
daughter of Aaron Shannon, of that coiinty. Mr. 
Sechler again came to Nebraska in the fall of ISS'2, 
and has been residing on the old Johnson farm 
for the past six years, it comprising KiO acres, 



\ 



7)10 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ovviu'il hy Howard Bruthm-H. Mr. Secbler lias been 
siiccossful ill his enterpri.ses and is now in easy 
circumstances. He and wife have two children: 
Harry and Harvey; Ella, a daughter, died recently, 
aged about twenty months. Mr. Sechler is a 
nicmlier of the A. O. U. W. and the Farmers' 
Alliance, being one of tlie executive committee in 
the last named order. 

(iiiy W. Secord was born near London, Can- 
ada, on July 29, 1855, being a .son of Steven A. 
and Ruth (Rouse) Secord, who were also born 
there. In 1856 the family moved to the States 
and settled in Jo Daviess County, 111., where the 
father followed the occupation of lead miner. He 
was drowned on December 24, 1860, while crossing 
the Apple River, and fourteen years later his wife's 
death occurred. Thus left to depend upon his 
own resources at the early age of seven years, Guy 
VV. began working out among the neighbors in the 
vicinity, receiving his board and clothes for the 
tiist two years, after which he began receiving 
small wages. His early educational advantages 
were quite limited, but the advantages he did re- 
ceive were improved to the utmost, and possessing 
a quick perception and a good memory he made 
good progress in his studies. After remaining in 
the State of Illinois until 1870, he went to Page 
County, Iowa, working on farms at intervals, and 
spending a portion of his time in Kansas until 
1885, when he came to the fertile prairies of Ne- 
braska and ]iurcha«ed 160 acres of land in Clay 
County, which comprises his present farm. He de- 
serves much credit for the admirable way in which 
he has surmounted the difficulties which have strewn 
his pathway through life, and by his own labor 
and good management he has secured a handsome 
competency, and is now one of the representative 
farmeis of the county. He has always been of a 
charitable disposition, and has ever been found 
ready to extend the right hand of fellowship to 
those not so fortunate as himself. On January 12, 
1881, he was married to Miss Sylvia Rodman, a 
daughter of Antrim and Frances (Hadden) Rod- 
m:in, natives of the 'Hoosier State." Mrs. Se- 
cord was born in Page County. Iowa, February S, 
lsr)7, and her union with Mr. Secord has resulted 



ill the l)irtli of four children: ]\Iaud E. , RoscoeC, 
Katie M. and Charles \V. Mr. Secord has al 
ways been a Republican, somewhat favoring the 
Anti- Monopoly movement. He is a member of the 
Farmers" Alliance. 

T. D. Shaw is the owner of 438 acres of land 
in Clay County, Neb., his first purchase of 160 
acres being made the lir.st year of his arrival here, 
1870. He was born in Hancock County, Ohio, in 
1848, and his school days were spent in Illinois, 
whither his parents moved from Ohio about 1855. 
He began the battle of life for himself at the age 
of twenty-two years, and in 186U was united in 
marriage to Miss Maggie, a daughter of Moses and 
Harriet (Eliott) Johnson, who were born in Penn- 
sylvania. This union resulted in the birth of three 
children: Lewis M. , Jennie and James, all of whom 
reside with their father. Mr. Shaw has a very high 
opinion of Nebraska as a farming region, and in 
a period of nineteen years has lost but one crop. 
His farm is also well adapted to stock-raising, and 
Mr. Shaw has now an excellent grade of Short- 
horn cattle and Poland China hogs. On first 
coming here Mr. Shaw received his mail at a town 
fifty miles away, and was compelled to go ninety- 
five miles (to Beatrice) for his provisions. He is 
the second child l)orn to Lewis and Margaret 
(Downing) Shaw, both Ohio people. They were 
married wlien the father was nineteen years of age, 
and their union was blessed in the birth of ten 
children: John (now living in Logan County, 111.), 
T. D., William (who died at the age of five years), 
Dorcas (Mrs. Shout, living in Illinois), Sarah (Mrs. 
Bridges, also residing in Illinois), George (who was 
killed by the cars at the age of thirteen), Elizal)eth 
(who died from being burned when nine years old), 
Emma (who died at the age of twenty two years), 
Nancy (who died at the age of five years) and James 
(living in Illinois). Both parents are living, and 
reside in Logan County. 111., the former a Free 
Mason socially, and politically a Democrat. 

Thomas Shea, farmer and stock-raiser, Inland, 
Neb. Thomas Shea first saw the light of day in the 
Emerald Isle in 1886, and was the youngest of 
twelve children, the fruits of the union of Thomas 
and Ellen (Shea) Shea, natives also of Ireland. 



^-. 



CLAY COUNTY. 



511 



They were married there, and of their large fam- 
ily only our subject is now liviiicr. Shortly after 
the birth of the latter his parents emigrated to the 
United States, and settled in Putnam County, 111., 
where the father worked on the canal. He died 
in La Salle County, 111., in 1846, and his wife pre- 
vious to this, in the same county, in 1842. Thomas 
Shea was left an orphan when about ten years of 
age, and he started out for himself by working on 
the railroad for a number of years. He was mar- 
ried in La Salle County, 111., in 1857, to Miss 
Ellen Halleran, daughter of Michael Hallerau, 
and to them were born nine children: Thomas, 
Michael, Patrick, John, James, Joseph and Will- 
iam; two deceased, Mary and Ellen. Mr. Shea 
settled in Livingston County, 111., in 1862, and 
there tilled the soil for twelve years. He then 
emigrated to Old Inland, Adams County, Neb., in 
187;^, bought railroad land, and moved his family 
there in the fall of that year. He bought a sec- 
tion of laud in Clay County, but sold 160 acres, 
and bought the same number of acres in Wheeler 
County. Ever since locating in Clay County Mr. 
Shea has been engaged in farming and stock- 
raising, and owing to hard work and good business 
al)ility he has been very successful. He is a Dem- 
ocrat in j)olitics, and he and family are members 
of the Catholic Church. He is interested in 
schools, churches, and in fact every and all enter- 
prises for the good of the county. He is one of 
the pioneer settlers, and a man universally re- 
spected. 

Michael Sheedy, farmer and stock-raiser. Mr. 
Sheedy is an Irish American and a faimer, and 
that is enough to carry the assurance that he is 
one of the substantial men of Lewis Township, 
where he resides. He was born in County Cork, 
Ireland, March 25, 1823, and is the son of John 
and Margaret (Fitzpatrick) Sheedy, both natives 
of the Emerald Isle, the father born in 1790, and 
the mother in 1805. The father was i-eared in 
his native country, and in 1848 emigrated to 
America, settling tirst in Kockport, Mass., but in 
1854 emigrating to Iowa, where his death occurred 
in Clinton County in 1855. He was a large man 
and weighed 208 pounds. The mother died Jan 



uary 8, 1885. They were the parents of twelve 
childi-en, four sons and two daughters now living. 
One son, John Sheedy. resides in Lincoln, Neb., 
is a large property owner, and his monthly rents 
come to $356. Another son, Patrick, is a farmer 
and owns 160 acres in Clay County. Dennis is 
in Denver City, and is president of the Colorado 
National Bank, worth close to $1,000,000. Mich- 
ael Sheedy was married in Rockport, Mass., in 
1850, to Miss Johanna Calahan, a native of County 
Limerick, Ireland, born in 1832, who came to 
America in 1849. Eleven children were the fruits 
of this union, nine of whom are now living: 
David, Margaret, John (deceased), AVilliam (mer- 
chant in Yuma, Colo.), James (also in Yuma, Colo.), 
Anna, and Ella, (the wife of F. Reed, a banker of 
Yuma), John (at home), Dennis (attending college 
in Lincoln), Michael (deceased), and May (going 
to Harvard High School). Mr. Sheedy came to 
America in 1876, lived at Rockport for sometime, 
and after his marriage in 1850 went to South 
Carolina, where he resided in Charleston for two 
years. He then moved to Illinois, was on the 
railroad, and later moved to Iowa, where he con- 
tinued his former employment. Ten years later 
he moved to where the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad was building, and worked on it 
until it came to the Missouri River. He was 
tirst boss, then walking boss, and later was head 
foreman for Wolfe & Carpenter at 1100 per month. 
He was then contractor with John Fitzgerald, of 
Lincoln, for some time. He contracted all the 
way to Nebraska, and upon reaching this State 
took up land, and has since made his home here. 
Michael Sheedy came to Nebraska in the year of 
1871. At that time there was nothing to be seen 
but sky and ])rairie. He was the tirst man in 
this part of the county that fenced in forty acres 
for a pasture, with posts eight feet apart and four 
wires; this fence was built in 1872. He hauled 
his posts (1,000) from the Little Blue in Nuckolls 
County, a distance of thirty-five miles. He made 
the tirst wagon road through where Fairfield is 
now located, and went through where Clay Center 
is also. It was used for seven or eight years as 
the main road to Fairfield. He still lives on the 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



saiui' i'luui. Our subject i.s tbc owiiur of -{-O 
acios, after selling 120 acres in Clay County, and 
also owns 120 acres in Kearney County. He is 
quite deeply interested in stock raising, and is 
one of the substantial farmers of the county. His 
paternal grandfather. Michael Sheedy, was born 
also in County Cork, Ireland, was a stock buyer 
and farmer, and a very wealthy man. Mrs. Sheedy, 
wife of our subject, was the danglitcr of David 
and Ann (Cacy) Callahan, both natives of Couuty 
Limerick, Ireland, wheie th(> father carried on 
fanning. He died at the age of eighty six years. 
They were the parents of thirteen children, nine 
sous and four daughters, and the oidy one now 
living is Mrs. Sheedy. She is a good sized woman, 
weighing 200 pounds, and Mr. Sheedy weighs 208 
ponnds. They are very comfortably fixed, and 
are happy and contented. 

John Sheehy, farmer and stock-raiser, Glen- 
vilie. Neb. The history of every community is 
made up, so far as its more interesting features are 
concerned, of the events and transactions of the 
lives of its prominent, representative citizens. In 
any worthy history of Clay County an outline of 
the life of the subject of this sketch should not 
fail to be given. Mr. Sheehy was born in County 
Ijimerick, Ireland, January 23, 1882, and is the 
oldest of six children, the result of the union of 
Patrick and Mary (Daune) Sheehy, both natives of 
the Emerald Isle, l)orn in 1807 and 1808, respect- 
ively. The father died in 1847, and the mother in 
1876. John Sheehy received a gt)()d education, 
and when l)ut twenty-one years of age came to this 
country, landing in New York. He worked his 
way westward, and Hiially located in Koek Island, 
III., where he commeuce<l learning the trade of 
brick making. After continuing this for some 
time he went to Daven])ort, Iowa, and was there 
engaged in the manufacture of brick, which busi- 
ness he carried on on an extensive scale. In 1860 
he moved to Helena, Ark., and remained tLere for 
two years, engaged in levee buildmg. He (juit 
contracting and accepted the position of foreman 
on the grade of the Iowa division of the Chicago, 
Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. Herc^ he remained 
for I'ighteen months, when he took the position of 



track foreman on the Chicago, Burlington & 
Quiucy Railroad, which position he retained for 
sevente(>n years. In 18S2 he removed to Clay 
County, Neb., from McDonough County, III, and 
is now the owner of 240 acres of good land, the 
result of years of economy and labor on the part 
of himself and his faithful wife. The farm is one 
of the best in the county, and is well stocked with 
horses and cattle. He was married in 1864 to 
Miss Catherine Normoyle, a native of Ireland, 
born in 1841, and the daughter of Edward and 
Mary (Brown) Normoyle, natives of Ireland, born 
in 1812 and 1822, and died in 1849 and 1880, re 
spectively. To Mr. and Mrs. Sheehy were born 
eight living children: Mary (wife of R. L. Mas 
sey, of Grand Island), Patrick, Roger, Nellie, 
Katie, Edmund, Thomas, James and Agnes. Mr. 
Sheehy is a Democrat and has tilled several town 
offices. Himself and family are members of the 
Catholic Church. 

John O. Shelp, farmer. Harvard, Neb. This 
respected and highly esteemed resident of Harvard 
Township, is not unknown to the many citizens of 
this portion of Clay County, among whom so 
many years of his life have been passed. Origin- 
ally from Montgomery County, N. Y., he was 
born in May, 1827, and is the son of Hugh Shelp. 
He was reared on a farm in his native county, and 
at the age of seventeen years he became a clerk 
in a grocery at Fort Plain, of Montgomery Coun- 
ty. That position he held for five years and then 
went to Utica. N. Y., where for one year he was 
a clerk in a hotel. After that he went to Tona 
wanda, in the western part of New York State, 
and there he was employed for five years in a ship 
chandler's establishment. About 1859 he went to 
Allegan County, Mich., where, until the war 
broke out, he followed farming. In August, 
1861, he enlisted in Company H, Forty-fourth 
Illinois Regiment, with which he served until thi' 
close of the war. He was in the battles of Pea 
Ridge, Murfreesboro, Perryville, the siege of Cor- 
inth and ('hickamauga. He was captured at the 
last nam(>d battle September 20, 18<)8, and was 
first imprisoned at Richmond. Six months later 
he was transferred to Andersonville, where he re- 



■^ 



^ 



CLAY COUNTY. 



513 



inained thirteen months, making a total imprison- 
ment of nineteen mouths. He was released on 
the same day Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. 
From Andersonville he went via Savannah, Ga., 
to Jacksonville, Fla., and thence he proceeded 
by vessel to Annapolis, Md. From there he went 
by rail to Springfield, 111., where he was dis- 
charged June 80, bSC)'). After that he located in 
Iroquois County, 111., and resumed farming. He 
was married there in March, 1866, to Miss Isabella 
Lower, a native of Huntingdon County, Pa., born 
in April, 1827. In 1867 Mr. Shelp returned to 
Allegan County, Mich., and in 1869 removed to 
La Porte, Ind. , where for four years he followed 
the hardware business. He then came to Ne- 
braska, and located in Fillmore County, where he 
tilled the soil. For the past eight years he has re- 
sided in Harvard, a retired citizen. He and wife 
have an only son, James L. Shelp, a young man of 
nineteen, who is a telegraph operator by profession. 
Mr. Shelp is a member of the Christian Church, 
the G. A. R. , and is a Republican in politics. He 
is an honoiable, upright man and a worthy and 
loyal citizen. 

Henry O. Shike, a prominent farmer and stock- 
raiser, was born in Linn County. Iowa, August 
29, 1850, a sou of John and Mary E. (Bodenhofer) 
Shike, natives of Virginia. He was reared to man- 
hood iu his native State. At the early age of 
twelve years he commenced the struggle of life, 
assisting in the care of his family. At the age 
of twenty- four he commenced fanning on his own 
account. In 1875 he purchased a farm compris- 
ing 160 acres of land, on which he remained until 
1880, when he moved to Washington Territory 
and took up government land, which he exchanged 
in 1882 for 160 acres of land adjoining his home- 
place in this county, moving here the following 
year. He now owns 320 acres, which is under an 
excellent state of cultivation (all fenced), a good, 
comfortable dwelling, large barn, granaries and 
shedding for his cattle, of which he keeps on hand 
about 250 head. March 1 1, 1875, he was married 
to Mary E. Walters, daughter of Myron C. and 
Maryett (Hall) Walters, natives of New York. 
Mrs. Shike was born July 16, 1855, in Jones 



County, Iowa. The result of this union has been 
the birth of two children : Myron G. and Walter D. 
Mr. Shike is a Prohibitionist in politics; he was 
formerly a Republican. Both himself and wife are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at 
Clay Centei', and he is a meml)er of the Harmony 
Farmers' Alliance. Mr. Shike has done wonder- 
fully well since his residence in this county. He 
is largely interested in cattle, being one of the 
largest dealers and feeders in this section of the 
country. He is energetic, industrious and enter- 
prising, always ready to assist his needy neighbors 
when in distress, and is looked upon as a repre- 
sentative citizen. 

Jacob Hhively. president of the First National 
Bank, Fairfield, Neb. Modern banking dates from 
the revival of civilization in Italy, first came into 
prominence in Venice, and was the main cause 
which made the Queen of the Adriatic the mistress 
of the world's commerce. The history of trade 
through these succeeding centuries has shown the 
bank to be the first and most important thing to 
give impetus to business. It is the lubricant of 
the engine of mercantile life, and when properly 
managed is also the governor and safety-valve. A 
fine example of this is seen in the First National 
Bank of Fairfield, of which Mr. Shively is presi- 
dent. He was born in Monongalia County, W. 
Va., June 9, 1837, aud is the son of Jacob and 
Catherine (Pickenpaw) Shively, natives of the same 
county. Jacob Shively, Jr., was early taught the 
duties of farm life in his native State, and secured 
but a limited education, such as was accorded to 
the youth of ante-bellum days in the primitive log 
school houses, where but three months' session 
was held in a year. He was there during the war 
and espoused the Union cause, being called into 
the service as a member of the State militia. In 
1870 he emigrated to Henry County, 111., and fol- 
lowed farming and stock-raising successfully until 
November. 1886, when he removed to Fairfield, 
and there he has since resided. Having given his 
attention to stock-raising and farming, he became 
the owner of 420 acres of good land in this county, 
and makes a specialty in the stock line of Polled- 
Ansus cattle. He has been a stockholder of the 



514 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



First Natioual Bank of Fairfield for tlirpe years, 
was vice [)n>siileut of the same diiriiij;' ISS'.t, and 
ill ISIIO was t^leoted its president. On January 'h 
1S()2, he was married to Miss Emily J. Suidor, a 
native of the same State and county. They have 
nine livin>i; childnMi: Effi(! D. (wife of Charles 
(Tlas|)i((), Mary (i- (wif(> of James Taylor), James 
K. , Laura A. (wife of Henry Showalters), Fannie 
B., Thornton P., Lidia May, William Ray and 
Gertrude. Mr. Shively was formerly a Repul)- 
lican in politics, hut since the temperance »|uestion 
has com(^ so strongly before the public he has been 
a Prohibitionist in his political views, and was 
elected by that ticket in November, 1889, to the 
office of county supervisor to represent Fairfield 
City. He is a member of the Royal Templar fra- 
ternity, and he and Mrs. Shively are members of 
the Christian Church. 

J. P. Skow, farmer and stock raiser, Verona, 
Neb. This successful and efficient agriculturist 
owes his nativity to Denmark, where his birth 
occurred in 1852, and is the son of Peter and Kirs- 
len (Peterson) Skow, the father a carpenter by 
occupation. J. P. Skow attended school until 
fourteen years of age and then herded cattle for 
two years. After this he worked by the month on 
a farm, and when eighteen years of age took pass- 
age on a vessel for America. He landed at Que- 
bec, Canada, and later came to Wisconsin, where 
he worked at farm labor for a Dutchman, and 
learned that language. He then went to another 
county in the State, worked in a saw-mill in the 
summer and in the woods in the winter; continued 
this for four years, and then, April 15, 1875, he 
emigrated to Nebraska, where he and his brother 
])urcha8ed a right to a soldier's homestead, a quar- 
ter section. This has since been improved very 
much, and is now worth more than $30 per acre. 
In addition to this he has also purchased eighty 
acres of Burlington & Missouri River Railroad land, 
worth .125 per acre. Mr. Skow has learned the 
English language since coming to Nebraska, and 
is aci intelligent and well-posted man. The Verona 
Farmers' Alliance was organized in January, 1890, 
and he was made president of the same. He was 
active in its organization and was chairman of the 



first meeting. He is chairman of the Democratic 
Central Committee of the township and takes a 
leading part in public affairs. He was a Re])ul> 
liean until Cleveland took his stand on tariff 
reform, when he changeil his views and now 
affiliates with the Democratic party. He was 
married in Nebraska to Miss Anna Paulsen, a 
native qf Denmark, and five children are the result 
of this union: Martin, Peter, Pauline, Lyda and 
Grover, named in honor of ex-President Cleveland. 
Edward J. Smith, a native of England, born 
in London, November 24, 1838, has been a resi- 
dent of the United States since 1857, and is now 
engaged in farming and stock raising, although 
he learned the cooper's trade in his youth and 
worked at it for some time after becoming a subject 
of "Uncle Sam." His parents, who are now both 
dead, were born in England, their names being E. 
J. and Mary Ann (Berry) Smith, and, although 
the father was a cooper by trade, he followed the 
sea as a steward for a great many years, Ijeing in 
the employ of an East India Company. Edward J. 
Smith, the immediate subject of this sketch, after 
working as a journeyman at his trade in the United 
States for some time, settled down to tilling the 
soil in Illinois, but left the plow in the month of 
August, 1861, to enlist in the First Missouri 
Cavalry, and served faithfully and well until he 
received his discharge in October, 1804, partici- 
pating in the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove 
and a great many skirmishes. After receiving his 
discharge he made his home in Morgan County, 
111., until he came to Nebraska, arriving here in the 
spring of 1873, and since that year he has resided 
on his present homestead in Clay County. He has 
since made purchases of land and is now the owner 
of 240 acres of good tillable land in a fair state of 
improvement. He has an excellent young orchard, 
consisting of select varieties, and is considered one 
of the prosperous farmers of this section of the 
country. On first locating here the prairie swarmed 
with buffalo, antelope and wolves, but these places 
now know them no more, being devoted to the 
culture of corn, wheat, oats, etc. Mr. Smith was 
married in Macoupin C'ounty 111., September 9, 
1867, to Miss Elizabeth J. Evans, a native of Mor- 



CLAY COUNTY. 



515 



] 



gan County, III., and a daughter of William M. 
Evans. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a family of nine 
children, live sons and four daughters : Charles E., 
Amy A., John F., Mattie F., William H., Mary 
E., Eliza L. , George W. and an infant son un- 
named. Mr. Smith and his wife are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he belongs to 
the G. A. R. 

Neri Smith, farmer and stock-raiser, Inland, 
Neb., was born in Bedford County, Pa., in 1844, 
and is the eldest of six children born to Morgan 
and Elizabeth (Martin) Smith, natives of Pennsyl- 
vania, who were born in 1826 and 1827, respect- 
ively. Morgan Smith was the son of James and 
Sarah Smith, and was a farmer by occupation. He 
was married in 1843 to Miss Elizabeth Martin, 
daughter of Isaac and Marj' Martin, and became 
the father of the following children: Neri (sub- 
ject), Daniel, Mahala, Mary and Sarah (twins) and 
Nancy Jane. Daniel married Miss Eddy, a native 
of Ohio, and now resides in Nordhoff, Cal. ; was 
in the service four years and twenty days, in Com- 
pany E, Eighteenth Ohio Infantry. Mahala mar- 
ried John Gallentine, a native of Pennsylvania, 
now resides in Missouri. Mary married William 
Shepard, a native of Ohio. Sarah married H. C. 
Mathews, of Noble County, Ohio; he died in 
1875. She married the second time, G. V. Cope, 
in 1877, and died in 1879. Nancy J. married P. K. 
Miller, of Hastings, Neb., now resides in Nordhoff', 
Cal. The father of these children died in 1S54, 
and the mother married George Carroll, of Hast 
ings. Nob., in 1875; he died the same year. She 
is a widow and now resides in Inland Township. 
Neri Smith's school days were spent in Morgan 
County, Ohio, whither he had moved with his par- 
ents when quite young. At the early age of ten 
years he started out for himself (the death of his 
father having divided the family), and worked on a 
farm. In 1861 he enlisted in Company H, Forty 
third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and sei'ved for three 
years and seven months, participating in some of 
the principal battles — New Madrid, Mo., Island 
No. 10, Coriutli, Miss., luka, and was in the At- 
lanta campaign, Sherman's march to the sea, and 
up through North and South Carolina, and on to 



Washington, D. C. , passing in grand review with 
Sherman's army. He was always with his regi 
ment. and was only excused from duty eight days 
during his entire time of enlistment. He is at 
present a member of the G. A. R., Richardson Post 
No. 60, at Harvard. He received his discharge in 
July, 1865, and went to Ohio, where he followed 
farming for some time. He went to Cedar County, 
Iowa, in 1870, continued his former pursirit there, 
and the same year was married in that covmty to 
Miss Esther Faires, a native of Morgan County, 
Ohio, born in 1852, and the daughter of Thomas 
and Mary (Gifford) Faires. Mr. Smith emigrated 
to Inland Township, Clay County, Neb , in 1872. 
where he now resides, and entered 160 acres of gov- 
ernment land. This he has improved, and now has 
one of the best farms in the township. He is also 
the owner of considerable town property. He is 
interested in political matters, has always been a 
Republican, and is now with the Prohibition party. 
He and wife are members of the Christian Church. 
To his marriage have been born tive children: Ezra 
(born in 1873), Nona (born in 1875), Rilla (born in 
1880. and died in 1882), Rollo (born in 1883) and 
Rena (l)orn in 1888). Ezra and Nona are mem- 
bers of the Christian Church. The father of Mrs. 
Smith. Thomas T. Faires, was born in Guernsey 
County, Ohio, in 1809, and was the son of John 

and (Hagerman) Faires; his wife was the 

daughter of Abram and P. Bessie Gilford, and was 
born in Maine in 1815. Mrs. Smith was the young 
est but one of nine children: Lydia. Charity, Joel, 
Ruth (deceased). Pearly (deceased), Patience J., 
Olive A., Esther and Maidy. Lydia married S. Os 
born, a native of Ohio; after his death married a Mr. 
Kolbrenner, of Savannah, Mo., where they now re- 
side. Charity married I. Murphy, of Morgan Coun- 
ty, Ohio, where they now reside. Joel married Miss 
S. Murphy, of Ohio, now residing in Cedar County, 
Iowa. Patience J. married T. Chappelear, of Ohio; 
she died in 1868. Olive A. married L. W. Hunni- 
cutt, a native of Ohio; now resides in Clay County, 
Neb. Manly married Miss E. Barnes, of Andrew 
County, Mo. , where they now reside. The father 
of these children died in Andrew County, Mo., in 
1887, and the mother at the same place in 1889. 



U-. 



-p 






4. 




Both wt'io memlH'i'.s of the Methodist I'ijiiscopal 
Chnrcb. The father was a Republican in politics, 
and a |)ul)li(! spiiiti'd citizen. 

(reorgo F. Smith, farmer and .stockman. In- 
land, Neb. Tiie father of the subject of this 
sketch, David Smith, was a native of the Pin(> 
Tree State, born about 1802, was reared on a farm, 
and after growiufj up embarked in the livery busi- 
ness in IJoston. He was married in that city to 
Miss Koxanna Newell, and to them were born six 
children, five of whom grew to maturity: Charles, 
John, Stephen, Jacob H., George F. , and oue 
daughter who died in infancy. The father died in 
Boston, in about 1855, and the mother in the same 
city, in 1859. She was a member of the Baptist 
Church. George F. Smith was born in Boston, 
Mass., in 1846, and there received a good prac- 
tical education. At the age of twelve years he 
went to Maine, where he finished his schooling and 
started out for himself in 1865. Previous to this, 
however, in the winter of 1864, he enlisted in 
Company C, First Maine Begiment Infantry, and 
served about thirteen months, receiving his dis- 
charge in 1866. Returning to Maine he engaged 
in farming and was married in that State in 1867, 
in Kennebec County, to Miss Mary V. Frost, a 
native of Maine, born in 1845, and the daughter 
•of Allen and Nancy (Hersom) Frost. Mr. Smith 
emigrated West in IN?!, settling in Poweshiek 
County, Iowa, where he remained for one year, 
and in the spring of 1872 emigrated to Clay 
County, Neb., whtM-e he was among the first set- 
tlers. He took 11 ij 160 acres of land, began im- 
proving, and now has a nice place with a good 
orchard and grove. He afKliates with the Demo- 
cratic party. His success in Nebraska is chiefly 
owing to honest endeavor and good business abil- 
ity. To his marriage have been born two chil- 
dnMi; Allen and Maude. 

David L. Smith, farmer and stock- raiser, In- 
land, Nt'l). A stranger who may lie passing over 
this portion of Clay ('ounty can not but admire 
the many b(>autiful ])laces to be seen on every 
hand, places which indicate by their appearance 
the abode of men leaders in matters pertaining to 
husbandry. Mr. David L. Smith is of this class. 



The owner of sixty acres of land, he is actively and 
successfully engaged in farming, conducting all 
his operations according to the most advanced 
ideas. Mr. Smith came originally from New Lou 
don County, Conn., where he was born in 1855, 
and is the son of Henry N. and Lydia L. (Lath 
rop) Smith, the latter a daughter of Simeon and 
Phoebe (Peckhan) Lathrop, who died in Connecti- 
cut. Henry N. Smith was born in New London 
(Jounty, Con[i., in 1827, and was a farmer by 
occupation. He was married to Miss Lathrop 
about 1852, and reared eight children: Miron, 
Horace, David L., Louis, Julius, Anna (now 
Mrs. Grow, of Boston), Everett and Bertha. The 
father died in Connecticut, in 1883, but the mother 
is still living and makes her home in Franklin, 
New London County, Conn. She is a member of 
the Congregational Church, of which the father 
was also a member. He was a successful business 
man and in his political views affiliated with the 
Republican party. He was the son of Prentice P. 
and Maria (Avery) Smith. David L. Smith spent 
the early part of his life in attending the schools 
of New London County, Conn., and in 1873 
started out for himself as a farmer and school- 
teacher. In 1879 he emigrated to Illinois, set- 
tled in Boone County, and was there engaged in 
farming and teaching school for some time. He 
was married in that State, in 1884, to Miss Mary 
B. Williams, a native of Illinois, born in 1857, 
and the daughter of J. R. and Tabitha (Doolittle) 
Williams, the mother a native of Vermont. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Smith was born one child, Ada 
Helen. Mr. Smith emigrated to Nebraska in 
1884, settled in Clay County, and bought sixty 
acres of land, which he has improved very mate 
rially since. He has l)een very successful since 
coming here, and his projierty is the accumulation 
of many days of hard work. He is a member of 
the school board of his district, is a member of the 
Farmers' Alliance, and in politics affiliates with 
the Prohibition party. He and wife are members 
of the Presbyterian Church. 

Walter E. Spicer. Although a young man, 
there is j>robably no one within the limits of Ne 
braska who is as extensively engaged in the i)reed- 



;rv* 



CLAY COUNTY. 



517 



ing of tine stock, especially Berksbire hogs, as 
Mr. Spicer. His farm is an especially fine one for 
the successful conduct of this enterprise, and the 
manner in which he manages his affairs shows with- 
out doubt that he is thoroughly acquainted with 
every detail of the business. He was born in 
McDonough County, 111., September 14, 1803. a 
son of Thomas H. and Armiuta (Kerby) Spicer, 
<he former of whom was born in Delaware in April, 
1828, being a son of James H. and Priscilla 
(Ralph) Spicer. Thomas H. removed with his 
father to Illinois at an early date, laoding at Quincy 
in 1835. and moved to McDonough County in the 
spring of 1850. He afterward engaged in tine 
stock breeding which resulted in Walter acquiring 
a thorough knowledge and liking for the business. 
He came to Nebraska in 1884, and engaged in 
the breeding of Berkshire hogs, and has gained a 
widespread reputation as a stockman. He has 
taken more premiums than any man of his age on 
record and has purchased the highest priced hog 
that was ever brought west of tlie Misisouri River, 
with the exception of Model Duke. The following 
is a list of some of the prizes taken by him in 1889 
at the Omaha (Neb.) Fair and Exhibition: Berk- 
shire boar, over two years old, first prize on Stumpy 
Duke III, 15,889, weight 705 pounds; Berkshire 
boar, one year and under two, first prize on Hand- 
some Prince, 21,147, weight 70O pounds; Berk- 
shire boar, six months and under twelve, first prize 
on Royal Duke, weight 400 pounds; Berkshire 
boar, under six months, first prize on Artful Duke, 
and second prize on Romford Duke; Berkshire sow, 
over two years, first prize on Romford, 15,790; 
Berkshire sow, one year and under two, first prize 
on Queen III, 19,774, and second on Romford VII; 
Berkshire sow, six months and under twelve, first 
prize on Romford XI; Berkshire sow, under six 
months, first prize on Beauty; Berkshire boar, 
any age, first prize on Handsome Prince, 21,147; 
Berkshire sow, any age, first prize on Lucy Gentry 
IV, 18,823; Grand sweepstake herd of one boar 
and four sows over one year old, of any breed, first 
prize on Handsome Prince, 21.147, with Romford 
15,790, Romford II, 15,791, Lucy Gentry IV, 18,- 
823, and Sallie Thompson II, 15,()02; Here Mr. 



Spicer took first prize for everything he competed 
for over very strong competition. The weight of 
the four last-named sows was 661, 630, 532 and 514, 
respectively. Queen III, 19,774. weighed 538 
when less than seventeen months old; Romford 
VII weighed 420 when less than thirteen months 
old; Romford X, 363, at a few days over eleven 
months old, and Romford XI weighed 371 at about 
the same age. At the Nebraska State Fair, held at 
Lincoln, he took the following premiums: For 
Berkshire boar, over two years old, first prize on 
Stumpy Duke III; Berkshire boar, one year and 
under two. first prize on Handsome Prince; Berk 
shire boar, under six months, first prize on Rom- 
ford Duke and second prize on Artful Duke; Berk 
shire sow, over two years old, second prize on Sal- 
lie Thompson II; Berkshire sow, six months and 
under twelve, second prize on Romford X; Berk- 
shire boar, any age, first prize on Handsome 
Prince; the pork packers' piize, " best fat hog of 
any age, sex or breed," first prize on Romford XI, 
and for the best show of any of the pure breeds of 
swine, first prize. This last prize was a special pre- 
mium, given by the "Nebraska Farmer," Lincoln, 
Neb., which is one of the best life stock journals in 
the West, the following item being taken from its 
columns. "And for the best show of pure bred 
swine, any breed in Nebraska, the prize went to W. 
E. Spicer, who has without doubt the best herd of 
Berkshires in the State, and it also seems that he is 
fully able to compete with the best herd in Amer 
ica and come out with as many prizes as it, viz. ; 
N. H. Gentry, of Sedalia, Mo., after which Mr. 
Gentry pays a long price for a half intere.st in Mr. 
Spicer' s boar, Stumpy Duke III.'" J. W. Patter- 
son, of Craig, Neb., whose integrity and ability as 
an expert judge of swine is well known and above 
suspicion, tied the ribbons with much satisfaction 
to the exhibitors, the pork packers' prize being de- 
cided by a committee of three men. This prize 
was hotly contested as other breeds were strongly 
represented, but by a unanimous vote of the com 
mittee, the ribbon went to Romford XI. At the 
State Fair at Topeka, Kas.. many prizes were 
taken by the animals exhibited by Mr. Spicer, but 
space forbids a detailed mention of them, suflfice it 



9 ""V 



t 



518 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA, 



to siiy that Ibey wi-rc spokoii of very liifjlily by 
••The Breeder's Gazette," of Chicago, 111., and the 
prize given to l)oar ovor two years old was taken 
liy Stumpy Dnko III. This animal also took the 
lirst premium at the Illinois State Fair at Peoria, 
notwithstanding the fact that he had many com- 
petitors, and won again at the New Era Exposi- 
tion at St. Joseph, Mo., and St. Louis, Mo. Hand- 
some Prince also won first in class and sweepstakes 
at Peoria, 111., also first at New Era Exposition, 
St. Joseph, Mo., and was placed second at St. 
Louis, Mo. — the only time he was ever placed 
second in his class. Mr. Spicer has very seldom 
met with defeat on prizes contended for. for his 
herd of swine is unsurpassed, and the example he 
has set in this direction has served as an impulse 
to others to follow him in this industry, and he has 
thus proved of great benefit to the community in 
which he resides. He is a man of energy, pro- 
gressive spirit and perseverance, and his many 
worthy qualities have placed around liini a host of 
friends and acquaintances. He has been married 
since 1886 to Miss Helen M. Bayles, of Harvard, 
and by her has two children: Guy E. and an 
infant unnamed. He and his wife are members 
in good standing in the Christian Church. 

Wright M. Stacy, farmer and stock-raiser, Ed- 
gar, Neb. This young but enterprising citizen is 
a native of the Buckeye State, born in Ashtabula 
County, January 15, 1850, and is the son of Aby- 
ram Stacy, who went from New York to Ohio 
when a young inan and was there )narried to Puah 
Stevens, a native of Vermont. Mr. Stacy was a 
farmer l^y occupation, and continued this pursuit 
in Lake County, Ohio, for many years. He moved 
to Neliraska in 1872, settled in Jefferson County, 
and there he now resides. His wife died in 1885. 
They were the parents of five children, three .sons 
and two daughters, of whom Wright M. is the third 
in order of birth. He attained his growth in his 
native State, received the advantages of a good 
common-school education, and emigrated to Ne 
l)raska when a young man, or in March, 1871, ar- 
riving with al)outi !|'250. He (in company with his 
brother in law, \V. li. Thurber) located in the 
county, pre em|)teil the west half of Mie south 



west quarter of Section 34, Town 5, Range 5, and 
built thereon a pole and sod structure 12x14 feet, 
the first of anything inhabitalile in the south- 
eastern part of the county. His nearest trading 
point was thirty-five miles. He homesteaded 
wliere he now lives in 1872. He is now the owner 
of inO acres, all fenced, principally l)y hedge, 
and all in a good state of cultivation. He has a 
neat residence, good substantial outbuildings and 
a fine orchard of 500 trees, select varieties of 
fruit just beginning to l)ear. Mr. Stacy has been 
handling and feeding some stock for a nuujber of 
years, and is one of the prominent and substantial 
citizens. He is a Republican in his political views. 
He was married in Jefferson County. Nel). . Octo- 
ber 3, 1877, to Miss Ruth Cole, a native of Sauk 
County, Wis., and the daughter of Asa and Jane 
Cole, of Jefferson County, Neb. Mrs. Stacy was 
principally reared in Allamakee County, Iowa, and 
taught in the schools of both Jefferson and Clay 
Counties, Neb. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. 
Stacy was born one child. Ward A., June 18, 
1883. Mr. Stacy is a member of the M. W. A., 
and he and wife are official members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church and Sunday school. 

Samuel W. Stephenson, grain dealer, Inland. 
Prominent among the commercial resources of the 
town of Inland must be inclnded the trade car- 
ried on in grain, etc., and among those most prom- 
inently engaged in it is Mr. Samuel Stephenson. 
He was born, in St. Joseph County, Mich., in 
1852, to the marriage of John and Mary (Holland) 
Stephenson, both natives of England. The father 
was born about 1808, was married in his native 
country, but later emigrated to the United States, 
and located in New York State. Afterward they 
moved to Michigan, and in 1887 the father came 
to Nebraska, settled in Iidand and engaged in the 
hotel business. He is a Democrat in politics. 
The mother died about 1805. The five children 
born to their marriage were named as follows: 
Jane (now Mrs. G. \V. Ablott, living in Clay 
County), Maria (deceased). Samuel, John (de- 
ceased), and Sarah (residing in Michigan, and now 
Mrs. Schafer). Sanauel Stephenson began for 
himself by farming in Michigan about 1873, emi- 



u 



CLAY COUNTY. 



519 



grating to Inland, Nob., in 1880. In 1884 he 
took charge of the grain business of Cocbraine & 
Co., which he carried on for four years. In 1888 
he followed the same business for L. Butterfield 
& Co. He was married in 18S7 to Mrs. Mary 
Kerr, step-daughter of Fedde Fixsen, of Inland 
[see sketch]. To Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson was 
born one child, Flossie. By a former marriage 
Mrs. Stephenson l)ecame the mother of one child, 
Maudie. Like his father, Mr. Stephenson afKli- 
ates with the Democratic party, and takes consid- 
erable interest in political matters. He has been 
successful, hnancially, since coming to Nebraska, 
and is the owner of a house and lot besides other 
property in Inland. He was elected to the office 
of town clerk, and held this position until 1889, 
when he was re- elected for 1890-1)1. 

Prof. Alexander Stephens, superintendent of 
Sutton schools, Sutton, Neb. Since his residence 
in this county Prof. Stephens has been very prom- 
inently identified with the material affairs of this 
community, indeed, far more so than the average 
man. Particularly in the direction of educational 
matters is this trne. He was born in Perry Coun- 
ty, Pa., December 16, 1840, and his parents, Will- 
iam L. and Margaret (Elliott) Stephens, were also 
natives of the Keystone State, the former born in 
Perry County, August 18, 1808, and the latter in 
Cumberland County, in 1810. They were married 
June 2, 1835, and became the parents of three 
children : James (born March 23, 1 839), Alexander 
(subject) and Elizabeth (born D(?cember 31, 1842, 
and died in Perry County, Pa., in 1870). The 
Stephens family trace their ancestry back to three 
brothers, viz. ; Andrew, Robert and James, of 
Irish descent, who emigrated to the United States 
in the latter part of the seventeenth century from 
the Emerald Isle, and effected a settlement in 
Juniata County, Pa. One of these brothers, James 
(the grandfather of the subject here treated), died 
in Perry County. Pa., in 1850, and was eighty 
years of age at that time. He and the father of 
Alexander H. Stephens were brothers, and, there- 
fore. Prof. Alexander Stephens and Alexander H. 
Stephens are second coiisins. The maternal grand- 
father, James Elliott, was born in County Kent, 



Ireland, and died in Cumberland County, Pa., 
about 1850. Prof. Stephens remained on his fath- 
er's farm until fifteen years of age, and after first 
attending the district schools, in 1854 entered 
Markelville Academy, from which institution he 
graduated two years later. The succeeding two 
years he was professor of mathematics in that 
academy, and in 1859 he entered Bloomfield Col- 
lege. Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 
the classical course in 1802. He then spent some 
time teaching, and in 1863 attended the State 
Normal School. From 1863 to 1872 he taught in 
Pennsylvania, and was principal of the South 
Ward school at Washington, Iowa, from 1872 to 
1875, where he had many warm friends who, to- 
day, speak of Mr. Stephens as one of the best 
educators ever in the county. [The writer of this 
sketch is from Washington County, Iowa, and 
knows.] From 1875 to 1886 the Professor was 
superintendent of the public schools at Aledo, 
Mercer County, 111., and in October of the last- 
named year took charge of the schools of Sutton. 
He is pleasant and agreeable in his manner, firm 
and decided in his views, and no better man could 
be found for educational work, having devoted his 
life to it. Since his residence in this State he has 
each year attended the institutes here, and in 1888 
was appointed a member of the State board of 
education, having been twice reappointed to the 
same position. He was the first to take charge of 
the new school building (which then had eight 
teachers, but now has eleven), and to this they 
have added two more rooms. They have an excel- 
lent library and good furniture in the school. It 
is hardly necessary to speak of Mr. Stephens' 
reputation as an educator, for he is known all over 
the State as one of the best and ablest instructors 
in the same. He was married, in 1865, to Miss 
Mary Leonard, a native of Perry County, Pa., 
born in 1839, and the daughter of George ^\■. and 
Matilda (Wiseman) Leonard. To Prof, and Mrs. 
Stephens has been born one child, W. Logan, 
whose birth occurred July 16, 1866, and who is 
now a professor in Union Seminary, in Lancaster 
County, Nel). Prof. Stephens is a Republican in 
politics, and religiously a Presbyterian. 



520 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Herman E. Stoiii, comity clork. Clay Ceutor, 
Nub. Tho subject of tbi.s sketch needs no intro- 
(biction to tbi' people of C!lay County, f<jr though 
young in y(>ara he has become well known through 
out the county. His public services thus far have 
been ciiaracterizcd by a noticeabhi devotion to the 
welfare of this county, and his al)ility and fidelity 
ii\ his present position have made a very favorable 
ini[)ression upon all. Mr. Stein was born in 
IJloomington, 111., on July 19, ] 801, and is the sou 
of Louis and Caroline (Frey) Stein, the father a 
native of Prussia and the mother of Allentown, 
Pa. , though of German descent. The mother died 
in Illinois, and in 1872 the father and family em- 
igrated to Nebraska and located at Harvard, where 
the father is living at the present tim(^ Herman 
E. Stein received a good English education in the 
|)ul)lic schools. After this he followed the grocery 
iind agricultural implement business with his 
father, and in January, 1881, entered the employ 
of the McCormiek Harvesting Machine Company, 
as traveling salesman in Nebraska. He remained 
with this company until the summer of 1885, and 
in January of the following year he came to Clay 
Center as deputy county clerk, serving in that ca- 
pacity until November, 1889, when he was elected 
county clerk. This position he now Blls in an 
efficient and capable manner. He has always been 
a stanch Republican in his political views. On 
August 8, 1888, he married Miss Jennie F. Shane, 
a native of Eddyville, Iowa, and to this union has 
been born one child, Helen L. Mr. Stein is a 
Mason, being master of Clay Center Lodge No. 
1 39. He is also a member of the A. O. U. W. and 
K. of P., and is recognized as one of the repre- 
sentative young citizens, and a careful and cajsa 
ble public officer. 

James N. Stockham is a native of the " Buck 
eye State," born in 1853, being one of twin chil 
dren born to William and Sarah (Fields) Stock- 
ham, the former's liirth occurring in Ohio in 1815. 
After obtaining a fair English education he began 
life for himself as a farmer, and was married at the 
age of twenty two, the fruits of his union being 
nine children: Catherine (Mrs. Giles, living in 
Ohio), Joseph (of Stockham, Neb.), Martha (Mrs. 



Elbin, of Ohio), Rachel (Mrs. Toland, of Hamil 
ton County, Neb.), Lewis (of Clay County, Neb.), 
James N. and William J. (twins), Ruth (Mrs. 
Shonkwiler, of Ohio) and David (deceased). The 
father of these children lived in Ohio until about 
1878, at which time he moved to Stafford County, 
Kas. His wife died in December, 1872, and after 
remaining a widower for about a year he married 
Miss Jane Martin, of Ohio. He is an active Dem 
ocrat, and is ever found ready to support worthy 
enterprises. James N. Stockham spent his school 
days in Ohio, but received rather limited advun 
tages, and began his own career at the age of twenty 
one years. In the month of September. 1873, he 
espoused Miss Elizabeth, a daughter of Elijah and 
Esther Southworth, of Ohio, and to their union 
a family of three children have been Ijorn: George 
E., Elijah and William A. In 1873 Mr. Stock- 
ham came to Clay County, Neb., and homesteaded 
eighty acres of land, to which he has since added 
eighty acres more, which makes his one of the 
best farms in the county. His farm is excellently 
improved with buildings, fences, etc., and in his 
enterprises he fully holds his own with his sur- 
rounding neighbors. Like his father before him 
he is public-spirited and a Democrat politically, 
and is now holding the position of assessor in his 
precinct. 

Spencer Taylor, farmer and stockman. Inland, 
Neb. The career of Mr. Taylor illustrates to a 
marked degree what can lie accomplished when in 
dnstry and close application are supported by a 
willful determination to move forward in the affairs 
of the world, and a willingness to do himself what 
others might leave for some one else to perform. 
Mr. Taylor was born in Windham County, of the 
Green Mountain State, in 1840, and is the fourth 
of five children born to the marriage of Alfred 
and Martha (Hammond) Taylor. His paternal 
grandparents were named Ebenezer and Polly 
(Spencer) Taylor. The maternal grandparents, 
Peter and Charlotte (Holdbrook) Hammond, were 
natives of Massachusetts, and the grandfather was 
a miller by trade. He was tn>rn in 17715, and died 
on the anniversary of his birth in 1878. making 
him one hundred and two years of awe. He was 



-^ 



CLAY COUNTY, 



521 



made a Mason in 1789. ^His father was a mem- 
ber of the ' ' Boston Tea Party. ' ' Peter Hammond' s 
wife died on the road from Vermont to Illinois 
in 1858. Both were members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Chureh. Alfred Taylor (father of our 
snbject), was l)orn in 18()(), in Windham Connty, 
Vt., and followed the occupation of a farmer all 
his life. He was married to Miss Martha Ham- 
mond in 1833, and reared four children: Caro 
line (now Mrs. Miner Freeman, of Iowa), Spen- 
cer, Martha (now Mrs. Dr. P. L. McChesney), 
and Peter H. (who resides in Illinois. ) The father 
of these children died in Illinois in 1877, but 
the mother is still living and makes her home 
in Henry County, 111. She is a member of the 
Congregational Church. The father was a Demo- 
crat in politics, and a successful business man. 
Spencer Taylor moved with his parents to Illinois 
in 1856, and settled with them in Henry County, 
where he engaged in farming. He started out for 
himself in 1800, and was married the same year to 
Miss Ursula C-arpenter, daughter of L. M. B. and 
Sally (Giles) Carpenter, both natives of Plymouth, 
Vt., the father born in 1808. The mother died 
in Iowa in 1880. They were the parents of these 
children: J. B. , Ursula, Eleanor and Emma. Mr. 
Taj'lor farmed first in Illinois, but in 1871 emi- 
grated to Iowa and settled in Jas[ier County. In 
1880 he emigrated to Clay County, Neb., and set- 
tled in Inland Township on the place where he 
now lives. He bought 100 acres; of land, which he 
has improved very materially by setting out groves 
and orchards, erecting buildings, etc. He devotes 
a great deal of his time to the raising of stock, 
and carries on farming on a very large scale, culti- 
vating from 400 to 000 acres. To his marriage 
have been born five children: Alfred (born in 1803, 
and married to Miss Ida Lamp), Shirley (married 
to Miss Nellie Ingalsbe), Giralda (married to W. 
Woodard, who died in 1889), Clinton and Spencer. 
Mr. Taylor is a Democrat in politics, and is a mem- 
ber of the Farmers" Alliance. Benjamin Carpen- 
ter, the grandfatlier of Mrs. Taylor, was killed at 
the battle of Bunker Hill. He was of English 
descent. 

R. M. Thompson, real-estate agent, Sutton. Neb. 



The constant change in the ownership of property 
in this growing city, and the amount of land still 
unpjirchased in the county, makes the real estate 
business a paying one in Sutton. Among those 
who have been successful in this pursuit is the 
firm of Thompson Bros. R. M. Thompson was 
born in Scotland, and is a son of James and Mar 
garet Thompson, the latter's maiden name being 
Eadie. The ])arents were both natives of Scotland, 
and the father died in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1848, two 
days after the family arrived in this country. Then 
the mother with her children removed to Dane 
County, Wis. , settled on a farm near the city of 
Madison, and were pioneers of that county. The 
mother died in Sutton, Neb., in 1874. In Sep- 
tember, 1804, li. M. Thompson enlisted in Com- 
pany B, Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 
and served nearly one year, being discharged at 
Mobile, Ala. He came to Sutton, Neb., in 1872, 
has resided here ever since, and is now engaged in 
the loan and real-estate business. He is a Repub- 
lican in politics, and one of the fir.st class citizens 
of the county. He is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity. Evening Star Lodge of Sutton. His 
brother, W. E. Thompson, was born and educated 
in Scotland. During his residence in Wisconsin 
he was engaged in farming, and for eight years 
was town treasurer of Verona and precinct in Dane 
County. He came to Sutton in the fall of 1874, 
and in 1888 was elected tax collector of the city of 
Sutton and precinct, and in 1889 was re-elected 
to the same position. He is a Republican in his 
political views, and is a member of the Congrega- 
tional Church, of which he is treasurer. Another 
brother, .Tames Thompson, died at CoUinsville, 
Pa., February 20, 1881, while on a business trip 
to that State. A si.ster, Margaret Thompson, who 
married Daniel B. Lester, died in Wisconsin. To 
her marriage were born three children: Arthur. 
John and Eveline. 

Griffith J. Thomas, editor of the Harvard 
Courier, is a newspaper man of long experience, 
his connection with his present paper dating from 
May 0, 1889. He was born in Harlech. Wales, 
January 20, 1847, being a son of John G. and 
Mary (Williams) Thomas, with whom he came to 



«^pv 



522 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



America when ho was but four years old. On 
reacliiiii^ this country the family first located at 
llemsen, N. Y . , and subsequently settled at Utica 
and Frankfort Hill, the mother dying at the latter 
place in the month of April, 1854. In September, 
1855, the father, accompanied by the subject of 
this sketch, went to Berlin, Wis., where the latter 
spent his Iwyhood, youth and early manhood. He 
attended school until he was twelve years of age, 
after which he attended a district school a portion 
of each winter and labored upon a farm each 
summer, continuing this until he enlisted in the 
Union army August 20, 1S()2, becoming a member 
of Company C, Thirty-second Wisconsin Volunteer 
Infantry, acting in the capacity of drummer boy 
for one month. July 17, 1803, he enlisted in 
Company B, First Wi.sconsin Heavy Artillery, 
with which he served until August 30, 1865, 
being mastered out of service at Lexington, Ky. 
A part of this time he was on detached duty as 
chief clerk of the First Division, Department of 
Kentucky. He made a brave and loyal soldier 
and was honorably discharged. He then returned 
to his home at Berlin, Wis., but April 1, 186fi, 
he went to Detroit, Mich., where he reported for 
duty on board the United States revenue steamer 
'•John A. Dix. " Reserved as quartermaster on 
board of her until April 1, 1807, then returned to 
Berlin and entered the office of the Berlin Cour- 
ant, and remained connected with that paper 
until .\|)ril, 187<). discharging, during the last 
two J ears, the duties of editor and ])ublisher. He 
then severed his connection with the Courant to 
accept the office of city clerk, to which he had 
been elected by a handsome majority, in which 
capacity he served until May I, 1877, when he 
resigned to take charge of the Berlin post-office, 
having been appointed postmaster by Presiilent 
Hayes. He made an efficient officer until August 
IT), 1881), when his successor was appointed at his 
request, and in the fall of that year he removed to 
Clay County, Neb., and located on a farm which 
lie had previously purchased in Harvard Township. 
In the fall of 1888 he removed to the city of Har- 
vard, and May 0, 1889, he purchased the Harvard 
Courier, a six-column quarto weekly newspaper. 



which he has owned and, ably edited since, it being 
one of the spiciest and newsiest journals in the 
West. Politically he has always been a stanch 
supporter of Republican princij)les, and socially 
he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the K. 
of P., the A. O. U. W., and the G. A. R. He 
served as commander of John H. Williams Post 
No. 4, of Berlin, Wis., one year, but prior to this 
he had served as department commander of the 
State of Wisconsin daring the years 187'J, 1880 
and 1881. In the K. of P. Lodge No. 7, of Ber 
lin, he served as keeper of redords and seal from 
1874 until 187U, and for a!)oat eight years he 
served as deputy grand chancellor, and for five 
years as master of exchequer in the same order. 
He is now a member of Harvard Lodge of Masons, 
and Harvard Lodge, K. of P., but retains his 
membership in the G. A. R. and A. O. U. W. at 
Berlin, Wis. He was married November 1, 1874, 
to Miss Anna E. Griffith, daughter of Richard 
and Anne Griffith, of Seneca Township, Green 
Lake County, Wis. Two sons, George Henry and 
Harrie Griffith, have been born to them, and they 
are regular attendants upon the Harvard High 
School. 

W. Riley Thurber, farmer and stock raiser, 
Edgar, Neb. Mr. Thurber is numbered among the 
younger of the successful and rising agriculturists 
of this county, but none have a brighter future or 
will make better use of their advantages. He was 
born in Lake Count}-, Ohio, on October 26, 1850, 
and is the son of Frank and Orcelia (Harris) Thur- 
ber, natives also of the Buckeye State. William 
R. Thurber was left fatherless when but four years 
of age and was reared and educated by an uncle 
until the latter' s death, which oceuired when Riley 
was thirteen years old. He remained in Lake 
County until twenty years of age, and in April, 
1871, homesteaded an eighty-acre tract, where he 
now lives, which he has since increased by adding 
100 acres, all adjoining. He was the first to 
settle on the prairie with his brother in-law, Wright 
M. Stacy, and at that time there was not a neigh- 
bor within foarteen miles. Mr. Thurber now has 
one of the best-improved places in the precinct. 
He has his farm of 240 acres all fenced, has a large 



CLAY COUNTY. 



523 



4^ 



I 



two-story house, a new barn, one of the bent in the 
county, and is also engaged in raising stock. He 
has a tine orchard of about 40(1 treos, some now 
bearing, and take him all in all, is one of the most 
enterprising and wide awake farmers to be found. 
He has been engaged in feeding and handling 
stock for aboiit twelve years, and has been very 
successful in this business. When first coming to 
this State he liad bat 1300. and has made what he 
has by industry and economy. He was married 
in Lake County, Ohio, on February lo, 1871, to 
Miss Ella Stacy, a native of Lake County, Ohio, 
where she was reared and educated, and the 
daughter of Abyram Stacy, now a citizen of JefFer 
son County, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. Thurber are the 
parents of seven children: Ida, Ada, Frank, Anna, 
Burt, Vern an<l ClifPord. Mr. Thurber is a Ile- 
publicau in politics, has held the office of magis 
trate, and is now serving his fourth term as justice 
of his township. Mr. Thurber is also a memljer 
of the A. O. V. W. Mrs. Thurber is a meuilier of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Alvin Timmerman is a representative farmer 
and stock: raiser and dealer of Clay County, Neb.. 
and since locating here he has become well known 
to the citizens of the county. He was born in the 
Mohawk Valley, in Montgomery County, N. Y. , 
January 5, 1838, a son of Abram I. and Maria 
(Defendorfl Timmerman, who were born in the 
same State and county. The father's death oc 
curred there in 1882, but his widow .still survives 
him and is now making her home with her young 
est daughter. Alvin Timmerman grew to man 
hood in his native county, and in his youth re- 
ceived the advantages of tlie common schools and 
an academy, improving his time to the utmost dur 
iug his attendance. After teaching in New York 
for quite a period he went to Illinois and thefe 
followed the same occupation for some time, his 
laliors as a pedagogue comprising in all about fif- 
teen years. He took up his abode in Illinois in 
18(36, and moved from there to Nebraska in 1884, 
settling in Clay County, an<l [)urchasing the farm 
where he now resides, which amounts to 160 acres 
of fertile land, the buildings on which are fair. 
He has l)een quite extensively engaged in the stock 



business for some time, and each year disposes of 
some fine stall-fed steers. His marriage to Miss 
Mary J. Phillips took place March 12, 1862, and 
to them a family^ of eight sons and five sons have 
been born: Birdella (wife of Arthur Matthews, of 
Clay County), Lincoln A. (who is attending the 
Normal College at Peru, and will graduate this 
j'ear). Van D. (who is at home, a teacher by pro- 
fession), A. I., Harry, Jay, Fred, Madge, Oracle, 
Wade F., Rollo, Faye and Edith. Since locating 
in Clay County Mr. Timmerman has done his full 
share in advancing every interest of the county, 
and his endeavors toward promoting this end have 
been recognized by a host of acquaintances, among 
whom he stands high as a man and citizen. He is 
a member of the Farmers' Alliance, being secre- 
tary of his lodge, and he and wife are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Ira Titus, cashier of the First National Bank of 
Fairfield, Neb., and one of the prominent business 
men of that city, owes his nativity to McHenry 
County, 111., where his biitli occurred December 18, 
1846, and is the son oC Starr and Elsie (Hickox) 
Titus, natives of New York State. In 18ur> the 
parents removed to Richland County, Wis., where 
Ira Titus was reared and educated. In 1864 the 
latter enlisted in the Union army. Company F, 
Second Wisconsin Cavalry, and served as a private 
until December, 1865. In the spring of the fol- 
lowing year he went to Polk County, Iowa, and 
followed farming there and in Jasper County. 
Iowa, until March, 1883, when he removed to Fair- 
field, Neb. The following December he accepted 
a position as book-keeper with the Fairfield Bank, 
and was later made assistant cashier. Upon the 
organization of the First National he assumed 
the same position with this institution, and in Janu- 
ary, 1888, was elected cashier, which position he has 
since filled in an active and reliable manner. In 
October. 1872, he was married to Miss Elizabeth 
Crooke, a native of Martin County, Ind., and to 
them have been born seven interesting children: 
Burdett. Audrey, Carl, Grace, Beryl, Bertha and 
Clara. Mr. Titus is a Prohibitionist, and in his 
political views generally affiliates with the Prohihi 
t ion party. He and Mrs. Titus are members of the 



i \ ' 



J^l 



524 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Christian Church, and he is recognized as one of 
Clay County's most enterprisinij and siiceossful 
citizens. 

William Wakelin has devoted his attention to 
farming and stock-raising the greater portion of 
his life, and as a result is one of the well-to-do 
residents of Clay County, Neb. He was born in 
Muskegon County, Mich., January 16, 1S()8, being 
a son of James and Rosamond (Heaton) Wakelin, 
both of whom were born in England. The father 
came to the United States when a young man and 
married and located in Muskegon County, Mich. 
From there he moved to Clay County, Neb., in 
1880, and died on his farm in Section 21, Lone 
Tree Township, on October 17, 1889. His first 
wife died about 1869 or 1870, leaving three chil- 
dren: Mary R., William and Richard. His second 
marriage was to Mrs. Rachel Trask, who still sur- 
vives him, having borne him one child, a son. She 
has two children, Albert and Jane Trask, who were 
born to her first union. William Wakelin was 
reared in the lumber regions of Michigan, but came 
to this State with his father and three years later 
began farming for himself, purchasing his present 
excellent farm in the fall of 1888. He was united 
in the bonds of matrimony to Miss Nettie McFarland, 
a daughter of Archie McFarland of Clay County. 
Mr. Wakelin is a Democrat in his political views 
and is a member of the Farmers' Alliance. He is 
one of the wideawake and enterprising young 
fai'mers of the county , and by his advanced ideas and 
progressive habits has done no little for the farm 
ing interests hereabouts. 

P. T. Walton, auctioneer, Sutton, Neb. Among 
the names identified with the business enterprises 
of Sutt(jn, commanding worthy mention, is that of 
P. T. Walton & Son, who are known throughout 
the city and adjoining county as the best auction- 
eers to be found. P. T. Walton was born in 
Whitley County, Ind., September 9, 1^47, and is 
the son of P. R. and Prudence (Hodges) Walton, 
the father a native of the Green Mountain State, 
born November 7, 1809, and the mother a native of 
Utica, N. Y., where her birth occurred on No 
vember 22, 1811. She died March 4, 1871. P. 
T. Walton, the third of five children (four of 



whom are living) born to his parents' marriage, 
was reared to the arduous duties of the farm, and 
having his father's consent, enlisted in Company 
E, Thirty-first Iowa Volunteer Infantr}% and served 
three years, or until 1865, when he was honorably 
discharged at Louisville, Ky. He then returned 
to Delaware County, Iowa, whither the family had 
removed in 1857, and spent two years engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. He then took several courses 
in music, and from 1867 to 1873 taught both vocal 
and instrumental music in Iowa and Nebraska and 
was a very successful musician. He came to Clay 
County, Neb. , May 2U, 1871, and has since been a 
resident of this county, being engaged from 1873 to 
1878 in the employ of the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing 
Machine Company. From 1878 to 1886 he was in 
the agricultural implement business, and in March, 
1887, he received a patent for Walton's Sure Cure 
for Hog Cholera. Since the granting of the same 
he has been manufacturing and selling this remedy, 
which has jjroven to be one of the best cures of 
its kind in the market. He has also been in the 
auctioneer business all the time since his residence 
in this State, and is one of the successful men in 
this line. He was married on August 5, 186(), to 
Miss Mary Huskey, a native of Germany, born in 
1842, and the fruits of this union have been four 
children: B. T. (who is now in partnership with 
his father), Lydia M. , James E. and Grace B. 
In politics Mr. Walton is a Republican, and so 
cially he is a member of the G. A. R., I. O. O. F. 
and K. of P. He and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and for two years he 
has been Sabbath-school superintendent at Sutton. 
He is one of the pioneers of Clay County and an 
honored and resjsected citizen. 

George Weber is a native of Ashland County. 
Ohio, born on October 23, 1848, and is of German 
descent, his parents Michael and Mary Magdaline 
(Spillman) Weber, having been born, reared and 
married there. They immigrated to the United 
States in the year 1847, and located in Adair 
County, Mo., in 1S5S, near Kirksville, and are 
there now living. Mr. Weber was a soldier in the 
Federal army for three years, and was in the 
Kirksville (Mo.) fight, as well as a number of 



CLAY COUNTY. 



525 



otliera. George Weber remained with his father 
nntil he was twenty years of age, then went to 
work for himself, and in 1875 came to Nebraska, 
arriving in Clay County in March of that year, 
and immediately homesteaded eighty acres of the 
land where he now lives, being now the owner of 
2(10 acres, all under fence and cultivation, well 
improved with all necessary buildings, his barn 
and residence being new. His orchard comprises 
about 200 trees. The property of which he is 
the owner, has been mostly obtained since coming 
to Nebraska, and he is de.servedly classed among 
the substantial farmers of the county. He was 
married in Adair County, Mo. , December 24, 
1871, to Miss Elizabeth Ellen Stanley, a native of 
Indiana, born in Porter County, and a daughter of 
Solomon Stanley. She and Mr. Weber are the 
parents of three children: Jacob M. , Minnie May 
and AVilliam A. Both parents are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, of Edgar, and he 
belongs to the A. O. U. W. 

Henry Weber, farmer and stock rai.ser, Sut- 
ton, Neb. This prosperous and most successful 
farmer and stock-raiser emigrated to Clay County, 
Neb., from Russia, in 1875, and first located at 
Sutton, where he was engaged in farm labor for 
about four years. The four years following this 
he was engaged in baying stock for Thomas 
Powers, and in 1883 he purchased his present 
homestead of 160 acres, 115 of which are under 
cultivation. Henry Weber is the son of J. and 
Susanna (Schait) Weber, and the grandson of 
Henry and Maria K. (Borel) W^eber, who are still 
living at a ripe old age. The parents were born 
in Russia, where the mother resides at the present 
day, but the father died in 1870. Henry Weber 
was born on December 16, 1854, and was married 
at Sutton, Neb., on February 13, 1883, to Miss 
Minnie Keller, the daughter of Otto and Dorothea 
(Bierman) Keller, natives of Hanover, Germany. 
Mr. and Mrs. Keller emigrated to Illinois about 
1857, thence to Nebraska about 1880, and located 
in Fillmore County. To Mr. and Mrs. Weber 
have been born four children, all sons: Wilhelm 
G. (born on November 4, 1884), Louis H. (born on 
February 4, 1886), Frederick J. (born on Septem- 



ber 27, 1887) and Edward (born on May 9, 1889). 
Mr. Welier has been a witness to the growth and 
development of the country, and has been quite 
successful in his pursuits. He is one of the well- 
to-do farmers of his township. He and wife were 
formerly members of the German Reformed Church, 
which they still attend, but do not hold member 
ship. He cast his first presidential vote for James 
A. Garfield, and has always supported the Repub- 
lican party. 

John Weir, farmer and stock - raiser, Lewis 
Township, Clay County. In mentioning those 
of foreign birth who have become closely associ- 
ated with the farming and stock raising interests 
of Clay County, we should not fail to mention Mr. 
WVir, who is not only one of the substantial men 
of the county, but is also esteemed and respected 
b}' all who know him. He was born in County 
Donegal, Ireland, in 1835, and there received the 
principal part of his education. When sixteen 
years of age he came to the United States, secured 
a position as clerk in a store, and continued in 
the same for four years. He saved his salary, 
and later went to Illinois, where he rented a farm 
in Stark County, and tilled the .soil until he had 
accumulated sufficient means to enal)le him to 
purchase land, remaining there until 1882, when 
he emigrated west. He .sold his farm of eighty 
acres for $12,000, and came immediately to Clay 
County, where he bought half a section of land, 
and this he has since increased to a section. He 
is an extensive stockman, and is decidedly one of 
the largest feeders in the county. He was mar- 
ried at the age of twenty-three in Stark County, 
111., to Miss Jeanette E. Fall, a native of Scotland, 
and the fruits of this union were nine children, 
eight now living: William. Adam A.. Margaret, 
Jennie A., Mary, James E. , Hiram H. , John, and 
one died at the age of seven months. In his po- 
litical views Mr. Weir is a Democrat, and is quite 
deeply interested in politics. He is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church, and all his people were 
members of the same. Ho is the son of William 
and Mary Weir, the father a farmer by occupation. 

Justus E. Wheeler, clerk of the di.strict court, 
Clay Center, Nel). Every life has a history of its 



) \> 




own, auil althoiit^li in iipjioaraiice it may jwssuss 
little to diHtiiiguish it from ofcher.s, yet the political 
career ami experioiico of Mr. Wheeler as well as 
his popularity as a citizen, have contributed to give 
him a wide and popular acquaintance with nearly 
every resident of Clay County. He was horn in 
Stephenson (!ounty. Ill , on February 7, 1846, and 
is the son of Henry K. and Electa B. (Ellis) 
Wheeler, natives of (ireene County, N. Y. Justus 
E. Wheeler was reared to manhood in his native 
county, and received a good high- school and busi- 
ness education in the same. In 1S68 he enlisted 
in the Union army as private in Company D, 
Fourth Illinois Cavalry, serving as private and non 
commissioned officer with the Fourth and Twelfth 
Cavalry, until June, 1S()6. After the war he en- 
tered the service of the United States in the 
revenue department, and later followed mercantile 
pursuits in Chicago until 1874, when he moved to 
Clay County, Neb., with his father and family. 
The father died at Harvard in 1S84. Justus E. 
followed farming until 1881, when he moved to 
Clay Center, and was deputy county clerk for four 
years. In 1887 he was elected to his present office 
which he has filled ably and well ever since. On 
January 18, 1S71, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Charlotte A. Winters, a native of Wayne j 
County, N. Y., and to his marriage has been born 
one child, a son, Henry K. Mr. Wheeler is a Re- 
publican in his political views and a member of the 
G. A. R. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and a niem- 
lier of the A. O. U. W. He is a man much re 
speeted and an intelligent and upright citizen. 

Henry S. White. This honored and respected 
resident of Lone Tree Town.shiji is accorded a 
worthy place in this vcjlume, for he is a well known 
agriculturist and stockman, and a man of un 
doubted integrity and honesty of purpose. He 
was born in Geaiiga County. Ohio, October 4, 1858. 
and is a son of Shephard and Louisa (Stafford) 
White, natives, respectively, of Vermont and New 
York. Henry S. White has lieen familiar with 
the duties of farm life from his earliest recollec 
tions, and l)eHid(w spending his youth in assisting 
his father in tilling the home farm he attended 
m'IjooI. ;uh1 lU time entered Hiram College, and 



upon leaving this institution ho followed the occu 
pation of school-teaching for several years. In the 
month of May, 1 87'J, he came to (May ('ounty, Nel). . 
and in the month of February, 1880, purchased 
eighty acres of fertile land in Section 36, afterward 
])urchasing 1'20 acres more in the same section, 
which he still owns and upon which he has resided 
since 1881. December 25, 1882, he was married 
to Miss Esther, a daughter of Henry and Esther 
(Rose) Hall, of Fairfield, a sketch of whom ap- 
pears in this work. Mr. and Mrs. White have 
reared a family of three children: Charles H., 
Elsie E. and Bertha Grace. Mr. White has al 
ways been a Republican in his political views until 
of late, and is now a Prohibitionist. He and Mrs. 
White are members of the Christian Church, and 
he is a man who is recognized as one of the up 
right and respected agriculturists and citizens of 
Clay County. 

John G. White, a resident of Fairfield Town- 
ship, was born on the 28th day of May, 18(')(), in 
Geauga County, Ohio, and is a son of Sbephanl 
White, a native of the "Green Mountain State." 
John G. vras reared to manhood in his native State, 
and being rather mischievous and careless in his 
youth, did not take advantage of the opportunities 
offered him for advancement, and only acipiired a 
common-school education. Like the majority of 
boys he followed in his father's footsteps, and has 
always given his attention to agriculture. After 
residing in his native State until he attained his 
majority, he, in 1882, followed his brother Henry, 
and came west, settling in Clay County, where he 
purchased 240 acres of land, but now only owns 
160 acres, eighty acres in Section 1, and eighty 
acres in Edgar Township. Miss Jennie C. Buffing- 
ton, a daughter of John Buffingtou. of Indiana, be 
came his wife, she having been born near Knox 
ville, Knox County, 111.. August 7, 1862, and to 
them two children have been born: Edna and an 
infant unnamed. In connection with his farming 
operations Mr. White is engaged in raising a good 
grade of horses and cattle, and although a young 
man and a recent settler, he is already accounted a 
representative farmer of the county, and being hon- 
est in all his dealings with the pul)lic he is respect 



-4: 



CLAY COUNTY. 



527 



ed and esteemed accordiugly. He has always sup- 
ported the men and measures of the Republican 
party, and is a member of the Christian Church at 
Fairfield. By careful management he has secured 
a start toward a handsome competency, and gives 
every promise of becoming a wealthy citizen. 

William T. Widenor, farmer and stockman, 
Inland, Neb. In Inland Township there are to be 
found a number of men who, while perhaps not 
as large land holders as many others in the county, 
devote themselves with such ceaseless energy to 
the estate they do own that the results are much 
more satisfactory than had the same amount of la- 
bor been placed upon a larger tract. Mr. Widenor 
owns eighty acres of land but has all this under 
cultivation, with good orchard, complete and neces- 
sary buildings and other desirable conveniences. 
This farm is located three miles from Inland and 
about six miles from Hastings. Mr. Widenor is a 
native of New Jersey, born in Warren County, in 
1830, and is the third of four children born to John 
and Elizabeth (Thomas) Widenor, the latter first 
daughter of John Thomas, all of New Jersey. The 
parents were born in Warren County, N. J., in 
1802 and 1798. respectively, and the father was a 
carpenter by trade. They were married in 1825, 
and reared a family of four children: Henry (in 
Conway, Taylor County. Iowa, married), George 
(in New Jersey, married), William T. and John T. 
(who is married and resides at Scranton, Pa.) The 
parents of these children dieil in their native county 
in lN3(i and 1855, respectively. The father was a 
Democrat in politics. His father, Henry Widenor, 
was of German descent. William T. Widenor re- 
ceived his schooling iu New Jersey, and in 1853 
went to Lackawanna County, Pa. Previous to this, 
in 1850, he was married in New Jersey, to Miss 
Catherine M. Price, of New Jersey and the daugh- 
ter of Robert and Jane Price, also natives of New 
Jersey. William T. Widenor followed tanning from 
his early youth and this continued in Pennsylvania 
until 1872, when he emigrated to Wisconsin and set- 
tled in Sauk County of that State, where he tilled 
the soil. In the same year Mr. Widenor came to 
Clay County. He entered eighty acres of land from 
the government and to this he moved his family in 



September, 1873. He and wife aie members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church and he is a class- 
leader in the same at Inland. In politics he is 
Democratic and has been judge of election in In- 
land Township. To his marriage were born the 
following children: Elizabeth (now Mrs. True of 
Hayes County, Neb. ), George (a farmer and horse 
raiser of Clay County), Emma (now Mrs. Wise of 
Hayes County, Neb.), William M., John, Susan 
(now Mrs. Hartley of Clay County, Neb.), Alma 
(now Mrs. Morrison of Dundee County, Neb.) and 
Ruth. 

James Williams. There are few farms, if any, 
of its size in this portion of Clay County, Neb., 
that represent a handsomer picture of advanced 
agriculture than the one referred to in the present 
sketch. It comprises 160 acres of fertile land, all 
of which is inclosed in a good hedge fence, and is 
in a fine state of cultivation, well improved with a 
commodious and substantial frame residence, a 
good new barn, granaries, etc., besides an ex- 
cellent grove of cottonwoods, box-elder and ash, 
comprising about eight acres, and an excellent 
young orchard just commencing to bear. Mr. Will 
iams, the owner of this farm, was born in Greene 
County, 111., October 20, 1835, and is a son of 
James and Lucy (Crittenden) Williams, who were 
born in East Tennessee and Culpeper County, 
Va., the former's birth occurring in 1792. He re- 
moved to Kentucky with his father at a very early 
day, and was there reaied to manhood, but in the 
fall of 1829 he became a resident of Greene Coun- 
ty, 111., which place continued to be his home until 
1855, when he moved to Macoupin County, where 
his death occurred on July 1, 1882. He and his 
father and brother served in the War of 1812 along 
the shores of Lake Erie. His wife's death occurred 
several years prior to his own. James Williams, 
the subject of this sketch, remained with his par 
ents until twenty-nine years of age, living with 
them in Greene and Macoupin Counties, after which 
he engaged in agricultural pursuits for himself, 
remaining there until April, 1889, being the owner 
of a one-half section of land in the last-named 
county. At the above-mentioned date he sold out 
and purchased his present property, which has 



V9 , 



'I 



528 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



jnoved a decidedly good investment. Ho was mar- 
licil iu Macoupin County, III., June ;U), 1803, to 
Miss Mary J. Strong, a daughter of Solomon and 
Elizabeth Strong, but she died in 1S()5. having bo 
come the mother of one child, who is now deceased. 
Mr. Williams married his present wife September 
3, 1808, she being Miss Strong, born in Scott 
County. 111., a daughter of Rev. William H. Strong, 
who was a native of Kentucky, and had been a 
minister of the Christian Church for tifty years. 
Four children wore born to Mr. Williams' sec- 
ond marriage, Elmer E. (who is now attending 
school at Fairfield) and John D. (a lad of thir- 
teen years) being the only ones now living. Lulu 
(lied at the age of seventeen months in Illinois, 
and James C. March 3, 188U, at the age of Sve 
years. The family worship in the Chri.stian Church 
at Fairfield, and are honest and upright citizens. 
Dr. Marcus W. Wilcox, physician. Harvard, 
Neb. Dr. Wilcox is recognized throughout the 
State as a friend of and laborer in the cause and 
advancement of the medical fraternity, and no 
name is better known among the medical profes- 
sion than his. He was originally from Honeoye 
Falls, Monroe County, N. Y., where his birth 
occurred June 14, 1832, and is the son of John W. 
and Polly (Hurlburt) Wilcox, both natives of the 
State of New York. Dr. Wilcox was but three 
years of age when his father died, and when six 
years of age he accompanied his widowed mother, 
two l)rothers and two sisters, to Ashtalnda County, 
Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He passed his 
youth in the town of Jefferson, and when not in 
school was employed as a clerk. At twenty-one 
years of age he took U[) the study of medicine, and 
iu the fall of 1851 entered the Eclectic Medical 
College of Cincinnati, which he attended one term, 
being provided with the necessaiy meaus by ex- 
United States Senator Benjamin Wade. In the 
fall of 1852 be began his practice at Sycamore, 
Wyandot County, Ohio, and afterward graduated 
from the Ohio Medical College of Cincinnati. In 
1 864 he received his degree from the Chicago 
Medical College. Prior to this he had successfully 
]iracticed his profession at Carey, Ohio, and Mat- 
loon. III. In 1871 he came to Nel)raska, and after 



jrt-acticing in Lincoln one year, located in Sutton 
and there continued until ISBl. In that year he 
located in Harvard, where he has since devoted 
himself to the relief of suffering humanity. He 
has practiced his profession in Clay County for the 
past seventeen years, and is now numbered among 
its oldest and most prominent physicians. Dr. 
Wilcox was married in Wyandot County, Ohio, to 
Miss Angeline C. Hall, a native of Lake County, 
and the daughter of Moses Hall. She died in 18(50, 
leavmg one child, Frank W., who is now a young 
man. Dr. Wilcox was married to his present wife 
in the fall of 1881. She was formerly Miss Lydia 
Martin, daughter of Capt. George W. Martin, of 
Harvard. Dr. Wilcox is a Royal Arch Mason and 
in politics is a devoted member of the Republican 
party. He was a member of the Nebraska State 
Constitutional Convention in 1875. He served as 
postmaster of Mattoon, 111. , under Andrew Johnson, 
and he was the first mayor of the city of Harvard, 
Neb. He has represented Clay and Fillmore Coun 
ties one term in the State Senate, and is one of the 
representative citizens of the county. He is a 
pleasant, sociable man, and possesses a quiet and 
amiable disposition. He has led an active life, 
and in every circle, whether of a civil, professional 
or political character, he has been conscientious in 
doing his whole duty, and is an honorable, upright 
man. 

C. J. Wilson. One of the neatest and best- 
conducted farms in Clay County is that controlled 
by Mr. Wilson, on which he has resided since 
1881. Although he came to the State in 1879 his 
buildings and fences are all in excellent repair and 
he has good fruits of all kinds and five acres of an 
excellent young forest. Besides tilling the .soil 
much of his attriMition is given to raising fine stock. 
He owns some fine liorses, cattle and swine. He was 
born in Lafayette County, Wis. , November 1, 1861. 
being the third child born to Miles and Rachel 
(Gurly) Wilson, the former a native of Yorkshire, 
England, and tin- latter of Edinljurgh, Scotland. 
Miles Wilson received his early education in Eng- 
land and was there reared to manhood. In 1850 
he came to the United States and settled in 
Gelana, Wis., where he engaged in agricultural 



v> 



CLAY COUNTY. 



520 



pursTiits. He was manied iu 185S, and Lia mar- 
riage resulted in the l)irth of nine children, four 
of whom are now living: C. J., Nancy (now the 
wife of D. B. Helm, living in Cerro (xordo County, 
Iowa), Mary J. (living in Denver, Colo. ) and E. V. 
(a resident of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa). From 
Wiscon.sin Mr. Wilson removed to Clay County, 
Neb. , in January, 1 871), and here makes his home, his 
wife having. died October 7, 1887. C. J.Wilson, the 
immediate subject of this sketch, was reared in 
Wisconsin, and when nineteen years of age com- 
menced tilling the soil on his own responsibility. 
February 29, 1888, he was married to Miss Luella 
K aster, a daugrhter of Thomas Raster and Marga- 
ret (Williamson) Kaster, of Wi.sconsin, in which 
State he was married. They have one child, Dar 
win. Mr. Wilson is an active Democrat and. has 
been a delegate to the county conventions for sev- 
eral years in succession, and socially is a member 
of the I. O. O. F., the K. of P. and the Farmers' 
Alliance. 

M. Wittenberg, merchant, Sutton, Neb. The 
trade carried on in merchandising is of v(>ry great 
iin]iortance. and constitutes a leading factor iu the 
commercial fabric of the smaller towns and vil- 
lages. It is a line of I)usiness requiring special 
(jnalitications of a high order, and only those pos- 
sessed of these succeed in this somewhat precarious 
undertaking. Prominent among those engaged in 
this line in Sutton is Mr. M. Wittenberg, one of the 
pioneers of the county and one of the oldest con- 
tinuous dry goods merchants of Sutton. He owes 
his nativity to Hungary, where his birth occurred 
HI April, 1837, and is the son of Morris and Rachel 
(Fischer) Wittenberg, natives, also, of Hungary. 
The mother died in that country at the age of thirty- 
tive years, and the father died in Portland, Ore., 
at the age of seventy-two years. By occup;ition he 
was a merchant. M. Wittenberg, the eldest of four 
living children, came to the XTnited States in 1857 
and settled iu Kansas. In 18f)2 he enlisted in Com- 
pany B, Twelfth Kansas Volunteer Infantry, and 
served until the close of the war. He had a brother, 
Arnold, who was a member of Company H, Second 
Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, enlisting in 1861, and 
who died from wounds received at Little Rock. Ark. 



After the war Mr. Wittenberg returned to Kansas 
and spent some time on the farm, after which he 
went to Topeka, of that State, and until 1872 was a 
merchant of that city. He came to Sutton in the 
fall of 1S72, and at once engaged in the same busi- 
ness here. This he has since continued, and has 
been unusually successful. He is energetic and 
enterjjrising, a thorough and competent man of busi- 
ness, who is honorable and upright in all his deal 
ings. In 1 887 he built his present Imsiness house, 
a commodious brick structure, two stories high, 
42x81 feet, and carries the most complete line of 
dry goods in this part of Nebraska. He has taken 
an active part in l)uilding a number of the be.st 
structures in Sutton, and is one of the representa- 
tive men of that city. He was united in marriage 
at Topeka, Kas., in March, 1871, to Miss Rachel 
Schumacher, a native of France, born in 1849, and 
their union has been blessed by the birth of six 
children: Bell, Nannie, Herman, Abe, Sophia and 
Esther. In politics Mr. Wittenberg is a Repulv 
lican. He is a memlier of the Masonic fraternity, 
Sutton Lodge No. -t'J, and is a member of the Sut 
ton town council. He is also a member of the 
(t. a. R. . and is one of the directors of the First 
National Bank. He is a self made man, and de- 
serves much credit for his enterprise and business 
ability. 

Christopher E.Wolf is a grain buyer, represent- 
ing J. H. Gregg of St. Joseph, Mo. He was born 
in North English, Keokuk ('ounty, Iowa. May 19, 
1864, and was the third of eleven children born to 
the marriage of Abraham Wolf and Catherine Fritz, 
both of whom were born in Dayton, Ohio, the 
former in September, 1.S47, and the latter in Jan- 
uary, 1853. Owing to the long distance this 
family lived from any school, Christopher E. re- 
ceived very meager educational advantages, and 
at the early age of thirteen years he commenced 
the battle of life for himself by working on a farm, 
as his parents had all they could do to properly 
care for the rem.uiider of the family. At the age 
of sixteen years ho went to Shelby. Iowa, and 
worked as a farm hand, sending his wages to his 
parents, only reserving an amount sufficient to 
meet his own immediate expenses. He remained 



.k 



530 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ill that county until the spring of 18S5, then emi- 
grated to Holt County, Neb., hiuI took up a tree 
claim. Imt at the end of one year disposed of this 
property and accepted a position on the North 
western Railroad, which was at tiic time it was 
being l)uilt a branch from C'hadron, Neb., to the 
Black Hills. He remained thus employed for 
Bfteen months, then returned to Holt County, and 
on June :50. 1SS7. was united in marriage to Miss 
Lena Rarnhill, a daughter of \\ illiam T. and Mary 
(Potter) Barnhill, who were born in the " Blue 
(irass State," in 1847. and in New Jersey in 1S53, 
respectively. Mr. and Mrs. WoU have one child 
named Cary. After being engaged in farming in 
Holt County with his father in law until 1S87, Mr. 
Wolf removed with his family to Ayr, then came 
t<.) his present location. Upon first coming here 
he was engaged in husking corn for the different 
farmers until February 20, 1888, when he entered 
tlie service of his present employer, J. H. Gregg, 
and has since been engaged in l)nying grain. He 
is a wide awake young man, and by his upright 
dealing and energy has acquired a handsome com- 
petency, and gives every promise of becoming a 
wealthy citizen. He believes in enjoying life as 
he goes along, but is also a believer in putting by 
some money for a rainy day. and has already made 
an excellent start in this direction. He has always 
been a s-tanch supporter of Republican principles, 
and he and wife are members of the Evangelical 
Church. 

Thomas Woods is a prominent farmer and stock- 
feeder of Linn Precinct, Clay County, Neb., and 
was born in County Monahan, Ireland, in 1852, 
his parents, Moses and Margaret (Boyce) Woods, 
being also born there in 1810 and 1818, respect- 
ively. In 18(38 they left the land of their birth 
to come to America and located in Iowa, where they 
resided until 1874, since which time they have re- 
sided in Nebraska. They own a line tract of land 
comprising 320 acres, well improved, with a fine 
young orchard, a vast number of forest trees, ex- 
cellent buildings, fences, etc. This farm is one of 
the neatest and best-improved in the township, 
and shows in a marked degree the energy, perse- 
verance and determination which characterize its 



owner. He was married in 1878 to Miss Henrietta 
Harden, a daughter of John A. and Sarah (Engle) 
Harden, natives of Maryland, in which State Mrs. 
WiHjds was born. Mr. Woods is the only sou in a 
family of seven children born to his parents, his 
si.sters all being married and residing in different 
parts of the United States. His parents are still 
living and make their home with him. 

Joseph S. Yeast is a man of sterling principles 
and progressive views, and he belongs to that hon 
est, sturdy and independent class, the farmers of 
Nebraska. .Vlthough he was born in Fayette 
County, Pa., January 12, 1855, he was taken to 
Fulton County, 111., by his parents, Adam and 
Susan (Morley) Yeast, when two years of age. and 
ten years later removed with them to McDonough 
County, where he was reared to mature years. 
Here he also received his early education, and at 
the age of twenty years he began the battle of life 
for himself and successfully conducted a restau- 
rant for three years. After selling out he came 
West in 1877 and settled in Saline County, Neb., 
where he purchased a farm of eighty acres, but be- 
coming dis.satistied, he returned to his former 
home and for some time worked in the dry goods 
establishment belonging to his brother-in-law, A. 
J. Minor. The latter then sold out and moved 
west and Mr. Yeast soon followed and settled in 
Clay County, where he has owned some fine pieces 
of land. In the fall of 1888 he purchased his 
present property, containing eighty acres, all im 
proved land, and on this he has an excellent and 
commodious dwelling house, etc. In the fall of 
1870 he was married to Miss Mary Ryan, a daugh- 
ter of Isaac and Mary (Bair) Ryan, natives of the 
"Keystone State." Mrs. Yeast was born March 
3, 1854, and her union with Mr. Yeast has l)een 
blessed by the birth of five children: L. Earl, 
Carl B., Ethel (i.. Ana Ruth and Jessie Ward. 
Mr. Y'east has always voted the Republican ticket, 
and, like the majority of farmers of his neighl)or- 
hood, is a member of the Farmers' Alliance and is 
treasurer of Fairfield Lodge. He and wife are 
members of the Baptist Church, and he is ever 
I found ready to aid liberally, with both purse and 
influence, all worthy public enterprises. 



HALL COUNTY. 



531 



Hall. County. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



H-Kh 



TOPOGKAPHY AND NATURAL HiSTOKY— BEGINNING — LlM[TS DEFINED— POPULATION— ABOVE SeA LeVEL— WaTEU 

Courses— The Platte River— Climatic Features— Disturbing Elements— Indians and Pioneers- 
First Explorers— Indian Massacres— Forts fur Protection— Early White Settle 
MENTs and Settlers— Reminiscences— Primitive Experiences— Establish- 
ment of Grand Island— Some First Things, Etc. 




-i^ibJUi- 






ALL COITNTY is the 
name given to one of the 
fairest political divisions 
of Nel)raska. When the 
spring sun of 1857 rose 
over this prairie there 
was not a white man with- 
in the boundaries of Hall. 
^ In May of that year a little l)and of 
S^^^j ^hii'ty-five perisons located in the 
'""'" ^ great solitude — the rich soil and 
genial climate of which soon won 
additions to the pioneer circle. A 
year later the Legislature gave to 
the locality a name and local gov- 
ernment, and the people realize how 
well the ill-paid author of The Co- 
luujbiau, poor Joel Barlow, prophesied the devel- 
opment of the West: 

From Mohawk's'niouth far wcsliuj; with the sun. 
Through all the- woodlands recent channels run. 
Tap the reduiuhint lakes, the hroad hills brave— 
And marry Hudson with Missouri's wave. 
From dim Superior, whose un fathomed sea 
Drinks the mild splendor of the setting day. 
New paths unfolding, lead their watery pride. 
And towns and empires rise along their side. 
To Mississippi's source the passes bend. 
And to the l)roa(l I'acitir main cxlciid. 



Years before the Civil War came to establish 
the Republic on a firm basis, the trails to California 
and to Colorado led travelers through this district, 
and before the echoes of civil strife had died away 
in the South the first locomotive of the Union Pa 
cific signaled the great era of progress. 

The area is sixteen congressional districts. 
The population in 1860 was 116; in 1870, 1,057: 
in 1880, 8,57'.^; while, in 18U0, it is estimated at 
18,000. 

The measured elevations above sea level, in 
Hall County and adjoining territory, are as fol- 
lows: Grand Island, 1,800 feet; Kearney, 2,146; 
North Platte, 2,796; Columbus, 1,442; Central 
City, 1,097; St. Paul, 1,796; Scotia Junction. 
1,905; Ord, 2,047; Hastings, 1,934: Clay Center. 
1,687; Fairfield, 1,782; Wood River, 1,963; Alda. 
1,913; Shelton, 2,060; Paddock, 1,760: Chapman, 
1,763; Doniphan, 1,948; Hansen, 1,949; Glenville. 
1,842; Alma Junction, 794; Edgar, 1,728; Verona, 
1,776; Sutton, 1,680: Lyman, 1,645; Lushton, 
1,678; McCool, 1,557; Spring Ranche, 1,717, and 
HoLstein, 2,011. 

Prairie Creek's two branches afford drainage 
to the entire northern half of the county. Wood 
River, which enters the Platte at Alda, waters the 
west center: while the north and south channels 






Q k^ 






532 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



of tlio I'lattu ilraiu Xho southeiii tnwiiships and tho 
east center. The waters of the Platte percolating 
tlirough the sandy strata may be obtained in almost 
every section, at depths varying from five to sixty 
feet. In 1863 this river viras completely dry on 
the surface for fifty or one hundred miles above 
and below Grand Island. The I'latte has its 
sources in the mountains of Colorado and Wyom- 
ing; the south branch rising in the first named 
Ktate joins the north branch at North Platte, and 
Hows into the Missouri at Plattsmouth. Its course 
through Nebraska is marked by a broad shallow 
channel, the waters flowing at random over a heavy 
deposit of saud, and sometimes, during the sum- 
iiKT months, disap])earing in the sand, to water 
nortli and south under the prairie, giving moisture 
ti) the thirsty soil. The water flowing from the 
snows of the Rocky Mountains is as pure as water 
may be, and even after its absor|)tion and diffusion 
it may be obtained almost in its original purity in 
comparatively shallow wells, far north and a few 
miles south of the river's course. Floods in the 
Phitte are contemporary with floods in the Mis- 
souri. In the days of the fur-traders flood time 
was looked forward to for shipping to the Missouri 
the ])roduct of the season's hunt; but the primitive 
liavigators were not always fortunate enough to 
e.scape the thousands of sand-bars, and on more 
than one occasion saw the flood waters leave them 
forever. Grand Island, e.xtending across Hall 
County, creates the south and north channels. 

The first reference to the Missouri and Platte 
country was written in 1673 by Father Marquette 
during his voyage down the Mississippi. When 
l)ehiw the present town of Alton, 111., he had his 
lirst glimpse of the Missouri, and de.scribed the 
river thus: "We heard a great iiishing and bub- 
bling of waters, and saw small islan<ls of floating 
tre(>s coming from the mouth of the Pekitanoni. 
Tlie water of this river is so muddy we could not 
drink it. It so discolors the Mississijipi as to make 
navigation dangerous. * * * fjjg Indians 
told us that by ascending the Pekitanoni about 
six days' journey from its mouth we would find a 
beautiful prairie country twenty or tiiirty leagues 
broad, at the end of which, to the northwest, is a 



small n\i'r, which is not difficult to navigate, and 
which, they said, leads to a deep river flowing into 
the sea ! " This river can not be the Yellowstone. 
The description points out the Platte and head- 
waters of the (!olumbia. 

For healthfuhiess this portion of the State is 
unsurpassed. Its ready adaptation to the various 
products which contribute to life and its comforts, 
fertility of soil and abundant yield, are material 
features which are well known to the people who 
live here and enjoy them. The fall seasons of 
Central Nebraska are similar to those of sunny 
France. Up to Christmas of 1889 the August cos- 
tumes of Illinois were sufficient here, and the people 
enjoyed more sunshine than did those of any State 
east of the Missouri liiver. This is not an excep- 
tional case ; such beautiful falls are common to 
Nebraska. Winter sets in about January 1, biit 
the name only terrorizes the stranger; it is a dry, 
cold winter, bringing with it health. It is a season 
of social intercourse, bringing peace to all circles. 

There are times when the icy breezes of the 
North sweep over the prairies, chilling to death 
the unprotected. The blizzard, however, is not 
confined to Nebraska ; it belongs to the country at 
large, but strikes the prairie with Canadian rigor 
oftener and more suddenly than it does the hills 
and valleys of other States. The country is free 
from malaria, and, indeed, it may be said that dis- 
ease can not rest in the Platte valley. 

During the last thirty-three years only a few 
severe storms swept over the country, doing little 
damage to property when compared with the de- 
structive winds of other States. 

On November H, 1857, Lorenz Barnard and 
Henry Joehnk, of Grand Island, and William 
Roberts and Billy Painter, of Mendotte. went over 
to Prairie Creek antelope and duck hunting. 
When near the pond, due north of Grand Island, 
Lorenz Barnard and Roberts went up the creek, 
while the others hunted down the stream. In 
shooting ducks they crossed the creek several 
times, and when it began to rain that evening 
all started for the settlement. Soon not a vestige 
■ of dry clothes remained on them, the wind changed 
to the north, and a heavy storm set in ; it grew 



IrZ 



colder and colder. Barnard and Roberts foiind 
their way Lome, but Joelmk and Painter became 
lost in the storm, and after dark stacked their 
guns for the purpose of l)uilding up a shelter 
with the high slough grass. The wind swept 
away each bunch of grass, and to keep from freez 
ing they had to walk round and round all night. 
Painter, becoming hungry, ate half a duck un- 
cooked, but Joehuk would not touch the unsav 
ory meal. At daylight they found the snow eight- 
een inches in depth and still falling heavily. So 
they set out for the settlement, whence some men 
went forth to search for them, only to lie driven 
back by the storm. Early that morning Joehnk 
arrived, but so worn out that he could signify 
only l)y signs where Painter was. Men went forth 
in search, found the hunter, brought him in, but 
the hardships of that night proved too much for 
him, and November 7, 1857, the first death in 
Hall County was recorded. 

On April 13, 1873, the blizzard was introduced. 
It was preceded by heavy thunder and rain at 4 
p. M. This changed to a territic snow storm, which 
raged for three days without abating. In the groves 
snow drifted to from fifteen to twenty feet in height, 
orchards and groves were damaged, many trees de- 
stroyed, farmers lost nearly all their stock — some 
losing from ten to fifteen head, another seventy- 
five, and a third 100 head of cattle. Deer were 
found lying dead after the storm, and dead birds 
were seen everywhere. The winter of 1875-76 
was mild and free from snow, and plowing was 
done in December and January. 

In May, 1878, three houses near Wood River 
were damaged by lightning. Rupert Schwaiger 
and Elias E. Boodry were killed by lightniiig, 
while en route to the city. 

The hail-stoT'm of July 8, 1878, originated in 
Sherman County. Forty two Hall County farm- 
ers who were insured reported $"20,00() loss, while 
the uninsured lost about |30,()()(). The hail-stones 
were not large; but owing to the velocity of the 
wind, their destructive power was terrible. The 
frame of the Lutheran Church, just raised in the 
southeast part of town, and the old building on 
Front Street (P. Dunphy's) were leveled; several 



small buildings were blown down and the gardens 
of Grand Island destroyed. The quantity of 
water which fell in a few minutes was beyond the 
experience of every one. and the torrent which 
swept the main street of the town was two feet in 
depth. 

The hail storm of July, 1884. destroyed some 
buildings and damaged the crops in parts of Hall 
County. The eastern wall of the Union Pacific 
car shop was blown in, destroying jiroperty valued 
at $10,000, a new building near the Burlington & 
Missouri River Railroad depot was moved three 
feet, and from a point north of Grand Island 
southeast to Doniphan, and Ijeyond that village 
growing crops, trees and small Imildings, were 
pounded into the ground, broken or removed. 

The storm of June, 1885, destroyed $1,500 
worth of window panes — the window glass in the 
court house, Koenig's block and Schanpp's mills 
beintr almost all broken. The new airrtcultural 
hall was twisted, so as to require rebuilding, the 
front of Hake's harness shop was blown in, and a 
strip about two miles in width, from the northwest 
to the southwest corner of the county, devastated. 
The blizzard of January 7, 1880, was very 
severe, eclipsing that of the first days of the year. 
The storm of November, 1886, is said to have 
been the most severe since the terrible blizzard of 
April, 1873. Men returning to their homes against 
the wind became dazed and almost breathless. 
David Alexander became lost and was nearly 
frozen before he found shelter. Judge Wilson 
also lost his way; a herd of cattle drifted before 
the storm, the telegraph wires were torn from the 
poles, and several unfinished l)uildings were dam- 
aged by the terrific icy wind. 

On January 12, 1888, snow fell steadily but 
quietly from early morning until al)out 3 o'clock in 
the afternoon. Then black clouds suddenly dark- 
ened the sky, the wind began to blow furiously, 
and through the evening and long night the ther 
mometer dropped lower and lower as the gale 
continued to beat against the houses and howl 
through the prairies. 

On January 12, 1890, the mercury was very low; 
but it was onlv the second day since the end of 



^ 



> \ 



ifkn 



534 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



suninipr tbat the traveler fe.ired to eucoiiiitor the 
iiortli wind. The last days of January, liS90, were 
da}s of sunshine — a si)eck of .Jun(> introduced into 
this magnificent winter. 

In former pages of this work, relating to the his- 
tory of Adams County, ref(»rences are made to the 
exploration of prairie and mountain by the Span- 
iards and French. Lewis and Clarke, who, on July 
21, 1804, invited the Indians to the cam]) on the 
Missouri, thus speak of the Otoes: They were once 
a powerful nation and lived about twenty miles 
above the Platte, on the southern bank of the 
Missouri. Being reduced, they emigrated to the 
neighiiorhood of the Pawnees, under whose pro- 
tection they are now living, on the south side of 
the Platte, thirty miles from its mouth. Their 
number is 200, including thirty families, or all left 
of the ancient Missouris. Five leagues above them 
resided the Pawnees. They consist of four bands, 
the lirst* comprising 500 men. e.\clusive of the 250 
Republican Pawnees, who joined the Band No. 1, 
on their removal from the Republican to the Platte; 
the third comprised the Pawnee Loups of the 
Wolf Fork of the Platte, 2.S0 men; and tht; fourth, 
driven from Missouri and Arkansas by the Osages 
to the Red River, comprised 400 men. Westward, 
along the Platte, were the Padoucahs and other 
small tribes. 

In 1819 Long's expedition arrived in Nebraska, 
and in May, 1820, is found on the Platte River, 
having moved from the Loup villasres on May 13, 
to the valley on the north side of the Platte River, 
opposite Grand Island. In the Loup villages, the 
Pawnees had 0,000 horses and their settlements 
extended ten miles along Loup Fork or Wolf River. 

In 1825 Benjamin O' Fallon, one of the princi- 
pal partners in the Missouri Fur Company, and the 
most polished, coiirageous and upright agent of 
Indian affairs ever employed by the United States, 
negotiated a treaty with the Kansas tribe affecting 
lands on this section. On April 12, 1834, the 
treaty was proclaimed with the (irand Pawnees, 
Pawnee Loups. Republican Pawnees and Pawnee 
Ta{)pee. then residing on the Platte and Loup 
Fork. This treaty provided for the cessi(jn of all 
their lands south of the Platte. Two years l>efore 



this, small pu.\ reduced the strength of the Pawn 
ees, and their village on the Republican was' 
burned i)y the Delawares, and shortly after the 
Sioux fell upon them. On June 30, 1834, Nebraska 
was declared Indian Territory. 

In 1S54 Ark(>keetrdi, the high chief of the 
Otoes, on their behalf, negotiated a treaty, ceding 
their reservation. In 1879 a new treaty was made, 
and in July, 1S81, they wore removed to the Indian 
Territory. 

The short war between the Pawnees, tinder 
Peter Washarrow, and the Kiowas and Comanches 
under Yellow Buffalo, was carried on here in 18r)7, 
the last skirmish taking place in Saline County 
later. The Pawnees were driven liack to their 
reservation with but little loss. 

In September, 18(50, a battle was fought on the 
Island between the Pawnees and Sioux, lint so 
little did the settlers fear them that the work of 
hauling hay was not stopped. This feeling of 
security did not last long; for, when the troops 
were ordered east to participate in the Civil War, 
the officers advised the settlers to abandon their 
homes as the Imlians would make a total clearance 
of the whites. 

It was on February 5, 1862, when it became 
necessary to chronicle the first massacre of whites 
by Indians in Hall County. Joseph P. Smith and 
Anderson, his son in law, farmers on Wood River, 
about twelve miles west of Grand Island, went 
after some Iniilding logs to the north channel of 
the Platte, about two and one half miles south of 
their claims. They were accompanied by William 
and Charles Smith, and Alexander Anderson, aged 
eleven, nine and fourteen years, respectively. An 
derson, who had taken a load of logs home that 
morning returned to the woods, where he had left 
Smith and the boys and two teams, only to find all 
of them murdered. The old man Smith had seven 
arrows in his body, and was lying on the ice with 
his face down, holding each of his bovs by one 
hand. His son. \\'illi;nn, was living. He was shot 
by an arrow and one of his cheeks was cut open 
from the mouth to tin* ear. He soon bled to death 
after being carried home. The other son, Charles, 
had his skull crushed in and his neck broken, and 



^ 



k 



HALL COUNTY. 



535 



young Anderson was found some distance off in the 
woods with his skull also broken; hut the four 
horses were taken iiway. The Smith family came 
from Lake County, Ind., in the fall of ISdl. and 
Mr. Smith had o])eued a small store in connection 
with his farm. 

On the news spreading abroad, the settlers armed 
and, jumping into the saddle, scoured the country. 
Jesse Eldridge and seven other settlers on Wood 
Kiver ea|)tured seventeen Sioux, all armt-d with 
bow and arrow. This capture was made eighteen 
miles east of Fort Kearney, in a dry channel of 
the Platte, where the red-skins hovered by the 
high bank, evidently trying to hide from pursuers. 
They were turned over to Capt. Johnson of Fort ' 
Kearney, who released the murderers, the captain 
remarking that he would rather see twenty settlers 
killed than have Fort Kearney attacked by the 
Sioux. The rescue was timely, for it was shown 
subsequently that those red men were not guilty, 
at least of the Smith massacre. 

During the summer of 1864 the Sioux pursued 
Nat and Robert Martin to the George Martin 
ranch, eighteen miles southwest of Grand Island. 
The boys were mounted on one fleet pony and were 
making good their escape, when an arrow pinned 
them together. They fell near the ranch, and 
were about to be scalped when an Indian inter- 
fered, saying: " Let the l)oys alone. " The ranch- 
men defended the house, drove the savages to 
flight, killed or wounded one, took the boys in and 
had the arrow drawn from their bodies. Both 
boys recovered and are still living. 

The attack on the Campbell ranch was made 
July 24, 1867. Peter, the Scotchman, lived ten 
miles south of Grand Island, on the south side of 
the Platte. No men being at home, the house was 
captured, a woman named Mrs. Thrustou \\'arren 
killed by a gun shot, and her son by an arrow. The 
two nieces of Campbell, aged seventeen and nine- 
teen, were carried away with two twin boys four 
years old, and a German, named Henry Dose, was 
killed close by. The Indians robl)ed the house, 
killed some stock and escaped unmolested. Months 
afterward the government bought the two girls and 
the two lioys from the Indians for 14,000, and. as 



an extra compensation, released a Sioux squaw, 
captured by Ed. Arnold's Pawnee scouts, at Elm 
Creek, the same season. 

The stories of Sioux vengeance led to almost 
the total evacuation of the Platte valley. The 
Grand Island pioneers did not leave. A log house 
24x24 feet, with twenty -five port holes, had been 
erected previously ))y William Stolley, and named 
Fort Independence. Over this fort the first Amer- 
i(^au flag floated in July of that year. Friends 
gathered in this building to the number of thirty- 
live, sufficient fire- arms (seventy -two shots without 
re loading), about fifty pounds of powder and other 
ammunition, sufficient provisions and a well, gave 
courage to the defenders. An underground stable 
eighty -eight feet long was constructed for horses 
and cattle, the company was organized, and cart- 
ridge prepared to fit every gun in the rude armory. 

This fortification could only afford protection 
to a few of all the settlers, and the O. K. store of 
H. A. Koenig and F. A. Weibe (established in 
August, 1862) was converted into a fort. This 
old store stood one and a half miles due south of 
the present court-house. Dr. A. Thorspeckeu was 
elected cajjtain and William Thavenet (a resident 
of Missouri in 1876) appointed engineer. Soon a 
strong sod breastwork surrounded the building. 
At each corner was a tower built of green cotton- 
wood-logs, vphich projected out far enough to cover 
the line of works. Sixty-eight men and about 
100 women and children found a temjiorary home 
here; squads were sent out daily to reconnoiter, 
and piles of bush were gathered here and there 
over the prairie to lie lighted by the outposts as 
warning of the Sioux advance, and to warn those 
absent from the fort. The State furnished only 
seventeen muskets on which the settlers had to pay 
freight. On August 22, 1864, the First Volunteer 
Cavalry under Gen. Curtis arrived with one six- 
pounder. He praised the action of the settlers 
and their fort, and left them the cannon, saying 
that such settlers could defend themselves against 
all odds. Soon after Capt. J. B. David and 
twenty men of Company E, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, 
took possession of this fort, but the wily Indians 
knew better than to attack it. The settlers suffered 



-• — » V 



530 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



coiisidpralily from depredations l)y Diivid iuid his 
coiniii!iii<]. and wheu Company E was oideied to 
Foi-t Desolatidii nil tlu> Tjoiip, tin' pcdplc Im-atlu'd 
more fie(>ly. 

Eitrlit miles west of (iiaiid Island. Sijuin' I^anil). 
his soil, Heury, and three c)ther men held the stage 
station on Wood Uiver and never feared the sav- 
ages, being, it is said, always ready to exchange a | 
sliiit with them. 

I'ilsewbere in these ])ages the story <>[ llie Cal- 
ifornia trail is told. Prior to the days of the ar 
goninits tiie ])rairiesof Nebraska were little known, 
and Fremont's references to them contributed much 
to make a closer ac(piaintance with the land of the 
butTalo and Indian undesirable. The fur com- 
pany's men too, ;is it was their interest, descried the 
country. The hunters had some foundation for 
their tales of hardship and danger. On the even 
ing of June '27, IS (2, the Fremont expedition, 
halted in longitn<le 22°, 5", 4" west, and latitude 
40", 39', 32" north near the head of Grand Island. 
On the 2Sth they met a small party of fourteen 
men under John Lee, making their way, on foot, 
to the frontier. This party loft Laramie's Fork 
sixty days before, in the American Fur Com- 
pany's barges, to come down with the annual 
flood. The flotilla made rapid progress to Scott's 
BlutT, after which th(!y encountered sand-bars : 
and shallows, and were compelled to discharge the 
principal part of their cargoes 130 miles below 
Fort Laramie. They ventured forth again with 
the balance, and after twenty days of struggle with 
140 miles of the river, sunk their barges, made a 
Cliche of their remaining furs in the trees, and set 
out on foot for St. Louis. 

Some years later a party of Canadians moving 
across the plains reported unfavorably on the 
country. It appears that this party was made up 
principally in Middlesex County, Canada, and in 
eluded, among others, one of the notorious Allen 
family. This Allen assaulted a S(juaw, and the 
Indian woman dying soon after as the result of 
his assault, was buried by Allen. The Indians 
missed the woman and coming down to the Cana 
dian camp, asked for explanations. The members' 
of the party pleaded ignorance, and the red chief 



gave them thirty minutes to give U|> Id them the 
murderer of the red woman. Allen was given lys 
and, in presence of his fiieiids, was skinned alive 
and the (piivering Ijody burned. 

This act (if justice was described otherwise; the 
cause being withheld and the savage execution of 
Allen given as an every -day occurrence. Such 
stories retarded settlement, .so that the pioneers of 
this central section of the State did not venture in 
until 1857. 

William Stolley, writing in centennial year, 
states; It was in the winter of 18r)6-r)7 when A. 
H. Barrows, of the branch l)auk at Daveni)ort. 
Iowa, of Chubb Bros. & Barrows, of Washington, 
D. C, called uj)on me to particii>ate in the loca- 
tion of a town somewhere in the central portion of 
Nebraska, in the Platte valley. Mr Barrows 
alleged that influential and worthy parties, and 
among them memljers of Congress, would back 
this enterprise, with the expectation that sooner 
or later a railroad must be built up the valley of 
the Platte, crossing the continent, and that event- 
ually the National Capitol would have to be re- 
moved from Washington to a centrally located 
point. The object of these speculators was to lo- 
cate a town as near the center of the continent as 
practicable, there to secure a large tract of land 
and attempt, in the course of time, to have the 
capitol located here. They contemplated sending 
a surveyor and live others tu locate and start the 
town. The surveys did not extend west of Colum- 
bus, and the country on the north side of tlie 
Platte had but recently been ceded by the Paw- 
nees to the United States, while the Sioux claimed 
to be the owners of all lands on the south side of 
the river and along the Blues and Kepulilican. 
While I declined to become a partner in the town 
company, I agreed to participate in making the 
settlement, and considering the dangers to which 
the pioneers would bo exposed, I proposed that in 
addition to the four or five persons referred to, a 
body of twenty or thirty able-bodied men be en- 
gaged by the town company for self protection in 
case of Indian attack. This proposition was ac- 
cepted by A. H. Barrows, \V. H. F. Ourloy and 
B. B. Woodward, who empowered me and subse- 



-,^ 



- — ^t^ , 



HALL COUNTY. 



537 



quently also Fred Hedde, to engage the ntimber 
of men proposed. The condition of engagement 
was that the pioneers should claim and hold 820 
acres each wherever the company's surveyor would 
direct, and the company was to furnish funds for 
the final payment of the land — the consideration 
being that the settlers should deed one-half of their 
claims to the town company. Persons who had 
no means were to be supplied with provisions dur- 
ing the first year, but were to reimburse the com- 
pany so soon as circumstances would permit. 

The first settlers copiprised twenty-five Ger- 
mans and Americans. The Germans were Fred 
Hedde, William Stolley, W. A. Hagge, Christ. 
Menck, Kai Ewoldt, Henry Egge, Cornelius Alex- 
son, Hans Wrage. Anna Stier (unmarried), Peter 
Stuhr, Detlef Sass, Johan Hamann, Fred Vatge, 
Fred Doll, Marx Stelk, Nicholas Thede,* William 
Stier,* Henry Schoel* and Henry Joehnk,* all of 
Holstein, Germany; Christian Andreson,* of 
Schleswig; Herman Vasold, of Thiiringen; Theo- 
dore Nagel, of Waldeck; Fred Laudman, of Meck- 
lenburg; Henry Schaaf and Matthias Gries, of 
Prussia; R. C. Barnard, surveyor, and Lorens 
Barnard, of Washington, D. C. ; Joshua Smith, 
David P. Morgan and William Seymour, of Dav 
enport, Iowa. The surveyor's party consisting of 
R. C. Barnard, all the Americans, Fred Hedde and 
Christ. Menck, left Davenport a few days ahead of 
the main party with one mule team. William A. 
Hagge and Theodore Nagel were detailed to jiro 
ceed by river to St. Louis and purchase a sup[)ly 
of provisions, tire-arms, ammunition, blacksmith 
tools, etc., and have them shipped up the Missouri 
River to Omaha in time for the arrival of the main 
party there. 

Ma^' 28, 1857, five heavy loaded teams drawn 
by sixteen yoke of work oxen, and with the re- 
mainder of the parties named, left Davenport in 
charge of William Stolley. After a pleasant trip, 
the traiti arrived in Omaha, on June 18, 1857, and 
from this the expedition proceeded westward, June 
19, except William Stolley, who was compelled on 
account of business to return to Davenport. The 

*Iii tlie list tlie wives of tliose men are not named or counted, 
tlie only feliKilr ll:illn'il Ihmii;; .\lin:i Stier. 



little train passed Fremont June 23. which town 
had ten log houses, arrived at Columbus, with 
eighteen log houses, on June 20; crossed the 
Loup River June 27, at Genoa, about twenty 
miles up stream from Columbus, and on July 2, 
Wood River was reached over the wild prairie up 
the valley, where the pioneer train of Hall County 
made the first wagon trail. After reconuoitering 
the country for one day, the surveyor located the 
place on July 4, the train retracted about seven 
miles, and on July 5, stakes were driven as well 
for the town-sites as for claims. The town site 
covered partially the present town site of Grand 
Island, but the greater part of it was located due 
south and southwest from where the present town 
of Grand Island is located and lietween this and 
the north channel of the Platte. 

On July 7 the party feeling not quite sure of 
having made a judicious selection, divided into 
three parties and again reconnoitered. Some went 
over to Prairie Creek, the other on to what is 
known as Grand Island, and the third went up 
Wood River about thirty miles. By July 11 ail 
had returned and the first location was confirmed. 
A meeting was then called and it was resolved 
that four log houses should be first built, each 
14x33 feet, the inside divided by two partitions, 
thus making two rooms 14x15 each, and an en- 
trance large enough to answer the purpose of a 
door. At the same time the breaking of prairie 
land had to be attended to as the season was al 
ready far advanced. Only about fifty acres were 
broken the first season. On July 13 the work be 
gan in earnest. Some chopped logs, others hauled 
them out, others prepared wood for the bnrnintr 
of charcoal for the blacksmith shop, and on Julv 
23 a team was sent to Omaha for more j)rovisions. 
Saturday, August 15. some of the settlers moved 
into their new houses, and, on the 27th, all the 
houses were occupied. These houses were built 
on the south half of the northwest quarter and 
north half of the southwest quarter of Section 1 4, 
Township 11, Range 9, which in 1870 was part of 
the Christ. Menck farm. In the meantime another 
town was located about seven miles we.st of the 
lirst, called Mendotte. Four houses were erected 



Jit 



538 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



there by David Crocker, William KohcrtH, M. 
Potts ami Billy fainter. This town was aban- 
doned soon after, and the site was occiij)ied by 
David Crocker, who later .sold his claim and moved 
to Santa Barl)ara, Cal. 

On Sei)tembor 21, 1S57, four teams were de- 
spatched to Omaha after provisions and clothing 
expected from St. Louis. Water in the Missouri 
was so low as to detain the delivery of the goods; 
but they arrived and were loaded. On the return 
trij) the ferry l)oat at Columbus was found want- 
ing, and the teamsters were detained four months 
there, subjecting the settlers at Grand Island to 
a severe spell of starvation. On November 10, 1857, 
a team was sent forward with hay for the provision 
train detained there, and arrived November 13. 
Two of the teamsters discovered the approaching 
team and crossed the Loup at great risk. Subse- 
quently 2,000 pounds of flour was transported 
across the river and brought at once to the settle- 
ment, arriving here November 18, with two of the 
Columbus party suffering from fever. On January 
25, 1858, the supplies arrived amid rejoicing. 
Meantime some Pawnee Indians visited the settle- 
ment, but seeing the destitute condition of the 
people loft immediately. There were neither can- 
dles nor soap for a long time, therefore everyone 
went to bed early, and the washing of clothes was 
done with home made lye. A few of the work ; 
oxen were killed and used for food. This meat, 
with the flour, saved the settlers that first winter. 
Ill June, 1858, the supply of provisions again fail- 
ing, the settlers had to live for some time on half 
rations, besides being compelled to work very hard, 
as the spring season demanded. One of the early 
settlers, now a well to do farmer (Cay Ewoldt) was, 
in consequence, so reduced that he was compelled 
to walk by the aid of a stick. On June 24, 1S5S, 
ample supplies arrived, and on July 5, more settlers 
arrived from Davenport, with a train of ten teams, 
bringing in nearly twenty persons, twenty yoke of 
oxen, besides a number of milch cows and young 
stock. 

On August 27 about 1,500 Pawnees passed 
tlirough the settlement, but beyond taking some 
green c.in-w and potatoes, di<l little damage. 



The day of terrors was January IS, IS")',). Three 
men from Florence (near Omaha), on their way 
home from the newly iliscovered gold-fields of Col- 
orado, threatened to burn up the Dutch settlement, 
and set fire to the prairie. The wind was blowing 
a perfect gale; the fiends carried out their threat, 
and in a few hours eight houses were destroyed and 
the entire settlement barely escaped. The miscre- 
ant made good his escape, taking advantage of the 
consternation that prevailed. The principal suf- 
ferers by this tire were William Stolley, W. A. 
Hagge, John and Henry Vieregg, C. Menck, Marx 
Stelk, Fred Vatge, Hans Wrage, M. Gries and 
Rudolph Mathieson. The citizens of Omaha sent 
flnancial help to the peojile, but the messenger 
helped himself, and was never heard of again. 

In the fall of 1859 the settlers secured, through 
the good offices of William Stolley, a contract to 
sup]ily to Fort Kearney 2,090 bushels of corn, at 
$2 per bushel. Prior to this time corn was shipped 
from Fort Leavenworth, at a cost to the govern- 
ment of about $4 per bushel. This new system and 
the trade with the immigrants and California and 
Colorado travelers insured a good market to the 
settlers — a good sized cabbage bringing 50 cents, 
and a water-melon $1. Gold and silver were the 
only mediums of exchange. Large trains passed 
daily, and lame cattle or young calves were bought 
at very low prices by the settlers. 

In 1857 the panic swept away the Chubb Broth- 
ers' Bank. Difficulties sprang up between the 
Town Company and the settlers, and the former, 
after sinking $6,000 in the enterprise, surrendered 
it. Barrows and Gurley died years ago; B. B. Wood- 
worth resided at Davenport in 187f); the Barnards, 
Joshua Smith, David P. Morgan and William Sey- 
mour left the settlement within a short time after 
it was formed. G. Schultz died a natural death. 
Fred Vatge committed suicide and J. Hamann was 
killed by a train on the Union Pacific track while 
crossing in his wagon, prior to 1876. Ten mem- 
bers left the settlement: Fred Hedde, Chris. An- 
dreson and D. Sass, who returned prior to 1876; 
William Stier, N. Thede, F. Landmann, M. Gries, 
Theodore Nagel, C. Alexson and H. Vassold, who 
had not returned ni) to Julv of Centennial year. 



<*>! <° w , 



-<• > 




Fred Doll removed to Howard County, while the 
others continued to reside here from the beginning. 
Anna Stier married John Thompson; Mrs. H. 
Schoel died; Mrs. Doll removed to Howard County; 
Mrs. Joehuk and Mrs. Andreson were still resi- 
dents. Nellie Stier, a daughter of William Stier, 
was born March 3, 1858. 

In 1862 the Indian troubles hitherto referred to 
commenced. In the summer of 1864 the Sionx 
determined (m a raid of murder and rapine along 
the Oregon trail from Fort Kearney to Omaha. 
They attacked George Martin's ranch, eighteen 
miles southwest of the Platte, near Grand River, 
from which his two boys, Nat. and Robert, had jnst 
escaped to convey the news of the Sioux advance to 
the soldiers at Fort Kearney. A party of Indians 
pursued the l)oys so closely that an arrow passed 
through the body of the younger boy and entered 
the back of the older brother. The remainder of the 
party killed one of Martin's men, and then moved 
a few miles east to massacre the Campbell family. 
In Adams and Clay Counties they carried on their 
heaviest deviltry. 

The first post-office was established in the 
spring of 1859, with R. C. Barnard in charge. 
The iirst weekly stage was put on the Omaha and 
Kearney route October 1, 1858. It was changed 
to a tri weekly in 1860, and to a daily in 1864. 

In July and August, 1866, the United States 
surveys carried on work in this county. Under the 
act of February 13, 1869, permission was given 
l)y the Legislature to O. A. Al)bott, H. A. Koenig, 
John VVallichs and William H. Platte, to dam 
the Platte River. Prior to this the river was most 
effectually dammed by the pioneers, who were com- 
pelled io cross it at intervals. On May 21, 1870, 
$15,tM)0 l)onds were issued for bridging the river, 
and the bridge built and finished in March, 1871, 
on Section 29, Township 10, Range 9. The first 
school was opened by Theodore Nagel in 1862, 
at a point one mile south of the present court 
house. Six students attended. In 1860 the num- 
lier of inhabitants was given at 1 16. 

In March, 1871, Charles Christiansen and Peter 
Mohr opened the first farms on Prairie Creek. 

Game was abundant when the county was first 



settled; buffalo, elk and antelope were to l)e found 
in large herds. Gray wolves, prairie wolves, red 
and gray foxes, wild-cats and badgers were numer- 
ous, while deer, hare, rabbit, chicken, turkey, 
partridge and quail were scarce. The deer were 
nearly exterminated by the deep snows and severe 
winters of 1856-57, bvit continued to increase in 
number up to 1876, on the numerous islands in the 
Platte. The abundance of wild meat was a great 
convenience to the early settlers, and, regularly 
every fall, mostly in the month of October, parties 
went out on a buffalo hunt and laid in a siipply of 
meat for the winter. The rivers and creeks were 
well stocked with beaver, otter, mink and muskrat, 
while wild geese, ducks and other fowl swarmed here 
in the spring and fall. Large luimbers of wolves 
were poisoned with strychnine and trapped with 
steel traps every winter, and the skins sold at from 
75 cents to 13. In one instance I remember a I'arty 
killed seventy five wolves about his premises in one 
winter. One of them was a white wolf, measuring 
nine feet from nose to tip of tail. This party had 
lined his log cabin inside and outside with furs. 
The best of buffalo robes could be obtained at 
from $2.50 to $3.00 from the Pawnees, who 
visited the settlements twice annually, and as the 
robes formed the principal bedding for most of the 
settlors for a number of years, there was a demand 
for them. 

The winter of 1863-64 was very severe. Snow 
covered the ground from the middle of November 
until March. A great deal of corn was snow cov 
ered before it was cribbed and had to be left in the 
field all winter. Many cattle were lost on account 
of the severity of the winter, several parties lost 
limbs, and one man was frozen to death. On Au 
gust 29, 1863, a heavy frost killed all the corn and 
potatoes. June 16, 1869, frost damaged the crops. 

Ill 1863 the second saw-mill was built on Woo<l 
Hiver; the first wind-mill in Grand River settle 
ment was erected. Prior to 1876 several mills 
were erected — a grist wind-mill, a saw windmill, 
two water gristmills, two water sawmills and 
three steam saw mills. In 1876 there were only 
two — one water and one steam grist mill — in the 
county. In 1866 the timber on the islands was 



;r 



fraudnlently withheld from market long enough 
to secure it for use by the contractors in building 
the Union Pacific Hail road. 

The first artificial grove of 6,000 trees was set 
out in the west half of the northwest (juarter of 
Section 28, and on the east half of the northeast 
quarter of .Section 20, Township 11, Range 0, in 
the spring of ISOO. By centennial year some of 
the trees were from sixty to seventy feet high. 
In the spring of 1803 the first fruit trees were 
planted, jiioducing the first cherries in 1807, first 
peaches in J871, and first apples and pears in 1872. 

In August, 1S()2, the first swarms of grass hop- 
pers were noticed here. On July IT), 1S(')4, they 
destroyed all the buckwheat in the county to the 
exclusion of other crops, rea])pearing on August 
I, 1804. Again, on July 8, 1800, though numer- 
ous, they did not do much injury. In 1808 they 
once more appeared, and in 1800 destroyed nearly 
all the corn fields. On May 22, 1878, they came 
with a southwest wind, but did not effect much 
damage. On July 20, 21 and 22 and on August 5 
and 0, 1874, they came in swarms, which some- 
times shut off the sunlight, and ate nearly all the 
crops. A State aid society was at once organized, 
and also a State Grange relief society, sul)sistence 
and clothing were sent to the sufferers. Congress 
appropriated $ir)0, 000, and the State $r.0,000, for 
relief purposes. On June 24 and August 8 and 10, 
1875, the hoppers did considerable damage, but 
some parties drove them from their fields by keep- 
ing U|) fires around their fields and using pulver- 
ized sulphur. It was discovered that this year a 
worm took po.ssession of the hop])ers, killing them. 

In May, 1870), ten English sparrows were re- 
ceived from New York by William Stolley, with 
the hope that they would increase sufficiently to 
prey upon the hoppers. Unfortunately the birds 
have so increased as to be as much of a nuisance 
as the hoppers. 

In the history of C4rand Island City, many 
minute references to the pioneers are made. Be- 
sides that inimber are a few who escaped notice in 
that chapter. John ^\'. Monroe, who in 1800 be- 
came a charge of Hall County, and was still sup- 
ported by the county in 1887, was an expre.ss 



messenger between Omaha and Fort Kearney, in 
the early years of Nebraska; '"Pap" Lamb, 
another old resident of Hall, being his alternate 
tm the route. He was born in New York about 
1707. Mrs. Doel, who came with her husband in 
1857, and aided in opening the farm, southeast of 
the city, died in January, 1880. Among the pio 
neers who attended her funeral were Fred Hedde, 
John Wallichs, Henry Joehnk, F. Stuhr, Peter 
Stuhr, M. Stelk, Chr. Menck, U. Sass, Henry 
Schoel, Kai Ewoldt and Theo. Sievers. William 
Stolley, though residing here then as well as now, 
is not named among the attendants. Hy. Schaaf, 
a member of the first Grand Island colony, died 
in January, 1885. He, with Pioneer Sass, lived 
for years in a dug-out on the Egge farm, until he' 
purchased lands three miles east of the city. 

In 1800 George Francis Train became impressed 
with the idea that the capital of the United States 
should be somewhere on the Union Pacific Rail- 
road, in the neighborhood of Columbus. He ad- 
vertised the Platte valley so extensively that 
thousands came hither to buy his lots, which, fort- 
unately for the immigrants, were only on paper. 
Grand Island became a colonizer at an early 
date in its history. So early as 1872-73, citizens 
of the village conceived the idea of settling in the 
middle Loup valley and acted at once on this con- 
ception. The great storm of April 13, 1873,« 
caused some suffering and much inconvenience. 
It is related that sixty men were crowded into the 
little store building of Frank Ingram for three 
days. At this time there were only four women 
in the Loup valley — Mrs. Al. Brown and Misses 
Clara and Alice Beuschoter and Lizzie Hayes, all 
of Grand Island. 

In February, 1870, expedition parties for 
the Black Hills were organized at Grand Island, 
Wood River and other places. The Wood River 
party comprised Patrick Nevills, J. Nolan, C. J. 
S. Trout, P. Dugan, J. Dunn, A. A. Baker, J. 
O'Connor, George Williamson, John Lyons, Miles 
Lyons, Mark Lyons, J. Haverly and P. Brady. 
Maj. Foote, of the Grand Island party, returned 
in March and reported a route between Grand Is- 
land and the hills open and guide-boards erected. 



^ 



^1 



HALL COUNTY. 



541 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



ESTABLISHMKNT OF COUNTY — TliANSACTIONS OF BOARD— SUPPLEMENTARY ACTS— APPOINTMENT OF OfFKIALS- 

Elections— An Interbstino Record Book— Commissioners and Supervisors— Tax Levies— Finance 

— Resume of Political Events — Returns of Voters— Politicians of Note— Official 

Record- Judicial History*— A Summary op Court Affairs- Attorneys 

Admitted to Practice — Trials of Importance. 



--H*h 




Our judges, like our laws, were rude and plain. — Coicley. 



S established by the act of 
November 4, 185S, Hall 
County extended from the 
northeast corner of Town- 
ship 16 north. Range 9 
- y,-^' west, south to the southern 
^f'^ bank of Platte River; west 
along the river to the west line of 
Range 12 west, north with that line 
to the northwest corner of Township 
16, Range 12, and east with the line 
of the fourth parallel to the beginning. 
The act did not consider the county 
seat or its location. On February 24, 
1864. the boundaries were re defined, 
the act was repealed on February 15 fol- 
lowing. On March 1. 1871, a third act received 
approval, which established the territory comprised 
in Townships 9, 10, 11 and 12 north, in Ranges 
9, 10. 11 and 12 west, as a county under the title 
of Hall. 

Under date, Omaha City, Neb.. December 9, 
1858, Sec. and Actiiig-Gov. J. Sterling Morton 
advised Hon. Richard Barnard of the appointment 
of officers for Hall County, under the act of No- 
vember 4. 1858. Such appointments were Richard 
C. Barnard,* county judge; Herman Vasold, sheriff; 

♦William Stollpy, in liis Ceutennial sl<Ptcli, states tliat Fred 
liftldH w:is proliate judKf'. 



but 



Theodore F. Nagel, recorder; William A. Hagge, 
justice of the peace; Isaac Thomas, treasurer; 
Frederick Hedde, Daniel B. Crocker and Hans 
Vieregg. commissioners; George Shultz and Chris- 
tian Menck were the constables. 

The first reference of elections is made under 
date November 8, 1862, when Johannes Wallichs, 
elected justice of the peace October 14, 1862, 
Joachim Selken, chosen constable and Theodore F. 
Nagel, commissioner, qualified before Frederick 
Hedde. justice of the peace. The first pages of 
Book A, commissioners' record, are occupied by 
Frederick Hedde's docket. The first case in his 
court is entitled Philiji Feldman vs. John Wind- 
olph, the former demanding $75 from Wiudulph 
for opening a letter belonging to plaintiff and fail- 
ing to forward it. On July 10. 1863. Jacob Weidig 
charged Charles Peterson with threatening to kill, 
but witnesses failing to prove such charge, the de- 
fendant was set at liberty. In October, 1S6H, 
Charles Boehl sued John Verges for ?48.25, con- 
sideration for mowing and raking hay as employe of 
Verges. This was the great law case of the period, 
the hearing of which occupied the attention of the 
court for three days, and resulted in a judgment 
for plaintiff in the sum of $39. 20 and costs. On 
October 30, 1863, Henry Giese was asked to de- 
liver to Charles Walker a wagon, which the latter 
had sold to the former. Justice Hedde ordered that 



*^«- 






4. 



54-2 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



the contract be carried out or $15 damages bo- paid. 
Justice Hedde whs eugagod iu more public affairs 
than common law covers, for on November 12, 1863, 
he solemnized marriage in the case of James Har- 
rison and Luciiida Shoemaker on a license issued 
by the county clerk. On March 1, 18<)4, Henry 
School and Mary Becker were united in matrimon- 
ial bonds by Justice Hedde, who is found, a few 
days later, engaged in hearing a second charge 
against Charles Peterson for threatening to kill 
John Wiudolph. Peterson made an abject apology, 
which was accepted, and further proceedings were 
stopped. On March 20, John H. Staats and So- 
phia Wil.son were joined in the bonds of marriage. 
William Wasmer and Fred. Bohnsan complained 
that their fences were destroyed and posts carried 
away by certain unknown parties. Several suits 
for small debts were tried in 186St. On May 15, 
1864, the pioneer justice is found at Mr. Knapp's 
house on Wood River, engaged in giving legal 
couQtenance to the marriage agreement between 
Cornelius Hurley and Mrs. Elizabeth Owens. On 
November 4 he performed the ceremony in the case 
of Johannes A. Wallichs and Gretje Sahn, and 
soon after signs his name for the last time as jus- 
tice of the peace in this record book. In Aj)ril, 
18(55, W. Behrens performed the marriage cere- 
mony in the case of Huscall Skinner and Mary J. 
Mit(;liell, and on May 26, in that of Marx Stelk and 
Antje Ruger. 

The first record of the commissioners is dated 
Grand Island. January 7, 1807, when the county 
was divided into three precincts. William Hagge 
was appointed assessor for precinct No. 1 ; John 
Wallichs for No. 2 and William Eldredge for No. 3; 
Dr. Joseph Rease was appointed county attorney 
at $100 per annum: a license fee of $25 for every 
dealer in li(piors was ordered to be collected and 
the proceeds applied to the school funds. Licenses 
were issued to seven persons for the sale of liquor 
and an eighth dealer ordered to take out one. The 
commissioners at this time were: Hans Wrage, Dr. 
A. Thorspeckeii and Chris. Wasmer, with Fred. 
Evans, clerk and W. H. Piatt, deputy clerk. In 
-hdy the total valuation of the county was $1 44,793, 
on which a county tax of ('< mills was ordered to 



be levied, and an equal tax on the value of Buffalo 
County, then only $21,520. Augustus Schein- 
eckau was appointed commissioner to locate a road 
running east and west through the county, and one 
from Grand Island Station to Grand Island. In 
October, 1867, W. H. Piatt was appointed probate 
judge, vice William H. Mitchell, who failed to 
qualify. In January, 1868, Commissioner Wasmer 
resigned, Enos lieall was appointed school exam- 
iner; James Jackson, Hans Wrage, commissioners, 
with Fred A. Wiebe, the commissioner, elected 
vice Wasmer, formed the board. John Wallichs 
succeeded Evans as clerk. In July a tax of 6 mills 
on the total valuation, $172,467, was levied for 
general county purposes, 3 mills for sinking fund 
and 5 mills for road fund. In August, 1868, an 
offer, made through S. C. House, by the Union 
Pacific Railroad Company, was received. This 
offer was substantially as follows: "To take in 
exchange that poition of School Section 16, Town 
1 north. Range t) west, which is now occupied and 
laid out as the town of Grand Island Station, the 
nearest railroad land to the said town of Grand 
Island Station; that is, so many acres as said com- 
pany has laid out at the above town site." In 
Si'])teraber the elections of the county seat ques- 
tion and the 2 mill tax for jail building purposes 
were ordered, and in Octol)er Judge Crounse was 
petitioned to hold a term of the district court in 
Hall County, and record books for such court were 
ordered to be procured. The vote on county seat 
resulted in favor of Grand Island Station, and the 
clerk was ordered to give notice of such fact. 

Buffalo County was set off as Buffalo Precinct 
and Dawson County as Dawson Precinct of Hall 
County. On November 16. 1S6'.I, the following 
named officers qualified: Enos Beall. probate 
judge; Hugo Hald. sheriff; John A. Wallichs, 
clerk; Henry A. Koenig, treasurer; Robert Mitch 
ell, justice of First precinct and Clans Holdenberg. 
road supervisor of Second precinct. E. Hooper 
took Commissioner Weibe's place. In January, 
1870, Allen Cousins presented fifty three wolf 
scalps, George Williamson eight, and George 
Stierle eight. For some years prior to this the 
county" clerk acknowledged receipt of several wolf 



^1^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



543 



scalps, but the names of the hunters were not given. 
At tbis time the question of issuing $15,000 bonds, 
bearing 10 per cent, to be expended in bridging 
tiie Platte, was ordered to be submitted to vote in 
May, when a majority of twenty-seven votes was 
recorded in favor of the question, and H. P. Handy 
commissioned to make an examination of the river, 
and on July 5. 1870, he was authorized to contract 
for the building of a bridge 1,900 feet in length on 
the line between Ranges U and 10. The contract 
was awarded to Wells, French & Co., of Chicago, 
who agreed to have the work completed on or be- 
fore February 15, 1871, the considerations being 
$10,000 worth of bonds on arrival of material, and 
$5,000 on completion of work. A contract for the 
Wood River bridge was sold to H. P. Handy at this 
time, the consideration being $420, and the tempo- 
rary building for jail purposes was reported com- 
plete in December, 1870. Treasurer Koenig re- 
signed at this time and Frederick A. Weibewasap 
pointed to fill that position. In March, 1871, the new 
portion of Hall County south of the Platte was dis 
tiicted, the territory in Range U being attached to 
the First precinct, in Range 10 to the Second, and 
in Ranges 11 and 12 to the Third precinct. The 
sum of $200 was appropriated to combat the 
Omaha & Northwestern Railroad in their proceed- 
ings for injunction against the Platte River bridge 
bill and H. P. Handy. 

In July, 1871, the tax levy on the assessment 
of $<iU5,071.86, was 5 mills, general fund; 4 
mills, land road tax; 1| mills, road and bridge 
tax, and 2J mills, sinking fund. In Novem- 
ber of this year the first regular statement of 
revenue and expenditure was presented by Fred- 
erick A. Weibe. He reported $0,193.01 col- 
lected in 1868-69 and 1870 for the general fund; 
$6,448.50 for sinking fund; $975.60 for jail fund; 
$3,650.44 for laud and road fund; $1,806.98 
for bridge fund. Of all this .sum, $7,430.43 
remained in the treasury November 14, 1871. On 
November 23, 1871, a petition signed by L. W. 
Rollins and 200 tax payers of the county asked 
the board to order an election on the question of 
issuing 10 per cent bonds for $25,000, the pro- 
ceeds to be expended in erecting a court-house at 



Grand Island Station. In granting this petition, 
the commissioners named January 9, 1872, as the 
date for such election, but on January 2, the ques- 
tion was pre.seiited in another form and an election 
ordered for February 15, to vote $15,000 for build- 
ing a court-house. A majority of 150 votes was 
given to the proposition and the result acquiesced 
in by the commissioners on February 22 of that 
year. In February, Abbott & Thummel were 
appointed agents for Hall County to adjust all 
matters connected with the collection of taxes and 
adjusting same in Adams & Hamilton Counties. 
On March 22 the clerk was authorized to ask foi 
l^ids for the erection of a lirick building on stone 
foundation. In May an election on the proposi- 
tion to issue bonds for $90,000 to the Grand Island 
& Northwestern Railroad Company was ordered 
to be held June 15, 1872. George Cornelius and 
Edward Hooper were the commissioners present at 
this session, Jackson being absent. The proposi- 
tion was carried by a majority of 180. At this 
time the assessed value of the county was $949, 
473.12, and on this assessed value a general State 
tax of 2J mills; sinking fund, 2 mills; school, 2 
mills, and University tax of ^ mill wei-e levied; 
while for county general tax, 6 mills were levied; 
for sinking fund, 1^ mills, road and bridge fund. 
1 mill, land and road tax, $4 on every KiO acres, 
and court-house tax, 2 mills per $1. School Dis- 
ricts 6 to 13, inclusive, were assessed 10 mills 
per $1 for school purposes; District 2, 13 mills; 
District 3, 4 mills; Districts 1 and 4, 8 mills, and Dis- 
trict 5, 5 mills. The contract for building court- 
house was sold to John W. Graham, July 3, 1 872, for 
$15,750, but for some reason a new contract was 
entered July 17, with Christian Anderson, D. Plun 
ster and James Tout, for $16,5(K) and Edward 
Hooper appointed superintendent of construction. 
This house was finished and accepted June 28, 
1873. In November, 1872, the issue of $5,000 in 
10 per cent bonds was ordered to be submitted 
to vote, the proceeds to be applied to completion 
of court-house. This proposition was carried liy 
thirteen majority. \\ illiam Hagge was appointed 
treasurer to fill vacancy occasioned by the abscond- 
ing of the former treasurer, Charles Ruelberg, for 




wLohe arrest and return to the .slientr of Hall 
County a reward of |5()() was offered. On De- 
eeiuber 10 a petition from the residents of Grand 
Island asking for incorporation as a town was 
(granted, and R. C. Jordan, John Wallichs, A. 
Thorspecken, H. N. Chapman and Christian Was 
nier were named as trustees. On April 1, 1<S73, 
the question of issuing 10 per cent bonds to aid in 
the construction of a mill on Wood River, within two 
miles of the. Union Fucitic Kailroad bridge, was 
ordered to bo submitted, but it does not appear 
from the record that the |)roposition was favorably 
received. O. A. Al)bott resigned the otKce of 
superintendent of schools on this date, John D. 
Hayes being appointed the same day. The as- 
sessed valuation in July, 1873, was |l,27<),U5o. 
On this valuation a tax levy was made of 6^ mills 
for State purposes, and 15 mills for county pm'- 
po.ses, with a land-road tax of 14 per 160 acres. 
The twenty nine school districts were taxed ac- 
cording to improvements in each- 30 mills in Dis- 
tricts IB and 2'.»; 20 mills in Districts 7, 12 and 
17; IS mills in Districts 8 and 18; Ki mills in 
District 25; 17^ mills in District 23; 15 in Dis- 
trict 24; 13 in District 6; 10 in District 22, and 
lower rates in the other taxed districts. Districts 
10, II, 13, 14. 15, 19, 20, 21 and 26 were not 
taxed directly for school purposes over the State 
2 mill tax. In July, 1873, the work of erecting 
three bridges over Wood River was undertaken 
and many new roa<ls advertised. 

Scpiire S. Lamb was aj)pointed assessor of dam- 
ages, under the law declaring section lines county 
roads, rice Richard Moore formerly appointed. In 
August the board endorsed the resolutions passed 
at Columbus, in the matter of injunction proceed- 
ings by the Union Pacific Railroad Company, 
against county treasurers along their line, and 
Hgr('(>d to jiay pro rata costs of defending the 
counties against the railroad company. The elec- 
tion on the issue of $U0,()00 on 10 jier cent bonds, 
to aid in the Imilding of th(> St. Joseph & Grand 
Island Railroad, was held Deceml>er4, 1873. when 
a majority vote of 2 1 4 was recorded in favor of 
such issue. On .lannary <*), 1874, Commissioner 
Peter Harrison took Jackson's place on tne board. 



During this session there were seven voting pre 
ciucts established, namely: Grand Island, Prairie 
Creek, Alda, South Uoup, Wood River. Martins 
ville and South Platte. On April 8. bonds for 
$00,000 were ordered to Ije transferred to the 
oHicers of the St. Joseph & Grand Island Rail- 
road. The rates of taxation agreed upon in .Inly, 
1874, were Gi^ state, and 16^ county, with a $1 
quarter section tax. The assessed valuation was 
11,554,955. Of the forty-four school districts 
in existence this year, only four escaped direct 
taxation, which reached 40 mills in District 24, 
48 mills in No. 34, 35 mills in No. 32, and 25 
mills in Districts 33 and 38. The treasurer's report 
on revenue from 18(59 to September 30, 1874, is 
very minute in detail. In 1875 Commissioner Jack 
son was returned a member of the board vice Cor 
nelius. The assessed valuation was placed at $1,- 
528,155, on which a State tax of 7/,, mills, and 
a county tax of 11 J mills were levied. There were 
tifty-three school districts in existence at this time, 
all of which were directly taxed - District 45 pay- 
ing 80 mills; Districts 24, 32 and 40 about 40 mills; 
Districts 46 and 50, 30 mills; District 28, 28 mills. 
In 187() George Cornelius was returned a member 
of the board vice Hooper, and with Peter Harrison 
and James Jackson formed the board. The ques- 
tion of issuing $15,000 in 8 per cent bonds (to 
be known as the Hall County Canal Bonds, and 
the proceeds to be expended on the construction of 
a canal between the Platte and Wood Rivers) was 
submitted May 20, 1876, and rejected by a vote of 
330 contra. 140 ])r(). In July the assessment of 
the county showed a valuation of 11,379.909, on 
which a State tax of 1 j\ mills, and a county tax 
of 164 mills were levied. There were tifty five 
school districts established, of which No. 45 [laid 
a 70-mill tax. and No. 50 a 61 -mill tax. R. 13. 
Partridge, James Jackson and George Cornelius 
formed the hoard in December, 1876. In May, 
1877. the connnissioners took steps to tax lands on 
which title was not proved, although the time had 
passed when title should issue. The object of the 
board was to force such " escapers " from tax-pay 
i ing to show their hands. Tiie assessed value iti 
Julv. 1877. was $1,608.23. on which a State tax of 



37. 



HALL COUNTY. 



r)45 



6^ luillH Hiid a county tax of 15 mills were levied. 
There were fifty six school districts listed, all of 
which except nine were taxed directly. At this 
time the people of (iraiul Island precinct authorized 
tbe issue of |S,tMM» in 8 per cent bonds, to be ex- 
pended on building a bridge over the Platte, in 
conjunction with Hamilton County. The vote was 
197 for, and ninety-three contra. In August, 1877. 
O. D. M. Washburn took the place of George 
Cornelius, and in November J. \V. West was e'ected 
commissioner with P. Nevills. In November the 
vote on "Township Organization" gave a major- 
ity in favor of the change of ilH, and on the 24th 
of that month the county was divided into fifteen 
municipal townships, namely: Washington, Lake. 
Prairie Creek. May field. South Loup, Lee, Zurich, 
Sheridan, Alda, Wood River, Union, Martinsville, 
Grant, South Platte and Douglass. The law was 
declared unconstitutional and the subject slept for 
years. In December, 1877, Caswell T. Poe was 
appointed county physician, and in January, 1878, 
Me.ssr8. Partridge, West and Nevills were com 
missioners. 

In May, 1S7S. Surveyor L. E. Reaugh resigned, 
and Charles Rief was a()pointed. In July. 187S. 
the assessed valuation was $1,712,738. On this 
total a State tax of 6^ mills and a county tax of 12 
mills were levied, vchile the fifty eight school dis- 
tiicts then organized were all taxed except eight. 
In no case was the rate over 25 mills. During this 
month the board appropriated 18,000 toward build 
ing a bridge over the Platte at the east line of Hall 
County. This was completed in January, 1879. A 
sum of $200 was appropriated to the Agricultural 
Society to be expended in improving fair grounds. 
The proposition to issue bonds for $75,000 to the 
Hastings & Grand Island Railroad, was presented 
in April, 1879. In May 1,108 votes were cast in 
its favor and 470 against it. The vahiation of the 
coimty in 1879 was placed at $1,815,280, on which 
a State tax of 5^ mills and a county tax of 18 mills 
were levied. Sixty school districts were reported 
organized, of which fifty-three paid direct tax. The 
Mrs. Willoughby chastity matter was presented in 
August, but the wily commissioners transferred 
the ones of investigation to Judjje Harrison's 



court. In October the proposition to issue $50. 
000 in 6 per cent bonds (to aid the building of the 

I Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad) was ordered 
to be submitted to the people of Grand Island. On 
November 8 there were 509 votes cast for and 122 
against the proposition. On October 9 the Grand 
Island Railroad was reported complete and $75,- 
000 in bonds transferred to the proper officers. 
Work on the i-ailroad shops at Grand Island was 
begun in Se])tember. 1880. Charles Rief succeeded 
John Wallichs in January, 1880, as county clerk. 
The assessed valuation of the county was placed at 
11,919,009.70. on which a county tax of 17 J mills 
was levied. Grand Island precinct was taxed 5 
mills for sinking fund, and the city 10 mills for 
general fund and 2J for sinking fund. There were 
sixty-four school districts in existence that year; 
but, unlike former years, a direct school tax of 25 
mills was the highest levied and that only in thir- 
teen districts. In October, 1880, the question of 
expending 11,000 on a building for the poor was 
ordered to be voted on. 

Z. B. Partridge and W. H. West, old members 
of the board, continued their membership in 1881 
with Joel P. Goodrich, who I'eplaced Commissiojier 
Nevills. In March was establisheel the cemetery 
on the poor-farm. The tax levy ordered in July 
was 16 mills for county, general, sinking, bridge 
and road fund; 2 mills to pay interest on bonds of 
Grand Island precinct, and 9 mills for sinking fund 
of Grand Island City. There were sixty -five school 
districts reported, but the direct tax only reached 
25 mills in a few instances. The subdivision of 
the county into voting precincts was accomplished 
July 28, 1881, when the following divisions were 
established: Lake, Town 12, Range 9; Prairie 
Creek, Town 12, Range 10; Mayfield, Town 12. 
Range 11; South Loup, Town 12, Range 12; Cam 
eron, Town 11, Range 12; Harrison, Town 11, 
Range 11; Alda, sections in Range 10 and 11, 

Town 1 1 and 10; North Grand Island, parts of 
Town 11, Range 9 and 10; East Grand Island, 

parts of Town 11 and 10, Range 9: West Grand 
Island, parts of Town 10 and 11, Range 9; Wood 

River, Town 10, Range 11. and that portion of 

Town 9 in Rantre 9. north of north bank of south 



B ""V 



54(5 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



(rhanuel of Platto; Jackson, Towu 10, Kauge 112, and 
all of Town U. Range 12, north of aVjove mentioned 
hank of the Platte; Martinsville, Town U, Range 
1 '2, and all of Town U, Range 1 1 , south of north bank 
of sontb channel of Platte; South Phitte, all of 
Town 1), Range 10, and the south angle of Town 10, 
Range 10, south of the south channel of the Platte; 
Doniphan, all of Town and 10 in Range 9, south 
of the north bank of south channel of the Platte. 
Each precinct was estal>li.shed as a road district, 
th(( numerical order of Townships 1 to 15 being re- 
tained as the numljers of such districts outside 
of Grand Island City. The contract for county 
printing was awarded for the year to Seth P. 
Mobley for $97. In October, Commissioner Part- 
ridge tendered his resignation, to take effect Jan- 
uary l, 1882. This was not accepted. In Novem- 
l)er Dr. H. B. Lashlee was employed as county 
l)hysician, the annual money consideration being 
185. In January, 1882. Frank Sears signs the records 
as county clerk, Z. B. Partridge and J P. Good- 
rich are members of tlie board, with S. S. Shultz 
new commissioner, vice West. The estimate of 
county expenditures for 1882 was placed at $43,- 
()()() and of the Grand Island sinking fund at $3,000. 
In June, 18S2, the tax levy was ordered as follows: 
County general fund, 8 mills; sinking fund, 8 mills; 
sinking fund to pay indebtedness prior to adoption 
of new (Mjnstitutiou, 2 mills; bridge fund, 2 mills; 
road fund, 2 mills; Grand Island precinct fund, 4 
mills; Grand Island City, for general revenue pur- 
poses, 10 mills. Sixty-six school districts were re- 
ported existing, the direct tax on which ranged 
from 3 to 25 mills. The contract for county print- 
ing was awarded to James Ewing in September for 
$100. Dr. Lashlee resigned, the county was divid- 
ed into twenty seven road districts and Dr. Janss 
was a])poiiited county physician at $139.95 per 
annum. On October 10, 1882, the following reso- 
lution was adopted; " Wherean it has come to our 
knowledge, through the agency of the Hon. J. 
Sterling Morton, that the organization of Hall 
(jounty has never been recorded in the records of 
said county, and Whereas Mr. Moiton, who as act- 
ing-governor of the Territory of Nebraska, at the 
timeof theorganiaationof said county, has fxiruished 



a coj)y of the record of said organization, it is 
therefore resolved that the clerk of Hall County is 
ordered to spread the proceedings of said organi 
zation upon the records of the county." A petition 
from the inhabitants of Wood River, asking that 
all the territory in Section 19, Town 10, Range 11, 
be incorporated as a town, was presented October 
14, 1882, and granted. James Jackson, W. L. G. 
Trapp, N. T. Britton, J. B. Furman and James 
Ewing were named as trustees. 

In May, 1883, the court-house was subjected to 
repairs by Contractor J. W. Lamb. The pi ice was 
$170, plus 35 cents per yard for plastering. The 
tax levy was fixed at 12 mills in addition to 3 mills 
for Grand Island precinct fund: 10 mills for (irrand 
Island revenue purposes, and 1 mill for Grand 
Island library fund. No new school districts 
were reported, and the levy in the sixty six exist 
ing districts was generally kept below the 25- mill 
limit except in seven districts where the 25 mill 
tax was ordered. Charles Guenther was awarded 
the contract for building an addition, 24x34 feet, 
to house on poor- farm for $1,060. In January, 
1883, Commissioner W. W. Mitchell took the place 
of Commissioner Partridge; C. T. Poe was county 
physician. On November 20, 1883, this board ap- 
proved the official bonds of John Allan, clerk of 
the district court; James Cannon, sheriff; D. H. 
Vantine, superintendent of public instruction, and 
Edward Hooper, county treasurer, and the work 
of the last lioard of county commissioners was com- 
pleted. 

The first meeting of the board of supervisors 
was held November 21, 1883, with Z. Avery tem- 
porary president, and Frank Sears, clerk. The 
townships were represented by E. C. Walker of 
Lake Township: Peter Mohr, Sr. , Prairie Creek; 
Henry Rosswick, Maytield; Frank M. Stanley, 
South Loup; Haydn Strong, Cameron; Jasper Eg- 
gers, Harrison; George Elfus, Alda; Stephen 
Jones, Wood River; Z. Avery, Martinsville; J. H. 
Powers, South Platte; Samuel S. Shultz, Doni- 
phan; John Fonner, East Grand Island; James 
Cleary, West Grand Island; G. H. Bush (W. B. 
Larrabee in December, 1883). North Grand Is- 
land, and Patrick Nevills, of Jackson. Haydn 



HALL COUNTY. 



547 



Stroug was elected periiiaueiit president over J. H. 
Powers. A committee on the formation of town- 
ships was then appointed: Messrs. Powers, 
Shultz, Jones, Foaner and Elfus. This committee 
reported as follows, and the rei)ort was accepted: 
Lake Township, Town 12, Range 9; Prairie 
Creek, Town 12, Range 10; Mayfield, Town 12, 
Range 1 1 ; South Loup, Town 12, Range 12; Cam- 
eron, Town 11, Range 12; Harrison, Town 11, 
Range 11; Centre, Town 11, Range 10; Alda, 
Town 10, Range 10 north of north main channel 
of Platte; Wood River, all of Town 10, Range 11 
and Town U, Range 11 north of north main chan- 
nel of Platte; Jackson, Town 10, Range 12 and 
part of Town 9, Range 12 north of said channel; 
Martin, all of Ranges 1 1 and 1 2 south of north 
bank of main channel of that river; South Platte, 
all of Town 9, Range 10 and Town 10, Range 10 
south of north bank of main channel; Doniphan, 
Town 9, Range '.*, and part of Town 10, Range 9, 
and part of Town 10, Range 9 south of channel; 
Washington, Town 10, Range 9 north of channel, 
and all of Towns 11 and 9 excejjt Grand Island 
City and the Town of Grand Island. 

On December 11 committees on claims, finance, 
roads and bridges, official books, assessments, 
boundaries and rules were appointed, and the new 
board settled down to business. A petition to the 
governor asking for the commutation of the death 
sentence of George W. Hart to imprisonment for 
life met with opposition. Dr. Poe was re-appointed 
county physician, and the Wood River Gazette 
Company, printers. On January 9, 188-1:, the sum 
of !?1,000 was granted to the Agricultural Society; 
the proposition to build a front or wing to the 
court-house was favorably received, and the salary 
of county clerk placed at $1,500, including $400 
as clerk of the board, but exclusive of $700 for 
deputy and $600 for other assistants in the office. 

On Fel)ruary 26, 1884, an examination of 
Treasurer Cornelius' books showed $32,506.67 to 
the credit of all funds at the close of his term, 
and this sum was turned over to Treasurer Hooper. 
On October 4 a petition by James Cleary, C. 
B. Lewis, W. B. Larrabee, E. C. Walker and 
John Fonner asked for an election on the question 



of issuing 18,000 bonds to be expended on the 
construction of two bridges over the Platte near 
Wood River. The proposition received 1,746 
votes, and was opposed by 670, so that the super- 
visors in November, 1884, gave their authoritative 
sanction to the measure. The injunction issued by 
the United States District Court to restrain the 
collection of taxes from the Union Pacific Railroad 
Company was discussed, and a resolution calling 
upon the clerk to correspond with the clerks of 
other counties interested with a view of taking 
stops to set aside the injunction was passed. 

On January 13, 1885, the board organized with 
J. H. Powers, president; Z. Avery, T. M. Crit- 
tenden, R. H. Dodd, M. S. Drennan, G. El 
fus, L. J. Hanchett, W. H. Harrison, C. B. 
Lewis, W. B. Larrabee, E. S. Lee, John Mul- 
len, J. T. Mehaffie, J. H. Powers, J. H. Scud 
der, C. Stoltenberg, J. G. Shaupp, O. U. West- 
cott and C. W. Thomas (the last-named failed to 
qualify, and James Cleary was appointed) were 
the supervisors. An appropriation of $1,000 to 
the Agricultural Society, for the purjjose of erect- 
ing permanent buildings, was made, and a resolu- 
tion urging the collection of delinquent personal 
taxes adopted. In June President E. A. Barnes, of 
the Agricultural Society, asked that the appropria- 
tion of the sum of $1,000 to his society be with- 
drawn, and the vote was reconsidered and the appro- 
priation confirmed, omitting the article binding the 
society to build at Grand Island. At this time a 
14-mill tax for county, sinking and bridge fund was 
ordered, a 3-mill tax for Grand Island precinct 
interest on shop bonds, 14 mills for Grand Island 
City, 10 mills for Wood River village, and 6 mills 
for Doniphan village. There were also direct 
taxes on township levied this year for general, road 
and bridge purposes in each township. This 
tax ranged from 4:V mills in South Platte to 1 1 
mills in Mayfield. In the seventy school districts 
existing in 1885 a 32-mill tax was levied in No. 67; 
but, with the exception of four other districts, the 
levy was imder 25 mills, and in one district as low 
as 3 mills. In August, 1S85, on petition of Lyon 
Post, G. A. R , a committee comprising one rep- 
resentative from each town was appointed to 



548 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Htteiid to the burial of indigent deceased soldiers. 
The men appointed are named as follows: N. H. 
Hurford, Grand Island; H. E. Kent, Lake; W. B. 
Larraljeo, Washington; C. B. Lewis, Prairie 
C!reek; Henry Rosswick, May field; H. Strong, 
Cameron; J. T. MehatHe, South Loup; J. B. 
Stevens, Jackson; Stephen Jones, Wood River; 
W. \V. Mitchell. Alda; W. N. Gillett, Center; 
G. C. Humphrey, South Platte; Martin Ennis, 
Doniphan; O. F. Foote, Martin, and F. P. Cowee, 
of Harrison In October, 1885. a statement of 
expenses of old county commissioners' board was 
asked for. This pointed out that during the year 
1SS;5 J. P. Goodrich received for time and mile 
age, 1202.20; S. S. Shultz, $284. 10. and W. W. 
Mitchell, $205.50, a total of 1701.80 up to Octo- 
lier 20, 1883. For the year ending October 7, 
1S85, the board of -supervisors received $636.95, 
or $37.11 each, to which $88.*.tO expenses of ses- 
sion then adjourned must be addeil. On October 
21 a special meeting was called to consider charges 
made in the columns of the (xrand Island Times 
against Sheriff Cannon. The investigation com 
menced October 27, when the six charges were 
presented. Supervisor Lewis moved: "We find 
that the sheriff has received $646. more or less, 
fur guarding jail, and that said service has not 
been truly rendered or performed, and that if it 
had been performed as claimed it would not have 
been by the authority of this board.'" The inves- 
tigation ended October 2U, with the sheriff's 
resignation, his reason for resigning being "'that 
the compensation of the office had been so re- 
duced l>y the action of the board he did not desire 
tc) hold the office longer. " E. A. Wedgwood suc- 
ceeded him. J. December, th(^ school superin- 
tendent, was ordered to remove to rented rooms in 
the Michelsou building, and the district clerk to 
move into the vacated rooms in county l)uildiug. 
On January 12, 1886, the third organization of the 
supervisors' board was perfected, with Charles 
Ilief, president; James Cleary represented Grand 
Island; W. J, Burger, Doniphan; T. M. Critten 
den, Martin; Z. H. Denman, Alda; W. H. Harri- 
son, Harrison; Stephen Jones, Wood River; 
Frank Jacobs, Grand Island; E. S. Lee, Cameron, 



J. T. Mehaffie, South Loup; John Moore, Jackson; 
H. C. Moeller, Lake; J. H. Powers, South Platte; 
Charles Rief, Grand Island; (t. L. Rou.se, Center; 
Fred Roboy. Washington; C. W. Scarff, Grand 
Island; John Shuman. Maytield; S. M. Schisler, 
Prairie Creek, and Monroe Taylor, Grand Island; 
D. Ackermau entered on the duties of county 
clerk; the Thompson Brothers were appointed 
county attorneys. The tax levy ordered aggre- 
gated 15 mills for general, sinking, bridge and 
insane funds; 3 mills for Grand Island interest 
on l)onds; Grand Island City, 17 mills; Wood 
River village 10 mills, and Doniphan village 6 
mills. The direct levy on township for general, 
road and bridge purposes range from 3 to 15 mills, 
while the levy for school purposes in each of the 
seventy districts was kept below the average of 
former years, reaching 25 mills in oidy three dis- 
tricts. In July the question of guaranteed strength 
of the steel jail cells furnished by Mo.sler, Bah 
man & Co. was considered, when their representa- 
tive Dewey charged the officials with criminal care- 
lessness in allowing a piece of broken hinge to re- 
main in cell, and thus place in the hands of prison- 
ers a much desired weapon with which to break the 
doors and render escape easy. Power' s celebrated 
motion declaring the case useless and ordering its 
removal liy the manufacturers was carried. 

Mosler, Bahman & Co. carried the question 
before the courts, and in the fall of 1889 secured 
judgment for amount of original bill, costs, etc., 
aggregating about 14,000. 

In August, 1S86, a committee appointed to 
locate the sources of a stream running northeast 
through Lake Township, reported such source in 
Section 1, Center Township, and recommended 
that it be named Moore's Creek. 

The fourth board of supervisors organized Jan- 
uary 11, 1887, with Z. H. Denman, president. 
The new board comj)rised the following named 
township representatives: David T. Jamieson, 
Gustave Koehler, George Loan, John T. Connell 
and Monroe Taylor, Grand Island City; Marcus 
R. Abbott, Wood River; W. J. Burger, Doni 
phan; Thomas B. Coulter. South Platte; Z. H. 
Denman, Alda; Alvin E. Eager, Prairie Creek; 



H- 



HALL COUNTY. 



549 



Oscar F. Foote, Martin; L. J. Hanohett, Lake; 
J. H. Leonard. Harrison; John Moore, Jackson; 
Fred. Roby, Washington; George L. Rouse, Cen- 
ter; Seymour Veeder, South Loup; P. S. Wingert, 
Maytield; Erviu Whitehead, Cameron. 

On petition of Post No. 65, G. A. R., of Doni- 
phan, Martin Marsh was ap])ointed to see that 
indigent deceased soldiers of that township were 
decently interred. The Grand Island Herald was 
designated as the official journal of the county for 
1S.S7, and the estimated expenditures placed at 
147,500. On January 12 the proposition of Sister 
Mary Magdalene, of St. Francis Hospital, was 
received and adopted. This p70vided for medical 
and surgical attendance on sick persons, and their 
nursing and care for $4 per week, and if needing 
constant care, $5 per week. The lower rate was 
also applicable to sick children, while a rate of 
$2.50 per week was made for the care and 
maintenance of healthy children under the age of 
twelve years. The poor farm was rented to A. K. 
Dunkel. 

The tax levy ordered in .lune, 1887, was 15 
mills for general, sinking, bridge and insane funds; 
3 mills, Grand Island precinct; 10 mills general, 
1 mill interest, ^ sinking, 4;^ sinking fund and in- 
terest on water works bonds, and 1 mill library for 
Grand Island City, or a total of 17 mills; 10 mills. 
Wood River village; Ci mills, Doniphan village, and 
from 3 to 7 mills to provide for local township 
expenditures. Seventy two school districts were 
in existence, the levy on which ranged from 1 to 
25 mills. 

The fifth board of supervisors organized Janu- 
ary 10, 1888, with George L. Rouse, president. 
The members were: G. D. Boyce, Thomas B. 
Coulter, A. C. Denman, A. DeWitte, A. Z. Eager. 
O. F. Foote, J. W. Freeman, Richard Goehring, 
L. H. Hanchett, J. R. Jewett, M. D. Nickles, 
Patrick Nevills, G. L. Rouse, Fred. Roby, F. 
M. Stanley, Charles A. Wiebe, P. S. Wingert, Er- 
vin Whitehead and W. F. McLaughlin. A resolu 
tion to obtain estimates from Der Herold for pub- 
lishing the proceedings of the board, was lost on 
being presented. A. K. Dunkel was contirmed as 
superintendent of the poor farm for ensuing year. 



At this time the county attorney informed the 
board that the United States district court decided 
for the Union Pacific Railroad Co., and would not 
recommend an appeal to the supreme court. 

In April, 1888, Julius C. Bishop was appointed 
representative of Maytield Township on the board, 
to till vacancy (the county clerk, judge and treas- 
urer having the appointive power), and H. C. 
MocUer was appointed to represent Lake Town- 
shi[). In July a 15-mill tax was authorized— 8 1''„ 
mills general. 2 mills bridge, 2j-^ mills, interest 
and sinking fund, St. Joseph & Grand Island Rail- 
road bonds, ,",, mills, ,-„ principal on John L. 
Mean's bonds and ^*^ mill for insane hospital fund. 
The levy for Grand Island precinct was placed at 
3 mills — interest and sinking fund for Omaha & Re- 

1 publican Valley Railroad bonds; the levy on Grand 
Island City, for general and special funds, was 
placed at 18 mills, together with a $3 poll-tax; on 
Wood River, 10 mills, and on Doniphan, 2|-'„ mills, 
while the tax for general, road and bridge fund of 

i the townships averaged about 5 mills on each, 
which would equal 5 mills on the total assessed val 
nation of the townships. The aggregate levy in the 
seventy four school districts was 1,088 mills, aver 
aging a little over 14J mills on each. The total 
valuation of the seventy foiir districts multiplied 
by 14|, would, therefore, give the proceeds of this 
tax. John W. Harrison was appointed supervisor 
of Harrison in June, 1888, to till vacancy. The 
issue of $25,000 in bonds, to be known as the 
"Hall County (Neb.) Jail Bonds," was recom- 
mended, in September, by a committee of the 
board, comprising J. R. Jewett, E. Whitehead, 
M. D. Nickles, J. W. Freeman and O. F. Foote. 
The sixth board of supervisors organized Janu 
ary 8, 1889, with George L. Rouse, president. The 
supervisors elected were Z. Avery, J. C. Bishop, 
John Creasou, A. DeWitte, Charles Ewing, C. S. 
Haines, William Haldeman, J. R. Jewett, W. F. 
McLaughlin. John F. Mader, H. C. Moeller, 
Charles Moritz, M. V. Powers, G. L. Rouse, T. 
Robinson, Theodore Sievers, E. Whitehead, P. S. 
Wingert, George P. Dean {rici' Edward Hooper). 
In March J. W. Harrison was appointed supervisor 
of Harrison Township. 



^-^Tv" 



550 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Nicholaua Labann was appointed suporiutendent 
of poor-farm. The estimate of expenditures for 
ISS'.I was «49.r)0() in addition to $().()110 to i)rovide 
intere.st and sini<in<f iuud for (Jrand Island pre- 
cinct bonds to Omaha & Republican Valley Rail- 
road. The tax levy ordered in July, 1889. was 
I I ,'„ mills for jreneral. l)ridge, insane and inter- 
est-sinking funds, and 2 mills interest on Omaha 
& Republican Valley Railroad bonds of Grand 
Island precinct. The levy for Grand Island 
City was 8 mills, general; 2 mills interest on 
funding bonds; 7 mills interest on water works 
bonds, first, second and third series; ^ mill, library 
fund; 'i mills interest on sewer bonds, and 2i^ 
mills interest on city hall bonds, together with a 
$3 poll-tax on all male citizens between the ages of 
twenty-one and fifty years. The levy on Wood 
River village was placed at 10 mills and on Doni- 
phan village at 2 mills. The average levy for 
township, general, bridge and road funas was 4 
mills on the aggregate assessed value of the fom-- 
teen townships, while a rate of 13 mills was estab- 
lished for school district No. 29 to meet bonds. 
The proposition to vote 125.000 (5 per cent bonds, 
proceeds to be expended on the erection of a jail 
and an addition to the court-house was brought be- 
fore the board by Z. Avery. A. DeWitte and Theo- 
dore Sievers, members thereof, with the result as 
shown in the election returns. In August the 
townships were numbered one to fourteen in ac- 
cordance with Section 7, Chapter 22. laws of 1889. 

The supervisors chosen to represent the several 
townships in November, 1889, are elsewhere named. 
In January. 1890, Chairman Rouse was reap- 
pointed, being the beginning of his third term as 
chairman. In his address to the board he speaks 
of the bonded indebtedness of the county, thus: 

"We have bonded indebtedness of $151,000, 
including Grand Island precinct, which mature and 
bear rate of interest as indicated. Courthouse 
bonds, 10 per cent, due August 1. 1892, $15,000; 
court-house and jail bonds. 10 per cent, due Ma}"^ 
1. 1898, 5^5.000; refunded Viridge bonds, fi per cent, 
due January 1. 189(5, $6,000; Hastings & Grand 
Island Railroad bonds. per cent, due July 1, 
1899, $75,000; Grand Island precinct bonds, fi 



percent, due July 1, 1900, $50,000. Excluding 
(irand Island precinct l)onds we have a bonded 
debt of the county of $101,000, a part of which it 
is the duty of this board to levy a tax to pay."' 

He also referred to the ^\ mill tax under the 
new law, providing for the soldiers' relief fund. 

Tlie county has a financial reputation second to 
none in this State. The recent sale of bonds iit 
•li- per cent premium is a historical fact. 

In 1870 Hall County cast off her political swad 
dling clothes and won recognition from the older 
counties of the commonwealth. The political be 
ginnings of the county were, in a measure, crude. 
Uncertainty marked the transactions of the old 
board and not until 1867 did the little republic of 
which Grand Island is the center arrive at that 
point, where true local government begins. Only 
a few years before the Indians threatened to make 
a clearance where the simple homes of the pio 
neers stood. The forts then erected were still in 
existence, and nine-tenths of the inhabitants enter 
tained peculiar doubts regarding American meth- 
ods and manners. Another few years and a 
change is wroiTght in sentiment and habits, and the 
people of Hall, now cosmopolitan, make their 
voices heard throughout the State — an old resi- 
dent is nominated for the office of State treasurer, 
and the county is looked upon as a leading factor 
in deciding questions of moment to the State. 

In Octolier, 1870. David Butler (R. ) received a 
majority for Governor in Hall County; Henry A. 
Koenig(R. ) for State treasurer; John Taffe (R. ) 
for Congress; Leander Gerard (R. ) and his Demo- 
cratic opponent for the senatorship received a tie 
vote; Enos Beal (R ) a majority for representative, 
and James Jackson (R. ) for commissioner. This 
last-named office was the nnly vacancy in the 
county offices. 

The elections of October. 1871. resulted as fol- 
lows: For senator, O. A. Abbott (R.). 251; I. N. 
Taylor. 12; for clerk, John Wallichs, 225; William 
Stolley, 72; for treasurer, C. Ruelberg (R.). 292; 
for sheriff, W. M. Spil < r (R.). 146; A. Thorspecken 
(D.), 144; A. Tho | ecken received 162 and B. 
B. Kelley 119 for c roner; O. A. Abbott, 288 for 
superintendent of schools; Hugo Hald, 283 for sur- 




veyor; William H, Piatt, 20n and Robert Mitchell 
75 for probate judge, and George Cornelius 290 for 
commissioner. 

The vote of Hall County on the adoption of the 
constitution of 1.S71 was 90 for and 91 contra. 

Ed. Parker represented Hall, Merrick, Greeley. 
Howard, Boone and Antelope in 1872. The county 
officers elected this year are previously named. 

The elections of 1S73 show 328 volts for 
O. A. Abbott (R.), and 416 for William H. Piatt 
(P.* ticket), for probate judge; J. E. White (K.) re- 
ceived 313, and W.A.Hagge(P.)442 votes, for treas 
urer; William Stolley (Ind. ) 135, J. R. Laine (R.), 
295, and John Wallichs (P.), 350, for clerk; Will- 
iam Spiker (P.), 193, and W. A. Deuel (R.), 358, 
for sheriff; Odell, 185, and J. D. Hayes (R.), 595, 
for superintendent of schools; Dr Kinkle (R.), 
305, and A. Thorspecken (P.), 411, for coroner; 
J. S. Smith (R.), 353, and A. J. Wilgocki (P.), 
386, for surveyor; Jaines Jackson (P.), 383, and 
P. Harrison (R.), 411, for commissioner. 

Rev. John Lyon, one of the first preachers of 
the Protestant Episcojial Church, was nominated 
for the ofiSce of superintendent of schools, but re- 
fused to be a candidate. 

The elections of 1874 show 302 votes cast in 
Grand Island precinct, 140 in Alda, 67 in South 
Loup, 48 in South Platte, 56 in Prairie Creek and 133 
in Wood River. Messrs. Crounse (K. and P. Ind.), 
Savage (D) and Davis were candidates for Congress, 
Crounse receiving 516 votes against 194 for Savage 
and 35 for Davis. G. C. Barton (R.). and J. E. North 
(D.), were candidates for senator; W. H. Piatt 
(D.), and Loren Clark (R.), for representative; 
James Jackson (D. ) and James White (R. j. for 
commissioner; B. R. Kelley (D. ) and Patterson 
(R.). for coroner. There were seven bogus tickets 
in the field. 

The elections of October, 1875, show a majority 
of 335 for George W. Post (R.). district judge; 
215 for John D. Hayes (R.), county judge; 126 
for W. A. Deuel (Ind.), sheriff; 30 for W. Hagge 
(Ind.). treasurer; 47 for John Wallichs (Ind), 
clerk; 40 for Cornelius (Ind.), commissioner; 104 



for Nunn (Ind.), superintendent of schools, and 45 
for A. F. Wilgocki (R. ), surveyor. 

The elections of November, 1876, resulted in 
341 votes being cast for S. B. Mobley (Ind. R. ), 
515 for George Thummel (R.), and 192 for Hirst 
(D. ), candidates for senator. The vote for AV. W. 
Mitchell (Ind. R.), Peter Harrison (R.). and W. H. 
Piatt (D.), was about the same for representative, 
while Humphrey, Partridge and Barnes were the 
re.'-pcctive party candidates for commissioner; 855 
votes were cast for T. O. C. Harrison (R. ), candi- 
date for county judge; 432 for W. Hagge and 420 
for Wiseman, treasurer; 485 for Joseph Killian 
(Ind. ), 213 for Ware and. 163 for Andrews, sheriff; 
461 for John Wallichs (R.), and 403 for C. Rief, 
clerk; 297 for H. Nunn (R.), and 564 for Ewing, 
school superintendent; SOS) for S. E. Reaugh (R. ), 
and 357 for Babcock, surveyor; 854 for Dr. Bruhns 
(R.), coroner; 415 for J. H. Powers (R. ). 291 
for E. C. Lee (R.), 444 for West and 548 for Ne- 
vills, commissioners. There were 628 votes for 
and 157 against township organization. 

The supervisors appointed December 6, IS77, 
under the law for township organization, as adopt 
ed by Hall County, were Patrick Nevills, Union 
Township; N. T. Britton, W^ood River; W. H. 
Harrison, Zurich; William Partridge, Mayfield; 
J. F. Proctor, Prairie Creek; Ira M. Ware, Sheri- 
dan; William Powell, Alda; J. E. Locke, South 
Loup; S. E. Benton, Cameron; Seth W. Wilson, 
Martinsville; J. M. Powers, Grant; J. W. Smith, 
South Platte; H. C. Denman. Douglass; William 
Larrabee, Washington; E. C. Walker, Lake; H. 
P. Makely, C. E Jerome, James Cleary and C. E. 
Lykke, Grand Island City. The supreme court 
banded down a decision before this board qualified, 
declaring the act unconstitutional. 

The elections of November, 1878, show 948 
votes for M. B. Reese (R.), district attorney ; 1,051 
for E. W. Arnold (R.), State senator; 482 for G. 
H. Lamont(R.), and 570 for G. H. Bush (D.), 
candidates for representative; 199 for C E Lykke 
(R.), 454 for West(D.), and 391 for Burger (Ind. ). 
candidates for commissioner. The officers chosen 
in 1879 are elsewhere named. 

The official vote of Hall County, as recorded in 



Jn: 



A 



,k 



552 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



November, ISSO, is as follows; Presidential elect- 
ors— G. W. Collins, 1,150; James E. Boyd, 547, 
and W. W. Connor, 14. Congress - E. K. Valen- 
tine, 1,143; James E. North, 547, and Allen Root, 
22. (Jovernor - Albinns Nance, 1,14U; T. W. 
Tipton, 546, and O. T. B. Williams, 14. Auditor 
—John Wallichs, 1,275; D. C. Patterson,413, and 
James R. Carey, 22. Attorney Fourth District— 
M. B. Reese, 1,153; George L. Loorais, 549. 
Representative— Fred. A. Sears, 1,232 and A. 
L. Stevenson, 5(U. Senator -W. R. Morse, 1,051 
and Robert C!. Jordan, 051. District court clerk 
— Jay E. White, no opposition. Commissioner — 
Joel P. Goodrich, U()4 and Pati-ick Nevills, S03. 
Surveyor — C. E. Hart, no oi>i)()sition. The propo- 
sition to appropriate .fl,O0() for the erection of a 
poor house was defeated by 1,092 contra. 337 for. 
The precinct assessors chosen this year were Fred- 
erick Roby, Grand Island; Z. H. Deinuan, Alda; 
Stephen Jones, Wood River; S. S. Shnltz, South 
Platte; W. Thompson. South Tjonp; G. W. Miller, 
Cameron; Z. Avery, Martinsville; N. M. Depue, 
Prairie Creek; Fred. Suehlsen, Lake. 

The justices chosen were: F. P. Cowee, Alda; 
J. H. Bliss, Wood River; John Pow(>rs, South 
Platte; D. Whittaeker, South Loup; John H. 
Leonard, Cameron; C. B. Lewis, Prairie Creek. 

The election of November, 1S81, resulted as 
follows: County clerk — Frank Sears, 818, and 
Charles Rief, 749; treasurer — George Cornelius, 
1,212, and G. H. La Monte, 37S; sheriff— Henry 
C. Denman, 862, and Joseph Killian.732; judge — 
George H. Caldwell, 1,355, and J. W. West, 251; 
superintendent of schools — D. H. Vantine, 1,202, 
and George W. Trefrew, 389; commissioner First 
district— S. S. Sliultz, 1.023. and John Fonner, 502; 
commissioner Second district Chauncy Wiltse,2(); 
surveyor — HugoHald. 712; coroner —David Acker- 
man, 1,181, J. T. White. 391. and Z. H. Denman, 
85. The proposition to issue bridge bonds re- 
ceived 559 votes, while 624 were recorded against 
such issue. There were 69 votes cast for and 433 
against the erection of a poor house. The asses 
sors elected were M. Murphy, A. H. Wilhelm and 
F. M. Claflin, for East. West and North (irand 
Island; W. C. Mullen, Alda; John O'Connor, 



Wood River; J. Demary, South Platte; S.Veeder, 
South Loup; T. W. Dodd, Cameron; Z. Avery, 
Martinsville: N. M. De Puts Prairie Creek; Fred 
erick Suehlsen, Lake; W. H. Harrison, Harrison; 
C. L. Alford. May field; Patrick Nevills. Jackson, 
and M. V. Marsh, Doniphan. 

The justices of the peace elected in ISSl were: 
J. B. Jordan, Fred Roby and O. U. Westcott fur 
East, West and North Grand Island; Jacob Shoe 
maker, Alda; G. Slater, Wood River (J. H. Pow 
ers and R. S. Bruce tie in South Platte); W. H. 
Osiiorn, South Loup; Charles Benton, Cameron; 
R. Westcott, Martinsville (G. J. Spencer and D. 
C. Crawford tie in Prairie Creek); L. H. Hanchett, 
Lake; J. H. Leonard, Harrison (J. H. Bliss and 
John Brown tie in Jackson); John Shuman, May 
field, and George Louks, of Doniphan. 

In 1882 James W. Dawes received 770 votes, 
J. S. Morton 704 and E. P. lugersoll 319 votes 
for Governor; E. K. Valentine 790, W. H. Munger 
728 and M. K. Turner 273 for Congr(>ss; John 
Wallichs 876, Charles Leash 591 and John Beatty 
318 for State auditor; Thomas Darnall 1,205 for 
district attorney; Irving M. Cole 802, Jasper F. 
Walker 096, Z H. Denman, Sr., 1,030, John H. 
Powers 343 and Jo.seph Killian 702 for representa- 
tive of Forty-fifth district; Thomas O. C. Harrison 
828; Enoch R. Wiseman, 593 and E. J. Carder 
372 for senator Twenty-fifth district; W. M. Mitch- 
ell 701, Peter Mohr 531 and Patrick Dunphy 553 
for commissioner; constitutional amendment relat 
ing to right of suffrage 489, contra, 1,189. 

The assessors elected were: S. J. Bateman, 
George Bellamy and Fred. Roby for the three 
Grand Islands; a tie in Alda; Stephen Jones, 
Wood River; J. Scudder, South Platte; Irvine 
Herrick, South Loup; L. Houghton, Cameron; F. 
Suehlsen, Lake; Patrick Nevills, Jackson; J. 
Eggers, Harrison; Joseph Ball, Mayiield, and L. 
Orcutt, Doniphan. 

The justices of the peace elected in 1882 were 
William Stolley for West and O. C. Hall for North 
Grand Island; George Elfus, Alda; J. T. Mehaffie, 
South Lou|i; W. B. King, Harrison; J. M. A\'el- 
don, Jackson; John Shuman. Mayfield and M. B. 
Walsh, Doniphan. 



HALL COUNTY. 



553 



The elections of November, 1883, show 815 
votes for M. B. Reese, and 1,022 for James W. 
Savage, candidates for judge of supreme court; 
880 votes for T. L. Norval. and 921 for M. A. . 
Mills, contestants for the office of judge of Sixth 
district; 8(55 for Charles S. Benton, and 981 for 
Patrick Nevills for commissioner; 755 for Michael 
Murphy, and 1,081 for Ed. Hooper, candidates for 
treasurer; 1,017 for Frank Sears, and 824 for 
Charles Ivers for county clerk; 836 for H. C. 
Denman, and 986 for James Cannon for sheriff; 
1,609 for John Allan, and 231 for H. Harvey, 
candidates for clerk of district court; 1,431 for 
George H. Caldwell, county judge; 1,310 for D. 
H. Vantine, superintendent of schools; 778 for 
David Ackorman, 578 for C. T. Poe, and 395 for 
H. J. Ring, candidates for coroner; H. Hald was 
elec ed surveyor without opposition. The vote for 
townshij) organization was 1.283, and against such 
organization 216. 

The assessors elected in the order of 1882 
were S. J. Bateman, Henry Rief, G. Southman, 
Herman Deverman (Alda), John Ewing, John 
Britt, C. C. Wilson, A. C. Powers, C. B. Rhiner, 
G. Vatighn, E. A. Rickerd, Anthony Moore, Pat 
rick Nevills and L. S. Orcutt. 

The justices of the peace elected in this order 
were Daniel Morgan, J. W. West, H. E. Clifford, 
J. H. Andrews, William A. Brown, Lucas Henry, 
T. J. Mehaffie, E. S. Lee (Riley Westcott and 
George Zeluf tie in Martinsville), C. B. Lewis, 
H. E. Kent (Patrick Hoey and F. Smith tie in 
Harrison), John Mosser, William Drennan and 
S. Beidelman. 

TLe township treasurers elected in November, 
1883, were D. H. Vieths, Henry Giese and 
Charles W. Scarff, for East, West and North 
(irand Island, respectively; William Powell, Alda; 
George H. Stoddard, Wood River; Charles Shaw, 
South Platte; Josiah Hall, South Loup; E. V. 
Palmer, Cameron; H. E. Rose, Martinsville; John 
F. Mader, Prairie Creek; Charles Christensen, 
Lake; Louis Rickerd, Harrison; James Keefe, 
Jackson; J. H. Waldron, May Held, and James 
Seudder, Doniphan. 

The township clerks elected in the order of 

35 



townships observed in the list of treasurers are 
named as follows: H. D. Boyden, Fred Roby, 
T. B. Bush, E. E Barr, M. R. Abbott, J. F. Cole, 
August Mieth, Jr., H. A. Goodrich, D. S. John- 
son, George J. Spencer, S. F. Kent, Ed. Curtis, 
Patrick Moore, Henry Tegtmeyer and O. B. 
Foster. 

The elections of November, 1884, were well 
fought battles between the two great political par- 
ties. For Governor, J. S. Morton received 1,285 and 
James W. Dawes 1,314 votes; for Congress, Will- 
iam Neville received 1,259 and George W. E. Dor- 
sey 1,429; for district- attorney, D. T. Moore re- 
ceived 1,231 and Thomas Darnell 1,460 votes; for 
representative, Samuel N. Wolback received 1 , 537, 
Patrick Nevills 1,195, George Cornelius 1.430, and 
James Jackson 1,152; for senator, D. S. Park- 
hurst received 1,301 and Frank C. Putnam 1,396; 
Z. H. Denman was elected surveyor. For consti- 
tutional amendment, relating to legislative depart- 
ment, 995 votes were given and 350 against the 
amendment; for amendment of Article 5 there were 
151 votes given, while 1,1 K) votes were cast in op- 
position to such change in the executive depart- 
ment. The vote on the issue of bridge bonds and 
direct tax to meet interest and principal thereof 
was 1,746 for and 670 contra. The vote for pres- 
idential electors was as follows: Patrick Hinesand 
four others, 1,216; A. L. Burr and four others, 
1,467; A. L. Reinoehl and four others, 12. 

The justices of the peace elected to fill vacancies 
were: E. W. Justice, Grand Island; E. T. Lehen- 
thal, Alda; J. C. Furman, Wood River; George W. 
West, South Platte; J. J. Brewer, South Loup; 
Christopher H. Benton, Cameron; Milo Marsh. 
Doniphan; H. M. Jones, Jackson; J. H. Leonard, 
Harrison; R. C. Perkins, Mayfield; Ira M. Wan, 
Centre. In Washington Township H. H. Bock and 
D. L. Rouse received each 140 votes, and in Lake 
H. E. Kent and L. J. Hanchett received each 41 
votes. 

The elections of November, 1885, show 1,394 
votes for G. H. Caldwell and 675 for J. W. West, 
candidates for county judge; 2,281 votes for Ed 
Hooper, sole candidate for treasui-er; 1,223 for 
David Ackermau and 1,042 for Charles Ivers, can- 



-^ — ^I^, 




didatcs for county clerk; 980 for I. M. Cole and 
1,273 for E. A. Wedgwood, candidates for sheriff; 
1,237 for H. J. lHuf? and 1,030 for C. T. Poe, for 
coroner; 1,073 for 1). H. Vantine and 1,179 for 
H. A. Edwards, candidates for superintendent of 
schools; William Eiisij^u received 1.240 votes for 
surveyor. 

The elections of 1886 show 1,459 votes for 
John M. Thayer. 1,102 for James M. North, and 
11) for VV. W. Hardy, candidates for Governor; | 
1,359 I'or G. W. Laws, 1,199 for Richard Thomp- 
son, and 23 for E. J. O'Neil, candidates for secre- 
tary of State; 833 for Othman A. Al)bott and 1,713 
for Samuel N. Wolbach, for senator from Twenty- 
fifth district; 1,340 for GeorereW. E. Dorsey, 1,200 
for W. H. Webster, and 14 for W. G. Olinger, 
candidates for Congress from Third district; 1,241 
for James Ewing. 1,153 for O. C. Hall, 1,238 for 
Z. H. Denman, and 1,258 for Charles Rief. candi- 
dates for representative; 1,230 for L. M. Whit- 
ney and 1,315 for W. H. Thompson. Out of 851 
preference votes cast for United States senator, 
C. H. Van Wyck received 845, while the proposed 
amendment of constitution relating to the legis- 
lative department received 815 votes and was op- 
posed by 238. 

The vote for two judges of the Ninth judicial 
district, recorded in November, 1887, in this 
county, was as follows: 1,759 for T. O. C. Har- 
rison, 1,350 forT. B, Titfany. 1,351 for William 
H. IMatt, and 1,005 for T. J. Doyle; for county 
judge, George H. Caldwell received 1,472, J. H. 
Mullin 1,239, and B. F. Merrill 00; for county 
treasurer, Ed C. Hockeuberger, 1,59(3, Fred Roby, 
1,117, and C. D. Irvine 54; for clerk of district 
court, John Allan 1.478 and J. M. Thompson 52; 
for county clerk, David Ackerman 1 , 627, George 
F. Ryan 1,064, and R. C. Perkins 58. The vote 
for sheriff shows C. P. R. Williams receiving 1,283 
and E. A. Wedgwood 1,469; for superintendent 
of schools, H. A. Edwards 1,384, S. S. Hay man 
1,330, and Mrs. G. E. Everett 57; H. A. Gallup 
received 1,440 and William Ensign 1,220 for the 
office of surveyor; Z. B. Partridge 1,428, C. T. 
Poe 1,280, and H. J. Ring 54 for coroner. 

The elections of November, 1888, show 1,907 



votes for George H. Hastings and I'oiu- other elect- 
ors, 1,509 for W. G. Sloan and four others, 99 
for E. S. Abbott and four others, and 33 for Allen 
Root and four others, or a total of 3,548 votes; 
John M. Thayer received 1,902 votes, John A. Mc- 
Shane 1,514, George E. Bigelow 99, and David 
Butler 46 for the office of Governor; George W. E. 
Dorsey 1,901, E. P. Weatherby 1,506, A. M. Wall 
ing 103, and I. O. Jones 36 for Congress; John 
L. Means 1,626, S. N. Wolbach 1,793, O. C. Hall 
66), and C. H. Wood 18 for senator of Seventeenth 
district; William J. Olinger received 51 prefer- 
ence votes for United States senator, Ed Hoojjer 
1,762, H. C. Denman 1.884, W. J. Burger 1,454, 
Henry Vieregg 1.645, William Drennan and C. D. 
Irvine 80 each; Thomas A. Oakes 60 and William 
C. Brown 39 for representative of Forty-seventh 
district: Walter R. Bacon 1,772, H. B. Wilson 
1,712, and C. Winking 32, candidates for county 
attorney. The proposition to issue bonds, referred 
to in the transactions of the supervisors, received 
only 482 votes, and was opposed by 1,729 votes. 
The vote on building an addition to court-house 
and issuing new jail bonds was 299 for and 984 
conti'a. 

The elections of November, 1889, show 1,706 
votes for T. L. Norval, and 1,325 for John H. 
Ames, candidates for justice of the supreme court; 
E. C. Hockenberger received 1,839 votes and was 
not opposed, David Ackerman received 1.871. and 
Eli A. Barnes, 1,163 for county clerk; H. E. Clif- 
ford received 1,681 and J. H. Mullin 1,356 votes 
for county judge; E. E. Thompson 1,574 and H. 

A. Edwards 1,428 for office of school superin 
tendent; William F. McLaughlin 1,425, and 
James A. Costello 1,619, for sheriff; J. D. Jack 
son 1,718 and C. H. Waldschmit 1,298 for coro- 
ner, and C. A. Baldwin 1,725 for surveyor. 

The assessors elected were Fayette Smith, 
Grand Island City; William Thomssen, Alda; 
M. J. Costello, Wood River; L. Henry, South 
Platte; C. C. Wilson, South Loup; A. O. Powers, 
Cameron; W. O. Foote. Martinsville; J. E. Mader, 
Prairie Creek; F. Suehlsen, Lake; M. S. Dren- 
nan, Maylield; James F. Haldeman. Harrison; E. 

B. Engleman, Centre; Henry Rief, Washington; 



-7-. 



lI^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



555 



Eobert Gillispie, Washington, and R. P. Mc- 
Cutcheon, Doniphan. 

The justices of the peace elected were George 
J. Spencer, First Ward, Henry Garn, Second. T. 
H. Eisner, Third, and W. A. Prince, Fourth 
Ward of Grand Island City; D. O'Kane, M. J. 
Costello, W. D. Devereaux (J. J. Brewer and P. 
S. Wingert, tie in South Loup), J. W. Hurley, A. 
Eager, J. H. Andrews, W. W. McCoy, Patrick 
Hoye. S. H. Ferguson (H. H. Bock, D. S. Roush, 
tie in Washington), George Cox and H. N. Lord. 

The township clerks elected in November, 1889, 
are named as follows, the order of townships 
(from Alda to Doniphan) as given in the list of 
justices, being observed in this list: F. D. Hast- 
ings, E. Baldwin, Fred Phillips, J. T. Mehaffie, 
Lee W. Crofts, D. S. Johnson, Hans H. Schroeder, 
J. E. Hanna, J. H. Hulett, M. Diehl, J. H. 
Squires, George Rief, M J. Ryan and O. B 
Hawk. 

The list of treasurers, in the same order of 
townships, comprises Claus Stoltenberg, S. M. 
Jordan, J. F. Cole, Elmer Veedd, E. O. Palmer, 
A. H. Stewart, Peter Schroeder, E. C. Walker, 
C. L. Alford, William Mundt, David Alter, Henry 
Giese, John Mullin and C. W. Hengen. 

The supervisors elected in 1^89 to serve in 
1890 are Thomas Robinson, G. H. Geddes, 
George P. Dean, I. R. Alter, M. V. Powers, 
George H. Andrew, Myron Dings, M. Murphy and 
Charles Wasmer. The latter received the lowest 
vote of the party, 615, while George P. Dean re 
ceived the highest vote of the party, 085. Robert 
Geddes, Sr., received 591, while James Cleary and 
P. Duuphy received 546 votes, each being <he 
highest and lowest vote of the party in Grand 
Island City. Z. H. Denman was elected in Alda, 
David Barrick in Wood River, William Lammers 
in South Platte, Josiah Hall in South Loup, W. 
W. Dubbs in Cameron, O. F. Foote in Martins- 
ville, W. H. Culbertson in Prairie Creek, H. C. 
Moeller in Lake, J. C. Bishop in Maylield, J W. 
Harrison in Harrison, G. L. Rouse in Centre, 
William Stolley in Washington, C. S. Ewing in 
Jackson, and Samuel Shultz in Doniphan. 

Apart from the representation of this county 



in the Legislature, the offices of State have claimed 
a few citizens of Hall, and the highest position 
in the gift of the State is now held by Gen. 
Thayer. Henry A. Koenig served as State 
treasurer four years; Seth P. Mobley, regent of 
university two years; O. A. Abbott, lieutenant- 
governor two years, John Wallichs, State auditor 
four years, and John M. Thayer, Governor for four 
years. 

In Masonic, Odd Fellow. Grand Army and 
other secret society affairs, Grand Island has taken 
a representative part; while in agricultural associa- 
tion matters, Hall Count}' farmers participate very 
prominently. 

The first record of the district court of Hall 
County is opened under date, November 30, 1868. 
Judge L. Crounse who called this court for the 
date given, on application of the commissioners, 
was not present, so that the clerk John Wallichs. 
adjourned court until December 1, when the con- 
tinued absence of the judge occasioned another 
adjournment. On December 2, the worried clerk, 
the impatient jurors and lawyers and angry liti- 
gants were made happy by the presence of his 
honor, who opened the morning session, with John 
Wallichs, clerk; E. T. Gray, district attorney, and 
Henry Rose, sherifp. The grand jury then em 
paneled comprised Peter Boeh, George Cantield. 
H. Giese, Edward Hooper (foreman), J. Riss, H. 
Bockman, Edward Keuscher, Hans Knuth, Elijah 
Lane, Henry Schoel, A. P. Beaman, J. Crean. P. 
Moore, J. T. Reese, Edward Gumar and S. Lamb 
(succeeded by Patrick Dunphy and Henry Tempke). 
John S. Martin of the Ohio bar was admitted to 
the Nebraska bar on motion of Lawyer Gray. 
Henry Schoel, Hans Knuth and Henry Tempke, 
all grand jurors, were admitted to citizenship. 
Joachim Doll, John David Schuller, Henry Joehnk, 
John Hann, John Seier, Nicholas O. Hansen. Peter 
Stuhr, Carl Boehl. George Lounzen and August 
Thorspecken were also admitted to citizenship. 
The continuance in the case of A. C. McLain vs. 
Joseph Smith; a judgment against Daniel Freeman 
for $163.72 in favor of Ritchard Smith: the over- 
ruling of a motion to dismiss the case of assault 
and battery against Wesley Folsom; a judgment 







rendered by jury (of which C. C. Ridell was fore- 
man) agiiiiist O. A. HartzoU, in favor of Conrad 
Greiu, and the dismissal of the suit by Koenig & 
Wiebe against John Seier, mark the first day's 
work. On December ;}, the grand jury returned 
an indictment for forgery and one for larceny. The 
charge of assault and battery was submitted to a 
jury, of which Uohert Mitchell was foreman, with 
the result of acquitting Wesley Folsom. The ad 
mission to citizenship of Michael Crean, Carl 
Becker, Teith J5ecker. Detleo Sass, Gottfried Mer- 
ker, James Crean an<l Henry Lilianthal was 
ordered, and the trials of John Jennings for for- 
gery, and Elijah A. and John E. Myers, for lar- 
ceny, were begun. On the 4th a verdict of guilty 
was returned by a jury of whom Robert Mitchell 
was also foreman. C. P. Hall was assigned as 
counsel for Jennings, but could not save him fi-om 
a two years' term in the penitentiary. The Myers 
were acquitted l)y a jury of whom S. Canfield was 
foreman. Patrick and Richard Moore and Henry 
A. Koenig were admitted to citizenship, and the 
latter as treasurer of Hall County receipted for 
$40, being the amount of couunencement fee for 
suits brought to this term. 

There is no record of court being held in 1869. 
On May 24, 1870, Judge Crounse opened the 
second term, with Wallichs clerk, Gray attorney, 
and H. Hald sheriff. The grand jury comprised 
John Meagher, William Hollingshead, C.C.Jerome, 
J. Kraft, F. A. Wiebe, C. D. Mevis, John Riss, 
William Spiker, C. W. Thomas, Adam Windolph, 
John Hanp, Perry Hack, N. V. Hansen, Fritz 
Roby, William Eldridge and David Miller. The 
civil suits, McLean & Russell rs. Charles Davis, 
and Koenig & Wiebe vs. John Seier, were reported 
settled. A judgment for 14(54.40 in favor of Fred 
Hedde, and against Freeman C. Dodge is recorded. 
Albert Swartzlaud, an attorney, moved the ad 
mission of William H. Piatt to the bar, which 
motion prevailed. Fritz Stark applied for leave 
to build a milldam across Wood River, and a jury 
in the case was called, on whose report the petition 
was ijranted. The first divorce suit was beenn and 
ended here at this time. Anna Margareth Elsabea 
Pap had her maiden name of Tiedge restored. 



owing to the fact that Johann D. Pap was absent 
from her for over two years. Martin Schimmer 
and Hugo Hald became citizens. The commence- 
ment fees for suits luought to this term amounted 
to i;^'). 

The third term of court was begun May 3, 1871, 
although called for the first Monday in April. 
This was due to the inability' of the judge to be 
present. Among the grand jurors (names not hith- 
erto given) were Peter Peterson, James Tout, R. 
C. Jordan, E. O'Brien, William Johnson, Daniel 
Wainright, Daniel Baker, J. G. Nagy, Patrick 
Nevills, L. Melson, Henry Egge, William Powell, 
J. W. Jones, George Cornelius, W. Rollins, George 
Williamson, Harry Norton, H. N. Chapman, H. 
Makely, George Loan, James Baldwin and Jo.seph 
Jenneman. George H. Thummel and Sparks of 
the Illinois bar were admitted at this term, also J. 
A. Piatt, who was exaiuined and admitted on mo- 
tion of O. A. Abbott. A judgment for 1971.20 
and costs was assessed by the jury against Joseph 
Smith, and in favor of McLean & Russell. Pat- 
rick Nevills, H. Obermiller, H. Gam, P. Peterson, 
C. D. Mevis, Alex A. Baker, Christian Hann, Carl 
Hann, Clans Hansen, Theodore Noll, Martin Horn, 
J. Boehl, John Hays, John Foulks, Jonathan Fran- 
cis, John Quaine? John Davis, John Bishoff, Louis 
Engel, August Engel, Fritz Krvise, H. Bauman, 
Patrick Brett and Fritz Stark were admitted to 
citizenshij). W. C. Buderos was admitted to the 
bar on motion of William H. Piatt. At this time 

0. A. Abbott, G. H. Thummel and Charles H. 
Brown were appointed a committee to examine 
candidates for a<lmission to the law circle. The 
indictment for manslaughter was returned against 
Thomas O' Neil, to which he answered "guilty." 
Judge Crounse sentenced him to ten hours hard 
labor per day in the State penitentiarj-, until April 

1, 1881. The commencement fees amounted to $45 
from suits entered at this term, as shown by the 
receipt of Treasurer F. A. Wiebe. 

In January, 1872, D. E. Marler, jailer, was 
locked in the cell by a prisoner named G. E. 
Mason, who escaped. Mason escaped once before; 
but owing to the severity of the weather returned. 

The Ajiril term of 1872 was fixed to begin on 



<S W- 



HALL COUNTY. 



557 



the 8th, but the judge not being present, Clerk 
Wallichs had to resort to the plan of adjournment. 
Oil the yth, however. Judge Crounse appeared 
upon the scene with E. F. Gray, attorney for 
district, and William M. Spiker, sheriff. The 
graad jury comprised Michael McNamara, Henry 
Tempke, James Baldwin, W. H. Denman, -L. W. 
Rollins, James Michelson, \V. H. Mitchell, J. D. 
Schuller, E. B. Veeder, Samuel Huston, William 
Deuel, Joe Wesley, E. W. Brown, John Win- 
dolph, Charles Hoffman and John Calahan. On 
motion of Attorney John D. Hayes, J. H. Darnell 
of the Iowa bar was admitted to practice. New 
citizens were made in the persons of C. H. Mink, 
John Pehrs and Paul Patterson. The charge of 
murder against George Williamson was dismissed 
by the grand jitry. Charles Ross was sentenced 
to eighteen months' hard labor for larceny, and 
indictments for a similar offense returned in two 
other cases. John Bueuz, Heurieh Scheel, Theo- 
dore Scherzberg, Thomas Nevills, Charles Scherz- 
berg. Christian Wasmer and George Williamson 
were admitted to citizenship, and the marriage 
relations between Elizabeth and John Bishoff were 
dissolved on the former's petition. The com 
mencement fees paid over to Charles Reulberg at 
the close of term amounted to $20. 

Court was called for April 14, 1873, but the 
usual al)sence of Judge Crounse led to adjourn- 
ment. On the 15th the clerk adjourned to the 
16th, and on that day, owing to the continued 
absence of the judge, adjourned sine die. 

The resolution of the commissioners of April 
23, 1873, calling for a term of the district court, 
was answered by Judge Samuel Maxwell May 12, 
who appointed June 30 as the first day of term. 
Judge Maxwell presided, with M. B. Hoxie dis- 
trict attorney, and clerk and -sheriff as in 1872. 
Adolph P. D. Egge, Henry Pieper, Henry Gulzov, 
J. M. Oltmann, H. Kruse, Hans Ruge, Sievert 
Rief, Clans Stoltenberg, Peter Bergfeeth, A. C. F. 
Weudt, F. Wilde, C. Engelke, Peter Jehrs, Jacob 
Suhr, H. Boersen, F. Hues, William Engel, Peter 
Meesch and James Bueuz were admitted to citizen- 
ship. 

On July 1, 1873, John D. Hayes, G. H. Thum- 



mel, E. F. Gray and W. H. Piatt were appointed 
a committee to examine applicants for admission 
to the Isar. Thomas Harrison was admitted on 
their report. Henry Nunn of the Illinois bar was 
admitted on motion of John D. Hayes. Paul 
Frauen, Claus Frauen, Peter Wiese, Charles Rief, 
Lawrence Kilkenny, Patrick Kilkenny, Martin 
Nolan and John Graham became citizens, and 
later Henry Wiese, George Thavenet, Hans 
Behrens, George Lorenzen and Louis Lorenzen 
followed their example. The amount of com- 
mencement fees turned over <o Treasurer Hagge 
was $70. 

The October term of 1873 opened on the 27th 
with the same judge and officials as in June of 
this year. Joe Jeneman, Rasmus Nielson, Chris 
Dierks, Edward Hooper, Heinrieh Dederiehsen, 
Henry Rief, Adolph Baasch and J. C. Ohlsen were 
admitted to citizenship. The celebrated case of 
Hall County vs. Charles Ruelberg et al. was pre- 
sented October 28, O. A. Abbott representing the 
county. David W. Beach was tried by a jury of 
which C. W. Felt was foreman, found guilty and 
sentenced to one year in penitentiary. The charges 
against Anna Cross and W. H. Anderson, ques- 
tionable housekeepers, and "Sandy" and Speuce, 
common gamblers, were presented, while the suit 
against Ex Treasurer Ruelberg was dismissed 
without prejudice to future action at the request 
of the commissioners, tendered liy County Attor- 
ney O. A. Abbott. 

The April term of 1874 opened with Judge 
Maxwell presiding; M. B. Hoxie, district attor- 
ney; John Wallichs, clerk, and William A. Deuel, 
sheriff.* A heavy ccjntingent of foieigneis ap- 
plied for admission to citizenship, and \Villiam 
Johnson, Nicholas Bonsen, Ehrick Prahm, Peter 
Mohr, John Liedemann, Henry C. Ahrens, Peter 
Meinert, Charles M. Horn, Daniel Baker, Hans P. 
Erickson, John Hauss, Robert Froberg and George 
Boehm were admitted. At this time the first pro 
bate petition was heard — George W. Hulst, ad 
ministrator of Jesse Turner estate, for leave to sell 

*Oii MaiTli 16, 1874, William Nlrholsoii. the jailiir. while iilai'inj; 
a prisoner in tlie eell, was seized by .Joe Clark and .lames DulT ami 
jailed. 'I'lie two desperadoes eseaped: hut .loim Kills, eharged with 
miniler. refused to aeeompaiiy them. 



-®liV 



<<; «. 



_s ^ 




real estate. A few civil and criminal cases were 
presented. 

The October term oi)oned on the 20th with the 
same judge and officers as in April. John G. 
Schaupp's petition for leave to build a mill-dam 
across Wood River was presented, and a jury 
ordered in the case. Henry Kehinimer, Henry 
Kasbari, D. M. Reuter, Claus Panstian, (reorge 
Grantham. Jurgen Heesch, George Leger, Her- 
mati Oi»hlrich, Charles Christiansen and George 
Greve were admitted citizens; Amelia Wire was 
granted her petition of divorce from Edward; 
Warren Thinumel was admitted to the bar on 
motion of William H. Piatt, and the acceptance of 
a receipt from Treasurer Hagge for .f60 com- 
mencement fees closed the record of the term. 

The April term of 1875 was opened on the 12th, 
but, owing to the absence of Judge Maxwell, ad- 
journed to the 13th, when George J. Spencer was 
admitted to the bar; the petition of Emilio K. Ball- 
ing for divorce was granted; Frederick Muntzert, 
Niels Hansen, John Bolders, William McCracken, 
Niels Anderson, L. Rasmussen Astrnp, Claus 
Eggers and Ferdinand Loehle were admitted to 
citizenship, and Emma Grabach indicted for mur- 
der in the second degree. The commencement 
fees amounted to $45. The May adjourned term 
opened and concluded May 8, 1875. Charles R. 
Smith was admitted to the bar on motion of John 
D. Hayes; M. R. Abbott, James Holden and John 
Holden were admitted to citizenship, and Emma 
Grabach was sentenced to one year in the State 
penitentiary without solitary confinement. 

A notable law case grew out of the title of 
the Union Pacific Railroad Company, known as 
the Union Pacific Railroad Company vs. W. H. 
Piatt. It appears that some point in the con- 
tract of the company with the United States 
bound it to dispose of all the land grant prior (o 
1875. Secretary Schurz held that the company 
had forfeite:! their rights to lauds then unsold, and 
under this ruling Piatt pre-empted a one-fourth 
section within what is now Grand Island. The 
railroad company entered an action for trespass, 
but Piatt enjoined the proceedings. Before Judge 
Dundy of the United States District Court the case 



was decided in favor of the company; but the 
defendant Piatt carried it to the United States 
Supreme Court, which confirmed the decision and 
settled the question of the land grants. 

The October term of 1875 was remarkable for 
the lengthy civil docket presented. C. D. Culver, 
of the 'Illinois bar, was admitted to this bar; Dan- 
iel Ertel, 'John Genz, John Hendricks and John 
Johnson were admitted to citizenship. The term 
was opened by Judge Maxwell and closed by Judge 
George W. Post. The latter, on January 12, 1876, 
fixed the time of holding regular terms of court in 
the counties forming the Fourth judicial district — 
Hall, Merrick, Platte, Colfax. Dodge, Saunders, 
Howard, Seward, York, Butler, Polk and Hamil- 
ton. Judge Post opened the February term here 
on the 23d. Martin Ott, Hans Rief, Friedrich 
Schleichardt, John Mahony, Thomas Mahony, 
Hans Wiese, Henry Wiese, C. Clausen, Kasper 
Hein, Johaun Hinrich Rief, Werner Foellmer, 
Fritz Tamsen, Claus Grotzke, Carl F. Petersen, 
Peter Laubach, Lndwig Schultz and Fritz Wiese 
were admitted to citizenship. Christopher T. Hall 
was admitted to the bar on certificate of the 
United States district clerk of Wyoming Terri- 
tory. Loring Gaffey and A. M. Stevenson, who 
were examined by Messrs. W. H. Piatt, J. D. 
Hayes and Henry Nunn, and Arthur E. Pinkney 
by Messrs. Abbott and Thummel, were admitted to 
the Nebraska bar in September. Henry Streeve, 
Nicolaus Mildenstein, Peter D. Thomsen, Peter 
Schuhmann, J. E. Meth, F. A. Schieck and Oth- 
man A. Abbott were admitted to citizenship dur 
ing this term, and a number of civil cases dis- 
posed of. 

The February term of 1877 commenced on the 
20th, Judge Post presiding, with M. B. Reese, 
district attorney, John Wallichs, clerk, and W. A. 
Deuel, sheriff. The names of grand jurors show 
very few of the veteran jurors of past years. 
Martin Brett, Gustave Schaurup, Hans A. Klin- 
genberg, John C. Stark, M. Hokinson, H. Buen- 
sen, Bryan Harcy, W. Guenther, Patrick Higgins, 
John Lammert, Heinrich Graack, Christian E. 
Lykke, C. Schaurup, Nicholas Rauert, Claus 
Klindt, Christian Nieberger, Hugo Oehlrich, Hans 



Vlto- 



V 






HALL COUNTY. 



559 



J. Moehler, A. Blunk and Arnold Oehlrich were 
ailiuitted to citizenship. The adjourned term was 
held in April. Mrs. Esther Johnson's maiden 
name — Esther E. Frye — was restored on her own 
])etition. Ernst Marqiiardt, Carl Daberkow, Peter 
Thomsen, Michael Kroeger, Joachim F. Dibbern, 
Bertha Wiese, Charles Stolle, Peter Mohr, John 
Mohr, Juergen Gie.se, John Lemburg and Carsten 
Lemberg were admitted to citizenship; while in 
September. 1877, a similar service was performed 
in the case of John Allan, the present district 
court clerk, Michael Kroeger, August Dobberstein, 
John L. Johnson, John Anderson, Detrick M. 
Sweeden, Caroline Pettersen, Pereke E. Petter- 
sen, Jacob Giese, Christian Ipsen and Henry 
Reese. The admission of George H. Caldwell, a 
West Virginia lawyer, to the Neljraska bar, is of 
record at this time. 

The February term of 1878 shows only one 
change in the oificial list, Joseph Killian, sherifp, 
vice Deuel. Alex. Campbell was admitted to the 
Nebraska bar on testimonials from Michigan and 
Iowa. A long list of new citizens marks the first 
day of this term: Thomas Francis,' Ellen Kearney, 
Fred Spangenberg, Gottfried Keinge, Michael 
Mullen, Thomas Mullen, Bridget F. Mullen. Cath- 
erine Francis, Dirk T. Witt, Claus Dammanu, 
Herman Schipman, Max T. Voss, Carl Gatzke, 
Adolph Schipman, C. H. Kruse, Johann Neubert, 
Jasper Eggers, Ed Schaurup, Michael Curtin, 
Carsten Dammann, John Kruse, Loren Nelson, Marx 
Opp, Ehrhard Opp, Christ. Opp, Johann Opp, 
Henry Drews, Nicholaus Adams, Erlan G. Carlson, 
Frank Geerssen, W. Freund, George Loan, Henry 
Irvine and Mado Anderson renounced allegiance 
to their old oppressors. George Thompson was 
indicted for luirglary, was found guilty by a jury, 
of whom Nathan Britton was foreman, and sen- 
tenced to one year in penitentiary. In September, 
1S78, the following-nymed were admitted to citi- 
zenship: John Hylaud, Fred Campbell, Heinrich 
W'nlf, Gustav Schieine, Franz Guenther, Miles 
Lyons, Charles Beinecke, Peter Claussen, Johann 
J. Gissell, Carl W. Wallgreen, Mark Lyons, Adam 
Simon, Simon Uhrig, Patrick Kane, Heinrich C. 
Stienbeck, the Widow Messa Dammann, W. P. 



Nicholson, John Pohlmann, Jacob Erickson, Julius 
Bush, Henrietta Beinicke, Carl Schaub, Carl 
Guenther and Edward Bussell. Edward Wilson, 
who pleaded guilty to the indictment for burglary, 
was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary. 

John R. Thompson, of the Iowa bar, was ad- 
mitted to the Nebraska bar in February, 187U, on 
motion of T. O. C. Harrison. George H. Thummel 
and M. J. Gahan were appointed commissioners 
of insanity; Miles Christensen, Frederick Wiegert, 
Jens Larsen and Henrietta Scherzl)erg were ad- 
mitted to citizenship; Charles Davis was sen- 
tenced to one year in the penitentiary for bur- 
glary; Thomas J. Morgan, Wilhelm Glause, Lorenz 
Gulzor, Christian L. Frey and Carl Schultz were 
admitted citizens in May, and in September fol- 
lowing, there were admitted Owen Curry, Robert 
Beckman, Carsten Bosselmau, Johann D. H. Koch, 
Christian Otto, Theo. Brustim, Lawrence Michael 
and Johann G. Schieck. 

The March term of 1880 was opened by Judge 
Post on the 2d. M. B. Reese was district attorney, 
B. C. Wakeley (succeeded by E. M. Battis), court 
reporter, Charles Rief, clerk, and Joseph Killian, 
sheriff. At this time the work of naturalizing for- 
eigners commenced in earnest, and large lists of 
those admitted to American citizenship find their 
way into the court journal. M. B. Hoxie, P. S. 
Batte and M. B. Reese, a committee appointed to 
examine candidates for admission to the bar, re- 
ported favorably on the petitions of George B. 
Darr, D. H. Burroughs and George W. Trefren, 
who were admitted. The trial of Frank Lawrence 
for murder in the first degree occupied much of 
the attention of this term. Messrs. IJeese, Thum 
mel and Piatt represented the State and Messrs. 
Abbott, Caldwell and W. H. Bell the defendant. 
The jury, of which James Ewing was foreman, 
brought in a verdict of "not guilty." In October, 
1880, Austin H. Moulton was admitted, and in 
September, 1881. Herschel A. Edwards was ad- 
mitted on motion of J. K. Thompson. 

In the fall of 1885 an attempt was made to burn 
the court-house and jail by some desperate pris- 
oners. In August four prisoners, William H. Thur- 
man, a forger, August Pitreet, a horse thief, Clar- 



560 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



euc.e McCliiia, a sellor of luortgaged property, and 
John Moody escaped. With the aid of a small lire- 
shovel t.hoy V)ored through the concrete floor, and 
burrowed thence to liberty. 

The murder of Valentine Gulcher occurred near 
Grand iHland, February lU, 1S88. The coroner's 
jury found August Moeller guilty of the crime. 

The trial of George Hart* for the murder of 
Michael Kress commenced in Septeml)er, 1881, but 
was continued to the next term. March 1, 1882, 
a jury, of whom N. Child was foreman, found the 
])risoner guilty, and Judge Post sentenced him to 
be hanged June 15, 1882. Messrs. M. B. Reese, 
Thummel and Piatt represented the State, and 
Messrs. Abbott, Michael and Caldwell the defend- 
ant. In February, 1882, H. C. Denman was sheriff 
and Frank Sears, clerk, vice Killian and Rief. 
Very little business was transacted during the fall 
term proper, but at the adjourned term, held in 
January, 1888, a very extensive civil docket was 
disposed of. Henry E. Clifford was admitted to 
practice on January 9. In the fall of this year 
Thomas Darnall presented the "whisky indict- 
ments" to the grand jury, and that body knowingly 
did return them for trial on specific evidence point- 
ing out the defendants to have sold and delivered 
' ' a certain spirituous liquor, commonly called 
whisky." 



*Tlie case was carried to the supreme court. Imt wltlioiit suc- 
cess, when executive clciueucy was asked. Altlioufjli tlic scaffold 
was ready for the execution it was not given a victim, as tlie deatli 
sentence was commuted, and instead imprisonment for iife imposed. 



The April term of April 10, 1883, was opened 
by Judge T. L. Norval, with Thomas Darnall, dis- 
trict attorney; E. M. Battis, court reporter; H. C. 
Denman, sheriff, and Frank Sears, clerk. The 
whisky cases and the trial of Stephen Binfield, 
Henry Bonsen, Nicholas Bimsen and Fred Whit- 
tler, for murder in the second degree, were pre- 
sented, and Richard C. Glanville was admitted to 
the bar. On September 8 Stephen Bintield was 
found guilty of manslaughter by a jury of whom 
William Stolley was foreman, and sentenced to ten 
years in the penitentiary. 

The February term of 1884 was ojjened by 
Judge Norval, February 12; Thomas Darnall, 
district attorney; John Allan, clerk; H. M. War- 
ing, reporter, and James Cannon, sheriff. In Oc 
tober, 1884, Wintield S. Hayman was admitted a 
member of the bar. 

The transactions of the last few years belong 
principally to the civil docket. The officers pres- 
ent at the October term of 1889 comprised F. B. 
Tiffany and T. O. C. Harrison, judges; E. B. Hen- 
derson and C. W. Pearsall, reporters; W. R. Ba- 
con, prosecuting attorney; E. A. Wedgwood, sher- 
iff, and John Allan, clerk. 

While the county has been exceptionally fa 
vored by the absence of heavy criminals, the civil 
docket has always been full, and the court records 
spread out over several volumes. The record of 
elections points out the contests for court positions 
and the last election shows the return of Sheriff 
Costello, vice Wedgwood. 







A 



HALL COUNTY. 



561 



CHAPTER XXY. 



First Newspaper in Hall County — Mormon Journals — Immigration Induced by Journalism — Pioneer Papers 
— ExpRKssBD Opinions op Sundry Editors — Agricultural Societies — Grange, Alliance, Etc. — Im- 
migration Society— Sugar Beet Indu.stry — An Important Source of Income — Mortgage 
Record— Educational Interests and Teachers' Associations — Statistics — 
Physicians Circle— Medical and Dental Associations — Trans — 
I'ORTATiON Facilities — Railroads — Railroad History. 



Time, place aud action may with pains be wroUKlit. 

But genius must be born, and never can be taught. — Dryden. 




''O THE Mormons mu.st be 
accorded the houor of es- 
tahlishing tbo first newspa- 
per in Hall Oounty. In the 
spring of 1858 a umulier of 
farms were opened on Wood 
River by them, and there 
the first newspaper in Hall or ad- 
joining counties was established 
by them. It was named the Ban- 
ner, and it was owned by Peck 
and edited by Joe E. Johnson. 
This journal was published under 
several names, one of which was 
the Huntsman's Echo. In the 
spring of 1863 the Mormons moved 
to Salt Lake, aud there Johnson 
re-established the Banner under the title — The 
Mountain Bugle. The Saints, or bigamists, or 
voluptuaries, or adulterers, or whatever name may 
be conferred upon them by persons of other re- 
ligious societies, could never be called drones. 
Wherever they settled the wilderness was con 
verted into a garden spot, and their organ, the 
saintly newspaper, made music for the workers. 
The Banner was the evangelist of the tril^e on 



Wood River, and however base its teachings in 
the eyes of some, it pointed out to the impure a 
religious system which would recognize impurity 
and thus abolish the spiritual and legal punish- 
ments imposed l)y the old time Christians. It is 
simply Mohammedanism revived. A few miles east- 
ward a colony of German Christians settled. They 
knew little of the great land in which they made 
their homes, and less of the rude language of this 
section. To theiu a paper printed in the rough 
language, which Americans adopted, was useless, 
if it was not actually uuweloomed, and therefore, 
for over a decade their news was supplied by Ger- 
man papers, published at Chicago or in the far- 
away Fatherland, so that up to July, 1870, there 
was no gentile local press here, unless the itiner- 
ant newspaper, which accompanied the graders 
on the Union Pacific, may be considered a local 
pajier. A great change was impending. A news 
paper established in the Far West sought out the 
more hospitable island for a home and was wel 
corned by the people. The time arrived 

" When city lots were staked for sale 
Above old Indian graves;" 

and the era of enterprise was introduced. The 



\ 



^ 



562 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ideas of tlie editor were in accord with the spirit 
of the times. 

The Platte Valley Iude|ieiideiit was issued at 
North riatte, January 1, 1870, by Mrs. M. T. (J. 
Eherhart and Seth P. Mohley. In their saluta 
lory they claimed that the new journal would 
prove precisely what its name indicated. On the 
editorial page are given good descriptions of North 
I'latte and Grand Island. As it was the only pa- 
per of the whole western and north and south 
central sections of the State west of Fremont, its 
pages were lill(>d with advertis(*meuts and the news 
columns were very replete. On June IJ the edi- 
torial attack on J. P. Marston was made. This 
led to an action for libel, which suggested the 
sale of the Independent to Barton & Park on June 
'25, but ultimately to the withdrawal of the suit 
and the dismissal of Marston as foreman of the 
I'nion Pacific shops. Mr. Mol)ley, however, re- 
mained at North Platte as editor for some time, 
and the name was changed to the Advertiser. 
The tirst issue of this paper at Grand Island is 
dated July 2, 1870, Mrs. El)erhart being resident 
editor, with an office in the two story brown frame 
building near the depot. The tone of the new 
paper was decidedly Republican when political 
att'airs were under discussion, and the news col- 
umns were very replete. It was the advertising 
medium for all this section of the State, and gained 
a foothold which has since been maintained. On 
December 9, 1871, Mrs. Eberhart married Seth P. 
Mobley, who was editor of the Fort Kearney Her- 
ald, in 18B5. Mrs. Mobley was born in Limerick 
City, Ireland, and came with her parents to the 
United States in 1849, where her father died in 
1851. She attended St. Mary's convent at South 
Bend, lud., in 1852, and in 1864 was engaged to 
teach school at Peoria, 111. In 1867 she removed 
to Omaha, and in 1869 presided over the school 
at North Platte, where, with Mr. Mobley as part- 
ner, she established the Independent. Mrs. Mob- 
ley, like her husband, was very prominent in the 
Grange movement. Her Fourth of July addresses 
and lectures on statesmen and agriculture received 
a good deal of attention. The Platte Valley Daily 
Independent was issued October 2, 1878. From 



the salutatory the following paragraph was taken; 
"It will a|)pear at sun-up each morning, and in 
order (hat there may be no fears in regard to the 
perinancnc-y of its financial basis, we make both 
subscription and advertising rates payable weekly." 
In reality this was a cam|)aign issue, and ceased 
with the political battle of the year. The Daily 
Fair Bulletin was issued September 18, 1878, from 
the Independent office. The present daily issue 
was subsotiuently commenced. J. W. Livering 
house was proprietor of the Independent in Jan 
uary, 1884. On July lit, that year, Fred Hedde 
became owner and editor, and Mr. Liveriughouse 
issued his valedictory. 

The war on the Independent by a faction of the 
White Cross League waxed earnest during the cold 
weather of March, 1888. The journal called it ' ' the 
purity circus," and in advertising, it introduced the 
names of Sanders, Merrill & Co. Of the first named 
the editor speaks thus : ' " Sanders, the head manager 
will perform the great feats of squeezing himself 
through the eye of a needle, and of curing the 
blindness with which his own mental eye is troubled. 
Standing on his head he will give a lesson in de- 
cent language, one of his most difficult perform- 
ances - and deliver an oration on the terrible 
life led by all people who have no children. Fin 
ally he will show the wonderful trick of changing 
in the twinkling of one of his blind eyes a barbar 
ian (by which he means a person not born in this 
country) into a civilized person * * * * ^nd 
initiating him into the mysteries of the purity 
paralyzers' .school for scandal." 

The Grand Island Meekly Times was establi-shed 
July 16, 1878, l)y Charles P. R. Williams as a Re- 
publican journal. In January, 1882, the semi- 
weekly Times was issued, and a few months later 
the office became the property of W. H. Michael. 
After Mr. Michael's term of ownership Mr. Liver- 
iughouse had an interest in the Times. Messrs. 
Ryner, now in California, and Rice, now in Kansas, 
became owners. After a short time Mr. Ryner 
became sole pro])rietor and continued so until the 
office was sold to J. S. (now in New Mexico) and 
C. W. (now in Denver) Stidger, who sold in Sep 
tember, 1888, to Bion Cole, formerlj' of the Des 



:7i: 



it 



HALL COUNTY. 



563 



Moines Mail and Times, and W. H. Scarff, of the 
Newspaper Union of Des Moines. M. A. Lunn, 
now assistant editor, has been for years engaged 
in land affairs in Iowa and other States, and was 
connected with the National Real Estate Directory. 
The proposition to establish a daily edition of the 
Times is imder consideration, but the proprietors 
will not make the venture until the citizens guaran- 
tee sufficient sujjport to warrant the issue of a bona 
fide daily journal with full press dispatches. 

The Orchard and Vineyard was issued in 1871 
from the Independent office, but B. L. Easley, the 
nurseryman, was interested with Mr. Mobley ia 
this agricultural journal. This journal continued 
publication for about one year. 

The Mirror, a temperance journal, called also 
The Kechabite, was founded at Grand Island in 
August, 1874, by J. I. Wylie and Miss M. V. 
Huston. In October Miss May Van Pelt took the 
place of Miss Huston. This Wylie was a painter 
by trade and was only a short time engaged in 
temperance newspa])er work when he was cow- 
hided by Mrs. Mobley for au editorial assault 
upon her as a newspaper woman. This chastise- 
ment was inflicted on Wylie in the Grange Hall. 

The Anti-Monopolist was issued January 3, 
1883, by the Grand Island Publishing Company, 
P. P. Ingalls, editor. The Anti Monopoly party's 
])latform, as adopted September 27, 1882, was 
printed in full. Fred Hedde is said to be the act- 
ive spirit and owner of this journal. 

The Hall County Democrat. The old Dem- 
ocrat was established here fifteen years ago by 
George VV. Trefferu, from whom the office passed 
to Lee and thence to W. H. Weeks, under whom 
publication ceased. 

Der Herold, the German newspaper, was 
founded October 29, 188(1, by Henry Garn and 
Charles Boehl. Henry Garn settled at Grand Is- 
land in 1866, and taught school in the village un 
til 1879. In 1883 Mr. Boehl sold his interest to 
Guru. G. M. Hein is the present owner and 
editor, purchasing the office April 9, 1889. The 
circulation is about 1,200. 

Weltblat, another German weekly newspaper, 
is also controlled bv Mr. Hein. It was estalilished 



by him January 1, 1889, and is one of the few Low 
Dutch magazines pulilished in the world, and now 
has a circulation of about 1,100 copies. 

The Democrat is edited by E. J. Hall. 

The Grand Island Workman was issued August 
10, 1889, by F. G. Lockwood. In January, 1890, 
the editor proclaimed his principles thus: "The 
Workman believes our tariff system, our land sys- 
tem, our financial system and our ballot system to 
be wrong, some in part and some in whole. The 
Workman will labor for commercial freedom, the 
single tax on land values, the Australian l)allot 
system, and honest money. The Workman be- 
lieves that the late confederation of the Farmers' 
Alliance and Knights of Labor to be a grand step 
in the cause of human happiness, and shall sus- 
tain, to the best of our ability, this union of forces, 
believing that it will result in a perfect union of 
action, which will be for good government." 

The Herald (American) was established Au 
gust 2, 1885, and issued from Henry Garn's office, 
then publisher of Der Herold. 

In May, 1888, Mr. Ed. J. Hall took charge of 
the Grand Island Herald (American) for Henry 
Garn, then publisher of the two Heralds. In Jan- 
uary, 1889, Mr. Garn sold the Grand Island Her- 
ald to Mr. Hall, and in July the German Herold 
to Mr. Hein, and the office of the American Her- 
ald was moved to the Barlenbach Opera House, 
where it is now published. The circulation is 
about 800. Mr. Hall, the editor, has been in the 
Nebraska newspaper field for eighteen years, fif- 
teen of which were passed in publishing the San- 
ders County Times. 

Charles Rief, whose letters from Eiu'ope and 
Palestine claimed much attention in 1889, may be 
included with the journalists of the county. He 
contrilnited the following verse to the Independ- 
ent, in August, 1888, on the death of Sheridan: 

Tlie fatal summons hears relunis. 

Of irrief — a loving nation mouin.s. 
Death guides liim un his final ride. 

Across to realms on yonder side. 
Silent, forever, to command. 

He leads no more the valiant band. 
Our cherished thoughts cling to the man. 
The great, immortal Sheridan. 



« w_ 



564 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



The Wood River Gazette was issued September 
'.», 1S81, by R. H. Miller, who sold the office to 
JanieK Ewing, March 2, 1882 {ride history of 
Wood River). 

The Doniphan Index was established April 1, 
1888, by Charles Kelsey, who in 1879 came to 
Hastings, and worked at the case there until his 
removal to Doniphan. The Leader is now pub- 
lished there (uide history of Doniphan). 

'VUr pen is miglilicr tliau the sword — we're lold. 

H\it wlial i.s either to a sharpened FaberV 
Paste-pot and scissors have a miglily hold 

.\nd save a sight of lieavy mental Ial)or— 
lint if yon want a power — sturdy", liold — 

Archimedes' hand-spil^e. or Damocles' sabre — 
Give ns a Washington, a Taylor or a Hoe 

.\nd spondnlieks enough to make the critter go!* 

Prior to January 1, 1870, there was nothing 
accomplished toward the organization of agricult- 
urists in the county. The pioneers were too 
much engrossed in providing for daily wants to let 
tlieir thoughts wander far away from home, and 
the chances of forming any sort of a society were 
as poor as those which were presented to the man 
who would reconstruct .something intangible. 

The Hall County Immigration Board was 
formed March '22, 1871, with Henry A. Koenig, 
president; S. P. Mobley. secretary; W. H. Piatt, 
H. P. Handy. John Wallichs, Fred A. Weibe. Peter 
Peterson, W. M. Spiker, H. Wrage and E. W. 
.Viiiold, members. Later that month, the J. N. 
I'aul colony of twenty-nine families arrived here 
en route to Howard County. 

The Orchard and Vineyard was issued at the 
('ounty seat and the Independent was used by the 
board as an advertising medium for the county. 

During the year 1S73, there were 311,280 acres 
proved up in the Grand Island Land District of 
the 26y,352^ acres entered. 

The Grange movement commenced here in 
1872, !ind, like the bashful maiden who has to be 
led to the piano, and once there plays the guests 
out of patience, the Patrons of Husbandry carried 



• F. M. MacDouough of tlie Plattsmoiitli Watclnnan, May 20, 



out their peculiar notions, until the country ac- 
knowledged them. 

(Trand Island Grange No. was organized in 
April, 1872, with S. P. Mobley, master, and Robert 
Mitchell, secretary. The State Grange was organ- 
ized August 2, 1872, with W. B. Porter, master, 
and William McCaig, secretary. Central Star 
Grange No. 518 was established in April, 1874, 
with S. P. Mobley, master, and N. A. Lord, secre 
tary. In 1875 it was in fact consolidated with 
Grange No. 6. The Co operative Association of 
Patrons of Husbandry was organized in April, 
187-1, with D. C. Smith, president; S. P. Mobley. 
secretary and agent. In 1876 there were nine 
granges in Hall County, comjirising 500 members. 
Peter Harrison was president of the association; 

E. S. Searson, secretary, and William StoUey, 
agent. 

Wood River Grange was organized March 81, 
1873, with Rufus Mitchell, J. F. Walker, C. E. 
Towne, James White, J. Osbon, Isaac King, B. 

F. Odell, F. P, Welch, Miss Ella Warner, Miss 
A. Odell, Mrs. E. Mitchell and Mrs. L. Osbon, 
members. 

Alda Grange was formed July 18. 1873, with 
F. B. Stoddard, E. W. Brown, John Leckenby, 
William Powell, L, Powell, Mrs. Stoddard, Mrs. 
Sweet, Mrs. L. Brown and Mrs. L. Powell, officials. 

Platte Valley Grange was organized in April, 
1873, at the house of Charles Diifford, south of 
the river, with M. Stump, Henry Denman, W. J. 
Burger, D. O. Grice, A. J. Price, A. R. Thorn, S. 
S. Schultz, D. Beidelman, Charles Dufford, Mrs. 
Thorn, Mrs. Robb and Miss Creason, officials. 

Advance Grange was organized in school dis- 
trict No. 23, west of Alda, February 7, 1874, with 
the following named members: P. Harrison, D. C. 
Smith, Sarah Smith, A. V. Smith, Mrs. R. E. 
Smith, W. H, Norton, M. E. Norton, C. E. Har 
rison, Kate Harrison, J. S. Donaldson, Delia Don- 
aldson, H. M. Jones. Mrs. B. M. Jones, J. H. An- 
drews, J. L. Gray, Stephen Jones, Maggie Jones, 
G. F. Dodge, Annie Trout, J. M. Cummings, J. 
A. Conner, J. M. Howe, Clara Trout, Charles 
Streeter, Alice Streeter, M. B. Heitman, T. E. 
Harrison. T. H. Trout, Amelia Trout and Mary 



^' 



HALL COUNTY. 



565 



Jones. Prairie Creek Grange was organized about 
this time. 

Highland Grange was organized at Union 
Chapel, March 7, 1874, with the following- named 
members: Wesley, Liicinda, George and Phoebe 
Dempster, John and James Creason, James A. and 
Lizzie Williams, S. Lineback, Miles, Martha and 
Laura Hum[)hrey, Naomi French, Mary J. Liiisa- 
cnm, Mrs. S B. Poe, C J. Rhodes and S. Brooks. 

Elm Island Grange was organized at the Union 
school, March 0, 1S74, with the following-named 
members: W. H. Austin, E. J. Morse, Charles 
Watson, T. J. and Mary Peck, S. Uhrig, AVilliam 
E. Tyler, R. G. Hackett, G. H. and Orilla E. Wil- 
cox, O. F. and Malinda Foote, Ira and Mary A. 
Wilson, S. W. and Hattie Wilson, George H. and 
Mary E. Wilcox, J. A. and Mary Mattick, William 
Lehrich, E. N. and Mary A. Adams, Ira Wilson, 
Walter and Sarah Miller, James H. and H. M. 
Sweeting. 

South Loup Grange was organized March 12, 
1874 The members wereS. A., G. A. and Ella and 
Mrs. G. A. Pease, S. and A. H. Hoi man. J. P. and 
E. A. Gordon, W. W., George, Mrs. H. and Mrs. 
G. Kendall, P. Hirst, B. F. Manuel, C. M. and 
Elizabeth Robinson, Walter and Mrs. W. A. Hill, 
L. Fleming, John and Mrs. K. Marigold, C. O. 
and Mrs. Woodruff and Lawrence Mitchell. 

True Blue Grange was organized at Prairie 
Creek school-house, March 16, 1874, with the fol- 
lowing-named members: Lester and A. A. Hough- 
ton, ^^■. W. Dubbs, S. D. and A. Deyoe. A. S. 
Donaldson, O. A. Hoyt, F. M. and Sarah Adams, N. 
P. and Harriet Dickenson. George Smith, James E. 
Peebles, James Ewing, I. W. White, M. Burkerd, 
Ed S. Towne, J. H. Newton, J. W. Honold, 
Cyrus Miner and G. E. Crawford. 

Mount Moriah Grange, south of Platte, was or- 
ganized in July, 1874. with Martin Ennis, master, 
and William Whitecar, secretary. There were 
twenty two members enrolled. 

Alda Grange No. 7, was presided over in 1872 
by John Leckenby. True Blue Grange of South 
Loup Precinct was organized in April, 1875, with 
J. E. Peebles, master. 

The County Council. P. of H. . was organized 



in April, 1874, with A. V. Pottei-, master; S. P. 
Mobley, secretary; William Stolley, treasurer; 
Mrs. Mobley, lady assistant steward; Mrs. Levitt, 
Flora and Mrs. Gilbert, pomona. 

The State Grange met in convention here in 
December, 1887. 

The advisory committee of the Hall County 
Relief Association, aj)pointed at organization in 
November, 1874, comprised William Stolley, W. 
H. Piatt, Henry Garn, Claus Stoltenl^nrg, James 
Jackson, Squire Lamb, E. C. Walker, S. M. 
Walker, G. F. Warner, D. O. Grice, N. S. Demp 
ster, W. W. Mitchell, H. Newton, Henry Streator, 
J. H. Leonard, Edgar Varney, George J. Spencer, 
W. E. Tyler, G. H. Wilcox, W. H. Austin, O. H. 
Taylor, Martin Skinner, F. E. Smith. D. E. Smith. 
W. J. Bnrger, James M. Ply, Theodore Sherzburg, 
A. J. Leckenby,^ L. E. Frink, Z. B. Partridge, J. 
C. Moore, J. H. Bliss, J. A. Williams, Thomas J. 
Peck, C. L. Alford, E. A. Edwards, Edward 
Searson, E. Harris, Martin Ennis, Thomas Fran- 
cis, R. H. Newcomb, James McCleary, Henry Bon- 
son, M. M. Foote, John H. Powers and B. F. 
Odell. The appointments were made in the order 
of school districts, or from No. 1 to No. 47 
inclusive. 

William Stolley, the agent and pilot of the 
Grand River colony, located his homestead on 
Sections 28-211, Township 11, Range 9. The tirst 
colony comprised thirty- five persons, all of whom 
located southwest and southeast of Grand Island 
City. After the grasshopper plague he was chosen 
by the State Grange to solicit Congress for aid and 
succeeded in having an apjiropriation of $150,000 
made for the relief of the sufferers. He also urged 
on the railroad companies the propriety of free 
transportation of goods intended for the relief of 
the settlers, and won this point also. Frederick 
Hedde was a member of this colony with the others 
named in the pioneer history. 

The Hall County Agricultural Society was or 
ganized in' the summer of 1S74, when a call was 
made l)y Peter Harrison, and an organization com 
pleted, with Mr. Harrison president. Hon. William 
Piatt was the author of the constitution and by- 
laws. The tirst two fairs were held in the court 



566 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



room. The proposition to hold a fair in 1875 was 
.scarcely noticod, as the grassho[)|)ors destroyed the 
crops, and thus left nothing to exhibit in the agri- 
cultural department. In 1870 a coiamittee of three 
was appointed -Seth V. Mobley, W. B. Larrahee 
and Eli A. Barnes - to locate fair grounds. The 
northwest (juarter of Section 16, at 116 per acre, 
was purchased from Daniel Morgan, administrator 
of the Chapman estate. Ten acres of this tract 
were fenced in and otherwise improved, and in the 
fall a successful fair rewarded the energy of the 
officers of the society. Prior to the fall of 1889 
Hall Coutity sent seven exhibits to the State Fair, 
the two first exhibits being taken from the county j 
fair l)y Peter Harrison and Seth P. Mobley. For ! 
the three succeeding years the county took first I 
prize at Omaha, and won the champion medal, now 
held by the Hall (county society. J?he only exhibit 
made at the State fair, in the five years ending 
Septemlier, 1889,* was that at Lincoln in 1887, 
when the first premiums fell once more to Hall 
County. In 18S9 the society sold forty acres of 
their purchase of 1876 to Marsh & Lannigan, for 
$22,750.35, and then purchased 160 acres adjoin- 
ing the city, on the west, from Patrick Touhy, 
paying him 116,000 therefor. 

The roll of life members is made up as follows: 
Othman A. Abbott, W'illiam Anyan, John Allen, 
John Appledorn, Joel H. Andrews, James Allen, 
I. R. Alter, S. J. Bateman, Eli A. Barnes, James 
Baldwin, F. P. Barks, L. M. Bryan. W. J. Bur- 
ger, Patrick Britt, S. Benson, Giles H. Bush, 
James Bly, Fred Beeker, A. D. Burrows, A. E. 
Blunk, Benjamin Berry, AV. R, Bacon, C. F. Bent- 
ley, Henry Beorson, Daniel Baker, T. B. Bush, 
Henry D. Boyden, Thomas J. Browntield, J. H. 
Bliss, L. Bruce, W. Bonsen, H. Beaford, John 
Creason, George Cornelius, James Cleary, George 
Clark, George Chesebro, W. B. Coggeshall, A. J. 
Clement, George H. Caldwell, Frank Corkins, H. 

*Hall Coiinty. in l.s.'<4. iiiiiilc <inp of_ tin- leaflins; cxIiiWts at tlie 
Stiiti- fail-. .Idliii S. Diinaldsoii tcpiil< first prize foi' corn on tlu' stalk: 
K. A. l'arl<. for wheat in the straw: .tacnh Shncnialser. for rye; Z. 11. 
Denman. for an eijiht-year lioney locnst. seven inches thronfih, nine 
feet friun liase: Willi:ini INiwell. of Alda. for :i coltonwooil. planteil 
twent.v-one ye:irs liefore. nie:isnrinK twenty-two inilics nine feet from 
liase: .l:icoii Slioenialier anil William .Stolley presented frnit trees, 
anil the hitli'i Ihiity-one varieties of grapes. 



C. Denman, W. C. Denman, A. C. Denman, Z. H. 

Denman & Son. ^\'. H. Denman, Patrick Dunphy, 
N. M. Depue, J. L. Donaldson, W. A. Deuel, G. 
\V. Dennison, C. H. Duennerman, George P. Dean, 
Martin Eunis, C. S. Elison, William Eldridge, 
John Eggers, Clans Ewoldt, Cay Ewoldt, H. A. 
Edwards, Joseph Fox, George W. Frey, John 
Flusher. S. H. Ferguson, A. B. Fraker, M. C. 
Fuller, John Fonner, Charles Fuller, Henry Giese, 
William H. Gillet, M. J. Gahan, Jerry L. Gray, 
Henry Garn, H. H. Glover, Frank Gardner, Philo 
Green, H. A. Gallup, O. F. Groves, Edward Hooper, 
T. J. Hurford, William Hagge, W. H. Harrison. 
C. H. Horth, J. D. P. Hutchius, Richard Hairisou, 
T. O. C. Harrison, James Heesch, H.W. High, C. .1. 
Jansen, N. H. Hurford, B. C. Howard, C. L. Howell, 
Casper Hines, Fred Hedde, W. H. Hurley, James 
Hall, W. H. Houser, F. E. Howe, Jonathan Hal 
stead, George P. Honnold, Robert C. Jordan, C. 
E. Jerome, James Jackson, E. F. Jonte, John L. 
Johnson, D. F. Jamieson, Joseph Killian, John 
Kraft. Henry A. Koenig, B. Knox, H. E. Kent. 
John Kramer, W. C. King, Isaiah Lewton, W. B. 
Larrabee, A. J. Leckenby, George Loan, C. E. 
Lykke, John B. Lowery. Ira Lewis, W. H. Lamb, 
Squire Lamb, E. S. Lamon, J. S. Lamb, J. W. 
Liveringhouse, A. C. Lederman, Seth P. Mobley, 
J. E. Meth, W. R. McAllister, H. P. Makely, W. 
W. Mitchell, Archie Miirdock, John D. Moore, J. 
H. Murphy, James Michelsou, Eugene Miller, 
John L. Means, Robert S. Mitchell, D. W. Mill- 
holleu, D. Morgan, Patrick Moore, John S. Mullen, 
Lafayette Myers, N. McCombs, Charles Melisen, 
J. T. Mehaffie, Fred Mclntire, Isaac Messeraul. 
Al. McAllister, R. H. McAllister, Detlif Matheson, 
M. Murphy, Jacob F. Miller, J. R. Moeller, W. 
R. McMaster, P. O. Marquise, Patrick Nevills, W. 
P. Nicholson, N. P. Nelson, Edmund O'Brien, 
Clause Obermiller, Hugo Oehlrich, James O'Keefe, 
William H. Piatt, \\illiam Powell. Z. B. Partridge, 
Charles F. Peterson, Hans Paustian, I. T. Paine, 
J. F. Proctor, Peter Pehrs, Charles Pierce, C. F. 
Peterson, S. M. PeJerson, E. A. Park, A. S. Pat- 
rick, H. J. Palmer, M. Y. Powers, Henry Rosswick, 
Fred Roby, Joseph lloach, V. S. Runnels, Emer- 
son Rogers, Charles Rief, John Riss, John G. 



aUy 



HALL COUNTY. 



567 



Raine, G. L. Rouse, C. P. Ratbburn, George F. 
Ryan, D. S. Roush, Ofcto L. Rice, T. O. Rnssell, 
N. W. Richards, H. A. Kose, William Stolley, J. 

D. Schnller, Fred Sears, Jacob Shoemaker, E. 
Searson, Martin Schimmer, C-barles Scherzherg, 
G. W. Stevens, George J. Spencer, Samuel Smith, 
Gilbert Slater, R. H. Stuart, C. Stoltenberg, Henry 
Shoel, William N. Sherman, G. W. Sherbondy, 
W. M. Spiker, P. Scheschinger, Mrs. P. Smith, 
William A. Shields, U. Sass, Arthur Sears, Thomas 

E. Smith, Frank Sears, Hayden Strong, J. G. 
Schaupp, H. B. Skeels, G. W. Searff, Lafayette 
Smith, George H Thummel, W. W. Thompson, 
Peter D. Thompson, C. W. Thomas, Clans Tagge. 
Patrick Touhy, John Thompson, D. H. Vieths, 
Edgar Varney, D. H Vantine, C. H. Van Allan, C. 
D. M. Washburn, Robert Waugb, James ^Vear, 
John Wallichs, Jay E. White, W. H. West, E. C. 
Walker, George L. Warner, Fred Wingart, S. N. 
Wolbacli, W. F. Watkins, L. O. Watson, H. S. 
Winn, Christian Wasmer, C. P. R. Williams, 
Charles Wasmer, Fritz Wiese, J. H. Watts. W. F. 
Whitecar, Isaac Waldron, John E. White and Rob- 
ert W. Watson. Of all the above named only one, 
W. M. Spiker, died prior to September 20, 1889. 

The office of president has been tilled by Peter 
Harrison, 1874-78; Fred Roby,. 1879-80; Eli A. 
Barnes, 1881-85: Martin Enuis, 1886. H. J. Pal- 
mer, 1887, and G. H. Denmau, 1888-89. The 
latter was re-elected in October, 1889, with J. D. 
Moore and D. F. Jamieson, vice-presidents; H. J. 
Palmer, W. H. Harrison, W. B. Knox, H H. Glover, 
Joseph Roach, T. O. Russell and T. J. Mehaffie, 
executive committee. The president died in No- 
vember, and D. F. Jamieson was chosen. The 
treasurers are named as follows: William Stolley, 
James Baldwin. George Cornelias, Ed Searson, 
Ed Hooper, Z. H. Denman and S. J. Bateman. 

The office of secretary has been filled by Seth 
P. Mobley. Eli A. Barnes, now of the United States 
land office. Frank Sears, I). H. Vantine. H. A. Ed 
wards and I). H. Vantine in the order given up to 
September, 1889. Ed Searson is the present in- 
cumbent. 

A summary of the financial report of the agri- 
cultural society, published on October 26, 1889, 



shows the total receipts to be $26,0,")9. 65, and the 
total disbursements $26,045.38. The indebtedness 
of the society is $998.40. 

Early in September. 1889, Mayor Piatt called 
attention to the fact that the State board of agri 
culture advertised, at large, for the selection of a 
location for the State fair, during the ensuing five 
years, and he appointed a committee of tifty-four 
to take measiires to secure to (irand Island such 
fair. A deputation from the committee attended 
the meeting of the State l)oard at Lincoln Janu- 
ary 21. 1890. 

On January 21, 189(», Omaha, Lincoln, Grand 
Island, Kearney, Columbus, Long Pine and Hast- 
ings bid for the fair for the ensuing five 
years. The different bids were received with 
marked attention. Grand Island offered to con- 
struct the art and memorial halls of stone and 
brick, while Columbus offered to jirovide buildings 
which would accommodate 50,000 per.sons. On 
the first ballot Lincoln led, and on the second 
ballot received a majority of the votes. Hastings 
and Grand Island made a strong and brilliant 
tight, but the prestige and diplomacy of the cap- 
ital won the prize. 

The old fair ground is now survej'ed into 
liuilding lots for J. M. Marsh, the owner. 

The State Farmers" Alliance held the ninth an- 
nual meeting at Grand Island in January, 1890. 
Eight hundred delegates represented every county 
in the State. Although the Alliance was organized 
eight years ago, but little attention was given to it 
by the farmers until last year, when a permanent or- 
ganization was effected. At this time there were 
but sixty-nine Alliances in the State, with a mem- 
bership of only 381. The report of the secre- 
tary this j'ear shows 501 Alliances with a member 
ship of over 20,000. From this some idea may 
be had of the marvelous growth of the organiza- 
tion during the year just closed. It is non-polit- 
ical and its chief objects are to protect the interests 
of the farmers. Only actual farmers are allowed 
to l>ecome members. In many localities where 
they are strong they control and own stores, ship 
their own grain and buy their own fuel at the 
mines. One of the leading members in Hall 



A^ 



— ' ' » 



568 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Cotmty states that three new Alliances were to be 
organized at once in this county — at Wood River, 
Shaupp's Mills and one just west of Alda. One 
of the most interesting features of the convention's 
work was the appointing and report of comnjittee 
to start a fanners" insurance company in the State. 
It was decided to establish this at once, and the 
State executive committee and three others were 
appointed as the officers. 

The enterprise of the citizens of Grand Island 
promises to give to the prairie States a new indus- 
try, which will dwarf the primitive grain industry 
of the past and present. This is the growing of 
sugar beets, and their conversion into sugar; it is 
well to examine the history of this industry. 

irargraff demonstrated 140 years ago that there 
was sugar in the beets; and the total product of 
France and Germany in the last half century alone 
demonstrates its value. The reflecting reader who 
sees nothing in Napoleon save that of the great mili- 
tary leader, has failed to note the early, substantial 
encouragement he gave the beet sugar industry in 
France, which in turn gave it greater impetus and 
success in Germany, albeit there were three fac 
tories in Germany as early as 1 805, but the war- 
like situation was not favorable for such an enter- 
prise. Very soon, however. Napoleon issued his 
famous decrees shutting out all English goods and 
material, which, if the effect was to raise the price 
of sugar, ruined the French wine trade and com- 
pelled the French to look for ways and means to 
dispose profitably of their grape crops and obtain 
a supply of sugar. In 1810 be gave two experi- 
menters I2S.IKK) for discovering grape sugar; the 
amount to be expended in the erection of factories. 
Soon after this Napoleon gave $40.00<1 to twelve 
grape sugar factories by way of bounty or special 
encouragement. In 1811 he decreed that 79,000 
acres should be planted to beets, and he estat>lished 
six experimental stations to give instruction in the 
beet sugar industry, ordering that all farmers who 
desired to attend lectures given there might do so 
free of charge, and the sum of §200,000 was set 
apart to pay the expense. In 1812 he established 
four special lieet root sugar schools, directing that 
1<x^ students be attached thereto. In addition. 



and by way of special encouragement, he ordered 
to be granted ol^ licenses for beet sugar |irodnc- 
tion, to run to proprietors of factories and to man- 
ufacturers of sugar from beets; and those who made 
a ton of raw sug^ir were to be exempt from tax on 
their product for four years. In 1812 he directed 
the erection of four imperial beet sugar factories 
to produce 2, KM) tons. During this time Germany 
wiis not idle. The king of Prussia gave Archard, 
a pupil of Margraff, a good sum of money to estab- 
lish a school or factory for instruction in beet sugar 
production, and from this school Russia drew her 
practical knowledge of the work, and the Czar gave 
S39.000 and exempted all land of those who built 
beet sugar factories from tax. At least one great 
discoverer and experimenter in this field, in Ger 
many and France, was offered f KKI.OOO if he would 
declare that his supposed discovery was a failure, 
but it did not attract him. The Napoleonic wars 
destroyed this great imlustry in Russia. Germany, 
and finally in France - after Napoleon had appro- 
priated millions of dollars to give it a substantial 
footing. It did not rise again in, France until 
1825-2n. nor in Germany until 1835. From that 
time forward both France and Germany, as well as 
Russia, Austria and Belgium, have put forth great 
efforts to extend the production of beet sugar, both 
by bounties and by drawbacks on exported sugar 
from beets, as well as a tariff on imported sugar. 
The stimulants offered resulted in such a measure 
of success in France, that, in 1839. a special tax 
of 15 francs on every 220 pounds of raw sugar 
was imjxjsed. This operated harshly, and the 
product fell off over one-half. New laws more lib- 
eral were passed from time to time, a tax going 
hand in hand generally with bounties and draw- 
backs, until, in 1878, France collected as tax, on 
sugar made in that country, upward of §22,000,- 
000. This, in brief, is only a part of the early 
histor}- of beet sugar production in France; and 
Germany as a matter of economic policy, followed 
in swift pursuit. Such was the development of 
the industry that m 1SS3-S4 there were 2.000.tXK) 
acres devoted to the production of the sugar beet 
in France. Germany. Austria-Hungary. Russia. 
Poland, Belgium and Holland; and the aggregate 




<j\ 



(y^TU^rj /V^^^^ 



C 



CS^ <r6cL.'Cc^^ jf^-^Vv-irf" 



4 



>^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



509 



beet sugar product, leaving out Russia and Hol- 
land, was 1,485, 000 tons with 1, 2-12 factories. At 
that time Germany had outstripped her great rival, 
France, because of her liberality and superior 
knowledge of the subject. So great was the quan- 
tity of beet sugar produced in 1883, that there was 
a temporary glut of it in the English market, in- 
ducing some farmers to ask a change in the laws, 
while others resorted to less acreage to reduce the 
surplus; meantime our people are paying from 6 
to il cents for their sugar, entailing an expense 
to our population annually of over $75,000,000, 
the great part of the raw material of which goes 
abroad for refineries from Cuba; 240,000,000 of 
pounds imported by us in 1887 coming from Eng- 
land. Germany. France. Austria. Belgium and the 
Netherlands. Consul General Walker says on the 
point: "It is to be noted that the sugar production 
of Germany had lieen stimulated by heavy protect- 
ive duties and by bounties on export sugar, and the 
French tariff act of 1884 was a step toward adopt- 
ing the policy which her great rival, France, had 
found so effective." 

To show the effect of these laws, it seems only 
necessary to say that while the acreage in beets in 
Germany, in 18711, was 282,500, in 1883 it was 
352,100, and tons of sugar produced in 1879 was 
2,sr)0.000. while in 1883 it was 4,205,000 tons. 

It must not be assumed that Germany has been 
offering her bounties and drawbacks at the expense 
of her treasury. Her revenue from tax on un- 
manufactured beets in 1883-84 was $33,960,000; 
duties, $330,000; total, $34,290,000; she paid in 
bounties and drawbacks, $22,919,000; leaving a 
net revenue of $11,374,000. 

These few figures, therefore, our legislators 
can well study with possible profit to the country. 
A great industry abroad has been built up under 
the beneficent policy of "bounties," with a net 
revenue flowing therefrom of several millions 
annually, the farmer and manufacturer getting 
rich and millions saved to the German nation, 
which but for the beet sugar industry must have 
gone abroad to pay for a product. 

In 1887 H. A. Koenig and many members of 
the Agricultural Society took steps to establish 



beet culture on a firm basis here, and to provide a 
market for the growers. At the close of 1889 the 
project took practical shape, and in December of 
that year the Oxsnard beet sugar factory was 
established in the county, as related in the hi.story 
of Grand Island. 

The record of mortgages, it is apparent, in 
this as in other counties unfortunately is not a 
credit to Hall. A few years ago the era of booms 
swept over the West like the great glaciers of old, 
and the moneyed men of the East shipped their 
millions hither to be invested in loans on real 
estate. The agents of the capitalists realized 
large profits from this great transaction; but the 
people obtained money at a much lower price than 
it was ever offered before in a new country. When 
the bottom fell out of this unnatural booming the 
flow of Eastern capital almost ceased, and local 
money agents were again enabled to raise the rate 
of interest to their old standard. Politicians and 
others uttered an alarm against this action, and 
even preachers denounced the usury, some going 
so far as to state that the whole country was mort- 
gaged for more than it was worth. They never 
halted to consider that day by day the lands were 
growing in value, and that, while the greater num- 
ber of farmers had met interest and installment of 
principal, the amount of the original loan still 
appeared upon the record, or, to simplify it, a man 
who borrowed $1,000 four years ago for five years 
has now paid up four-fifths of principal with all 
interest due, thus leaving one-fifth due, although 
the record shows the original $1,000 outstanding. 
Two-thirds of the mortgages are fixed in this way, 
so that the record is far from showing the true 
condition of farm mortgages. 

In 1867 the primitive schools of the settlements 
may be said to have given way to the common- 
school system. The transactions of the old com- 
missioners show this to be the case, for in the pages 
devoted to such transactions reference after refer- 
ence to the newly formed school districts occur. 
Superintendent H. A. Edwards' report, published in 
December, 1888, points out that at the beginning of 
the year the balances in hands of district treasurers 
amounted to $18,777.99, to which the following 






'^j] ' ^ ^ 



At 



570 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



snms wt'i-e iuldtHl: $11,307.01) from State school 
fund; $'2(i. 058. 30 from direct tax: $3,100.41 from 
school bonds; $140.00 from non-resident pupils; 
$'20,730.71 from tines and licenses, or a total of 
$<S0,72'J. 10. Of this total $14,040.21 was paid male 
teachers, and $24,057.27 female teachers. There 
were 4,320 pupils enrolled of the 5,250 enumer- 
ated, and 3,9()4 attended school regularly. The 
average cost per pupil was $(').3S. 

The enumeration of children of school age in 
Hall County, made in May, 1889, shows a total of 
5,342 in the seventy-five districts, distributed as 
follows: 



District No. 


No. of Cliililren. 


District No. 


No. of Cliildren. 


1 


(i4 


37 


28 




2.a'i.s 


3S 


26 


3 


2i; 


;i;t 


41 


4 


95 


4(1 


32 


5 


75 


41 


21 


G 


33 


42 


49 


7 


72 


43 


1 


8 


203 


44 


56 


<l 


11 


4.1 


21 


10 


43 


4i; 


44 


11 


44 


47 


47 


12 


74 


4.S 


50 


13 


37 


4!) 


52 


14 


58 


50 


28 


15 


29 


51 


33 


IG 


69 


.52 


20 


17 


Kl 


53 


45 


l.s 


37 


51 


54 


19 


33 


55 


18 


•20 


1« 


56 


28 


21 


10 


.57 


21 


22 


45 


58 


8 


23 


(j7 


.59 


15 


24 


85 


60 


25 


25 


7fi 


61 


38 


2G 


185 


62 


21 


27 


52 


63 


24 


28 


lis 


64 


31 


29 


«(i 


6'-, 


17 


30 


:J2 


66 


25 


31 


49 


67 


15 


32 


.35 


68 


18 


33 


47 


69 


11 


34 


49 


70 


31 


.15 


51 


71 


53 


:!G 


10 


72 


48 



In District 73 there were four children ; in No. 
74, seventy six children, and in No. 75, twenty- 
seven children of school age. 

The first teachers' institute was organized June 
27, 1874, with John D. Hayes, president: Henry 
Nuun, principal, and J. F. Cummings, vice- 
president; Miss Minnie Wood, secretary; Miss 
Evelyn Smith and L. C. Harrison, correspondents, 
and James Ewing. treasurer. The teachers' insti- 
tute held in January, 1885, was presided over by 
Superintendent D. H. Vantine, the names of F. L. 



Morris, Nettie Broderick, J. E. Marshall, May L. 
O'Neil and numerous others appearing on the roll. 

The County Reading Circle, a society of teach- 
ers, was organized November 21, 1885, with Prof. 
H. A. Edwards, president; R. J. Barr, J. H. 
Thompson, Mrs. Aima Biidenberg and H. A. 
Goodrich, vice ju'esidents; Charles A. Teeters, sec- 
retary; H. H. Bock, treasurer, and E. E. Cole and 
A. D. Tilley, managers. Superintendent Vantine 
presided. The teachers continue to meet annually. 

The register of physicians in possession uf 
County Clerk Ackerman dates back to May, 1881. 
The following names and dates of graduation are 
recorded, together with their alma mater: 



William A. Carter, practice, 
1837. 

Caswell T. Poe, Cincinnati, 
1853. 

Peter Janss, Keokvik, 1877. 

A. L. Stevenson, Keokuk, 
1875. 

John T. White. Chicago, 
1875. 

Henry A. Kiick, Austria, 
1874. 

A. J. Sanders. Brooklyn, 
1863. 

J. M. Fitch, practice. 1863. 

C D. W. Gibson, practice, 
1863. 

M. J. Gahan. Dublin. 1867. 

Henry J. Brickett, N. Hamp- 
sliire, 1875. 

Louise Buns. Germany, 1869. 

Margaretlia Kennedy, Mis- 
souri, 1867. 

Horace Lashlee, St. Louis, 
1876. 

Nicholas Child, practice, 
1836. 

George W. Whipple, Kansas 
City. 1836. 

M, H, Street. Ohio, 1873. 

Sarah E. Whipple, practice, 
1877. 

G. M. Dixon, New York, 
1871. 

Benjamin M. Sliockey, prac- 
tice, 1868. 

Hogan J. Ring. Chicago. 1877. 

C. U. Hurford, Keokuk. 188i. 

William T. Hoyre, Colum- 
bus, Ohio, 188',' 

Welcome Smith, practice, 
18.54. 

John H. Galligan. St Louis. 
1883. 

Alfred F. Nanlteus. Balti- 
more. 1882. 

James McLean. Fort W'avnc. 
1877. 

Mar}' J. Breckenridge. Chi 
cago, 188-..'. 



A. S. Fishblatt, New York, 
1879. 

Francis .\1. Osborn, practice. 
18.58. 

Emanuel Stringfellow. Chi- 
cago, 1883. 

J. C. Bruliaker, Philadel- 
phia, 1858. 

Ira N. Barker, New York 
City, 187-1. 

E. Christiansen, Germany. 
1872. 

Martin L. Carter, practice. 
1870. 

John Janss. Philadelphia. 
1884. 

Henry J. Smith. Philadel- 
phia, 1865. 

James N. Harrison. Phila 
delphia. 1883. 

Thomas .1. Eaton, Cleve 
land, 1847. 

Wm. Tanner, St. Louis. 1884. 

Frank .1. Wright. Keokuk. 
1883. 

G. J. Puhek, Austria, 1873. 

John S. Curtis. Ohio. 1878. 

Francis M. Smyley, Chicago. 
1879. 

Rosa Day. Germany. 1885. 

Edward D. Barrett, prac- 
tice, 1861. 

P. J. Scallon, Detroit. Mich., 
1885. 

Milo Leonard Kinsington. 
Joplin, 1882. 

J. E. Andersen. Ohio. 1877. 

S. E. Delhorbe. Chicago. 
1884. 

A. J. Coffmau, Nebraska, 
1886. 

Anna D. Jackson. Chicago, 
1884. 

H. S. Aley, Chicago. 1885. 

W. B. Kern, St. Louis. . 

Edwin L. Smith. Chicago. 
1884. 

Joseph Weverhoist. French 
Froulier."l884. 






HALL COUNTY. 



571 



Arthur D. Smith, practice. 

\8sr>. 

J. V Cave, Dental College, 

1878. 
S. D. Smith, praclice. 1887. 
C. D. Severe. Iowa. 1887. 
Louis Turner, practice. 1874. 
Albert Eisenbeiss, Indiana, 

1887. 
J. L. Sutherland, Chicago, 

1882. 
George B. M. Free. Eastern 

Colleges, 1883. 
M. A. Otterbourg, praclice. 

1874. 
Frederick .1. Bricker. Ohio, 

1876. 



G. M. Freenaan, Baltimore, 

1873. 
Almond B. Sage, Omaha, 

1887. 
Charles H. Waldschmidt, 

Chicago, 1886. 
A. W. Fleming. St. Louis, 

1887. 
Louis H. Engelkin, Bavaria, 

1878. 
William McGregor, New 

York, 1861. 
W. J. Bonesteel, Boston, 

1876. 
Jennie Ellen Tarbox, Chi- 
cago, 1877. 



Bell English, Kentucky,1881. 

The physicians registered in 1881 were in prac- 
tice here prior to that year. These who registered 
in later years settled in or visited the county 
subsequently. 

The State Medical Association assembled at 
Grand Island in May, 1885, Dr. M, J, Gahan, 
presiding. W. H, Lyman, A. L. Stevenson, A. H, 
Keller, M. W. Wilcox and F. J. Bricker were 
present from this section of the State. Among the 
physicians admitted were T, R. Clark, of Sutton, 
and J. M. Barker, Grand Island. 

The State Dental Association, in session at 
Hastings in May, 1887, elected Dr. King, of Fre 
mont, president; Dr. H. C. Miller, of Grand 
Island, vice-president; Dr. Funk, secretary, and 
Dr. Striker (both of Beatrice), treasurer. 

The main line of the Union Pacific road was 
constructed to Grand Island in July, 1866, and the 
village was made the terminus of the first division 
of that road. Here are located the largest and 
best shops on the Union Pacific line. The shops 
and yards cover over thirty-five acres, but have 
never been used to anything like their capacity. 
The buildings, three in number, are magnificent 
structures, built of stone, in 1880 and 1881, at a 
cost of $350,000. The company construct their 
own locomotives and utilize the shops in Omaha 
for that purpose, while the repair work and car 
building are carried on in the shops here. The 
company also erected a round house with a capacity 
of forty five engines. These changes increased the 
number of men employed from '200 to nearly 700, 
and the pay roll from |! 150, 000 per annum to over 
1500,000, making the total amount paid out to 
employes of railroads at this point nearly $700,- 



000 per annum. The Union Pacific rail mill, cost- 
ing $80,000 and employing thirty-six men, is also 
located at this point, and now all old rails of the 
main line and branches are worked over. 

In the fall of 1889 the Chicago & Northwestern 
entered into a traffic arrangement with the Union 
Pacific by which through trains from Chicago to 
Denver and other points on the Union Pacific 
system might be run. 

The Loup Branch, or Grand Island & Ord 
Railroad, runs north from the city. The Omaha 
& Republican Valley Railroad and the Grand 
Island & Wyoming Central Railroad terminals are 
at Grand Island City. 

The St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad Com 
pauy was incorporated October 25, 1873, with F. 
A. Wiebe, E, W. Arnold, W, A. Piatt, R. C. Jor- 
dan, H. N. Chapman, James Michelson, W^ R. 
McAllister and William Hagge, members. On 
December i, 1873, the question of issuing bonds 
to aid this company was carried by a majority of 
'212 in Grand Island. Work was begun by Con- 
tractor Andrew Sheridan, May 9, 1874. On May 
2, 1874, ground was broken, the ceremony beinc 
witnessed by a large concourse of people. H. N. 
Chapman was marshal, with W. A. Deuel and W. 
H, Piatt, assistant marshals. A grand liall was 
given at Liederkranz Hall. H. P. Handy was 
credited with being the prime mover in obtainincp 
this road. 

The Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, part 
of the great Chicago, Burlington & Quiney system, 
gives another direct means of communication with 
Chicago and the East. 

In February, 1884, contracts for the buildino- 
of the Aurora & Grand Island branch of the 
Burlington & Missouri River Railroad were sold 
to S. M. Mallory. 

The above are railroads which are actually in 
Hall County, and the value of their property in 
Grand Island is over $1, '200, 000. The prospect- 
ive roads are the Chicago & Northwestern, which 
has surveyed a line into that city and recently pur- 
chased $25,000 worth of property, and the Chi- 
cago & Rock Island system, which has also sur- 
veyed a line into the city. 



572 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



To eniiiiKuatc nil tlm acciileiitH which occmred 
liore even from July 8, I860, when the road was 
foiiij>h't('d as far as (Traiid Island, to January 1, 
ISyO, would in<lepd l>o a difficult task. From 
1S70, when tlm tir.st newspaper (other than the 
old Mormon ma<^azini>, of Wood lliver) was estab 
lished, there is a partial record, and from the files 
the followinjj memoranda are taken: 

Tlio first ac(Mdont recorded is that of John 
Hamaun, who was killed prior to 1876, while rid- 
ii)g in his wagon across the railroad. Charles E. 
Van I'elt, a l)rakeman on the Union Pacific, was 
killed near Slielton, in November, 1876. During 
the work of repairing the railroad bridge over the 
Platte, in March, 1884, some limbers gave way 
and engine, derrick and pile driver fell into the 
river. James Dennon was killed and two men in- 
jured. Eleven of the 180 horses belonging to 
Palmer & Talmage, which broke through the cor- 
ral ju.st north of the city, in September, 1885, 
were killed by the Denver Union Pacific train, and 
several animals injured. John C. W. Longnecker, 
of Steelton, Pa., was killed by a St. Joseph & 
Grand Island train, in Septeml)er, 1885. Dick 
Hughes and (xeorge Donaldson, brakemeu on 
this road, were killed in Noveml)er. D. B. 
Thompson, of the Union Pacific, was killed March 
27, 1886. The Union Pacific passenger. No. 1, 
was wrecked at Grand Island in September, 1886. 



An unknown man was run over antl killed by a 
Union Pacific locomotive (No. 748) at the coal 
honse, April 7, 1887. Other deaths on the rail 
are referred to, but the dates have not been ascer 
tained. Trains have been ditched in many in 
stances, and snow-bound inside the lines of this 
county more than once. 

Other accidents have occurred in Hall County, 
reference to which may i)roperly be made at this 
point. A most deplorable occurrence was that of 
1872, which resulted in the death of Jesse Turner, 
of the United States land office. Hans Barnholt 
was caught in the machinery of Koenig & 
Wiebe's steam grist-mill and killed in Janu- 
ary, 1873. Mrs. E. V. Clark was fatally burned, 
through the explosion of a kerosene lamp, in 1878. 

In April, 1884, John W. Sanders shot and 
killed himself. John Cubic, who resided near the 
old school building, shot and killed his wife and 
cut his own throat. May 30, 1884. Julius Kopski, 
of the Omaha House, Grand Island, shot and 
killed himself September 2, 1885. Other suicides 
have been recorded, such as that of Fred Vatge, 
prior to 1876, other deaths at railroad crossings 
have been described, but of all of them authentic 
information could only be obtained in the cases 
named, enough to satisfy the reader that danger 
lurks everywhere, and that too many or too radical 
precautions can not be taken. 



^^=^^i 




S r- 



^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



573 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



Foundation of Grand Island City — First Events— Original Plat— Meeting to (Organize a Village Gov- 
ernment—Organization—Town AND City Elections 1873-1889 — Pioneers op the City — Building 
AND General Advancement— Soldiers' Home— Public Library- Merchants' Club— Board of 
Trade— Post-ofpice—Banks and Loan Associations— Fire Department and Fires — 
Manufacturing Industries— Beet Sugar Factory and Improvement Associa- 
tion — Trade Statistics— Hotels— United States Land Office— Church 
Organizations— City Schools— Secret Sgcieties— Military So 
cieties — Temperance Societies — Musical Associations 
AND Old Base Ball Teams. 



How blest is he who crowns, in shades like these, 
A youth of labour with an age of ease! — Ooklsmith. 




Si/- 



^W^'^'W^ 



'kRAND ISLAND takes its 
name from the older settle- 
ment ojjposite the Grand Is- 
land of the Platte. Here is 
th(^ seat of justice for the 
county and the center of 
commercial and manufactur- 
ing enterprise. Its location on one 
of the prairie ridges afPords natural 
drainage; while its elevation of 1,860 
feet above sea level renders it free from 
malarial influences and denies it the 
rigorous winters of higher altitudes. 
The population is estimated at ]'2,00(>, 
but without the census returns of this 
year it is impossible to estimate closely. The 
directory, published September 1, 1889, credits 
14,1)58 inhabitants. The city is one of the great 
railroad centers of the State, and holds substantial 
claims to recognition as a city of the first class 
which go unchallenged. Many of the graces of 
culture give a charm to social life and a spirit of 
hospitality and friendliness mark distinctly the 




character of the citizens. The mo.st amiable re- 
lations exist between merchants and manufacturers, 
agriculturists and bankers, the trades and the 
profession and the religious elements. It is a 
great community, grown up on the free prairies of 
the State, and, like the laud, broad in everything. 
A thousand happy homes, modern in equipment, 
bear testimony to what future years will bring — Ihe 
signs are brightening with the colors of a fair 
destiny. 

Dr. J. P. Patterson, in his Centennial sketch, 
states that the city, as it now stands, was located 
by the Union Pacific Railroad Company, in the 
spring of 1800, and received its name from a large 
tract of land of the same name located south of 
the city, and surrounded by the channels of the 
Platte River. The first track of the Union Pacific 
Railroad was laid here July N of the same year, 
and the first construction train run in. This train 
was drawn by the locomotive Osceola, in charge of 
George Loomis. The engine was captured in 1808 
i)y the Indians, six miles west of Plum Creek. 
The first building was erected by W. Stephens, on 



Y 






574 



HISTOEY OF NEBKASKA. 



Locust aiitl Front Streets. During the fall the 
railroad house was erected, which was used until 
the completion of the present railroad house in 
December, 1875, when part of the old building was 
purchased by Fred Hedde and removed to the 
southwest corner of Locust and Third Streets, while 
another part was converted into a dwelling liy P. 
Touhy, and occupied in 1876 by C. W. Thomas. 
The post-oflice was established in November, 1866, 
with D. Sehuller. postmaster, and al)ouL this time 
the store of M. S. Hall, a railroad contractor, was 
opened, and the O. K. store was moved into the 
new town early in 1867, by Koenig & Wiebe, who 
also established the State Central Flouring Mills, 
and the pioneer lumber yard. William R. McAl- 
lister and C. W. Thomas opened their stores the 
same year. The United States land oflfice was 
opened here December 6, 1869, and on January 1 
1S70, the Platte Valley Independent was founded 
by Mrs. M. T. G. Eberhart and Seth P. Mobley. ' 
The State Central Bank was established in 1871 
by H. A. Koenig, with Dorr Heffleman. cashier. The 
capital stock was placed at $45,000. The first 
church was the Catholic. The building was blown 
down during the storm of 187(t. In 1869 thePres- 
byteriaus organized. The Protestant Episcopal j 
society completed a building in the fall of 1871, at 
a cost of $2,500; while the Baptists, who organized 
in 1870, erected a house at a cost of $2,800. In 
1874 the Methodist Church was erected, but the 
class was organized in 1872; and on July 2. 1876, 
the United Brethren dedicated their house of wor- 
ship. In October, 1870, the lirst Masonic lodge 
was organized; in 1871 the A. & A. S. Lodge of 
Perfection; in 1872 Deuel Chapter; in April, 1872, 
Grange No. 6 was organized with S. P. Mobley, 
master, and on August 2, 1S72. the State Grange 
. was organized in the Independent Building. In 
November, 1870, the Liederkranz was organiz'd; 
Protection Fire Company on June 8, 1874, and the 
Ladies' Society in September, 1875. In 1876 there 
was but one brick dwelling, that of R. C. Joi'dan, 
on the corner of Second and Locust Streets. Con 
temporary with settlement was the school- house. 
The old building is now a part of ^\'i[ldoll)h's tene- 
ment house. Ill 1876 there were three teachers i 



employed. The court-house was erected in 1872-73, 
as told in the transactions of the commissioners, 
and completed June 28, 1878. the brick being 
freighted from the East. 

The original plat of Grand Island was tiled for 
record September 20, 1866, and recorded in Book 
B, page 18, liy Clerk Fred T. Evans. The docu- 
ment was found by Abstractor William Frank, at 
Omaha. Prior to this time Grand Island had 
nothing to show title to streets and alleys, beyond 
twenty-one years' possession of same, the county 
records showing title only in the Union Pacific 
Kailroad Company. 

In 1872 several meetings were held to discuss 
matters relative to town organization. A final 
meeting to consider the question was held Novem- 
ber 25, 1872, when the committee previously ap- 
pointed reported in favor of presenting a petition 
to the commissioners. George H. Thummel, O. A. 
Abbott, A. Thorspecken and Henry A. Koenig were 
the members. The persons appointed to circulate 
the petition were W. A. Piatt, A. Thorspecken and 
W. C. Buderus. On December 10, 1872, the peti- 
tion for incorporation was granted, and John Wal- 
lichs, R. C. Jordan, A. Thorspecken, H. N. Chap- 
man and Christian Wasmer named as the first 
l)oard of trustees. The elections of 1873 resulted 
in the choice of John Wallichs for mayor; W. H, 
Piatt, police judge; J. O. Adams, marshal; Jay E. 
White, clerk; H. N. Chapman. L. Engel, H. P. 
Handy and J. C. Cornelius, couneilmen, and J. C. 
Cornelius was elected school direetoi-, vice F. A. 
Wiebe resigned. 

In April, 1874, W. A. Piatt was nominated for 
mayor; W. H. Piatt for police judge; W. A. Deuel 
for marshal; N. P. Kelley for marshal; James 
Cleary for treasurer and N. Harris and R. S. Van 
Wie for couneilmen. Republican and Democratic 
tickets were also in the tield, and the contest was 
one of the warmest known in the early days of the 
city. 

The elections of April, 1876, show 115 votes 
for Ed Hooper and 72 for T. J. Hurford, can- 
didates for mayor; 112 for W. H. Piatt and 71 for 
William Kelley, for the office of police judge; Will 
iam A. Deuel was chosen marshal; John Wallichs, 



e k. 



^. 



HALL COUNTY. 



575 



clerk; William Hagge, treasurer; Joseph Killian 
and W. G. King, counoilmen. The members of the 
board of education then elected were H. A. Koe- 
nig, E. R.Wiseman, R. C Jordan and Joseph Fox. 

In April, 1876. James Cleary was elected mayor 
by 125 votes, against 114 recorded for Ed Hooper; 
William Hagge was chosen treasurer; John Wal- 
lichs, clerk; John D. Hayes, chief of police; Joe 
Jenneman, marshal; Charles Rief, engineer; W. 
C. King and P. Dunphy, councilmen; R. C. Jor- 
dan, Joseph Fox. T. J. Harford and W. C. King 
were chosen school trustees; W. H. Piatt was di- 
rector. The two notorious ordinances of this year 
were met by strong protests. 

The city officials chosen in April, 1877, were: 
W. H. Piatt, mayor; John Wallichs, clerk; William 
Hagge, treasurer; T. O. C. Harrison, judge; P. D. 
Thomsen, marshal; William Wasmer, assessor; 
Charles Rief, engineer; P. Dunphy, George E. 
Wilson. D. Morgan and Chris Wasmer, councilmen. 

C. D. M. Washburn was chosen mayor in 1878; 
T. O. C. Harrison, police judge; G. H. Bush and 
Chris Wasmer councilmen; William Hagge, treas- 
urer; John Wallichs, clerk; P. D. Thomsen, mar- 
shal; William Wasmer, assessor, and Charles Rief, 
surveyor. 

In April, 1879, C. D. M. Washlnirn was elect- 
ed mayor; George E. Wilson and Ed Hooper, 
councilmen; T. O. C. Harrison, judge; C. W. 
Thomas, treasurer; Christian Schlotlield, clerk; C. 
L. Howell, marshal, and S. E. Reaugh, engineer. 
A vote of thanks to John Wallichs for efficient serv- 
ice as clerk was adopted. 

In 1880 Messrs. Washburn, Harrison and 
Schlotlield were re elected; Charles Rief was 
eho.sen engineer; C. Wiltse, councilman to fill va- 
cancy in First ward, and P. Dunphy and James 
Michelson for the First and Second wards. 

The elections of 1881 resulted in the choice of 
John L. Means for mayor; Charles Milisen and 
Ed Hooper, councilmen; C. F. Bentley, treasurer; 
Joseph H. Mullin, clerk; T. O. C. Harrison, judge, 
and C. E.Hart, engineer. The board of education 
then elected comprised S. H. Wolbaeh, B. C. How 
ard, C. P. Handy, J. P. Kernohau. O. A. Abbott 
and T. J. Hurford. 



In 1882 Michael Murphy was chosen mayor; D. 
Ackerman, clerk; C. F. Bentley, treasurer; H. 
Hald, engineer; James Cleary and O. A. Abbott, 
councilmen. 

The elections of April. 1883, show 393 votes for 
M. Murphy and 7 for John Fonner, candidates for 
mayor; 414 votes for David Ackerman, clerk; 414 
for Jay E. White, treasurer; 31)8 for John W. 
West and 40 for George H. Caldwell, candidates 
for police judge; 868 for H. Hald and 43 for 
Charles Rief, for city engineer; Charles Milisen, 
Eli A. Barnes, C. L. Howell and W. R. McAllister 
were elected councilmen, and C. J. Fetherston- 
haugh, C. F. Bentley. H. C. Held an.l J. P. Kerno 
han, members of the Vioard of education. 

The city election of 1884 was a civil war between 
the people's and the opposition's tickets. J. E. 
White (P.) was elected mayor; Lederman (P.), 
treasurer; D. Ackerman (P.), clerk; Brogden (P.), 
Vieregg (P.), Jordan (P.) and Veiths (P.) were 
elected councilmen; Piatt (P. ), Murphy (P.), How- 
ard (O. ) and Bush, members of school board. 

The election of April. 1&85, resulted in the de- 
feat of J. W. West, for mayor, by J. L. Means; N. 
T. Estes was elected to the council from Ward 1, 
James Heisch from Ward 2, John Fonner and D. 
H. Veiths from Ward 3, and M. Taylor and C. Mil- 
isen from Ward 4; H. E. Clifford was chosen city 
clerk; H. B. Wilson, police judge; A. C. Leder- 
man, treasurer, and Messrs. Murphy, Ball and 
Martin, members of the school board. 

In September, 1886, Water Commissioner Wil 
helm and Councilman McAllister reported on the 
several water-works systems examined by them. A 
resolution endorsing A. A. Richardson as a com- 
petent engineer, and pointing out that the works 
gotten up for this city by him were satisfactory, 
was carried. A. L. Strang & Co., the contraetcrs 
for the water-works system, made a final settle- 
ment with the council, on report of W. R. Mc- 
Allister, F. W. Talmage and Henry Vieregg, n 
committee of the council who reported the works 
complete.* In December the question of voting on 

♦The stand-pijio was completed St'ptemher 17, l.ssti. This i>ipe 
is llG feet hifrh, witli a capacity of w.imki Kallons. The puiiii)s are ca- 
pable of nihil!; it nine times per day, thus (rivin.nTiVi.nno };alloiis. The 
|iipe was ccmstnuted liy Mohr & Sons, of Chicago. 



576 



HISTORY OF NEBKASKA. 



the matter of ^raiitini:; a franchise to the street 
railroad p(>m[)aiiy was presented. An election was 
called for January 15, 18S7. Of 41)7 votes cast, 
482 favored the proposition, and City Clerk H. E. 
Clifford was instructed to give official iufonnation 
to the company. 

In February a petition was presented by the 
saloon keepers remonstrating against the issue of 
druggists* permits for 1887. The protest entered 
by B. C. Howard, president of the school board, 
against the jirojiosition of the council to levy an oc- 
cupation tax of $500 on liquor dealers, was con- 
sidered. Mr. Howard stated "so large a tax would 
decrease the number of saloons and deplete the 
school fund. He considered that a deficiency of 
$5,000 would result. Several liquor dealers also 
protested against the tax. 

The election of April, 1887, shows 650 votes 
for W. H. Piatt and 354 for Ed. Hooper, candi-. 
dates for maj-or; 1,002 votes for C. W. Brininger, 
clerk; 991 for J. W. West, treasurer; 701 for 
Henry Garn and 298 for George J. Spencer, candi- 
dates for police JLidge; 215 for Charles "Wasmer,* 
216 for H. J. Palmer,* 18() for J. W. Livering- 
house,* 186 for Charles Jervins. 119 for J. Y. 
Alexander* and 71 for E. Sarenson. The mem- 
bers of the school board chosen were Nathan 
Piatt and George A. Mohrensticher. E. P. O' Niel 
was appointed chief of police; C. A. Leake, Jacob 
Barnett and Peter Braisted. policemen; John A. 
Matthews, chief of fire department; Ralph Horth, 
attorney; George Loan, Sr., water commissioner; 
D. Morgan, weigh master; George Clark, street 
commissioner; W. C. Van Pelt, engineer of water- 
works, and W. Ensign, city engineer. 

In May, 1887, the questions of extending the 
water- works system and building a city hall were 
presented, and Messrs. Wasmer, Vieregg and Liv- 
eringhouse appointed a committee to learu the 
opinion of the people on the subjects. This com- 
mittee reported in June, showing that 122,000 
would be required to extend the water-works and 
$18,000 to erect a city hall. At this time Messrs. 
T. O. C. Harrison, J. P. Kernohan, H. E. Clifford 
and \V. H. Michael ended their terms as directors 
*Tlu' oomiciliiu'ii wlioso names are iiiaikert thus » were eleeted. 



of the city library. Mrs. Harrison was reappointed, 
with George B. Bell, D. H. Vastine and Charles Rief 
to till vacancies. The revenue for the year ending 
July, 1887, was $8,265, while that for the ensuing 
year was placed at $2(l.0(K(. August 12 there were 
281 votes cast in favor of issuing water- works bonds, 
third series, while 80 were cast against the proposi- 
tion. In April $3,409 was received as proceeds of 
sale of such bonds. The order to place flagmen at 
several street crossings of the Union Pacific Rail- 
road was issued in October, and in December of that 
year C. AV. Scarff and others were permitted to 
construct a system of sewerage through Blocks 68, 
69, 70 and 71. In April, 18S8, W. F. McLaugh- 
lin, W. M. Geddes, W. R. McAllister and W. F. 
Banks were elected councilmen. Charles Rief and 
G. H. Geddes were elected members of the board 

j of education; Chief O' Niel and Peter Braisted were 
retained on the police force, and Henry Cook, 
Joseph St. Germain and Joel Andrews appointed 
members of the force. The other city officers 
appointed in 1887 were re-appointed. The total 
receipts of the city for the year ending April 30, 
1888, were $71,348.59, and the expenditures, $50,- 
546. The bonds and interest then due amounted 
to $86,742.50, including .$1,250 10 per cent water- 
works bonds of 1874. $2,500 10 per cent water- 

i works bonds in 1879, $40,000 6 per cent water- 
works bonds in 1885. $8,000 refunding 6 per cent 
bonds in 1885, and $3,000 6 per cent water-works 
bonds in 1887. 

At the beginning of 1890 W. H. Piatt was mayor; 
C. W. Brininger, clerk; J. W. West, treasurer; 
William Ensign, engineer; George P. Dean, mar- 
shal; R. R. Horth. attorney; J. H. Mullin, judge; 
George Loan, Sr., water commissioner; John A. 
Matthews, chief of fire depajtment; W. F. Mc- 
Laughlin, James F. Rourke, William M. Geddes, 
George Burtenbach. W. R. McAllister, Charles 
Rief. Thomas A. Oakes and George Reaugh, coun- 
cilmen. The board of education comprised Nathan 
Piatt, president; G. A. Mohrenstecher, secretary: 
Charles Rief, vice-president, and Robert J. Barr, 
superintendent. What changes subsequent elec- 
tions will effect in the personel of the board 
must be imagined; but no one will deny the fact 



^ ■^ [^^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



577 



tbcit, in addition to the improvements completed 
under the present council and authorized by them, 
other improvements could be easily effected, and 
what is now immoral in the city removed or regu- 
lated, even though it may be thought that hypo- 
crites are the principal sinners. 

Ill the pages of the general history and in this 
chapter, particularly, very many names connected 
with the settlement and progress of the old and 
new towns of Grand Island find mention. The 
progressive spirits of the city of 1881-82, however, 
should be especially noticed, and thus, largely 
from contemporary newspaper reports and the val- 
uable personal sketches published in the State 
history of 1882, the following brief notices are ab- 
stracted: O. A. Abbott came here late in 1867, and 
was State senator in 1872, having previously been 
a member of the convention of 1871 ; he was elected 
lieutenant-governor in 1876. He was born in 
Quebec, Canada, in 1842; in 1857 moved to Illi- 
nois with his parents, enlisting in 1861 in the Union 
service. He was one of the first members of the 
Hall County bar, and is said to have taught the 
first school at Grand Island. 

William L. Arnold e.stablished his livery and 
sale stables in October, INSl. He settled in Ne- 
liraska about 1861. 

Eli A. Barnes may be considered among the 
pioneers, as he participated in many if not all of 
those affairs connected with the city's growth. F. 
M. Bacon established his lumber yards in Septem- 
ber, 1878. Early in 1873 he purchased lands near 
the city. Grove E. Barber, who was superintend- 
ent of city schools in 1881, reported ten schools, 
eleven teachers and 900 pupils. He came to 
Grand Island that year. Adam Bliink, who erected 
the Platte Valley Grist-mill in 1877, came from 
Germany to Hall County, in 1871. Henry D. 
Boyden established his drug and paint store here 
in 1881. He settled in Nebraska in 1879. H. L. 
Burket established a furniture store in 1,878, and 
continued in this business until 1882, when he 
established a stock ranch in Howard County. 

George H. Caldwell came to Grand Island in 
May, 1877, and in partnership with 0. A. Abbott 
opened a law office. In 1 8S 1 he was first elected 



county judge. James Cleary established his hard 
ware house here in 1870. He came from Ireland 
in 1S59, served in the Union army and after the 
war settled in Hall County. F. D. Collins estab- 
lished his clothing house in September, 1881, and 
with King & Berkenbuel owned the brick yards 
near the city at that time. George Cornelius came 
to Hall County in 1864 and entered upon farming. 
In January, 1880, he qualified as county treas- 
urer, and was elected that fall. A. J. Cushman 
opened a furniture store here in December, 1880. 
H. C. Denman, who settled in the State in IS'A), 
located ten miles south of Grand Island in 1871, 
and in 1881 was elected sheriff. John Eggers & 
Bro. opened a meat market in the fall of 1874. 

Henry Eisner (Couley & Eisner) came from Ger- 
many to Grand Island in December, 1 881 .and opened 
a grocery, tobacco and crockery store. James 
Ewing, who located at Wood River in May, 1871, 
taught school there until 1877, when he was chosen 
superintendent of schools for this county, was re- 
elected in 1879, and in 1881 was appointed deputy- 
treasurer. He issued the first number of the Wood 
River Gazette in March, 1882. Dr. M. J. Gahan, 
born in Ireland, came to Grand Island in March, 
1875, and has practiced medicine here to the pres- 
ent time. Henry Giese settled at Grand Island in 
1860, and H. H. Glover, of Wiebe & Glover, 
opened a dry goods house in 1879. Charles Guen- 
ther came in 1869, and in 1876 established his 
building office. William A. Hagge appeared in 
1857; was appointed treasurer in the ifall of 1871 
and elected in 1872 and 1874. In 1881-82 he was 
collecting agent for the State Central Bank. 

T. O. C. Harrison settled at Grand Island in 
March, 1873, taught school a few terms, and was 
admitted to the bar that year. In the history of 
the county and city Judge Harrison's dealings in 
public affairs are related. 

Fred Hedde, the present owner of the Inde- 
pendent, came with the pioneers in 1857. He was 
engaged in farming until 1869, when he went to 
Hamburg, Germany, as immigration agent of this 
State. In 1 873 he opened a general store at Grand 
Island, added a lumber yard in 1874, but in 1880 
gave his sole attention to the agricultural imple- 



:v: 



578 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



iiiciit tradi* and to real estate. About six years ago 
lie [)urchase(l tlic Iiulcpeiident. 

H. C. Held csialilislied his jewelry store in Sep 
teiiiber, 187*2. Henry W. Hiijh. who located at 
Ahla in 187i^, was engaj^ed in farniiiifj there until 
ISTS, when ho engaged in the live stock trade. 
Edward Hooper opened a blacksmith shop on the 
bank of the Platte in ISO!, moved to the new town 
in 186(),and engaged in selling agricultural imple- 
ni(>nts until 1870, when he aided in establishing a 
foundry here. John Jj. Honck was foreman of the 
blacksmith department of the Union Pacific shops 
in 1881. M. B. Hoxie was appointed register of 
the United States land otSce here in September. 

1878. He secured the division of Platte County 
in 1868-139, and organized Colfax County. Chris- 
tian Ipsem established his drug business here in 
March, 188'2. Charles Ivers came to Grand Island 
in 1871, opened a grocery store in June, 1881. and 
completed a store building in May, 1882. G. T. 
Jordan opened a hardware store in March, 1880, 
in partnershij) with E. W. Justice. 

James P. Kernohan. who, on October 1, 1878, 
opened a bank at Edgar, Clay County, in partner- 
ship with C P. Packer, moved to Grand Island in 
1880, and in I8S2 suggested the building of the 
Grand Island Banking Company's brick office. 
Henry A. Koenig located here in 1862, and at once 
became the founder of many of the city's princi- 
pal industries and business enterprises. Dr. H. B. 
Lashlee settled here in June, 1881, and A. C. Led- 
erman established his hardware business in May, 

1879. W. II. McAllister o])ened a general store 
in 18(57. In 1858 he located two miles west of 
Fort Kearney, was freighting for a time, and later 
worked on the Union Pacific Railroad. From 18fi8 
to 1878 he was the postmaster at Grand Island. 
Henry P. Makely wiis foreman of the car repair 
shojis in I8.SI-S2. In December, 1866, he settled 
at Grand Island. James Martin, who settled at 
Crete in 1877, opened a meat market here in 1880, 
James MicheLson came in 1860, and kept a ranch 
for travelers, as well as a wagon sho[) on the old 
California trail. In 1866 he moved into the new 
town, built the Nebraska House (the first hotel), 
and in 1872 entered the mercantile circle. 



Dr. Howard C. MilhM- may be called the pioneer 
dentist of the city, having located here in October, 
I SSI. Setli P. Mobley is noticed in the chapter 
on journalism. John D- Moore was agent of the 
Union Pacific Pailroad ('oinpany here in 1882. He 
entered the railroad service in I SOS. M. Murphy 
settled here in 1877 and established a photograph 
gallery. James B. Murray ..t Co. established their 
grocery house in March, 1S82. Mr. Murray opened 
a store at Edgar in 1S79. James C. Pederson 
opened his grocery store August 1, 1879. Rev. 
Richard Phelan had charge of St. Mary's Church 
at Grand Island and the missions attached to it. 
W. H. Piatt came early in 1866. opened a drug 
store and law oflice, and continued the former 
business until 1S7(*, when he was admitted to the 
bar. He assisted in building the first business 
house on the town site in July, 1866. John G. 
Raine opened a jewelry store in 1877. Matthew 
Riefers opened the State Central Brick yards in 
May, 1878. James R. Reniff came in December, 
1881, and took charge of the car department of the 
Union Pacific shops. 

Charles Rief settled here early in 1868, and 
taught .school until 1874. He served as justice 
for five years, was appointed city engineer re 
peatedly, was county surveyor, and in 1879 was 
elected county clerk. Dr. H. J. Ring, who located 
at Hastings in 1879, moved to Grand Island in 
December, 1881. George F. Ryan moved from 
Merrick County to Grand Island in 1877. In 
1881-82 he was a member of the produce firm of 
Thomas & Co. A. A. Sawyer opened his grocery 
hou.se December 1, 1878. Frank Sears, who was 
clerk of Hall County in 1882, was land agent for 
the Union Pacific Railroad Company here, at 
Kearney, Hastings and other localities. Fred A. 
Sears was the owner of the grain warehouse and 
elevator at Grand Island, and Representative of the 
county in the Legislature. 

Dr. A. L. Stevenson became a citizen early in 
1877. William Stolley. one of the pioneers and 
leading farmers of Hall County, is referred to in 
other pages. Gen. John M. Thayer was one of the 
pioneers of Omaha in 1854. In 1855 he raised the 
volunteers who were sent against the Indians at 



HALL COUNTY. 



579 



Fontanelle, aud in 1859 was commissioned to raise 
another force to subdue the Pawnees. In 1859-60 
he was a membw of the State Senate, and of the 
convention of 1860. In 1861 he organized the 
First Nebraska Volunteers, and as colonel com 
manded this regiment in Missouri, Arkansas and 
Tennessee. He was elected United States Senator 
in 186(5: appointed Governor of Wyoming in 1875, 
aud afterward located at Grand Island. 

C. W. Thomas established his grocery and boot 
and shoe house here January 1, 1868, but sold to 
W. R. McAllister, September 1, 1869. On Octo- 
ber 19 that year he purchased the Koenig & 
Wiebe grocery house and erected a store house in 
1871. He purchased a stock of dry goods and 
clothing from K. C. Jordan, agent, and Peterson 
& Ruelberg, but sold this department to H. H. 
Glover in 1879. In August of that year he, with 
Gregg Bros, and F. A. Sears, erected the grain ele- 
vator, but the latter purchased his interest therein 
in 1880. H. Thomas came herein 1871 and a few 
years later, with Hall, established a meat market. 
Later he established a grocery store at Alda and in 
1880 joined his brother in the produce trade. Pat- 
rick Tuohy located here in 1868. Later he was 
road master of the second division of the Union 
Pacific including the St. Paul branch road. 

D. H. Vantine located at Alda, Hall County, in 
1880. He taught school five terms and was elected 
county superintendent in 1881. In 188'2 he report- 
ed seventy school buildings in the county. O. U. 
Wescoatt opened his livery stable in December, 
1S78. J. W. West established a grocery store in 
March, 1874, in company with his brother. In 1877 
be was elected justice and held that office in 1882. 
Charles A. Wiebe came with his parents in 1862, 
and located on the O. K. farm, one-half mile south 
of Grand Island. His father, Fred A. Wiebe, estab- 
lished the first lumber yard there, and for him 
Charles A. worked for some time. In January, 
1882, he joined H. H. Glover in business. A. W. 
Wilhelm purchased Burkett's furniture store in 
April, 1882. In May, 1871, he opened a grocery 
store at Alda. In 1876 he engaged in the agricult- 
ural im]ilement business at Grand Island. Chaun 
cey Wiltse, an old-time surveyor, came in 1874 



and leased the Grand Island House. E. R. Wise- 
man opened his grain and lumber business in 187M. 
James H. Woolley established his law office here 
in September, 1878, having been admitted to the 
bar June 3, that year. 

A few of the individuals mentioned have disap- 
peared under the stormy waves of life, but the ma- 
jority still reside here and many who left the young 
village returned after a little while to tind the 
place a pretentious little city. 

During the fall of 1870 the following improve- 
ments were made: Dwelling hoiises — H. P. Handy. 
$3,500; E. W. Arnold, $1,500; Mrs. Brew.ster, 
$1,300; C. W. Thomas (2), $1,600; Peter Peter- 
sen, $1,500; William Sjnker. $1,200; J. D. Moore, 
$1,200; H. Bauman, $1,000, and J. Heeb, $500. 
Business houses — Koenig & Wiebe' s warehouse, 
$3,600; school-house. District 2. and furniture. 
$4,000; Baptist Church. $3,000; the Platte bridge, 
$15,000; Nelson & Hooper's blacksmith shops, 
John Kraft's ice-house. H. N. Chapman & Co's 
meat, slaughter aud ice-houses, Tout & Baylor's 
carpenter shop, Spiker & Petersen's improve- 
ments on store, Walther's barber shop, and "Inde 
pendent" office improvements. In 1872 work on 
the court-house, the first brick building in the 
county, was commenced, and the building era was 
introduced. The panic of 1873 stopped the wheels 
of progress for a time, but Grand Island not only 
held the position reached before the panic, but im- 
proved that position during the years of disaster. 
The business circle of the place in 1876 comprised 
those citizens whose substantial character left no 
doubtful uncertainty as to Grand Island's future. 
Among the lawyers then were O. A. Abbott, W. 
H. Piatt. Henry Nunn. John D. Hayes. W. C. 
Buderus and Loring Gatt'ey; aud the physicians. 
J. R. Laine, M. J. Gahan, J. P. Patterson, Henry 
Bruhns and A. T. Thorspecken. The population 
at this time was 1,204. In 1878 the shadows of 
the panic began to disperse and people from the 
East fled to the prairies to avoid a repetition of 
such troul)les. In 1880 steps were taken to build 
the Union Pacific shops at this point, and work 
was entered upon. The opera house block was 
erected in 1882 by George Bartenbach. Prior to 



oSO 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



this time mnsic and the drama Lcld court in the 
Liederkranz or Berth Halls. In lS8i) the opera 
house proper was refitted and refurnished. In 
October of that year it was opened by Keene. By 
.May. 1884, there were six dwellings completed, 
each costing over $2,000; the Koenig l)rick block 
costing about $35,000; the public school building, 
§25,000; Wolbach Bros. & Held's brick block. 
$15,000; the Cleary, Berth, Berkenhuel & Conner 
block, $80,000; Mayor White's dwelling, $3,500, 
and Lamkin's dwelling, $2,000. There were no less 
than 1 10 other buildings in course of construction. 
The Jamieson building on the Sass corner. Front 
Street, was commenced in Augu.st, 1885. The cost 
was estimated at .f 12,000. During the week end- 
ing August 2, 1885, the following business houses 
were completed: Meyer Bros.' Jiquor store, F. 
PahTs saloon, Adam Windolph's livery, James 
Michelson's jewelry store, H. D. Boyden's drug 
store. Harrison & Rief's law and real -estate office, 
W. H. Michael's store. Prof. Berth's music hall 
and two stores. D. Jamie.son's building and the Sis 
ter's Hospital. Five frame liusiness houses were 
also completed. The Scaril' building and the 
Kuika l)lock on Third Street were commenced 
later. Late in the fall of 1885. Brewster Bros. 
and P. Touhy's mercantile liuildings, the Curtis 
Laundry and (he Hall County Lumber Company's 
office were erected. (Ins Koehler's fish pond, a 
novel industry in the southern part of the city, was 
stocked with German carp in 18S5. This pond 
covers about three acres and is six feet in depth. 
Ott's ice house and fish and ice pond embraces ten 
acres near the Lehman Brewery; the brewery 
and the Wasmer ice pond were constructed in 
1886. 

In August, 188(>. the Independent block was 
commenced for Fred Hedde, and the ^\'illiams & 
Kerr building commenced. The buildings and 
improv(<ments of 188f) were valued at $R40,(WO, 
while in 1887 the estimated value of buildings and 
improvements was placed at 1855,000. The hospital 
of the Sisters of St. Francis was opened this year, 
and many old forms and methods of the "wild and 
woolly West" gave place to modern forms and 
methods. Free letter delivery was established 



October 1. and during the month ending November 
1 the carriers delivered 29,904 pieces of mail. 

The corner-stone of the Soldiers' Home was 
placed Octolwr 20, 1887. John D. Moore was 
president of the day; Gov. John M. Thayer 
presided over the ceremony of placing the corner- 
stone; the Germania band and the drum corps 
furnished the music. A mo.st attractive procession 
was had. The ini])rovements under way or pro 
jected for 1888 amounted to over $l,tlOO,0OO. 
The greater number were brought into existence. 
In 1889-90 there were erected the following named 
large Iniildings: City hall, three story, stone front, 
$4'), 000; A. O. U. W. Temple and John Wallichs' 
block, brick, $35,000; Bockoven & Connell's block, 
wholesale fruits, three stories, $20,000; Security 
State Bank, five stories, $35,000; additions to 
school-houses. $35,000; State Soldiers and Sailors' 
Home improvements. $125,600. In addition to 
these a system of sewerage, seven miles in length, 
was constructed, and the street railroad system 
doubled in mileage. In December work on the 
sugar factory was commenced and pushed forward 
without intermission during the winter. 

In 1884 the liill providing for the establish 
ment of a soldiers' home was passed. The fir»t 
meeting to secure the location of the home for 
Grand Island was held in Septemlier, 1884, George 
Cornelius ])residing, with S. P. Mobley secretarj'. 
J. O. West and Kev. P. C. Johnson, with Col. 
Leib and Kev. Williams as alternates, were ap- 
pointed a committee to wait upon the locating com 
missioners at Dayton, Ohio, and Gen. John M. 
Thayer was invited to accompany them. They 
were authorized to offer 320 acres for a site. In 
April, 1887, the home was located three miles 
north of Grand Island on lands purchased by 
the citizens. Tlie sum of $22,000 of the $25,600 
paid for such lands was contributed within thirty- 
six hours. The State appropriated $30,000. 
Charles Kief, then Representative, was one of the 
leading workers in securing the location for this 
city. The corner stone was placed October 20, 

1887, by Gov. Thayer, as related in subsequent 
pages, and the building was dedicated June 26. 

1888. The first visiting and examining board of 



HALL COUNTY. 



581 



the Soldiers' Home was appointed ia April, 1887: 
Samuel B. Jones, Omaha; Ezra S. Howard, Edgar; 
W. S. Webster, Central City; M*s. B. P Cook, of 
Lincoln, and Mrs. L. A. Bates, of Aurora. John 
Hammond, of Columbus, was appointed comman- 
dant. 

For the pa.st eight years Grand Island has 
enjoyed the advantages of a free public library, 
with a large number of well selected books. The 
library is supported by a tax levied upon city 
property. As in most cities the use of books is 
open to all, and the records show that the citizens 
duly api)reciate and patronize the public library. 
In August, 1885, C. F. Bentley was elected presi- 
dent of the lilirary board. During the year then 
ended $859.1)8 was received from the 1-mill tax, 
and 649 volumes were on the shelves. The officers 
controlling this useful city department are named 
in the transactions of the city council. 

In the records of county and city many refer 
ences are made to that excellent Christian institu 
tion. St. Francis Hospital. The Sisters of St. Francis 
purchased two acres from Charles Wasmer in May. 
1 885, in the western part of the cit}', and located 
their hospital there. The work of building was at 
once entered upon, and on August 22 Messrs. 
Hedde and Cleary reported $422 received for the 
hospital fund, which was paid over to Sister Mary 
Magdalena. Early in 1887 a present of drugs and 
medicines was made by Parke, Davis & Co., 
of Detroit, to this hospitfil. Dr. Gahan and Dr. 
Poe attended the patients without charge, and C. 
\V. New superintended the construction of a 
laboratory. In May there were twenty-eight 
patients in the house. The new hospital building 
was dedicated June 29. 

In the early years of the town, the local 
G-range or the immigration society of 1871-72 
carried out many of the objects of a board of 
trade, and did much to point out the resources of 
the county and the opportunities of the town. 
The merchants club was organized in February, 
1876, with Fred Hedde, president; R. C. Jordan, 
vice president; H. A. Koenig, treasurer; and T. 
J. Hurford, secretary. A mercantile association, 
in one form or another, has existed here since 



centennial year — the board of trade being the 
present name of the organized merchants and 
traders. This board elected the following named 
officers in January, 1885: C. W. Thomas, presi- 
dent; Fred Hedde, J. P. Kernohan and J. W. 
West, vice-presidents; Chris Sehlotfeldt, corre 
spondent; Frank Sears, recorder; James Cleary, 
treasurer; H. A. Koenig, C. F. Bentley, John G. 
Schaupp and S. N. Wolbach were chosen direct- 
ors, while Edward Hooper was appointed to the 
vacancy in the vice-presidency, cau.sed by the 
death of E. R. \Visem;in. 

At this time (KSS')) twenty one through trains 
on the Union Pacific, four on the Grand Island 
& North Loup, six on the St. Joseph & trrand 
Island, and four on the Burlington & Missouri 
River — a total of thirty-tive trains, arrived and 
dejiarted daily; ii28 railroad emplo3'es receiving 
$19,934 per month resided here, and of this num 
ber 121 men were employed in the car and 
machine shops. In 1886 there were 8.384 cars 
shipped, and 7,071 cars received over the Union 
Pacific and St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroads. 
There were 389 cars of coal, lumber and cattle, 
and 1,185 cars of miscellaneous goods received 
over the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, 
while 201 cars of grain. 138 of live stock, and 
1,139 of miscellaneous goods were shipped over 
the same road. 

The total tonnage reported for the year ending 
October, 1888, was 455.456.780, of which the 
Union Pacific carried 422,717.761 tons and the St. 
Joseph & Grand Island 32.039.019 tons. This 
tonnage was largely increased in 1889. and will, it 
is thought, be douViled in 1890. 

The officers of the board of trade in 1887-88 
were J. W. West, president; H. A. Koenig, Charles 
Wasmer. Edward Hooper and J. D. Moore, vice- 
presidents; C. W. ScarfT. secretary; Charles A. 
Wiebe, treasurer; M. Murphy, S. N. Wolbach, L. 
A. Pease and C. P. R. Williams, directors. 

The Grand Island Improvement Company, re 
ferred to in other pages, is a branch of the board 
of trade. 

The first post-office was established in 1866, 
with D. SchuUer, master. W. R. McAllister, 



e) 



\ 



582 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



who in 18fi7 established his business ut Graiul 
Ishind, was appointed postmaster in 18fi8 at a 
salary of $1 per month. When he resigned the 
office in 1878 it was paying him $1,400 per annum. 

C. P. R. Williams succeeded Mr. McAllister 
-Inly 1, 187V1, foUowed by C. L. Howell Ai)ril 1. 
1888, and he in turn was succeeded by Lafayette 
Myers May 1, 1887. Mr. Myers brought the 
office to a high state of efficiency. On Ot^toher 1, 
1887, the free letter delivery system was introduced. 
During the last three months of that year there 
were 98,878 pieces delivered and 11), 191 jneces of 
mail matter collected. The revenue for the year 
WHS !fl 1,'2I)0.8'J, and the expenses of the oifice 
$4,107.03. Four carriers were employed, making 
three deliveries of mail each day in the business 
portion of the city and two in the residence part. 

In -lanuary, 1890, M. Murphy succeeded Mr. 
Myers. His bond for $24,000 was signed by S. 
N. Wolbach, J. M. Marsh, George H. Thummel, 
J. D. Moore, Patrick Dunphy and C. W. Thomas. 

The assistants in the office in January, 1890, 
were F. O. Roeser, assistant postmaster; Chris 
AVoelz, mailing clerk, and Miss Tonie Wasmer, 
delivery clerk. The letter carriers are G. A. Mc- 
(3onnell, Levi Matehet, ^^'illiam Ivers and B. F. 
Gardner. 

The pioneer banking house of this section of 
Neliraska was the State Central Bank, the history 
of which is given on other pages. Henry A. 
Koenig, the founder, settled here in 18(52, and in 
1807 erected the State Central Flouring Mills, 
opened the first lumber yard in the village, and in 
1871 established this bank. The Citizen's National 
Bank is the new name of this old institution. 
Henry A. Koenig is president; George A. Mohren- 
stecher, cashier; William A. Hagge, vice presi- 
dent, and W. M. Geddes, assistant cashier. They, 
with John L. Means, O. \V. Abbott, Gustave 
Koehler and A. H. Baker, form the board of 
directors. The capital is $<'.(), 000. 

The Grand Island Banking Company was 
organized in 1879 and incorporated in January, 
1880, with S. A. Peterson, (Jl. A. Parker, t!. P. 
Parker, J. P. Kernohan, J. G. Glazier and J. E. 
Hopper, stockholders. C. P. Parkin- was succeeded 



as president of the company by S. A. Peterson, and 
J. P. Kernohan, the first cashier, by George B. 
IJell. The presf'iit numl)er of members is twenty- 
seven. The cash capital is $1 10,000. 

The private! banking house of C. F. Bentley 
was estal)lished cai'ly in 1880. 

The First National Bank was founded in 1882. 
aiticles of association executed Jnly 14, and a 
United States charter issued September 23, 1882, 
with S. N. Wolba(!h, president; C. F. Bentley, 
cashier, and D. H. Vieths, assistant cashier. The 
capital was placed at $100,000. The directors are 
John Reimers, Patrick Dunphy, Hiram J. Palmer, 
William J. Biirger, C. W. Thomas, Samuel N. 
Wolbach, Charles F. Bentley. 

The original stockholders were S. N. Wolbach.* 
Patrick Dunphy,* Fred Hedde, John L. Means, 
Patrick Touhey, Henry Mayer, W. J. Burger,* 
C. F. Bentley,* Richard Phelan, G. H. Andrew, 
J. N. Murphy, J. D. P. Hutchins, N. J. Palmer, 

C. W. Thomas,* Charles Milisen, A. Stewart, 
H. C. Held, J. R. Thompson, A. L. Stevenson, 
M. Horn, A. D. Sears and James Hall. 

J. M. Marsh returned in February, 1890, from 
Chicago, Omaha and Kansas City, where he had 
been securing bank stock for the American National 
Bank to be erected here within the next four 
months. It will consist of an iron front, and be 
built of sandstone from Colorado. It will be locat- 
ed on the corner of Locust and Third Streets, now 
occupied by Tucker & Brown's drug store. 

The first meeting of the Grand Island Building 
& Loan Association, August 29, 1881. was held at 
the office of Jay E. White. At this meeting a com 
mittee was appointed to draft a constitution for the 
association, which was adiipted. The first regular 
meeting was held January 9, 1882, when the fol 
lowing officers and board of directors were elected: 
J. D. Moore, president; B. C. Howard, vice- presi 
dent; J. E. White, secretary; M. Murphy, treas- 
urer; M. J. Gahan, L. M. Bryan, C. L. Howell, 

D. Ackerman. William Anyan, H. L. McMeans and 
Frank Guenther, directors. The original members 
were I;. M. Bryan, S. W. Smith, M. J. Gahan, B. 

*The directors Include the members marked * and John 
Ht'iniPi's. 



^ 



? 



4^ , 



HALL COUNTY. 



583 



C. Howard, Frank Sears, Clara A. Spars, A. A. 
Sawyer, A. D. Sears, C. L. Howell, M. Murphy, 
A. H. Wilhelm, A. Humphrey, C. B. Handy, D. 
Ackerman, John Kiss, C. E. Schanlaii, P. D. 
Thompson, Francis Lang, Frank Guenther, Jay E. 
White, H. L. McMeans, J. D. Moore, William 
Anyau, B. Berry, O. A. Abbott, H. O. Brown, H. 

D. Boyden, E. W. McAllister, John Henderson, 
Emiliue Henderson, Peter Janss, G. H. Thumtnol. 
F. C. Collins, E. F. Kerr, G. H. Caldwell. C. K. 
Lykke, J. H. Wilsey, Monroe Taylor, Jacob Giese, 

E. A. Richardson, S. B. Reynard, H. L. Burket, 

F. M. Bacon and C. P. R. Williams. 

The profits reported in the tirst annual state 
ment, January 0, 1883, amount to 17,123.25; in 
the second, |7,53S.50; in the third, $7,020.20; in 
the fourth, $7,043.80; in the fifth, $8,070.05; in 
the sixth, 111,04430; in the seventh, $9,240.80, 
and in the eighth, published January 1, 1S90, 
$13,602.15. The total receipts for 188U amounted 
to $33,723.20, and the total expense to $398.30, 
including secretary's salary. B. C. Howard was 
president in 1886, and W. E. Robinson, secretary. 
In 1888 S. D. Ross was secretary. In 1889 Frank 
Sears succeeded M. Murphy as treasurer, and on 
January 13, 1890, Henry A. Koenig succeeded M. 
Murphy. The directory comprises D. Ackerman, 
C. W. Brininger, \V. B. Carey, C. B. Handy, G. 
H. Geddes, James Cleary and A. C. Lederman. 

The Security State Bank ranks among the first 
financial houses of the city. H. A. Pike, of Bos 
ton, is president; F. W. Barber, vice president 
and acting president, and O. B. Thompson, cashier. 
They, with T. R. White, Jr., of New York, W. R. 
Bacon, P. Janss and J. F. Zediker, are directors. 
The new building erected in the winter of 1889-90 
for this company is metropolitan in character. The 
estimated cost is $35,000. 

The Peoples' Building & Loan Association was 
organized in June, 1885, with W. R. McAllister, 
J. G. Raiue, J. H. Mullin,' J. Withers, W. H. 
Thompson, E. W. McAllister, W. T. Chapin, J. 
C. Pederson and George E. Winn, directors. 

The Bank of Commerce was incorporated April 
1, 1887, with a capital stock of $50,000. T. P. 
Lanigan was elected president; J. D. Moore, vice- 



president; J. M. Marsh, cashier, who has held that 
position to the present. The corner room in the 
Scarff building was leased for the purpose of the 
business, and the bank was opened May 4 that 
year. J. D. Moore was chosen president to sue 
ceed Mr. Lanigan, and he was succeeiled by E. L. 
Dodder, Sr. F. B. Tiffany is one of the directors. 
The Scartf building was subsequently purchased 
l)y the banking company. The |)resent number of 
stockholders is fifty two, comprising a numliei- of 
the l)est citizens. The capital is $15(»,(H)0. 

The Grand Island Savings & Loan Association, 
the Union Investment Company, the St. Joseph 
Loan & Trust Company, the National Building, 
Loan and Protective Union, the American Invest- 
ment Company of New Hampshire (J. F. Zediker, 
agent), the American Investment Company of Em 
mettsburg, Iowa (R. C. Glenville, agent), and the 
Anglo American Loan & Trust Company (D. C. 
Zink, agent) all do a large business here. . 

The United States Investment Company was 
incorporated April 18, 1887, with H. A. Koenig, 
A. H. Baker, O. B. Thompson, William Hagge, O. 
A. Abbott, C. A. Van Wasmer and Gustave Koehler, 
stockholders. The capital stock was placed at 
$250,000. 

H. E. ClifPord, Dill & Huston, W. R. Bacon, 
Ross & Brininger, W. A. Heimberger, J. H. Wilsey, 
Thummel & Piatt, Dings & Reaugh, Charles Rief, 
Thompson Brothers, T. A. Hathaway, Frank & 
Williams, W. S. Hayman, L. J. Traynor, W. A. 
Whitney, C. H. Baily and others are engaged in 
the money-loaning trade. 

Protection Fire Company No. 1 was organized 
June 8, 1874, with C. P. Henderson, foreman; N. 
: P. Kelly and T. C. McCoy, assistants; E. Tomlin- 
son, secretary, and James Cleary, treasurer. S. 
N. Wolbach, James Cleary and J. B. Davis, with 
the officers named, were chosen trustees. The 
constitution was signed l)y thirty-three members. 
The Hook and Ladder Company was organized 
August 1, 1874, with W. J. Cuddy, foreman; P. 
Dunphy and H. Bauman, assistants; W. F. Der 
ing, treasurer; Joseph Jeneman, secretary. In 
1876 there were twenty-five members, with John 
I Kraft, chief. The voluntary system was carried 



■^ — 1- 



-^ 



"y 



DU for some years until the city exercised control. 
Ill Marcli. 1S84, Ch. Nielson, W. Cornelius Ch. 
(lueiither. Tli. Zimuiernuui. H Hciik and V\ Krnse 
were eli'cted otlicers of the Hook and Ladder (>)ni 
|iany. John Riss was cajitain, succeeding Millisen. 
The lire department was tli(>n presided over by 
Nal>el, with C. L. Howard, assistant. W. li. Mc- 
Allister and A. C. Lederman were meiul)ers of 
Tacitic Hose Company. The Fireman's Tourna- 
ment was held hero in August, 188r>. The Fitz 
geralds, of Lincoln, almost won the prize, as they 
(lid in Omaha in 1S84. hut the Fremonts carried it. 

Tlie oflieers of the tire dei)artmeut elected in 
March, 188t5, were John Matthews, chief: A. C. 
Jjederinan, assistant; J. H. Mullin, secretary, and 
-lohn P. Voitle, treasurer. 

Protection Hose Company No. 2 completed or- 
ganization in June. 1886, with E. C. McCa.shland, 
president; W. F. McLaughlin, foreman; D. C. 
Zink, H. B. Groif, assistant foremen; C. Milisen, 
secretary; S. Elliot, treasurer; E Dawson, George 
Hunter and G. H. Geddes, trustees. In March, 
1887, H. C. Miller was chosen president of the 
tire department; John A. Matthews, chief ; William 
Mcljaughlin, assistant; John Voitle, second assist- 
ant; J. W. Bartholomew, secretary, vice Charles L. 
Hau.\, and David Zink, treasurer. In 1889 W. R. 
McAllister was president; D. C. Zink, secretary; 
J. A. Matthews, chief. Pacific Hose Company No. 
1 was presided over by George Furstenhofer; Pro- 
tection Engine Company by D. C. Zink; Protec- 
tion Hose Company by John Randolph; Ott Hose 
Company by M'illiam Cornelius, and Hook and 
Ladder Company by Fred Bohan. 

Tlie tirst destruction of property by tire was 
that of the old Grand Island settlement, referred to 
in the clia])ter on pioneers. Engel & Siegmund's 
pearl l)arley mill was destroyed by tire in January, 
1876. The mill was erected in 1875 at a cost of 
15,000. With the exception of the Union Pacific 
Railroad water tank structure, this was the first 
conflagration since the town was founded in 1866. 
An attempt to burn West's .store and the Grange 
Hall at this time was frustrated l)y James Cleary. 
The fire of December 11, 1884, originated in the 
basement of James Cleary's store. Tiie thorough 



work of the lire department saved the l)lock owned 
by Cleary and the Grand Island Banking Company. 
Schan|)j)'s mill \v is burned to thi' ground June 3, 
188(). Wilsey's barn and five blooded horses, the 
property of George Cudney, were destroyed by lire 
in November, 1887. A fire at the car sli()])s was 
controlled. The fire of March. 1888, originated 
in the Wiebe store. The fire app:iratns of the 
Independent building was lironght into action, with 
the result of saving mucli property. The Touhy 
building on West Third Street, occupied by I. H. 
Waldron, was destroyed by fire April 29, 1888. 
Rollins' feed-niill, built in July, 1888, was destroyed 
l)y fire July 29, that year. The creamery building 
was struck l)y lightning and destroyed. With the 
exception Of theHass Hotel, Eugels' mill, Schaupp's 
mill, Rollins' mill, and the creamery. Grand Lsland 
may be said to be free from fires. The Douglass 
& Cass lumber yard was burned September '29, 
1888. Four horses and other property with 
17,000 worth of lumber were reduced to ashes. 

The city now boasts of the car and machine 
shops with a pay roll of between $20,000 and $30,- 
000 per month, a canning factory built entirely of 
brick and employing from 300 to 400 hands during 
the season, and consuming the products of about 
2,500 acres of ground, three flouring mills, one 
brewery, five cigar factories, employing about 
sixty hands the year round, a foundry, the capac 
ity of which is just now being doubled, two gas 
works, electric light works, one of the finest 
creameries in the State with permanent brick build- 
ings, sash and i)lind factory, a Ijroom factory, two 
soda water factories and bottling establishments, 
three of the finest ice lakes in the State, two ma- 
chine shops and a number of smaller manufactur- 
ing institutions, supplemented by the most exten- 
sive beet sugar manufactory and refinery in the 
United States. 

The pioneer milling industry west of Fort Cal- 
houn (except the old water mill) was the State 
Central Flouring Mill, established in 1867, by H 
A. Koenig, which in February, 1884, became the 
property of Henry Glade. 

In 1870 the Hurley & Jones brick yards, on 
Prairie Creek, five miles north of the city, were 



HALL COUNTY. 



585 



opened and the poor brick produced sold at 115 
per 1,000. The yards do not appear to have been 
in existence when the court-house was l)uilt. for 
the brick used in that structure were freighted 
from Omaha. 

In October, 1878, a wagon shop and foundrj^ 
were established by Hooper & Ferguson, and pur- 
chased by the former in 1881. 

In 1880 the Union Pacific shops were located 
at this point, and the work of building at once en- 
tered upon. By the close of ISSl the machine, 
blacksmith and car shops were finished. Tliese 
shops are the most valuable and extensive in the 
State. The three buildings, together with their 
machinery, cost $350,000. In them about 400men 
are employed. A description of the shops is as 
follows; Car shop — Material, stone; roof, slate; size 
main building, 100x102 feet; size of L, 100x127 
feet; size of engine room, 50x50 feet; height of 
building, 22 feet; size of tank, 7x12 feet and an 
eighty-horse-power engine. Machine shop — Main 
building, 100x150 feet; engine room, 50x50 feet; 
height, 22 feet; tank. 7x12 feet and an eighty 
horse-power engine. Blacksmith shop — Size, 75x 
150 feet; height, 22 feet; 24 forges. The Union 
Pacific rail mill, located in this city, works over 
damaged steel rails. It has two stationary boilers, 
with a combined capacity of 210-liorse power and 
an 80-horse-power duplex Corliss engine. This 
plant cost f80,000, employs from twenty-four to 
thirty six men, and is the only mill of the kind in 
the State of Neliraska. Here are fitted up all the 
rails for the Ijranch lines of the Union Pacific sys- 
tem. 

The Grand Island Creamery Company was or- 
ganized in March, 1884, with J. W. Liveringhouse, 
president; J. P. Kernohan, vice-president; J. E. 
Jewett, secretary, and J. H. Wethers, treasurer. 

The Gas and Electric Light Company was or- 
ganized in July, 1884, with George H. Thummel, 
president; H. A. Koenig, vice-president; Dr. M. 
J. Gahan, secretary, and Chris Wasmer, treasurer. 
Henry Miller is now superintendent. 

The manufacturing industries employing steam • 
power in 1885 were Schaupp's Planet Roller 
Mills, Glade's mill, Peterson's mill, Gardner's 



feed-mill, Merrill's feed-mill. Union Pacific rail 
mill. Union Pacific machine shops. Union Pacific 
car shops, sash factory, Hooper's foundry and 
State Central Brewery. In Wasmer' s and in 
Wiseman's elevators steam-power was also used as 
well as in the electric light works, bottling works, 
Independent office, Week's job office and the city 
laundry. Blunk's flour and meal mills, south of 
the city, were operated by water-power. 

Boehm's State Central brewery is operated l>y 
Andrew Ott. It is one of the leading industries 
of this class in the State. 

The Grand Island Canning Company filed 
articles of incorporation March 14, 1887. The 
subscribers were O. B. Thompson, C. W. Scarff, 
William A. Hagge, C. A. Van Wasmer, T. J. Hur- 
ford, Charles Wasmer and J. D. Moore. 

The corporators of the Street Railroad Com 
pany were O. A. Abbott. I. R. Alter, Henry A. 
Koenig, William Hagge, A. H. Baker, O. B. 
Thompson and C. W. Scarff. 

The Grand Island Gas Company was incorpo- 
rated March 21, 1887, with A. S. Maxwell, Sam- 
uel N. Wolbach and John L. Means, stockholders. 
Mr. Maxwell is managing director. 

The Grand Island Light and Fuel Company 
also manufacture gas. 

In the line of manufacturing industries Grand 
Island had the following named industries in 
1887: 



INDTISTBTES. 


Cost 

of 

Plant. 


No. of 

Meu 

EmplM. 


Union Pacifir car shops 


S3.50,000 
.S0.(H)O 
30.000 
CO.IKIO 
25,000 
."■0,lHXI 
Wl.OOO 

r>.0(Ki 
i;.i«io 

2..^>00 
10.(JOO 
30.000 


-^10 


Union Pai-ifit^ strel rail mill 

Caniiiim fai-tcMV 


;{)• 














Ulank hook making, printing, ptc 

l*'iirnitnit* factory 

Slfarn <l\i' wniUs. . . 


■ji 
11 


Soap faitory ami renclering- 

llnUlinf; wiH-ks 

Two lirii-kyarils. 


KJ 

UN) 



In addition to the industries shown above there 
are numerous smaller mmufacturing industries in 
the line of broom factories, planing-mill, cigar 
factories, bottling works, etc , giving remunerative 
employment to a number of meu. An extensive 
business is also doae in ice industry, which em- 
ploy during the season 300 men and 100 teams; 



^; 



J'v- 



a w- 



J86 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



twenty acres of H]H-ing lake.s give a capacity of 
100,000 tons aiuinally. 

The luaimtacturiug industries proposed com- 
prise a ijhioose factory, a starch factory, a i)aper 
mill, a chewinu; gum factory and a mammoth dis 
tillory and jtacking house. 

For some years past the few citizens of Hall 
Count}' acquainted with the success of the beet 
sugar industry in Europe considered the question 
of establishing such an industry here. In Fei)- 
rnary, IST^^, there was published in the Independ- 
ent a description of the beet sugar industry in 
Europe, and some reference to the growth of beets 
in Nebraska was made, Imt not until 1887 was 
there any practical action taken in the matter. 
The leading citizens at that time went about it in 
a sensible way to fully, thoroughly and satisfactor- 
ily test the feasibility of the undertaking. They 
had the soil of various sections of this and adjoin- 
ing counties analyzed, and the analysis demon- 
strated its adaptability to the culture of sugar 
beets; but they did not stop here, for, importing 
seed from France and Germany, many planted 
beets in various sections of the county, in the 
season of 188S, and had these beets carefully 
analyzed at Lincoln, at Washington and at other 
points, which tests were very satisfactory. Think- 
ing the season of 1888 might have been an escep 
tionally favorable season, seed was again imported 
and planted upon a still more extensive scale in 
1889, and an expert chemist, familiar with the 
culture and manufacture, as well as with analysis 
of the sugar beet, was brought here from Ger 
many, to oversee the planting, culture and growth 
of the beets, as well as to examine the character 
of the soil, and attend to the analysis of the beets, 
etc. These tests showed still more satisfactory 
results, the percentage of saccharine matter reach- 
ing eighteen per cent. 

The sHl)ject of the location of a beet- sugar fac 
tory at Grand Island was considered, practically, 
in November, 1889, when the leading citizens de- 
cided to raise $100,000, and did raise al)out $60,000, 
before the question was formally submitted to the 
jieople. The subscriptions were voluntary, and 
ranged from $101) to $1,000 each, and in the aggre- 



gate amount to $100,000, while the capital stock 
of the beet-sugar company is as stated, $1,000,000, 
and will no doul>t at an early day be increased to 
double that amount. 

During the time that the experiments were 
being made negotiations were also in progress to 
enlist gentlemen with the necessary capital and 
experience to take hold of the enterprise and build 
and operate the factory, which, when it is under- 
stood that half a million dollars are required for 
buildings and machinery alone, and as much more 
for land to make the company independent of 
individual farmers who might not choose to furnish 
a regular supply adequate to keej) the factory in 
operation, was no easy task. Difficult as it was, 
however, the energy and stick-to it-iveness of the 
Grand Island gentlemen who had the matter in 
charge proved equal to the emergency and their 
efforts were at last crowned with success, and on 
Friday, December (5, 1 S80, the contracts were signed, 
sealed and delivered which located in this city a 
mammoth beet sugar factory, starting out with a 
capital of $1,000,000 and 5,000 acres of land to 
be devoted exclusively to the culture of sugar beets. 
On Saturday, December 7, ISS'J, the site for the fac 
tory buildings was selected, and on Monday, Decem 
ber 9, ground was broken and work commenced. 
The dimensions of the principal factory building, 
the concrete foundations of which were completed 
by January 19, 1890, and upon the brick walls of 
which all the masons that can be had in the city 
were at work, are as follows: Length, 292 feet; 
width, eighty-five feet; height, four stories, fifty 
feet. The structure is being built of stone, iron 
and brick, in such a substantial manner that it will 
stand for hundreds of years. This does not in- 
clude the boiler house nor the engine house, which 
will be separate and apart from the principal fac- 
tory building. There are to be a lime house, beet 
sheds and a system of smaller buildings extending 
north from the principal building to the stock- 
yards, a distance of nearly half a mile. 

The site selected for the factorj' buildings com- 
prises fifty acres, and is taken off the east ends of 
two tracts of land, one belonging to the United 
States Investment Company and the other to 



V 






HALL COUNTY. 



587 



Messrs. Ttiiimmel & Piatt, situated aloag the west 
side of the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad, and 
extending north to the Union Pacific stock-yards, 
thus touching both the Union Pacific and St. Joseph 
& Grand Island tracks, and also to 1k> reached by 
the beet-sugar factory belt line, to be built at once 
by the Burlington & Missouri River, for which 
the right of way has already been secured. The 
noi'theast corner of the site is within a stone's 
throw of (he new fair grounds, and the east line 
touches Gladstone Place, and the south line of the 
Packer & Barr, Shoemaker and Wasmer additions, 
so that within a few years the factory will be in 
the heart of the city, as it were. 

The situation is an admirable one, the drainage 
being excellent, and the location both l)eautiful 
and convenient, and as to railroad facilities unsur- 
passed. 

During the week ending January 20, 1890, 
the street-ear line was extended to the factory 
grounds, and the St. Joseph & Grand Island Rail- 
way Company's track extended along the princi- 
pal factory building, fi'om which about sixty cars 
of l)rick and other material are unloaded each 
week, and will be until the entire system of Imild 
ings is completed. 

The machinery for the manufactory and sugar 
refinery is already on the way from Germany, 
France and Australia, and will be all placed and 
in perfect running order for the most advanced 
portion of the crop of the season of 1890. 

H. F. Oxsnard, at the head of the syndicate 
who has this manufacturing industry in charge, 
and at the head of which he will be resident man- 
ager, is a man of rare business qualifications, and 
is possessed of thorough knowledge of the manu- 
facture of beet-sugar; associated with him is M. 
Disprez, an expert in the raising of sugar beets and 
beet sugar seed. 

There have been many days when it looked dark, 
but there were a few men who never gave iip hope, 
and at the head of these stood the quiet, sturdy, 
conservative, yet tenacious Henry A. Koenig, wlio 
had wonderful faith in sugar from the start. 

From the best figures obtainable the mercan- 
tile business of Grand Island shows a magnificent 



trade done in 1887, and an increase in volume of 
business of nearly 40 per cent over that done in 
1886. The appended statistics are not accurate, as 
it is an impossibility to procure strictly reliable in- 
formation, but from a careful canvass of the busi- 
ness houses of the city the following figures can 
1)6 relied upon as approximately correct. 

The amount of business done in 1887 was: 
Jewelry and silverware, $60,000; books and sta- 
tionery, $32,000; hardware, wholesale and retail, 
$300,000; dry goods and clothing, $545,000; 
groceries and provisions, $840,000; liquors and 
cigars, wholesale and retail, $300,000; furniture 
and household goods, $23O,(Xt0; agricultural im- 
plements, $248,000; lumber, $314,000; miscel- 
laneous, $400,000; total, $3,269,000. These fig- 
ures do not include manufacturers' products man 
ufaclured and shipped from this point. Were 
these items added, the grand total would exceed 
the sum of $5,000,000, a showing that speaks vol- 
umes for the trade and commerce of this pushing, 
thriving city. In 1888 an increase of about 
fifteen per cent on the above figures was notice- 
able, with a lighter increase in 1889 over that of 
the former year. 

The amount of money paid the general govern- 
ment at Grand Island amounted in 1887 to nearly 
$200,000. The need of a suitable building for 
transacting the business was so manifest that a bill 
providing for the erection of a federal building at 
this point has been introduced. 

The sources of revenue and the amounts re 
ceived in 1887 are as follows: Brewers" stamps, 
$4,428.40; cigar manufactories, $1,575.20; whole- 
sale beer, $200; wholesale liquor, $200; retail 
liquor, $602.40; drug stores, $224; manufactured 
tobacco, $240; United States land office receipts, 
$173,302.80; post office receipts, $11,260.82, or h 
total of $191,933.62. In 1888 and 1889 the total 
revenue was found to warrant the erection of 
United States offices here. 

The business of the railroads entering Grand 
Island is annually growing larger and more profit- 
able. Although wholesaling and manufacturing 
are yet in their infancy, the receipts of freight for 
1887 show an increase of 19,686 tons over those 



"sfV 



588 



HISTORY OF NP^BRASKA. 



of 1880. aiul tli<» sliipiii(»nt« an increase of 10,755 
tons, luakinga totiil increase in tlie year's business 
over J880 of 30,441 tons. The total receipts and 
shipiuents of frcij^bt in 1887 unioiinted to 11,295 
car loads. This extensive freiyhtage has been ex- 
ceeded during the last two years, and the prospects 
for 18iK) are still more flattering. 

The hotels of the city were very modest in the 
days of 1806. The Nel)raska House was built that 
year by Michelson. The first depot was a large 
canvass building, and near by was the small board- 
ing house for railroad men. In the fall of 1866 
the old railroad (eating-house was erected, and, 
with some additions, continued in use until 1S75, 
when it was moved away in two sections by Fredde 
Hedde and P. Touhy and the Union Pacific Hotel 
erected. This hotel is the first large structure ever 
erected in Hall County. In 1869 or 1870 the 
Tremont was opened. In 1878-79 Hugo Hald 
was proprietor of the Travelers' Home. The hotels 
of Grand Island in 1885 were the Pacific, 40 rooms; 
the Jordan, 35; the Commercial, 30; the Estes, 30 
(opened in 1^80); the National, 22; the Clarendon, 
20; the Colorado, 18; the Omaha, 14; the Far- 
mers' 14; the City 1'2, and Power's, 10. The 
New England was re-ojaened in November by Jor- 
dan. Since 1885 the Cottage House on Plum 
Street, and the Wisconsin House on Front Street, 
have been opened. The old Grand Union Hotel 
was refitted in February, 1885, and opened by Mr. 
Baker, under the name of Commercial Hotel. The 
brick house erected by Mr. Dunpliy is known as 
the Dunphy House. The Palmer House, on Second 
Street, is now the leading hotel. It was built in 
1S.S7 at a cost of about 180,000, and is con 
ducted by Eno & Moulton. This house is an index 
to the jirogress of the city. It is modern in 
arrangement and equipment, and well managed. 

The Grand Island land office was established 
December 6, 1S69. The first receiver appointed 
in 1869 was followed by Jesse Turner, who was 
accidentally shot December 18, 1872. Joseph Fox 
was appointed to succeed, who served until Mr. 
Anyan was appointed April 23, 1877. He was re- 
appointed July 7, 1882, and served to July, 1886, 
when the present receiver. A. H. Baker, qualified. 



Edward W. Arnold was appointed first register 
in 1S()1), succeeded by M. H Hoxie, now of Omaha. 
Christopher Hostetter was appointed to succeed 
Mr. Hoxie, and served up to August lo, 1885, 
when John G. Higgins was commissioned. 

Elbert P. Brewster has been clerk in the regis 
ter's office since April, 1SS8, succeeding S. K. 
Crego, who held the office for only a few months. 
Miss Higgins and Frederick Conrad held the posi- 
tion for some time, the latter succeeding Charles 
Brininger, who was register's clerk for about five 
years. William Campbell preceded Mr. Brin 
inger and succeeded Jay E. White, the first clerk. 

The clerks in the receiver's office were H. J. 
Gorman in 1869, succeeded by Frank Sears. 
David Ackerman, .1 r. , followed Mr. Sears, whose 
succe.ssor, Eli A. Barnes, was appointed in March, 
1886. 

The first office was built in 1869 by E. W. 
Arnold for the purpose of United States land office. 
The house is on the southwest corner of Third, and 
this land district embraces the following named 
counties and parts of counties: Colfax, Platte.south 
part of Boone and Township 20 in the north part, 
Greeley, Nance, Merritt, Howard, Sherman, Valley, 
Buffalo, Hall north of Platte River, Custer as far 
as Range 20, Dawson as far as Range 20 and part 
of Polk. The area unsold is aliont 30,000 acres. 

Grand Island is singidarly well endowed in re- 
ligious societies. There are no less than twelve 
distinct organizations here, and unorganized repre- 
sentatives of others. The Catholic, Presbyterian, 
English Lutheran, Protestant Episcopal, two 
German Lutherans, German Evangelical, Meth- 
odist Episcopal, Trinity Methodist, First Baptist, 
Immanuel Baptist, Congregational, Christian and 
Liberal Association. 

The Catholic Church, the early history of which 
is given in the sketch of Wood River, was the first 
established at Grand Island, in 1866 or 1867. 
The old building was destroyed in the storm of 
1870 and never rebuilt. In 1876 the congrega- 
tion numbered about thirty persons and Father 
Ryan was pastor. 

On December 23. 1876. a meeting was held to 
consider the question of building a new Catholic 



^s 



,4^ 



-K^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



589 



Church. Joseph Jenemcan presided, with James 
Cleary, secretary, and P. Dunphy, treasurer. 
They with Messrs. Kraft, Windolph, McCarty and 
Doberstein were appointed a building committee. 
In July the building was completed and dedicated. 
The new church, one of the largest church build 
iugs in the State, was dedicated July 7, 1S8U, by 
Vicar- General K. ShafiPel, representing the bishop. 
Dr. F. S. O'Callaghan preached the sermon. The 
ceremonies of dedication were participated in by 
Revs. Wolf, the pastor; Davos, of Spaulding; Dax- 
acher, of Omaha; Walshe, of Lexington; Lynch, 
of Wood River; Mueller, of St. Libory; Stuer, of 
Cognice, and Horek, of Kearney. 

In April, 1870. the work of liuilding a Catholic 
Church in Howard County, near the line of Hall 
County, on the St. Paul road, was begun. 

Rev. Richard Phelan, who on July 4, 1880, 
took charge of St. Mary's Parish, Grand Island, 
found fifty-two families belonging to the congre- 
gation, while at St. Mary's, near Wood River, 
were seventy two families. Rev. W. Wolf, V. F., 
is pastor. The churches at Doniphan and at 
Kearney belonged to St. Mary's parish in 1889, and 
are in the diocese of Omaha. The hospital of 
St. Francis is mainly supported by the congrega- 
tion of St. Mary's, who also maintain the denom- 
ination schools, while contributing a full share to 
the support of the common- school system. 

The Presl)yterian Church was founded August 
12, 1869, by Rev. Sheldon Jackson. with live mem 
bers. Robert Mitchell and Samuel Hindman were 
elected ruling elders. Occasional services were 
held until February, 1875, when Mr. Griffes gave 
revival services and added live members to the 
society, and R. Mitchell, B. G. Rice and S. D. 
Rannels were elected ruling elders. In August, of 
this year. Rev. George Hutchiuson came as stated 
supply and remained nine months. Rev. Samuel 
Wyckoff is the present pastor. 

The Baptist Church was organized in 1870 by 
Rev. J. N. Webb, State missionary, with live mem 
bers, increased to forty members in 1.S76. The 
first Baptist Church building, dedicated September 
16, 1888, stands on Seventh and Sycamore Streets. 
It is built in the form of a Greek cross, showing four 



gables, a tower 103 feet in height and a minaret 
71 feet. The main audience room, an amphithe- 
atre 54x43 feet, may be connected with the Sun- 
day-school rooms. The building is 54x72 feet, 
and claims a seating capacity of 750. Rev. L.W. 
Terry is the present pastor. 

Immanuel Baptist Church is a modern organi- 
zation—an outcrop of the first Baptist society. 
No sooner was organization completed, than the 
work of church building was entered upon, and to- 
day a very neat structure, modern in style, exists. 
The pastor is Rev. Fred. E. Britten; clerk, E. 
E. Cole; treasurer, L. M. Bryan; deacons, N. T. 
Estes and W. A. Whitney; trustees, J. F. Baillie, 
C. J. Keith and S. C. Shipman; superintendent of 
Sunday-school, J. F. Baillie; secretary of Sunday- 
school, Clarance Stevens; president of missionary 
circle, Mrs. E. Stearns, and president of aid society, 
Mrs. W. J. Estes. 

St. Stephens' Protestant Episcopal Church was 
organized in 1871, and a church building com- 
pleted and dedicated September 3, that year, by 
Bishop Clarkson. R. C. Jordan was warden; D. 
T. Jamieson, junior warden; C.W.Thomas, George 
E. Wilson and Frank Ingram, vestrymen. In the 
five years ending July, 1876, the membershijj in- 
creased from ten to sixty five. In 1888 the pro- 
ject of erecting a new church house was consid- 
ered and approved. Work was at once entered 
upon, and the building dedicated in July, 1889. 
The material is red Colorado sandstone, with gray 
Kansas stone in foundation. Rev. John Lyon, who 
was nominated for school superintendent in early 
years, was one of the first preachers of this society. 
Rev. J. Nelson Jones is rector at the present time. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organ- 
ized in February, 1872, by Rev. J. S. Smith. The 
class worshiped in the Baptist Church until 
March, 1874. when they obtained permission to 
worship in the court-house. On September 27, 
of this year. Bishop Bowen dedicated the first 
house of worship. James Hall, H. J. Miller, Dorr 
HefHeman, W. H. West and J. W. Irwin were elected 
trustees. Rev. J. S. Donaldson was pastor in 1876 
when the class comprised thirty-five members. The 
class has not made the same progress here as have 



©fv" 



■^— -J — 



5'JO 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



otlior denominations; yet it is strong in numbers 
and very aggressive. Few if any strangers arrive 
in the city, wbo do not receive a cordial invitation 
to attend services on Sunday. Rev. C. W. Savage, 
the pastor in 1889, was succeeded by Rev.W.H. H. 
Pillsbury. 

Trinity Methodist Episcii])ul Church is one of 
th(» recent additions to religious societies. Their 
iii'W church on the corner of Sixth and Sycamore 
Streets speaks plainly of the earnestness of this 
society. The church was organized August 7, 
1887, with 182 members and 19 probationers, with 
Rev. H. L. Powers, pastor. C. H. Bailey, presi- 
dent of the Epworth League; Lenora Birney, sec- 
retary; J. W. B. Brown and A. A. Linn, commit- 
teemen, are active workers in this society. 

The United Brethren Society may be said to 
date back to 1872, when Rev. Joseph We.sley came 
to (irand Island and organized a class here, one at 
Alda and one near the village of Cairo. Among 
the first nxembers at Grand Island were Mr. Wes- 
ley, wife and sou; A. B. Vider and wife, Wesley 
Miller and wife, Eugene Miller, Charles Ridell 
and wife, and others. The United Brethren So- 
ciety completed organization in 1876, and their 
house of worship was dedicated July 2, that year, 
by Bishop Glossbrenner and Rev. Joseph Wesley, 
the pastor. The work of building was begun by 
Rev. Jacob Bremser in 1875. In 1886 the society 
at Cairo erected a church house. The jaastors who 
attended hero in the order of service are named as 

follows: JosephWesley, Trefren,W.S.Spooner; 

Joseph Wesley, Charles Ridd, J. J. Lohr, C. C. 
Kellogg, J. T. Squires, J. M. Witters, D. W. 

Smith, Jones, Dean and Jacob Bremser. 

The names of many connected with this society in 
early years ari^ not now remembered. 

The Congregational Church reported eighty 
members in January, 1890, or an addition of 
thirty-nine members during the year 1889. T. C. 
Shaw was chosen clerk; Andrew Cosh, treasurer; 
J. W. Alden, deacon; Thomas Roljinson, tru.stee; T. 
C. Shaw, chorister, and Mrs. Shaw, organist. The 
present officers are B. F. Merrill, A. H. Bock, I. 
M. Ridlori, F. Randall and J. W. Aldon, deacons; 
Gavin Geddes, Mrs. E. A. Stevens, Thomas Rob 



inson, F. W. Barber, H. E. Clifford and Andrew 
Cosh, trustees; T. C. Shaw, clerk; Andrew Cosh, 
tr(^asurer; T. C. Shaw, chorister; Mrs. T. C. Shaw, 
organist; John Doaue, Sunday school superin- 
tendent; E. A. Stevens, assistant superintendent; 
James Nicholson, secretary; Miss A. Geddes, 
assistant secretary; Robert Geddes, Jr., troasiu'er. 
Rev. W. L. Demorest, pastor in 1889, was suc- 
ceeded by Rev. John Doane. The church l)uilding 
was erected in 1888. 

St. Pavil German Lutheran Church may he 
said to date back to 1884. In May of that year 
Rev. William Rosentengle, of the Lutheran 
Church of Nebraska City, was called to Grand 
Island as lirst pastor of the St. Paul German 
Evangelical Lutheran Church. Mr. Lenker was 
then preacher in English. On July f) the house 
of worship, 3().\1() feet, was dedicated. 

The Salem German Lutheran Church on the 
east side was struck by lightning July 15, 1888. 
The spire was shattered and some damage done to 
the main building. Rev. A. Baumhoefner is 
pastor. 

St. Paul English Evangelical Lutheran Church 
was completed and dedicated March 14, 1886. The 
building committee of the Lutheran Church in 
August, 1885, comprised George H. Thunimel, W. 
A. Heimberger, C. E. Lykke, George H. Hunter, 
Benjamin O. Anderson and J. N. Lenker. The 
corner-stone was placed October 3, 1885. Rev. 
A. B. Schrader was the last pastor. In January, 
1890, the church was without a supply. 

The Fifth Street German Evangelical Church 
is ))resided over by Rev. O. Radinski. 

The North Sweden First Scandinavian Evan- 
gelical Lutheran Church, of Howard County (eight- 
een miles northwest of Grand Inland), was dedi- 
cated in January, 1885. 

The Salvation Army had headquarters in the 
old Baptist building at the close of 1888. 

Ben Hogan, of Allegany Valley notoriety, 
preached here in November, 1885. Revs. J. C. 
H. Reed, Williams, Smith and Rhone supported 
Mr. Hogan, joined in the services and welcomed 
the repentant sinner. The earlier life of this 
evangelist was anything but godly, as the records 



-^^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



591 



of Tarport, Bradford, Oil City aud other Pennsyl- 
vania oil centers point out. 

In the pioneer history of Grand Island City a 
few of the early school teachers are named and 
something said of their lives in Nebraska. Shortly 
after the town was platted a small school-honse 
was erected, which continued in use until late in 
1870. The new school building was opened Sep- 
tember 19, 1870, and the dedication took the form 
of a ball or dance, with supper at the Railroad 
Hotel. The schools of the city in 1876 were pre- 
sided over by B. F. Bellows, assisted by Miss 
Meth. The students examined in the high school 
were H. P. Clark, H. C. Howard, C. G. Hurford, 
S. C. Huston aud F. W. Cramer; and the female 
students, J. L. Bacon, J. Heffleman, A. E. Hooper, 
E. E. Howard, A. M. Hurford, M. C. Hurford, 
H. Shoemaker, H. K. Van Pelt, E. L. Watson and 
A. Wiseman. The city teachers employed in Au- 
gust, 1877, were Henry Garn, MeUie Butterfield, 
Belle Ferguson and Mrs. Camuieil Ballon Laiue. 
O. A. Abbott, C. E. Lykke and John Wallichs 
were elected trustees in April, 1878, and William 
Anyan, T. J. Hurford and B. C. Howard were 
appointed to act with the trustees as school build 
ing committee. The proposition to build a school- 
house received 141 votes, and was opposed by five 
votes. The contracts for the new house were sold 
in June for $17,000, and the beginnings of the 
city school system, as it now is, were made. 

The enumeration of school membership at Grand 
Island in 1879 was 525; in 1880, 667; in 1881, 
835; in 1882, 938; in 1883, 1,074. and in 1884, 
1,313. There were hve distinct buildings devoted 
to school purposes and one school-house completed 
that year. In 1885 there were 1,515 children 
enrolled. 

When the south side school- building was erected 
in 1878, it was supposed that the requirements of 
education here would be fully met until 1888. 
The supposition was elroneous. Before the close 
of 1886 an addition to the old building, a new 
eight room building on the north side, a two-room 
building on the west side and the old school-house 
in the eastern part of the city were all in use. 
Twenty-five teachers were employed. In 1884 the 



first high-school class of five graduated, and in 
1885 and 1886 there were seven graduates. The 
total enrollment in 1886 was 1,116, and the esti- 
mate of expenditures for school purposes in 1887 
was placed at $25,000. In June, 1887, a com- 
mittee of the Liederkranz Society was appointed to 
prepare and obtain signatures for a petition to the 
school board, asking for the teaching of German in 
the public schools. L. Veith, H. C. Held, Ad. 
Egge, Frederick Hedde, George Cornelius and 
Henry Vieregg formed this committee. 

The first annual commencement of the high 
school was held in June, 1883, and the fourth in 
June, 1886. In 1887 a small class graduated, 
while the class of June, 1888, comprised Kate A. 
Hurley, Clara D. Pierce, Mary E. Brennan, Hattie 
M. Clendenin, Carrie L. Eraser, Nellie M. White, 
Nellie M. Servi.ss, Ada C. Laine, Jennie Oppeu 
heimer and John F. Mathews. The present school 
buildings are the Dodge, Howard, Piatt, Wasmer 
and Evans. The Catholic schools here claim a 
large enrollment. The Grand Island Business 
College, A. M. Hargus, principal, is carried on in 
the Academy of Music building. 

The social advantages of Grand Island are all 
that could be desired, and to a great extent the 
line between rich and poor is very lightly drawn. 
There are social and literary clubs, and civic and 
benevolent societies, which are all well supported 
and attended. The Masons, Odd Fellows. Knights 
of Pythias, Ancient Order of United Workmen, 
Knights of Labor, Grand Army of the Republic, 
Brotherhood of Railroad Engineers, Modern Wood 
men of America, Good Templars, and Bricklayers, 
all have organizations here. 

Ashlar Lodge No. 33, A. F. & A. M. , the first 
lodge of that order, was organized October 5, 1870, 
with R. C. Jordan, W. M. ; O. A. Abbott, S. ; G. E. 
Wilson, S. W. ; S. J. Sase, S. D. ; G. H. Thummel, 
J. W. ; Elias Munch, J. D. ; P. H. Baylor, treasiu-er, 
and W. Lloyd, tyler. The charter was granted June 
26, 1871, when George H. Thummel was master; 
George E. Wilson, S. W., and P. H. Baylor, J. W. 
At this time the number of members was seven- 
teen, increased to sixty-one by July, 1876. The 
office of worshipful master has been tilled by the 



-71^ 






«4 9 



5W2 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



following named mi'iubers: K. C. Jonlun, one 
year; Goorge H. Thunimel, two years; Georgn E. 
Wilson, one year; O. A. Abbott, one year; William 
A. Douel, two years; W. H. Piatt, one year; O. 
A. Abbott, one year; 11. (J. Jordiin, two years; 
D. Ackerman, Jr., one year; C L. Howell, one 
year; B. C. Howard, one year; M. Murphy, one 
year; Charles F. Rollins, three years; John D. 
Moore, one year, and Charles Schlotfeldt, two 
years. O. A. Abbott served as secretary for three 
years; C W. Thomas, one year; H. P. Makely, 
one year; W. H. Piatt, one year; C. L. Howell, 
throe years; Jay E. White, one year; C. L. Howell, 
one year; D. H. Veiths, three years; Nathan Piatt, 
one year; E. A. Barnes, two years; Oscar Wells, 
one year; J. B. Ferguson, one year, and C. W. 
Brininger, three years. The membership in Janu 
ary, 1890, was 162. Six deaths had been reported 
up to January 23, 1890 — those of Abel Parkhurst, 
H. N. Chapman, Edward B. Hirst, George E. 
Wilson, A. L, Stephenson and David Baillie. 

Deuel Chapiter No. 11, R. A. M., was chartered 
November 14, 1873, with R. C. Jordan, P. G. M. 
and P. G. H. P., as high priest; W. A. Deuel, K. ; 
George E. Wilson, scril)e, and sixteen members. 
In 1870 there were twenty-seven members. An 
organization existed before charter, with E. B. 
Wood, H. P., and B. C. Howard, scrii)e. At the 
beginning of 1890 B. Ben-y was H. P., with Ed 
Hooper, B. C. Ifoward, J. D. Moore and Monroe 
Taylor filling the other offices in chapter order. 

Kilwinning Lodge No. 1, A. & A. S. R., dates 
back to 1871, when G. H. Thummel was chosen 
T. P. G. M., and B. B. Kelley, grand secretary. 
Many of the pioneer Masons of the city belong to 
Kilwinning Lodge, and among the officers at the 
beginning of 1890 were C. F. Rollins, Lafayette 
Myers, M. Murphy and D. H. Vantiue. 

Mount Lebanon Commandery No. f), K. T. , was 
organized in 1874, with K. C. Jordan, commander; 
George H. Thummel, Eli A. Barnes, B. C. Howard, 
G. P. Dean, C. C. Robinson, C. W. Thomas, J. D. 
Moore, A. C. Lederman and others hitherto named, 
are still members of this association. 

(irand Lsland Lodge. No. 22, L O. O. F., dates 
back to 1S71. Louis Engel was then noble grand 



and Edward Hooper, secretary. In 1872 R. Froh- 
l)erg and Edward Hooper tilled the noble grand's 
chair, with J. Edward Meth, secretary for the 
first half year, and George G. McKenzie for the 
second. In 1873 J. E. Meth presided, and P. 
Petersen was secretary. At the beginning of 1890 
John Alexander was D. D. G. M. ; S. J. Bateman, 
N. G. ; C. F. Lebatt, V. G. , and John Nicholson 
secretary. 

An Encampment of Odd Fellows was founded 
here and work carried on regularly for some time. 
The officers of the Encampment elected in Febru- 
ary, 1886, were Henry Renting, C. P.; C. Rief, S. 
W. ; John Murray, J. W.; R. H. McAllister, H. 
P.; C. L. Haux, scribe; H. D. Boyden, treasurer; 
W. R. McAllister, N. H. Hurford and C. W. Best, 
trustees. The Grand Lodge of I. O. O. F. met at 
Grand Island in October, 1889. Of the 159 lodges 
in the State, or 7,030 members, 134 lodges were 
represented. 

The Knights of Pythias organized November 17, 
1885, with G. B. Lannius, P. C. ; H. B. Willsou, 
G. C. ; V. Taylor, V. C. C. ; Dr. E. Stringfellow, 
prelate; W. N. Peterson, secretary; A. C. Leder- 
man, treasurer; E. W. Justice, M. F. ; James Fer- 
guson, M. A. ; Elmer Gaylord, J. G. , and H. C. 
Miller, I. G. The name given to the lodge is 
Nysian Lodge No. 46. At the close of 1889 W. 
H. Hooper was P. C. ; A. C. Lederman, C. C. ; J. 
H. Wilsey, V. C. ; A. B. Harriot, prelate; C. T. 
Watson, K. of R. and S. ; W. Dickerson, M. F. ; C. 
T. Watson, M. E., and John Bingman, M. A. This 
lodge today comprises many leading citizens and is 
reported to be enjoying more than usual prosperity. 

A division of the Uniformed Rank, K. of P., 
was chartered in December, 1889, and the follow- 
ing named officers appointed: A. C. Lederman, 
captain and herald; H. Miller, lieutenant; J. D. 
Cowle, treasurer; W^. S. Dickerson, recorder; A. 
W. Sterne, guard, and D. E. Ryder, sentinel. 

The officers of Concordia Branch 512, C. K. of 
A., elected December 28, 1888, were James Cleary, 
president; W. R. Stevens, V. P.; J. J. Klinge, R. 
S. ; T. P. Lanigan, F. S. ; Adam Windolph, treas- 
urer; John Riss, S. at A., and George Eberl, sen- 
tinel; Rev. W. Wolf was spiritual tlirector. 






HALL COUNTY. 



593 



Giaud Island Lodge No. 1, A. O. U. W., was 
iustituted July 12, 1882, by G. M. W. Sackett, of 
Missouri. The charter members were A. S. Combe, 
Hecry Wood, F. A. McElroy, A. S. Patrick, E. M. 
Miles, R. D. Murton, E. Weil, D. E. Bauder, 
Georsfe Flemincr, Georijo W. Ecker, J. H. Fowler, 
Dr. H. J. Ring, Dr. A. L. Stevenson and H. J. 
Hill. At the close of 1889 David Alexander, 
George C!. Roys, W. A. Heimberger and Andrew 
Cosh were the leading officers of this lodge. 

Grand Island Legion No. 9, Select Knights, 
A. O. U. VV. , is made up from the membership of 
the lodges. The official list at the close of 1889 
embraced the following-named officers: G. P. 
Dean, J. W. Liveringhouse, G. Roys, O. H. Tracy, 
J. F. Holliwell, J. Waters, H. Wheeler, S. Kent 
and Robert Geddes. 

Harmony Lodge No. 37 (German), A. O. U. 
W., elected the following named officers in Decem- 
ber, 1886: Fritz Kruse, H. Juergens, D. Heuck, 
Henry Elsuer, R. Freitag, George Bartenbach, H. 
Hehuke, F. Lohmanm, H. Besheld, H. Kreuger and 
J. C. C. Hann. At the beginning of 1890 Henry 
Garn, H. D. Hennings, Peter Windolph, D. Mat- 
thiesen, and August Meyer were the officials. 

Charity Lodge No. 91, A. O. U. W.," was pre 
sided over by J. W. Freeman, P. M. W. ; J. F. 
Holliwell, M. W., William B. Coggeshall, record- 
er, and Andrew Cosh, receiver. 

The A. O. U. W. Building Association was or- 
ganized in June, 1889, with J. D. W^est, president; 
John Wallichs, vice-president; D.C.Zink, treasurer; 
George B. Bell, secretary; A. H. Baker, G. H. 
Caldwell, D. C. Zink, G. P. Dean, George Barten- 
bach, H. D. Hennings and the officers named, di- 
rectors. The resolution to erect a building 44x110 
adjoining a building of similar size and architect- 
ure, to be erected by Wallichs, was carried. 

J. D. Moore Lodge No. 134, Brotherhood of 
Railroad Brakemen, was organized in September, 
1885. 

Lyon Post No. 11, G. A. R., Department of 
Nebraska, was organized August 29, 1877. The 
roster in January, 1890 comprised the following 
names : 



PAST DEPARTMENT COMMANDER. 

Gcii. .John M. Thayer, 1st Neb. Inf. 



Giles H. Bush. 



D.C. Crawford. 14th Pa. Inf. 
J. O. West, 20111 Ind. Inf. 
Henry Harrison, 10th 111. 

Cav. 
John M.Thayer.lstNeb.Inf. 



PAST POST COMMANDERS. 

iN. H. Hurford. 62d <). Inf. 



Geo. F. Ryan, 60th N.Y. Inf. 
J. W. Liveringhouse, 30tli 

Ind. Inf. 
J. W. Freeman, 13th I'a. Cav. 



PRESENT OFFICERS. 



Chas. L. Howell. P. C, 13th 

N. Y. Inf. 
David Ackerman, 8. V. C, 

28th Pa. Inf. 
Geo. P. Dean, J. V. C, 10th 

Mich. Cav. 
W. H. H. Pillsbury. Chap., 

17th Me. Inf. 
Ed. Searson, Adj't, 148th 

Pa. Inf. 
Geo. F. Ryan, Q. M., 60th 

N. Y. Inf. 

MEM] 

Abbott, O. A., 'Jlh III. Cav. 
Alter, I. R..«ih O. Inf. 
Andrews, J. H.. "lith Ind. 

Inf. 
Atkinson, Thos.. 2d III. Cav. 
Avery. Z., 23d Mich. Inf. 
Ball.'W. .!., 87th Ind. Inf. 
Becker, Herman, 3d Wis. Inf. 
Beemer, .J. W., 10th Minn. 

Inf. 
Bennett, Wm.. 3d Mich. Inf. 
Bentlev. C. F.. 142d III. Inf. 
Bevier; H. K..72dN. Y. Inf. 
BiJIine. A. H.. :i3d 111. Inf. 
Boley. J. W..4th\V. Va. Inf. 
Burcher, Thos. B., 50th Pa. 

Inf. 
Burke. Martin, 27th Wis. Inf. 
Burket. H. L.. 13th 111. Inf. 
Caldwell, Geo. H., 140th O. 

Inf. 
Chamberlain, C. J., 34th 111. 

Inf 
Clark. .lames, lOlh Mich. Cav. 
Corinell, .1. T., 1st 111. Art. 
Coi-bin. E. 
Countryman, E. H.. 14th Wis. 

Inf- 
Currier.W. C, 4th Mich. 
Curtis, E. L.. 7.5th 111. Inf. 
Custard. D. C. 166th (). Inf. 
Davidson. M. A.. 108th 111 

Inf. 
Davis, J. W., 89tli 111. Inf. 
Davis, W. D.. 13th la. Inf. 
Depue, N. M., 13th 111. Inf. 
Depue, J. D.. 10.5th III. Inf. 
Deuel. Wm.. 12th Mich. Inf. 
Denndn. G. W, 14<)th O. Inf. 
Dohson. David. G6th Ind. Inf. 
Dings, David, 01 st NY. Inf. 
Drew, F. L.. 1st Me. Inf. 
Evensizer, R. D., 190lh O. 

Inf. 



David Bowen, Surg., 139th 

111. Inf. 
F. P. Co wee, O. D., 36th O. 

Inf. 
Frank Gardner, O. G., 100th 

111. Inf. 
C. C. Dodson. S. M., 74th 

111. Inf. 
P. G. Lock wood. Q. M. «., 

13th la. Inf. 



Everett. Geo. E , 44th Ma.ss. 

Inf. 
Flottmann, August, 1st Mo. 

Art. 
Foutz, W. P., 5th la. Cav. 
Frey, Geo. W., 93d 111. Inf. 
Gahan, M. J., 13th N. Y. 

Art. 
Gardner. B. F.. 15th 111. Inf. 
Gilchrist. Wm., 2d 111. Cav, 
Gillette, H. J., 21st Ind. Inf. 
Grabach, John, 3d O. Cav. 
Greul. Paul. 44th 111. Inf. 
Halstead. Jonathan. 99tli 

111. Inf. 
Halstead, Wm. J.. 26th 111 

Inf. 
Hamilton. D. R..3Sth O. Inf. 
Handy. C. B. ,14th Mich. Inf. 
Harrison. W. H. 
Harrison. R. L.. 2d O. Art. 
Harris. R. B., 10th Ky. Inf 
Harris. J. A.. 123d Ind. Inf. 
Heidmau, Henry, 176lh N. 

Y. Inf. 
Hensley. J. P., 28th III. Inf. 
Henderson. A. J.. 9th Mo 

Cav. 
Henderson, C P.. 37th N. 

Y. Inf. 
Hindman. Sam'l, 100th Ind. 

Inf. 
Hogg, Adam. Navy, 
Hollingshead. W.. 1st Cal. 

Inf. 
Jackson. C. C. 72d Ind. Inf. 
James, G. A., 1st O. Art. 
Job, S. E., 33d 111. Inf. 
Keni, II. E., 3d Pa. Art. 
Kent. E. D.. 9th 111. Cav. 
King. Benj.. 6lh la. Cav. 
Leake. C. A.. 46th Wis. Inf. 
Lewis. James. 85th N. Y 

Inf. 



594 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



MiKkii. .1. P.. anili (). Inf. 
Lorke. .1. E.. Isl Vl. Ciiv. 
MnriM, W. W.. 12tli In. Inf. 
Miirquis-se, P. ().. 47lb In. 

Inf. 
Mallliews. John A.. 71sl N. 

Y. Inf. 
McCiitcliun. II. P.. l-M Ind. 

Inf. 
Mil.auslilin. W K . 'Jlli <). 

Ciiv. 
McMiislt-r. W. H.. Itlli lii. 

Ciiv. 
Milclifll. VV. W., U. S. S. 

■ Oriolp. " 
Mitclicll. U. S.. Kith Im.I. Inf. 
Milisen, Cluis., 1st Pa.KiHes. 
Moblcy, S. P.. Till la. Cav. 
Mooro, J. D.. Miss. Squad- 
ron. 
Mi)ri;an. David. I lOlli Ind. 

Inf. 
Mullen. \V. C. Htli III. Cav. 
Miirpliv. C. H.. 13tli la. Inf. 
N()ms."C. B., lOlh Me. Inf. 
Otio. Kied. 43d N. V. Inf. 
Pearl, S. E..13lh Wi.'i. Inf. 
PcMiberton, W. D.. Isl W. 

Va. 
IVlerson. M. J.. T.".Ui 111. Inf. 
Pii-ice, C. C.lOOlli Ind. Inf. 
Powell. U . lOOlli Ind Inf. 
Powers. U.V.. I.i4lli 111. Inf. 
Pndeniore. Theo.. !)7lli III. 

Inf. 
Piif. A.. 3d Mien. 
Punly.,1. I).. 4Ttli N. Y. Inf. 
Redlon..!. M, 2."illi Midi Inf. 
Ki-nting, Nicholas, ITlli \Yi-. 

t'av. 
I!lc.-. W. n. II . mil Midi. 
Uidftc, .IoIju. Knapp's Ind. 

Pa. Art. 
Uicbter, August. 24tli 111. 

Inf. 



Kiss, .lolin. Isl Wis. Art. 
RosBwick, Henry, 5th N. J. 

Inf. 
Roberts. Charles. 
Ryan, A. W.. 18th N. Y. 

Cav. 
Sad<s, R. K., (."jll. Ill Inf. 
Seivers, Chas. 
Skellon, .los. \V.. 7th Ind. 

Cav. 
Smith, .los.^'d U. S. Cav. 
Spencer. Oeo. .J.. 137lh N. 

Y. Inf. 
Slott. J. II.. 1st P. R. V. C. 
Swazey. W. A., 22d la. Inf. 
Taylor, T. A.. 8th Pa. Re- 
serves. 
Tegmeyer. Henry. 119th N. 

Y. Inf. 
Tliorne, B. F.. 30th la. Inf. 
Tiedennaii, C. A., liiSd N. 

Y. Inf. 
Tidliall. I). A., 3d la. Cav. 
Tompkins, ('has . 5lh la. 
Tracey, W. II.. 7tb (). Inf. 
Trover, .1. C. 112tli III. Inf. 
Vaniey, .1. B.. 4th NY. Art. 
Vaniey. Ransom. 
Veasey. .1. II.. ,33d la. Inf. 
Veenker. Henry, 12lh Ind. 

Inf. 
Walts. .1. II., llGtIi III. Inf. 
Wiilson, (ieorge, -"tth la. Inf. 
Wear, .James A.. Isl W. Va. 
VVeleh.F. P. 

West, Frank, 50lh 111. luf. 
Wheeler, H., 145th Pa. luf. 
Williams, Geo., 10th Me. Inf. 
Winslow, Chas. F., 48th la. 

Inf. 
Wright, Fred, Frigate •' Miii- 
, nesota." 

JYounL', I. W., 13th Wis.Inf. 
Zediker, .J as. P., 12th la, 

luf. 



CIIAUTKU MKMHERS. 



7lh 



Inf. 



S. P. Moblev 

W. M. Ogle". 

S. W. Smilli. 

G. II. Bush. 

W. P. Foul/, 

S. I). Ranndls. 

O. .1. Kiley. 

T. C. McCoy. 

Garrett Segar, 17th Midi 



Inf. 



73d N. Y. Inf 
5th la. Cav. 



X. H. Hurford. (;2d () 

W. 11. Harrison. 

II. M. Burcber. 

C. B. l,ewis, 85lh N. Y 

and -"lib N. Y. Cav. 
.James Lewis, 85th NY 

and 5tli N. Y. Cav. 
O. A. Abbott, itih III. Cav 



Inf. 
Inf. 



The adjutants have been: 1877, A. O, Abbott; 
1878, George F. Ryan; 1879, George F. Ryan; 
1S80. C. B. Lewis; "l8Sl. O A. Abbott; 1882, C. 
L. Howell; 1883, N. H. Hurford; 1884, J, W. Liv 
eringhouse; 1885, W. D. Peinberton; I88fi, George 
F, Ryan; 1887, J. W, Freeman; 1S88, J, W. Free 
man; 18S<I, George F. Ryan, and in 1890 Ed 
Searson was commissioned. 

The G. A. R. Building Association was incor- 



porated April 1, 18S(), by O. A. Abbott, O. C. Hall, 
C L. Howell, D. Ackerman, James O. West, John 
M. Thayer, Georgt! F. Ryan, J. W. Liveringhoii.se, 
Seth P. Mobley, I. R. Alter and Charles Milisou, 
all members of Lyon Post No. 1 1, G. A. R. 

April 10, 1886, the fdllowingiiamed stockhold 
ers were elected as a board of direcrturs, viz. : O. A. 
Abbott, O. C. Hall, J. (). West, J. W. Livering 
house, ('harles Milisen. N. H. Hurford and George 
F. Ryan, and April I<) the following officers were 
chosen: O. A. Abbott, president; O. C. Hall, vice- 
president; J. W. Liveringhouse, secretary, an<l 
George F. Ryan, treasurer. 

The corner-stone of the building was laid June 
26, 1886, and the G. A. R. Hall dedicated Decern 
ber 29, 1886. 

The original board of directors and officers were 
re-elected in 1887. January 16, 1888, the direct- 
ors elected were: O, C, Hall, J. O. West, N. H. 
Hurford, C. Milisen, W, C, King, George F. Ryan 
and J, W. Liveringhouse, who elected the follow- 
ing officers: O. C Hall, president; O. Milisen, vice 
president; J. W, Liveringhouse. secretary, and 
George F. Ryan, treasurer. 

January 14. 18<S9, George F. Ryan, Charles 
Milisen. J. O. West, J. W. Liveringhouse, J. W. 
Freeman, Z. Avery and N. H. Hurford were elect- 
ed as a board of directors for the ensuing year, the 
officers elected being Charles Milisen, president; 
Z. Avery, vice-president; J. W. Freeman, secretary, 
and George F. Ryan, treasurer. 

January 13. 1890, Charles Milisen, J. O. West, 
David Ackerman, John Matthews, A. H. Bohne, H. 
K. Bevier and George F, Ryan were elected as di 
rectors; Charles Milisen, president; H. K. Bevier, 
vice-president; D. Ackerman, secretary, and George 
F. Ryan, treasurer. 

Lyon Post Cemetery Association was formed 
December 13, 1884, and duly incorporated under 
the laws of the State of Nebraska. Five acres of 
land were purchased by the as.sociation, situated 
on the north half of the southwest quarter of the 
northwest quarter of Section 29, in Township 1 1 . 
north of Range 9 we.st, of the sixth principal mer- 
idian, which was surveyed and platted and the plat 
placed on tile in the county clerk's office of Hall 



HALL COUNTY. 



595 



County. Each member of Lyon Post No. 11, G. 
A. R. , is a member of the association and lots in 
the cemetery can be sold only to such members. 
The first officers were W. B. Larabee, president; 
James A. Wear, vice-president; O. C. Hall, treas- 
urer, and O. A. Abbott, clerk. The present officers 
are George F. Ryan, president; Ed Searson, vice- 
president; J. W. Freeman, treasurer; James O. 
West, clerk; trustees, George F. Ryan, J. H. An- 
drews, N. H. Hurford, Frank Gardner, James A. 
Wear and Ed Searson. 

A military company was organized at Grand Isl- 
and in Fel)ruary, 1888, with the following-named 
officers; Captain, Mr. John D. Moore; first lien 
tenant, M. J. Dnrkin; second lieutenant, J. W. Liv 
eringhouse; orderly sergeant, E. O. Green; (piar 
termaster sergeant, J. W. Freeman; first duty ser- 
geant, Thomas Cakes; second duty sergeant, George 
F. Ryan; third duty sergeant, W. N. Peterson; 
fourth duty sergeant, VV. A. Heimberger; first cor 
poral, John Alexander; second corporal, G. W. 
Williams; third corporal, James Austin; fourth 
corporal, \V. C. Murray; bugler, Al Beers. 

The original roster comprised the following 
names: John Alexander, Martin H. Bird, W. C. 
Murray, George L. Flemming, H. C. Miller, W. A. 
Heimberger, M. J. Durkin, George F. Ryan, James 
Austin, J. W. Liveringhouse, E. F. Bagley, G. W. 
Williams, John D. Moore, H. M. Willman, J. W. 
Freeman, Frank P. Hall, Al Beers, H. B. Holtz, 
Peter Boekhoff, W. G. Hirshlwrg, William John 
son, Fred Snowden, J. F. Dawson, Tliomas Oakes, 
John Nicholson, Bert Cole, D. S. Hendricks, W. 
N. Peterson, W. H. Evans, George Roys, W. H. 
Kline, L. F. Hall, O. R. Perry, W. S Hayman, S. 
A. Ewiug, E. O. Green, Walter Appledorn, George 
Seifert, D. C. Zink, G. C. Mann, T. M. Hamilton, 
E. D. Hendricks, R. H. Heinzle, H. J. Mayer, R. 
H. McAllister, J. A. Costello. 

The central location of Grand Island renders it 
a favorite camping ground for veterans of the G. 
A. R., and in February, 1890, a meeting of dele 
gates from the various posts of the State was held 
here to fill a j)lace for the reunion of 18U0. 

The Sons of Temperance organized October 2, 
1873, with fifteen memiwrs, of whom Horatio 



Thomas was W. P. ; Alice Odell, W. A. ; J. J. 
Cosh, R. S. ; B. F. Odell, A. R. S. ; Byron Beal, 

F. S. ; James H. Jenkins, C. ; Flora Thomas, A. C. ; 
Ella Warner, I. S., and John Shoemaker, O. S. 
This society met in the Bajitist Church until per 
mission was granted to meet in the I. O. O. F. 
Hall, over Wasmer's store. In 1876 there were 
fifty members. 

Grand Island Camp No. 408, M. W. A., is a 
modern secret organization. D. A. Finch is V. C. ; 
A. B. Harriott, W. A. ; J. A. Brent, E. B., and 
D. C. Zink, C. 

The Temple of Honor was organized May 4, 
1878, by A. H. Bowen, with James H. Burlison, 
Robert S. Buchanan, George F. Ryan, William 
T. Hamilton, I. L. Meseraul, Giles H. Bush, 
Harry Buchanan, W. P. Foutz, Amaziah D. 
Owens, D. M. Buchanan and Aaron B. Veeder, 
officers. 

The Knights of Labor is a strong organization 
in this city. W. F. McLaughlin was M. W. at the 
close of 1880; L. L. Hall, W. F. ; David Bowen, 
W. R. ; T. A. Oakes, R. C. ; W. C. Bowen, F. S. ; 

G. H. Geddes, V. S. ; G. F. Ryan, treasurer; 
James Balcom, I. E., and Samuel Elliott, O. E. 

Fidelity Lodge No. 035, K. of H., elected the 
following named officers in December, 1885: 
George E. Winn, William Barrett, O. J. Winn, 
Charles Milisen, John W. West, M. Murphy, 
J. P. Kernohan, John Van Wie, John Murray, 
J. G. Raine, A. J. Sanders, W. H. West, Z. B. 
Partridge and C. F. Bentley. The officers at the 
close of 1889 were Z. B. Partridge, dictator; B. C. 
Howard, P. D. ; James Wear, F. R. ; M. Murphy, 
treasurer, and G. H. Caldwell, secretary. 

In October,^ 1888, the W. C. T. U. elected the 
following named officers: Mrs. L. M. Bohne, 
president; Mrs. W. J. Davis, V. P.; Mrs. W. 
Bacon, C. S. ; Mrs. E. B. Smith, R. S., and Mrs. 
N. H. Hurford, treasurer. The vice-presidents or 
representatives of the various Protestant societies 
were: Mrs. A. B. Shrader, English Lutheran; 
Mrs. L. M. Bryan, Immanuel Baptist; Mrs. 
Jennie Glanville, Presbyterian; Mrs. C. D. Irving, 
Methodist; Mrs. E A. Stevens, Congregational; 
Mrs. E. E. Everett, First Baptist; Mrs. Radinsky, 



^P 



596 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



German Evangelical. At. the close of 1SS9 Mrs. 
BOhnewiis prusidoiit; Mrs. C. Irviii, vice president; 
Mrs. E. Hall, secretary, and Mrs. J. ^A'. Davis, 
treasurer. 

The Women's Christian Temperance Union of 
the Ninth district, presided over by Mrs. E. B. 
Smith of Grand Island, since its or<:;aiiizHtion, 
elected the following named officers October 16, 
1889: Mrs. Libbie lieynard, president; Mrs. Viola 
Richardson, vice president; Mrs. K. A. Cook, 
treasurer; Mrs. Hascall, recorder, and Mrs. J. H. 
Wooly, corresponding secretary. 

Perseverance Lodge No. 14, I. O. G. T. , was 
organized March 5, 1889, with the following- 
named members: Margaret Ryne, D. M. Sweeden, 
D. N. Conrad, E. C. McCashland, R. S. Ryne, T. 
Hart, W. Smith, A. Sage, Mrs. T. R. Throles and 
Josie E. Throles. At the close of 1889 Frank 
Bartlo presided over this lodge, with E. Loomis, 
secretary. There were forty five members re- 
ported. Th<^ old lodge, No. 60, passed out of ex- 
istence years ago, and with it almost every memory 
of the old Temperance Hall vanished. 

The Y. M. C. A. was organized in Dr. Hawk's 
office February 28, 1885, with C. W. ScarfF, presi 
dent; H. E. Clifford, vice president; J. W. Bar- 
tholomew, secretary, and J. W. Liveringhouse, 
treasurer. In 1885 C. F. Scarff, president; E. 
Dill, secretary, and Fred Irving, treasurer, were 
elected. 

The Ladies' Relief Society was organized De- 
cember 7, 1886, in the interest of the destitute of 
the city. Mrs. Juline Smith was chosen president; 
Mrs. T. J. Hurford. vice president; Mrs. C. F. 
Bentley, secretary, and Mrs. T. O. C. Harrison, 
treasurer. The committee to report on cases of 
de.stifnti()U comprised Mesdames Estes, J. T. Con- 
nell, \V. J. Davis, N. Piatt, Wall Estes, L. Har- 
vey, E. B. Smith, C. W. Scarff, J. Fonner, O. D. 
Goodrich, H. L. Burket, S. N. Wolbacli, F. 
Hedde, W. W. Riner, C. A. Wiebe and D. R. 
Eastiday. 

The Liedcrkraiiz or Song society was organized 
by John Walliclis in November. 1870, and the hall 
completed in August, 1871, on two lots donated 
by the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Peter 



Heintz is president; P. B. Peters, vice president; 
Geoi-ge Bartenbach, treasurer, and Frank Koss, 
secretary. The Eintacht (Concordia) was formed 
September 26, 1875, with Prof. Carl C. Zeus, 
director, who had previously established the Zeus 
Academy here. The Plattdeutch Verein is presided 
over by G. M. Hein, with Claus Theissen, vice- 
president, and H. Schlechting, secretary. The 
old Turnverein was organized in October, 1874, 
and was incorporated January 15, 1878. In 1881 
this German association had ceased from active 
work. 

The St. Cecelia Musicale was organized in June, 
1885, with Mrs. Barr, leader, and Mesdames W. E. 
Robin.son, Hilliker, Fisher and Reynard, and 
Misses Emma and Maggie Howard and Ida Heffle- 
man, members. 

The Grand Island Social Club was organized 
April 15, 1887, with J. D. Moore, president: W. 
H. Michael and A. B. Perkins, vice-presidents; 
W. M. Geddes, recorder; E. W. Justice, corre 
spondent, and W. B. Carey, treasurer. 

The Grand Island Dramatic Company was or 
ganized May 10, 1889, with E. O. Green, presi- 
dent; Mrs. William Murr, vice president; Dr. H. 
C. Miller, secretary; J. H. Gorman, manager, and 
Ralph Piatt, agent and master of properties. 
Directors Mulliii, Cowie and Lanigan were elected. 
Among the unofficial members were Misses Loan, 
Franklin and Perry, and Messrs. Ryan and Geddes. 

The Bartenbach Opera House, built in 1882, 
was reopened October 12, 1889, by Keene, in 
"Julius Caesar." The Academy of Music was 
erected a few years later. 

The I'nion Cornet Band completed organization 
in June, 1874, with S. S. Naylor, director; S. P. 
Mobley, Joseph Fox and George E. Wilson, trust 
ees, and N. P. Kellej', secretary. This organiza- 
tion was the result of the old Grand Island band 
refusing to play on July 4. D. G. Phimister was 
director in September, 1874. The organization 
continued in existence for over a year, when it went 
the way of all cornet bauds. 

The Cornet Band organized in June, 1876, with 
J. W. West, president; J. W. Rogers, treasurer; 
Jay E. White, secretary, and C. B. Lewis, H. O. 




Brown, James Lewis, F. M. Olafliii, Frank Nuss, 
and H. S. Elkins, unofficial members, rendered 
effective service for some years. The Germania 
Band has taken the place of the pioneer bands, and 
in 1S87 the McCaddeu Cornet Band was organized. 
In July, 1870, the Platte Valley and the 
Dirty Stockings liase ball clubs of Grand Island 
were organized. The Mrst challenge was accepted 



July 19, and that evening the last-named club won, 
the score being fifty nine to twelve. The Central 
Base Ball Club in 1870 comprised Wilson, Waters, 
Voitle, White, Probstle, Buchanan, King, Leake 
and Landis. They defeated the Kearney club in 
June of that year. Since that time l)ase ballism 
has been enthusiastically carried on here, victory 
often perching on the l)anner of the home club. 




^' 



^1 



598 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



Wool) KivKii— Commencement— Some Fiust TniNos— Growth and UriiuiLDiNG— Early Commercial Interests 
—Pioneer Merchants— The Gazette— Incorpokation— Population— Present Business— Bank 
— Uklioious Societies- Secret and Benevolent Oroanizations— Doniphan— Lo- 
cation, Elevation, Etc. — Events op Importance— Early IIappen- 
iNQS— Fire op 1887 — Churches and School — Other 
Villages — Alda — Underwood— Spen- 
cer — Cairo — Runelsburu 
and Shelton. 

. / m ^ » 



Touch us gently. Time! 

Let us glide ailown tliy stronni 
Gently — as we sometimes glide 

Through a quiet dream! — Procter. 




OOD RIVER was com 
menced at the old site of 
the I'Qion Pacific depot, 
tw( I uiiles west of its pres- 
ent location, in 1871. 
A. A. Baker, a native of 
Canada, erected the first 
store there, a small gen- 
eral merchandise e.stablishment. James 
A. Jackson, who had conducted a general 
merchandise store a half mile from the 
old town, abandoned his old store build 
ing and erected one in the new town. 
This was the second building, and Mr. 
Jackson was the second resident of old 
Wood River. The town had grown to 
some thirty buildings in 1873, when the Union 
Pacific depot was moved to its present site. The 
town followed it. James A. Jackson was the first 
to reach the new town with store building and 
stock, the same building he still occupies. He 
also moved his dwelling house. Others followed 
his example until the old town was al)a"doned. 




The new town grew slowly, Mr. Jackson and 
family and Mr. G A. Hollister, the first post- 
master of the place, being the only inhabitants for 
I some time. After the year 1876 the town grew 
rapidly until in 1882, when it was incorporated 
with a population of something less than 700. 

N. T. Brittin, who entered his homestead one- 
half mile south of Wood River in 1871, established 
a business house in the village in 1880, and was 
appointed postmaster. John Maher, who on June 
28, 1862, settled on Section 23, Wood River, near 
the California trail, well remembers the days of 
primitive Nebraska. There were only a few set- 
tlers in the whole county. Herds of buffalo, deer, 
antelope and wolves roamed at large, chased by 
Indians in small and large bodies. On one occa- 
sion he and family were driven from home and did 
not dare to return for about fifteen months. 
James Jackson, who in 1864 built a store-hotise 
and opened the first stock of goods at Wood River, 
settled there in 1860. In 1869 he killed a wild 
buffalo on the site of the present town, and the 
following year erected the first modern store. 



J^— — ^ 



^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



599 



Wood River ia 1879 comprised the following 
businessmen: Bush & Paine, grain dealers; A. 
M. Hanscom and E. J. McDermott, blacksmiths; 
A. G. Hollister, postmaster and grocer; W. B. 
Hollister, railroad agent; C. M. Horn, shoemaker; 
J. Kennedy, saloon and hotel, and James Jackson, 
general merchant. 

Wood River in November, 1884, was popularly 
credited with 700 people. C. W. Stoddard was 
the new proprietor of the Commercial House, and 
J. H. Shick of the Wood River House; Stoddard 
Bros., Thomas J. Dn.nn, Thomas Langan and 
Henry Janss were engaged in mercantile trade; R. 
H. Dodd, in the grain trade, and C. C. Bense in 
the lumber trade; W. W. Hollister was president 
of the Wood River bank; Miss Simpson carried 
on the millinery business; Dr. Gilligan was physi- 
cian; Claus Fransenburg, butcher; E. C. White, 
drayman, and James Williams, livery stable own- 
er, and J. B. Furman, shoe dealer. The Catliolic 
church completed this year, after plans by Archi- 
tect Ebert, is the leading building; Rev. J. G. 
Tate is pastor of the Presbyterian society, who 
own a small building, and Mr. Worths of the 
Methodist society, who own a smaller building. 

Wood River post-office was established in 1874 
by A. T. Hollister. He was succeeded by N. T. 
Brittin, Mr. Hollister subsequently following him. 
During President Cleveland's administration John 
O'Conner occupied the position of j)ostmaster, and 
since Harrison was made president the post-office 
at this point has again been in the hands of N. T. 
Brittin. 

Wood River Gazette, a weekly Republican 
journal, was established in September, 18S2, by 
R. H. Miller. Subsequently the paper was bought 
by James Ewing, who was editor and proprietor 
until his death, October 81, 1888. The Gazette 
was conducted by the Ewing estato till July, 1889, 
when it was purchased by W. W. Mercer, the pres- 
ent proprietor. The circulation is estimated at 
000. This is one of the bright newsy journals of 
this portion of the State, and is conducted with a 
faithful regard to the interests of the citizens. 

Wood River was incorporated October 14. 
1882, and James Jackson, W. L. G. Trapp. N. T. 



Brittin, J. B. Furman and James Ewing named 
trustees. James Ewing acted as president of the 
board until October, 1888, when F. M. Penney 
succeeded him. The president, with N. J. Parker, 
A. L. Johnson, W. W. Mitchell and Henry Cham- 
berlin, form the present council (February, 1890)- 

The Merchant & Custom Steam Power Roller 
Mills were built by Fred and William Thorp, in 
1882, the present proprietors. The ca})acity of 
these mills is 100 barrels per day. 

The elevator at Wood River is owned by W. 
W. Mitchell, and the grain house by the Omaha 
Elevator Company. 

Wood River is now conceded to have 800 pojiu- 
lation. The First National Bank has a capital of 
$50,000; F. M. Penney and James Jackson are 
among the leading general merchants; Riley Wes- 
coatt also has a large business; other general mer 
chants are Fred Schwartz, T. J. Dunn and John 
Maucham; O'Neal & Nolan and J. F. Langen are 
liquor dealers; H. Janss and Jerry Bo wen, drugs; 
Hollister & Howard and A. C. Murphy, hardware; 
Watts & Williams, Williams & White and James 
Shick, proprietors of livery stables; Commercial 
Hotel, conducted by Fred Thorp; Wood River 
Hotel, by James Shick; O. B. Desoe and W. Paris, 
implement di^alers: William Senseny, confectionery 
store; Austin Ryan, grocery store; Burkerd & 
Hooten and James Williams, meat dealers; M. 
J. Parke, coal and grain dealer; W. W. Mitch 
ell, grain and elevator; Wood River Gazette, 
by W. Mercer; Maddock & Taylor, harness; Miss 
Annie Simpson, Miss Sherry and Miss McGuyre, 
dress-making; A. M. Hamscon, John Wilkinson 
and J. D. Sanburn, blacksmiths; J. N. Harri- 
son and C. W. Cormau, physicians; Howell Lum 
ber Company; A. Harper and Juckett & Jenks, 
barbers; John O'Conner, C. A. Baldiu and J. 
R. Jewett, carpenters and builders; Ed Dribelow 
and W. F. Curtis, painters; G. W. Miller, Brett 
& Johnson and N. J. Costello, real-estate; Charley 
Horn and A. C. White, shoemakers; N. T. Brittin, 
postmaster; John Quinn, stock dealer; Tom Lan- 
gan, restaurant; N. and F. Thorp own the mills; 
E. Baldwin, jewelry; C. A. Tracy, furniture. 

Among the improvements anticipated for the 






IZ 



600 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



town in tlip futnro arc ii number of much needed 
residences for rent and sale. These are to be pnt 
up by the l)uilibngand loan association and also by 
private incbvidtials. Tlie Oiuaha Elevator Com- 
pany expei't to erect another Iniildiui^ here. Wood 
River has three chnrches, and a j^raded public 
school with si.\ teachers, 

Tli<> First National Bank of Wood River was 
or<:fanized November 19, 1888, with H. O. Giffin, 
presid(>nt; Patrick Moore, vice |)resideut, and H. 
Chamlierlin, cashier. There are twenty-three 
stockholders reported and a cash capital of 150,000. 
'{'he Wliite River Tjand and (battle Company 
jmrchased 400 acres from William Powell, on the 
island in July, 1887, and introduced 1,000 head of 
cattle. The I'nion Pacific Stock Yards were es- 
tablished in Auf^ust. 

In the neighborhood are a number of heavy 
shee[) growers. In January, 1S90, the Gazette 
published a list of feeders and number of sheep 
fed by each grower in the vicinity as follows: Gif- 
ford & Eaton, 3,000; Young & Matthews, 3,000; 
C. Durbin, '2,300; E. C. Dodge, 9,500; G. F. 

Dodge, 3,000; Oswald Bros., 11,000; Ferris, 

2,000; L. F. Stockwell, 3,0011; total. 30,800. 

Besides this number of sheep here the number 
of cattle being fed in this vicinity will amount to 
several thousand head, so it is plain that Wood 
River is a feeding point second to none in this sec- 
tion of the country. The amount of money paid 
out l)y this industry is no small matter in Wood 
River business circles. 

The Catholic Church dates back to 1801. Pat- 
rick Moore and his brother, Richard, were the first 
Catholic settlers in the county. They came here 
from Iowa City in 1859. The first Catholic priest 
to visit the county was Father Furman, a French- 
man, who came in the fall of I8()l. He held the 
first mass in a log house, the residence of Anthony 
Moore, three miles west of what is now Wood 
River depot. The regular station for the priest 
was Columbus, Platte County, Neb. There were 
services here about once in three months by the 
priests located at that point, until 1877. The 
priests to follow Father Furman until 1877, were 
Fathers Smith, Kelly, Erlach and Ryan. In 1877 



tlie station for the priest was moved to Grand 
Island, and after this there was mass once every 
two weeks until 1887, when the present pastor, 
Fath(»r Lynch, was appointed to the [)arish al 
Wood River. 

The priests located at Grand Island from 1877 
until 1887, were in order. Fathers Erlach, Phelan 
(who came first in July, 1 880, and died here March 
10, 1884, from a stroke of paralysis), Smith (who 
was located at C Conner for a few months), and 
the present pastor. Father P. Lynch. He was 
located first at Grand Island and took charge here 
in 1887. The first church was built in the parish 
in 1868, by subscription. There were then only 
ten Catholic families: Patrick Walsh, James Crean, 
Patrick Nevills, Anthony Moore, Richard Moore, 
Patrick Moore, John McGiiuiis. Luke Burns, John 
Maher and Edward O'Brien. The new church 
was commenced here in the fall of 1883, and com- 
pleted in 1884. An old pastoral residence stands 
in the town and a new one has just been completed. 
The valuation of all the church property is 113,000. 
There are 110 families in the parish. Bisho]) 
O' Gorman was the first bishop who visited the 
place. He came about 1870, and confirmed 
twenty chikh'en. 

There was an early organization of the Presby- 
terian Church here sometime in the decade ending 
in 1870. This was disbanded soon after, and the 
only reliable data in regard to the old Presbyterian 
body djites from the second organization in 1882. 
Members who helped to organize it at that date 
were: B. L. Caldwell and wife, Charles E. Town- 
send and wife, James Allan and sister Jessie, Mrs. 
Maggie Minor and W. A. Caldwell. The first 
minister was Rev. Fulsome, followed by J. G. 
Tate, C. G. S. Hullhurst, Rev. Wolfe, and the 
present minister, J. Hatch. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized 
in January, 1872, with the following-named mem- 
bers: N. T. Brittin, R. Mitchell, B. Light, Isaac 
King and A. B. Ross, with their wives. The 
preachers in charge of this mission were: Revs. Fair- 
child, Marsh, Clarksen, Hancock, Marsh, Burlen- 
son, Summers, Marsh, Dresler, Dudley, Davis, Worts, 
Leedom and Harper. The recorders were Rev. 






HALL COUNTY. 



601 



Harinnn anil G. W. Miller. The church house was 
erected in 1S7U, Messrs. Brittiu, Barriok, Jawing, 
Harman iiud Jackson forming the building com- 
mittee. 

Wood River Lodge No. 15S, I. O. O. F., was 
organized February 1, 1888, with the following 
named charter members: K. W'escoatt, J. B. Leed- 
om, a. 11. Maddock, B. Compton, Elva Baldwin, 
O. B. Desoe, J. J. Workman, J. H. Wisong, Lewis 
Brockelhurst and S. N. Nelson. The first noble 
grand was liev. J. B. Leedom; second, G. L. Mad- 
ilock; third, S. N. Tajlor; fourth, B. Compton; 
fifth, N. L. Sprague, who is the present incumbent. 
The lodge has now fifty-four members. 

Vulcan Lodge No. 34, A. O. U. AV., was or- 
ganized April 3, 1884. The charter members were: 

C. D. Gibson, W. F. Wells, James Williams, John 
Ewing, F. W. Cooley, C. W. Stoddard, N. T. 
Brittin, H. P. Chapman, J. W. Honnold, R. H. 
Dodd, J. B. Furman, H. D. Hollister, David Bar- 
rick, J. R. Jewett, C. J. Lowe, C. E. Taylor and 
Stephen Jones. The masters since organization 
are named as follows: J. W. Honnold, Stephen 
Jones, H. M. Jones, C. A. Baldwin, J. C. Boone, 

D. Barrick, S. N. Taylor and George Miller. 
There are eighty members in the lodge at this time. 

Wood River Lodge No. 704, M. W. A., was 
organized September 17, 1888; G. L. Maddock, 
the first counsel is still presiding. The charter 
members were G. D. Maddock, George Plummer, 
William Thorp, J. A. Shorte.ss, Wilbur Mercer, 
Thomas Whalen, Oliver Mead, J. N. Harrison, 
John C. Boone and H. M. Jones. 

Wood River Building and Loan Association, 
temporarily organized in June, 1889, was j)erma- 
nently organized January l,1890,with F. M. Penny, 
president; W. W. Mitchell, vice president : W. L. 
Sprague, secretary, and Edward Baldwin, treasurer. 
Directors were F. M. Penny, W. W. Mitchell, R. 
Wescoatt, George H. Howard, John R. Jewett, 
Henry Knntz, William Thorp, J. Smoot and A. L. 
Johnston. The attorney for the association is M. 
J. Costello. The limit of stock is *25, 000. The 
operations of the company are entirely local. 

B. B. White Camp 29, Sons of Veterans, was 
organized June 2, 1885, and a charter granted on 



the same date to H. C. W hite, captain, J. W. Harl. 
sergeant; R. J. Clark, corporal; A. B. Templeton, 
high private; William Searl, lieutenant; William 
Kunz, H. Hartz, color bearer; C. W. Stoddard and 
E. C. Jonte. 

Woman's Relief Corps No. 61 was organized 
April 19, 1889. The charter members were N. J. 
Wescoatt, Jennie Trout, H. J. Tracy, Augusta 
Stephens, Mary Kunz, Mary Plummer, L. Rams- 
dell, A. White, E. Taylor, F. Mathews and Emma 
Bly. The first president was Mrs. Kate Ross and 
the second Mrs. N. J. Wescoatt. 

Bradley Post No. 1 34, G. A. R. , was organized 
March 17, 1873. Stephen Jonea .served as com- 
mander the first two terms, followed by J. H. 
Bliss for a like period; John B. Stephens served 
the fifth term, R. Wescoatt the next two terms, and 
E. Kunz one term. A. C. White is now commander. 

The roster of this post is as follows : 

lOOth 111. 



J. B. Furmau, 188lh Pa. 
N. T. Brittin. 

A. C. While, l8th la. 
James Kennedy, l.")lli 111. 
Otto Ilomman, 21st Mo. 
Uichard Burden. Kith Ind. 
Isaac Hart. 8Sth Ind. 

N. F. Wells, 143d Pa. 
Paul Hansen. 28th Wis. 
T. A. Kvans, 1.52d 111. 
Stephen .Jones, 2d Pa. 
John H. Bliss. 112lh Pa 
H S. Winn, 2d Ohio. 
Frank Corkins, 9.")th 111. 
W. H. Norton, 7th Cal. 
John Lyons, 2d N. Y. 
C. E. Towns, 36th Mass. 
E. Kunz, 54th Ohio 
Jas. P. McKeuney,5lh()lii< 

Cav. 
Robert Grace, 102d Pa. Inf. 
G. W. Plummer, 154th 111. 

Inf. 
M. M. Lewton, t38lhlll. Inf. 
Jas. Romine, Slith Ohio bif. 
J. H. Trout. Uth W. Va. Int. 
G. II. Taylor. 154th 111. Inf. 

B. C. Travis, 49th Wis Inf. 



J. D. Mathews, 

Inf. 
J. S McGlasson. ;i6th Ohio 

Inf. 
G. M. Englemau, 54tli Mo. 

Inf. 
Anthony Fanance, 39tli Bl. 

Inf. 
James H. Murphy, 88th III. 

Inf. 
W. Whitehead, 3d Wis. Inf. 
J. Smithwick, 21)tli 111. Inf. 
C. J. Lowe, 41si Pa. Inf. 
J. B. Stevens, 2d Ohio Inf. 
N. Johnson, iith Mich. Inf. 
N. P. Ramsden,44ihl!l. Inf. 
Peter Bermood, 18th 111 Inl. 
Gotlieb Aberl. 33d N. Y. Inf. 
H. M. Leibhart. 
F. Whitehead, :id Wis. Inf. 
R. H. Stuart, (ith Iowa Inf. 
T. J. Ross. 

Riley WesioatI, 1st la. Cav. 
Samuel Calvert. 
O. F. Fool, 7lh Va. Cav. 
C. 0. Sti ne. 151st Inf. 
J. M. Bly, 44 th N. Y. Inf 
E. 0. Hoooer, 57th Pa. Inf. 



The hall of the G. A. R. and A, O. V. W. at 
Wood River was dedic.ited in April, 1886. 

The Wood River Red Ribbon Club was organ- 
ized June 26, 1878, with John S. Donaldson, N. T. 
Brittin. Mrs. Emma Murphy, H. A. Goodrich, 
Nellie Streator, J. B. Furman, C. E. Towne, G. L. 
Warner and Mrs. Ellis, ofiicials. 

In the chapters of the general history references 






'^4' — 



602 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



are made to the Mormon settlomoiit iioav the pres- 
ent town, to the pioneer journal published by them 
here and to other names and events connected with 
the district. 

Doniphiiu, twelve miles southeast of Grand 
Island, is credited with a population of about (iOO, 
althoui^h some persons claim for it 700 inhabitants. 
It is the hiijhest measured elevation in the south- 
ern part of the county, except Wood River, being 
1,948 feet, while the last named villaj^e is 1,90:^ feet 
above sea level. The first settlement here was 
made during the War for the Union, but the 
village was not surveyed until 1879. The name 
was given in honor of Col. John Doniphan, of St. 
Joseph, then attorney for the St. Joseph Railroad 
Company. 

In 1875 C. F. Raymer, agent for Paine & Co., 
opened a lumber-yard at this point. 

W. J. Burger located at Doniphan in 1864, and 
carried on farming there until May, 1881, when he 
established his general store. In the fall of 1880 
Samuel Fry opened the first large store, although 
the tirst general store was established August '25, 
1879, by the Upson Bros. About that time Sam- 
uel Beidelman was appointed postmaster, and Miss 
Emma Smith opened a school in a house built for 
that purpose in 1874. Henry Denman's farm al.so 
adjoined the town site. 

Samuel Beidelman was the first settler on the 
plat. Within a short time Charles Dnfford, S. H. 
Lakins, Samuel Gibson and E. Upson located in the 
new town. The tirst birth on the town site was that 
of Jennie M. Stout, born February 9. 1880, and the 
first marriage that of .\nna M Wharry and L. M. 
Brewer. Dr. Poe settled here in the fall of 1880. 
The fir.st sermon was delivered July 18, 1881, by 
Elder Rockway, of the Methodist persuasion, in 
Burger & McCulhmgh's hall, and July 24 Rev. E. 
A. McCullom. of the Presbyterian; Rev. Sweeney, 
of the Christian, and Rev. Thurber, of the Meth- 
odist society, preached here. In fact, the preach- 
ers invaded the village, and the pioneers, looking 
one at the other, asked what news had got abroad 
which would lead so many preachers hither to con- 
vert them. 

In April, 1881, the Index was founded by 



Charles Kelsey, and the little village began to 
assume the pretensions of a town. The incor 
poration of Doniphan village (south half of Section 
5 and all of Section 8, Town 9, Range 9, aid south 
east quarter of Section 1 and east half of Section 
12, Town 9, Range 10) was authorized January 9, 
1884, on petition of thirty-three resident tax-})ay 
ers. A. M. Sweeney, James Scudder, J. W. Burg, 
D. O. Grico and.Sanmel Beidelman were appointed 
trustees. 

The Doniphan Leader was founded in 1884 and 
is still published there, while the Institute, a 
monthly journal, was established in 1885. 

Doniphan Lodge No. 86 was created January 7, 
1881, and chartered June 22, 1881. Among the 
official members in 1889 were Martin Ennis, John 
Schwyn, R. M. Bennett, George C. Humphreys, 
O. B. Foster, John Gallagher, C. F. Raymer, 
Charles Haines, Aaron Hess and Clark Gideon. 

The fire of November 26, 1887, destroyed the 
only brick business building in the village, in 
which was the post-otfice (William Gideon, post- 
master), the bank, Carmichael's grocery, a milli- 
nery store, a general store and a butcher shop. 
The fire resulted from the attempt of burglars to 
blow open the door of the bank safe. 

The Doniphan Bank was established May 3, 
1886, with John Schwyn, cashier; Messrs. S. N. 
Wolbach, C. F. Beutley, W. J. Burger and John 
Schwyn were the stockholders. Messrs. Burger 
and Schwyn have filled the respective offices of 
president and cashier since organization. In 1888 
the present bank building was erected. 

Heli Conclave No. 1. Heptasophs, was insti- 
tuted October 27, 1887, by D. M. Morris, who was 
commissioned supreme ephor. The charter mem- 
bers were D. M. Morris, B. F. Barr, J. H. Allen, 

A. J. Eichel, E. A. Surver, John Ward, I. T. 
Ward, John Carmichael, W. D. Sharp, Fred Veal, 
W. H. Gideon, W. H. L. Schmidt, T. M. Sheafif 
and R. G. Bardrick. The first officers were: D. 
M. Morris, eminent archon; E. A. Surver, W. P. ; 

B. F. Barr, R. S. ; T. M. Sheaff, F. S. ; John 
Ward, treasurer; A. J. Eichel, inspector-general. 
Appointive officers were: J. H. Carmichael, warder; 
W. D. Sharp, herald; J. H. Smith, sentinel — pres- 






^ — n^ ^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



603 



ent officers. This is tlie only organization of Hep- 
tasophs in the State at this date (January 14. 1890). 

A. J. Smith Post No. 05, at Doniphan, was 
presided over in 1889 by George C. Humphrey. 

The Modern Woodmen organized a lodge at 
Doniphan in June, 1889, with M. D. Nickles 
deputy head consul. 

Alda, on the Union Pacific Railroad, eight 
miles southwest of Grand Island, is 1,918 feet 
above sea level or forty-three feet higher than 
Grand Island depot. The population in the fall 
of 1889 was placed at 100. W. G. Eldridge 
settled on the northeast quarter of Section 14, 
Township 10, Range 11, May 20, 1859, with his 
nearest neight)ors eight miles west. In the fall 
of that year he erected the iirst dwelling house. 
Charles and Arthur Lamberson located their farm 
in Jackson Precinct, Section 31, in April, 1866, 
having settled in the county the year before, W. 
H. Norton came in 1867; Francis Corkins, also 
settled in the county that year, and in 1871 lo- 
cated in this vicinity on a soldier's warrant. W. 
W. Mitchell established his mercantile and grain 
house here in February, 1873, but made his first 
settlement in 1871. In August, 1870, George E. 
Crawford located near this point, and in July, 

1880, W. H. Wilson arrived, and in February, 

1881, opened a general store here. 

The members of the United Brethren class at 
Alda, in 1872, were Dr. Goodrich and wife, John 
Watson and wife, A. Frink and wife, John Leck- 
enljy and wife, H. G. Backus and wife, George 
Straub and wife, Frank, Levi, Washington, Ella 

and Etta Straub, W. H. Houser and wife, Mun 

len and wife. William N. Sherman. Ed Searson 

and wife, . Cummings, Joel Andrews and wife, 

George Sherbridge and wife, and others. 

The Grange movement had a large following in 
this neighborhood in 1872-73, and in 1874 the 
temperance movement was earnestly forwarded. 

Alda Division No. 92, Sons of Temperance, was 
organized July 28, 1874, with Horatio Thomas, 
Mrs. Minnie Rose, J. H. Andi'ews, Mrs. L. J. 
Brown, E. W. Brown, L. C. Goodrich, William 
N. Sherman, C. W. Stoddard, Miss Minnie Sweet, 
James Straub and Frank Powell, officials. 



In 1886 J. G. Schaupp & Sons, flouring-mill; 
W. C. Johnson, James Marsh and W. \V. Mitch- 
ell, general stores; John Fleisher's hotel. The 
Traveler's Home, Sherbondy's broom factory. Dr. 
Brubaker's office, Inman's blacksmith shop, E. A. 
Parks' insurance office and the railroad office, pre- 
sided over by D. O'Kane, made up the business 
section of the community. H. A. Gallup was jus- 
tice of the peace and J. W. Robb, pastor of the 
Wesleyan Methodist Church. F. W. Powell was 
postmaster. 

In December, 1889, the following notice of this 
old town appeared in the county journals: 

I offer for sale 340 acres at Alda, 7A miles west of 
Grand Island: three blocks only have been platted and 
sold. This land may be made to pay largely, if properly 
managed, and will be sold on lime one-third cash, with 
a liberal clause in mortgage releasing lots as they ma}' be 
sold. Address J. S. Claukson, 

164 Randolph St., Chicago. 

Underwood is the name given to the new post- 
office on Section 28, Town 9, Range 10, at its es- 
tablishment, January 16, 1885. Mrs. CleanthaA. 
Underwood was appointed postmistress, and she 
established the office in the farm-house of B. G. Un- 
derwood, six and one half miles distant from Hansen 
depot, on the Grand Island & St. Joseph Railroad. 
Mrs. Underwood, in describing the locality, says: 
'■ The soil is a rich, sandy loam, very productive, 
growing lighter and more sandy among the bluffs, 
and again becoming heavier as the valley is reached. 
There is e.\cellent natural drainage by the numer- 
ous draws leading to the Platte and Blue. The 
inhabitants are generally engaged in agriculture 
and stock-raising. The whole country, as a rule, 
is under cultivation or in pasture; it is entirely 
settled by an intelligent and industrious class, 
mostly Americans, with some Germans. We have 
numerous school houses, the school districts have 
been recently reconstructed, making them smaller, 
and new school-houses built to accommodate the 
children. There are religious exercises held in 
our school-houses, and some temperance organiza- 
tions exist. Politicall}', the community have lieen 
largely Republican, but at present a new parly, 
called the 'People's Party,' formed generally by 
members of the Farmers' Alliance, is very strong. 



^ 



;rv" 



Tlio Martius were the very tirst to settle ou tbis 
side of the Platte River —I believe as early as 1860, 
and they were oMiijjed to farry arms at all times, 
and were frequently attacked by Indians. Two of 
the family are still residents of the neighlior- 
liood." 

The story of the Indian attack on the Martin 
ranch is tol<l in the chapter on Indians and 
Pioneers. 

Spencer post-office was established in July, 
1S78, with George J. Spencer, master. Orchard 
post-office was established also at this time. 
Ea.ston ])Ost office was discontinued .some time ago, 
Dell Thompson being the last master. 

Cairo post office is presided ov(>r by George W. 
Wingert. It was established a few years ago on 
the Grand Island & Wj'oming Central Railroad, 
eighteen miles northwest of the county seat. Near 
by was the Hart cattle ranch, and in the village 
George Elfus kept the grocery store, Thomas 
Shurtz a drug store and George Willing a furni- 
ture store. The lumber yards of the National 
Lumber Company were located here in 1885 or 
1886. Abbott is ten miles distant from Grand 
Island. 

Runelsburg, twelve miles from Grand Island, 
boasted of a flouring-mill in 1879. This was 
operated by E. Bussell. Robert Johnson's hard- 
ware store, T. E. Morrison's drug store, V. S. 
Runels' general store and post-office. J. W. 
Stone's saloon, Mrs. E. M. Runels' millinery, J. 
G. Phelps' harness shop and the law-office of H. 
I'. Hulett, made up the business section of the 
village. 

Shelton, twenty four miles southwest of Grand 
Island, was settled by Joe E. Johnson in 1857. 
In IS?*} the i-ailroad company surveyed the town- 
site. In 1879 P. Walshe was postmaster; M. R. 
Wickmire, hotel proprietor; the stores of A. F. 
Bills, M. G. Lee and Ed Oliver w<*re in existence. 
George Mortimer was railroad agent and justice, 
George & Zulauf con<lucted the flouring- mills, 
Rufns Mitchell had his broom factory in operation, 
Nol)le Walker and A. Wollaston were blacksmiths, 
Mrs. B. P. Thomson milliner, B. P. Thomson 
and J. N. Rice grain and implement dealers, 



Jacob Sutter harness maker, and L Crav(>r, shoe- 
maker. 



David Ackerman is the efficient clerk of Hall 
County, Neb., and to that jilace was elected by 
his numerous Repul)lican friends in the fall of 
1885. His peculiar fitness for this position was 
soon seen an<l recognized, and he has served by 
re-election ever since, his present term expiring 
January 1, 1892. He was born in Northamp- 
ton County, Pa., December 8, 1847, and is a 
son of David and Catherine (Flick) Ackerman, 
who were also natives of that State, the father's 
l)irth occurring in 1818. The mother died in that 
State in 1868 when about fifty years of age, hav- 
ing borne a family of nine children, of whom 
David is the fifth, and eight now living. Three 
brothers served in the Fifty-tirst Pennsj'lvania 
Infantry, and one brother, John A., was killed in 
front of Petersburg, Va. , August 1, 1864. David 
Ackerman received a common education in the 
schools near his home, and in youth learned the 
intricacies of farm work and l)lacksmithing, after 
which he engaged in the hotel business. In Feb- 
ruary, 1865, he enlisted in Company I. Twenty- 
eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, and served until the 
close of the war, after which he returned to his old 
home in Pennsylvania and began learning the drug 
business. After attending a college in Philadel 
phia for three years he graduated in March, 1874, 
and the following August came to Omaha and 
there entered the employ of C. F. Goodman, 
remaining with him until the 16th of Augu.st. 
when the following one and one-half years were 
spent in Gran<l Island in conducting a drug store 
for Mr. Goodman. The two subsequent j'ears he 
managed a store of his own, then went to Fort 
Lar.imie, W. T., where he was engaged in buy- 
ing cattle for two years. At the end of this period 
he came back to Grand Island, and after selling 
drugs on his own responsibility for one year he, in 
the fall of 1881, became associated in the real- 
estate business with J. E. White, entering in 
1882 the United States land office as receiver's 
clerk, which jiosition he held until January 1, 1886, 



HALL COUNTY. 



605 



lint as above stated has been ably performing his 
duties as county clerk since that time. He was 
married in April, 1877, to Miss Lillie M. Clark, a 
native of South Bend, Ind., born March 11, 1858, 
a daughter of E. V. and Catherine (Ault) Clark, 
the former born at West Liberty, Ohio, and the 
latter at Rochester, Ind. Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman 
are the ]iarenls of four children; Mabel, David 
V. , Julia M. and Nell M. 

Charles L. Alford is very properly classed 
among the substantial, representative agriculturists 
and stockmen of Hall County, Neb. Now, just 
in the prime of life, he has become possessed 
of a desirable competence, the result entirely of 
his own management aad will, and on his farm of 
320 acres he has a comfortable residence, good 
barns of all kinds, an excellent bearing orchard 
and a grove of forest trees. He was Ijorn in Berk- 
shire County, Mass., August 19, 1835, and is a son 
of Nathaniel and Maria (Waters) Alford, natives, 
respectively, of Connecticut and Massachusetts. 
Their union took place in the latter State, and here 
the former followed the occupation of farming. 
They moved to Iowa in 1856, where the father 
was engaged in tilling the soil in Fayette County 
until his death, in October, 1886. His wife died 
in Massachusetts in 1852. (Jharles L. Alford re- 
mained in his native State until he was twenty one 
years of age, and received the advantages of the 
common schools of that State until he was fifteen. 
He n-moved to Iowa with his father, remaining 
with him for two years, then married and began 
tilling the soil for himself in that locality, continu- 
ing until he came west in the fall of 1873. He 
first took up a homestead claim, but located where 
he now resides in the spring of 1875, his land be 
ing all in one body and one of the finest farms in 
the county. He is devoting .some attention to im- 
proving his stock and now has a herd of twenty- 
one Poled Angus cattle besides a good herd of 
graded cattle He has always been a Republican 
politically, and has held a number of offices of hon- 
or and trust in his township and county. He was 
married in Fayette County, Iowa, October 12, 185U, 
to Miss Sarah Thorogood, a daughter of Thomas 
Thorogood. She was born in New York State, 



but was reared and educated principally in Iowa. 
She and Mr. Alford have two children: Edward 
(who is married, he and his wife being teachers of 
the county, he a graduate of the State Normal), 
and Charles A. (who is at home). Mrs. Alford is 
a member of the Baptist Church, and he is a mem- 
ber of the Farmers' Alliance and is auditor of 
Cairo Lodge. 

John Allan. The sons of Scotland are well 
represented in Hall County, Neb., and although 
with characteristic modesty they d<j not assume to 
brilliancy in the forum, yet they hold conspicuous 
places in many pursuits which make Hall County 
a substantial star in the galaxy of Neljraska's many 
interesting counties. The subject of this sketch 
was born in the Parish of Arbuthnot, Kincardine- 
shire, Scotland, May 30, 1850, and is a sou of John 
and Margaret (Watson) Allan, worthy people of 
that locality, whose pursuit was that of the agri- 
culturist, which seems to have been the principal 
occupation in which l)oth the Allan and Watson 
families were engaged, although branches on Ijoth 
sides have furnished professional men. Both fam- 
ilies were noted for their rugged constitutions and 
longevity, characteristics which have marked them 
through several generations. John Allan, the im- 
mediate subject of this memoir, received excellent 
training in the public schools of his native land, 
and at the age of eighteen years came to America 
to seek his fortune, his first five years here being 
spent in different States throughout the East, 
South and West. In 1873 he came to Nebraska 
and located at Wood River, where he followed 
teaching school for about eight years, and during 
this time became favoral)ly known to the public as 
a painstaking and conscientious man at whatever 
business he had in charge. In 1881 he left the 
school room to accept a clerical position in the 
office of the county clerk, his duties also compris 
ing the work of the district court. After oomplet 
ing an apprenticeship of five months in this office 
he was appointed a deputy, which position he filled 
reputably until the fall of 1883, when he received 
the nomination of district court clerk, and was 
•elected to this place by a handsome majority. 
He discharged his duties to the satisfaction of all, 



•V 



— ^— ► 



C06 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



antl in 1887 his party (the Republican) honored 
hiiij with ii Hccoiicl nomination and election. He 
has not l)eeu inactive as a citizen outside of his 
utlicial duties, as he has always extended the right 
hand of fellowship to all worthy intere.sts which 
have come up before this young and enterprising 
city. Upon the organization of the Grand Island 
Tni|)rovement C'om{)any he became a stockholder 
and has contributed of his means to the support of 
it as well as kindred interests. He formed a very 
happy union at Grand Island, June 18, 1885, with 
Miss Fannie L. Garrett, a lady of many attain- 
ments and a daughter of James and Margaret A. 
(Gaskin) Garrett, who wore born in the Isle of Man 
and Lincolnshire. England, respectively. Mrs. 
Allan has borne her husband three interesting little 
children; Margaret K., Leo G. and Ralph H. 
Mr. Allen is a member of the I. O. O. F. , Lieder 
kranz, A. O. U. W. and St. Andrew's societies. 
He and Mrs. Allan hold memlierships in the Re- 
becca Lodge of the Odd Fellows, and they worship 
in the Episcopal Church, although Mr. Allan was 
reared a Presbyterian. In this matter he holds 
very liberal views, and in his contributions donates 
to all religious as well as all moral institution.s, and 
is respected as an honest and reliable official and 
citizen. 

Zelotes Avery, a member of the tirm of Avery 
& Son, contractors and builders of Grand Island, 
Nel)., was l)orn in what was then Genesee County, 
N. Y. (now Wyoming County), February 23, 1824, 
Ijeing a sou of Horace and Susan (Joslen) Avery, 
the former a native of Connecticut, a farmer by 
occupation, and a son of Moses Avery, a soldier in 
the Revolutionary War from the "Nutmeg State." 
The latter was l)orn in Connecticut, and married 
there, and was a son of an Englishman. The his- 
tory of the Avery family in America is traced back 
to three l)rotliers who came to the New World in 
tliaf good old ship — the Mayflower. Susan (Jos 
leii) Avery was a daughter of Nehemiah Joslen, 
wh(i was a n;itive of York State, a farmer by occu- 
l>ation. and a man of sterling worth and integrity. 
Horace .\very moved with his family to Canada, 
and was a resident of Oxford County until 18:50, 
wlji'ii he moved to Clinton County, Mich., and 



settled in St. Johns, in which place Zelotes Avery 
grew to manhood and was educated. In the year 
1802 he enlisted in Company A, Twenty third 
Michigan Volunteer Infantry, which company he 
helped to organize, but after a short service he was 
honorably discharged on account of disability on 
Feliruary 1, 1863, and for ton years there 
after he was an invalid and unable to do but very 
little work. In 1870 he and his father came to 
Nebraska and located upon a large tract of land in 
Hall County, and here the father died in 1878 of 
cancer of the stomach. Zelotes was married in 
Michigan to Miss Phoebe Ferdon, a native of 
Rochester, N. Y. , and a daughter of John Ferdon. 
l)ut he was called upon to mourn her untimely 
death in 1S69, she leaving him with three sons and 
a daughter to care for: Horace W. (who was killed 
in 18S0 in a railroad disaster on the Fort Worth & 
Santa Fe Railroad), John H. (is a sailor), Alton M. 
(is associated with his father in business), and Alta 
M. (who is the wife of Frank Voorhees, of St. Johns, 
Mich.). In 1876 Mr. Avery married Mrs. Henrietta 
Haynes, of St. Johns, Mich. , she having been pre- 
viously married to a Mr. Sampson. Mr. Avery 
has served as supervisor of the county for four 
years, two years from Martin Township and two 
years from Grand Island. He also served in this 
capacity in Clinton County, Mich., and was also 
sheriff of that county, and is now a member of the 
Lyon Post of the G. A. R. He and wife are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
His son, Alton M. , who is associated with him in 
jjusiness, was born in St. Johns. Mich., in 1855, and 
in his early youth learned the mason's trade of his 
father, which occupation has since received his 
attention. He and his father constitute an enter- 
prising and successful tirm, and their work is 
always of the best. Alton M. Avery was married 
to Mij^s Frankie Sampson, a daughter of his 
father's second wife, and to their union a family 
of two sons and a daughter have been born. 

Hon. Alexand(>r Hall Raker, agent in the United 
States land oflice at Grand Island, Neb. . and re- 
ceiver of public lauds, is a native of York State, his 
birth occurring at Springwater, Livingston County, 
January 29, 1823, his parents being Samuel and 



*?^? 



<2_ i- 



k. 



HALL COUNTY. 



607 



Saloma (Eklred) Baker, also natives of tbat State, 
and sturdy, honest and thrifty tillers of the soil. 
Both belong to prominent old New England fam- 
ilies, the paternal grandfather V)eing George Baker, 
and the matei'nal grandfather Capt. James Eldred, 
who was the commander of a United States mer- 
chantman. Hon. Alexander H. Baker was reared to 
manhood in Genesee County (now Wyoming 
County), and his earliest recollections are of as- 
sisting his father on the home farm and attending 
the common schools near his home. The husband 
and father died when just in the meridian of his 
manhood, and left his wife in somewhat .strait- 
ened circumstances and with quite a large family 
to support, and Alexander was obliged to do his 
share in making a living. Upon attaining man's 
estate he engaged in farming for himself and be- 
came very successful, but the people of the East 
were too slow and plodding to suit one of his am- 
bitious and enterprising disposition, and he longed 
for more room and better opportunities to try his 
strength, and these desires were soon gratified for 
the fertile prairies of Nebraska were about this 
time opened to the settler, and the young farmer 
and ex postmaster of Westerfield, N. Y., directed 
his footsteps thither in the spring of 1S57. He 
pre-empted a homestead in Douglas County, which 
is now within the city limits of Omaha, and for 
many years was very successfully engaged in tilling 
the soil there. He was active in promoting the 
farming interests of that locality, and soon became 
well and favorably known, and during 1874-76 
represented Douglas County in the General As- 
sembly of Nebraska, which was a very fitting com- 
pliment to his citizenshij), as the district was 
strongly Republican. During the years 1864-66 
he was interested in freight transportation between 
Omaha and Salt Lake City, and this business was 
the means of his becoming thoroughly familiar 
with the country throughout the West. In 1881 
he went to Koek Creek, W. T., and kept the 
Union Pacitie Depot Hotel for two years, then 
returning to Grand Island, where he expects to 
make his permanent home. Upon the incoming of 
the Democratic administration in 1884, Mr. Baker 
received a general indorsemenfc,both Democratic and 



Republican, for his present incnmV)ency, and has 
filled the position very satisfactorily up to the 
present time. He is a liberal supporter of all good 
measures for the advancement and growth of his 
locality, and he is one of the directors of the Grand 
Island Improvement Company, and one of the 
original stockholders. He is also a director of the 
Citizens' National Bank, the United States Invest- 
ment Company, was one of the chief promoters of 
the Grand Island Street Car Company, and has 
served as its president since its organization. He 
is also a liberal contributor to churches, schools, 
etc., and is a man whose residence in any locality 
is to be desired. He buried a wife and two chil- 
dren, the only issue of the marriage in his native 
State, and formed a second union with Miss Mary 
J. Berlin, a lady of many attainments, a daughter 
of Jonathan Berlin of Pittsburgh, Pa., and by her 
is the father of a son, Alex Nelson, who is an in 
telligent young man, and is now taking a regular 
collegiate course at Stamford, Conn. 

Daniel Baker, one of the pioneers of Hall Coun- 
ty, located here in 1860 in what is now Wood River 
Township. He was born in Switzerland in 1829 
and was the son of Jacob and Barbara (Walker) 
Baker, natives also of that country, where they 
spent their entire lives. The father was a rope- 
maker liy trade. Daniel Baker remained in his 
native country until eighteen years of age, and 
there received his education. He then took pas- 
sage for the United States, and after arriving here 
was in the livery business for a number of years. 
He then traveled for some time, and later was en- 
gaged in freighting throiigh Nebraska, thus becom- 
ing thoroughly acquainted with the country. In 
1863 Mr. Baker took up a claim which was partly 
improved, and in 1874 he homesteaded eighty 
acres, which he began improving. He was mar- 
ried in Hall County, in 1S()4 to Mrs. Ellen Fry, 
the widow of Charles Fry (who was killed in serv- 
ice during the late war), and the daughter of 
Joseph and Ellon Smith, natives of New York. 
Mr. and Mrs. Smith came to Hall County in 1861, 
and in February, 186'2, he and two sons were killed 
by the Indians. The mother lived here for anum 
ber of years, and now resides in Beloit, Wis. Mr. 



"f 



\ 



>> 



(SOS 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Biikoi- has always takou a doep iuterost in political 
alTairs and is independent in his views, although 
he •generally votes with the Democratic party. He 
has been a member of the school board for years, 
and is a man who has the respect and esteem of 
liis noif^hbors. Mrs. Baker is a memlier of the 
Methodist Episcopal Ciiurch. To their marriage 
have been born three children: Anna (now Mrs. 
Jndy, of Hall County), Matilda (attending school 
at Doniphan) and John. Mrs. Baker had three 
diildren by her first marriage, two living: Esther 
(married, and in Hall County) and Maria (now Mrs. 
Lord, also of Hall County). Mr. Baker has seen 
the complete growth of the county, having been 
a resident of Hall County since 1860, a period of 
thirty years, and has always taken a decided inter- 
est in all that relates to the good of the county. 

C. A. Baldwin, the present surveyor of Hall 
County, Neb. , is a native of York State, born in 
]S3o, being a son of Anson and Elizabeth (Cad- 
well) Baldwin, who were also natives of that State, 
the former's birth occurring in 1809, and the lat- 
ter' s in 1814. They died iu 18-10 and 1835, re- 
spectively, I\Ir. Baldwin having been a captain in 
the New York State militia. But little is known 
of his family, except that his father was Curtis 
Baldwin, who was married on April 15, 1779, to 
Polly Chitendon, whose ancestry can be traced 
liack (o William Chitenden, originally from the 
parish of Marden, County of Kent, England, 
where he was born in 159-1. He was one of a com- 
pany of twenty-live from the (bounties of Kent, 
Surry and Sussex, who forsook their native land 
and immigrated to the wilderness of North Amer- 
ica, for the sake of religious liberty. He was 
one of the signers of the covenant on shij) board 
lo live on one plantation, and on May 20, l()39, 
they sailed for American shores and arrived at 
New Haven on the 10th of the following -Inly, and 
.settled atCiuilford, Conn. William Chileiiden !)(■ 
carao prominent among the leaders of the colony, 
and was one of a committee of six, who were ap- 
pointed to purchase the site on which the town of 
(iuilford now stands, from the Indians. He was 
al>o a member of a hoard that had charge of the 
civil govcrniiient and sjiiiilnal affairs of the colonv 



for some time, and was the principal n.ilitary man 
of the settlement, bearing the title of lieutenant. 
He had fought with the English army in the Neth 
erlauds.also the Thirty-Years' War,and had reached 
the rank of major. He was magistrate of the col 
ony and deputy to the general court until his death. 
His old homestead has been in possession of some 
members of the family ever since, and at last ac- 
counts was owned by Hon. S. B. Chitenden, of 
New York. \N'illiam Chitenden was married iu 
England to Joanna SheafiFe, of Wanbrook, County 
of Kent, and by her became the father of eleven 
children. His son, Sergt. John Chitenden, was 
married to Hannah Fletcher, and died in April, 
1710, at the age of seventy-three years, having be- 
come the father of six children, of whom Joseph 
was the third child. The latter wedded Mary 
Kimberly, of New Haven, and he also became the 
father of six children, and resided in Guilford until 
his death, September 11, 1827, when fifty-five 
years of age. His fourth child, Daniel W., mar- 
ried Abigail Downs, and live children were the result 
of their union. He was born in 1700, and died 
May 18, 1781, at Guilford, having become the 
father of live children. Jairus was his fifth child, 
and was married to Rebecca Hall, removing with 
her to New Durham, N. Y. , in 1788, where he died 
March 9, 1828, at the age of eighty two years. 
He was the father of nine children, of whom Polly, 
the eldest, became the wife of Curtis Baldwin, 
the grandfather of C. A. Baldwin, the immediate 
subject of this sketch. The latter was reared 
to manhood in the State of New York, and received 
a thorough education in one of the best academies 
of that State, giving especial attention to his mathe 
matical studies, for which he had a natural aptitude 
and in which he became proficient. After reach- 
ing a |)roper age to engage in business, he became 
a liattci- and built up a v(ny large trade through- 
out the South, which bid fair to bring him in a for- 
tune; i)ut the breaking out of the Civil War mined 
his prospects. At the early age of eighteen years 
he was elected by the town of Durham to repre- 
sent it in the county convention, and served as a 
delegate in some capacity up to the date of his 
i-cnioval from that State. Findiiijj- himself out of 



a_ 



,k 



HALL COUNTY. 



609 



lmsiu(>ss, Mr. Baldwin went to Iowa ia the spring 
of 1801, but the inducements to engage in business 
in that State were very discouraging, so he went 
to work by the day for a contractor and builder, and 
by the next spring had become so proficient that he 
was made foreman, and at the end of another year 
was contracting and building for himself. He 
continued to reside in Iowa during the war, and at 
the close went to Illinois, and for seventeen years 
worked as contractor and builder, also in the plow 
and machine shops at Bushnell. In 1884 he re- 
moved to Nebraska, and began contracting and 
liuilding grain elevators, of which he has about 
twenty three in the State, and as many more in 
Iowa and Illinois, exclusive of the work done in 
Kansas. Mr. Baldwin is a man of decidedly su- 
perior intelligence and takes an active interest in 
questions connected with his county and State; and 
owing to his es]iecial titness for his present posi- 
tion he was nominated by the Republican county 
convention for the office of surveyor, and was elected 
without o]>)iosition. He is looked upon by all as 
a man who will receive many honors in the future, 
and to say that he will deserve them would be to 
express the opinion of the public at large very 
mildly indeed. Socially he is a member of the 
A. O. U. W. and the I. O. O. F. He was married 
in New York State to Miss Frances Ham. a native 
of that State, and by her became the father of 
three children: Elba, Ord and Lillie. The mother 
of these children was born in 1887, and died in 
Indei)eudence, la., in 1865. Two years later Mr. 
Baldwin wedded Mrs. Lucy McNeal, and by her 
he also has three children: Frank, Fred and 
Myrtle. 

Eli Allen Barnes, receiver's clerk in the United 
States land office at Grand Island, Neb. , is a mem- 
ber of the State board of agriculture, and is one 
of the managers of that institution. He was born 
in Cayuta, Chemung County, N. Y. , September 
14, 1S36, and is a son of Maj. Jesse and Rachel 
(Swartwood) Barnes, the former of whom was a 
farmer by occupation and a son of Abram Barnes, 
who was a native of Sullivan County, N. Y., and a 
soldier in tii(> War of 1812, his father being a 
Revolutionary soldier from Connecticut. Rachel 



Swartwood was a daughter of Gen. Peter Swart- 
wood, an 1812 soldier. On both sides of the gene 
alogical tree the ancestors were pioneers of the 
" Nutmeg State ■' from the Old World. Eli Allen 
Barnes obtained a good knowledge of the "world 
of books " in the common schools near his home 
and in Ithaca Academy, of Ithaca, N. Y.. and after 
completing his course was engaged in wielding the 
ferule for some time, although his early occupation 
had been that of farming. October 1, 1856, found 
him in the State of Illinois, located on a farm in 
De Kalb County, and there he remained until the 
breaking out of the Civil AVar, and in 1862 joined 
Company G, Ninth Iowa Cavalry, and did active 
and honorable service for Uncle Sam until the lat- 
ter part of 1864, when he was honorably dis- 
charged and returned to De Kalb County, 111. He 
was married there February 22, 1865, to Miss 
Nancy E. Crego, a native of Chenango County, 
N. Y. , and a daughter of Daniel and Ann (Kelley) 
Crego, who were also born in the ''Empire State." 
In February, 1871, Mr. Barnes located upon a sol- 
dier's homestead in Hall County, Neb., and after 
making this his home for twelve years moved to 
Grand Island, and has since been engaged in cleri- 
cal work in different retail houses, and has been 
postal and railway mail agent. He has always 
been interested in the agricultural affairs of the 
county, and was active in the early establishment of 
the Hall County Agricultural Society, and has con- 
tributed liberally to its maintenance. He served 
in the capacity of president four years, secretary 
four years, and has been a member of its executive 
board ever since its organization, with the excep- 
tion of about three years. He was elected a mem- 
ber of the State board of agriculture in 1876, and 
has been re-elected each continuous term since. 
He has been superintendent of agricultural balls 
for eight years, was elected one of the board of 
managers in 1889, and is re-elected for 1890. He 
is one of the original members of the Grand Island 
Improvement Company. He is a Royal Arch Ma 
son, having become a memlier of that order in 
1860, is a Sir Knight of Mount Lebanon Com 
mandery, and is the present generalissimo; also a 
member of Lodge of Perfection No. 1,A. & A. S. 



) ""V 



010 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



R., and a memlipr of Ashlar Lodge No. 33. A. F. & 
A. M. Hk lias s»MV(<d two years as couiicilmau 
from the Second Ward, and the last year was pres- 
idi'iit of till- council. 

Prof. Robert, J. Ban-, who for the past eight 
years has been superintendent of the city schools 
of Grand Island, Nelj. , was horn in Grand Rapids. 
Mich., October 81, 1849, being the eldest of four 
children, tliiee now living, born to the marriage of I 
Jackson B. Burr and Laraantha Brink, both na- 
tives of New York. About 1852 they removed ' 
with their family to the vicinity of (ireenville, 
Mich., and here the father followed the occupation 
of farming throughout the summer mouths, and 
that of lumbering during the winter season. Prof. 
Robert •]. Barr remained on the farm near Green- 
ville until he was eighteen years of age; but at the 
age of twelve years he had entered the high school 
of Greenville, and being studious, industrious and 
iiit(>lligent, he made rapid progress in his studies 
and received a thorough intellectual training. Not 
being entirely satisfied with his knowledge of 
books, he, after teaching school near Greenville, 
in the spring of 1869, entered the State Normal 
School of Michigan, at Ypsihmti, in the spring of 
tli(( latter year, and this institution he attended 
four years, completing the full classical course, and 
graduating in June, 1873. During the fall of 
1873 he was engaged for two months as a teacher 
ill a district school in Washtenaw County, Mich. 
In January, 1874, he took charge of the graded 
schools of Algonac, St. Clair County, Mich., and 
held this position until the spring of 1875. In the 
fall of the latter year he became principal of the 
liigh school in Big Rapids, Mich. , a position he 
held until March, 1876; then returned to Algonac 
and again took charge of the schools there, contin 
uing until June, 1878. In September of the latter 
year he was married at Ypsilanti. Mich., to Miss 
Eva A. Bellows, a daughter of C. F. R. Bellows, 
professor of mathematics in the Michigan State 
Normal. In the fall of 1878 Prof. Barr took 
charge of the schcjols of Oscoda, Mich., where he 
remained for two years, and for the two following 
years he had the management of the schools of 
Au Sable, Mich. In the fall of 1882 he entered 



upon his duties as superintendent of the public 
schools of Grand Island, Neb., and has tilled this 
position with characteristic ability and to the entire 
satisfaction of all concerned. He and wife have an 
only son, whose name is Albert S. They are mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church, and Prof. Barr is 
a member of the Masonic lodge, in which order he 
has advanced to theChai)ter degrees and the Four 
teenth degree in the Scottish rite. He is also a 
Knight of Pythias and a member of the A. O. U. 
W. He has become well known as a successful 
educator, and as a citizen his standing is of the 
best. 

George Bartenbach, alderman from the Second 
Ward, dealer in paints, oils, etc., and proprietor 
of the Grand Island Opera House, is a native Ger 
man, his birth occurring in Tuttlingen, Wurtem- 
burg, January 22, 1844, he being a son of Henry 
and Rosina (Stengelin) Bartenl)ach, the former a 
tanner and currier by occupation. George was the 
eldest of their live children, and after receiving a 
good schooling in his native land, he learned his 
father's business, and in 1866 came to America, 
landing in Castle Garden in May of tbat year, and 
sought em()loyment at his trade, but found little 
encouragement to pursue that calling. He then 
turned his attention to other pursuits, and after 
working at various employments for some time, 
he entered the employ of Steinway's Sons, of New 
York City, and remained with them seven years, 
saving considerable money during this time. In 
1878 he came to Grand Island, Neb., and after 
working for nearly two years in the Union Pacific 
Railroad yards, he opened a small shop of his own, 
and began selling paints and oils, and gradually 
increased his business until he now has an estab- 
lishment which brings him in a comfortable income. 
Like all his countrymen, he is industrious and 
frugal, yet enterprising, and these characteristics, 
together with strict honesty, close application and 
perseverance, have placed him among the wealthy 
men of this section. His career is an excellent ex- 
ample for the rising generation, and shows what 
can be accomplished when there is a thorough 
determination to succeed, for on coming to this 
country he possessed but little means, was without 



i V 



HALL COUNTY. 



611 



a profession or trade which was of any use to him, 
and was unacijnaiuted with the English language. 
He is a niemljer of the A. O. U. W. , the Lieder- 
krauz, of which he is treasurer, and he is a stock- 
holder in the Grand Island Improvement Com- 
pany, the Grand Island Canning Company, and 
also the creamery of that place. He built the 
Opera House Block, one of the finest buildings in 
the city, and he is also the owner of a handsome 
residence. He was married in New York City to 
Miss Charlotta Seivers, a native of Holstein, Ger- 
many, born March 1, 1841, and by her he has a 
son and daughter: Henry (who is associated with 
him in business) and Ella Ch. A son, Adolph, 
died. Mr. and Mrs. Bartenbach are members of 
the Lutheran Church. 

John Boeck is a successful druggist at Cairo, 
Neb., and is a proper representative of the ener 
getic young business men of Hall County, which 
has done and is doing so much for the advance- 
ment of the material interests of this section. He 
was born in Holstein, Germany, September 15, 
18(51, and received an excellent education in the 
common and high schools of his native land. At 
the age of tifteen years he entered college, taking a 
most thorough course, and from this institution was 
graduated in 1881, his course of study including 
pharmacy and a practical knowledge of drugs. Soon 
after leaving college he emigrated to the United 
States, and until the fall of 1S83 he was engaged 
in clerking in a drug store in Grundy County, 
Iowa, which position he held for about two years. 
He then removed to Hall County, Neb., and first 
located at Grand Island, where he remained for 
about four years, and in the month of October, 
ISSS, came to Cairo, and after clerking some time 
over one year he purchased his present establish- 
ment, and has since been actively engaged in busi- 
ness for himself. Being active, intelligent and en- 
terprising, he has built uj) a paying trade, and his i 
stock of drugs and medicines, paints, oils, school ' 
books, stationery and notions is quite complete. He 
is married, Miss Mary Wede, a native of Germany, 
being his wife. She was reared and educated in 
her native land. They have a family of three chil- 
dren: Etta, Meta and Albert. Mr. and Mrs. 



Boeck are members of the Lutheran Church, and 
he is a member of the A. O. U. W. He is a man 
of excellent business qualifications and habits, and 
has made many warm friends since locating in 
Cairo, fully deserving the patronage he has won. 
Alfred Herman Bohne, a leading undertaker 
and furniture dealer of Grand Island, Nel). , is a 
highly respected and esteemed citizen in both busi- 
ness and social circles. His father, Henri Herman 
Bohne, who was a native of Osterkaplin, Hanover, 
Germany, emigrated to this country in 1834, 
being then twenty-eight years of age, and located 
in Beardstown, Cass County, 111., where he was 
united in marriage in 1840 with Miss Selina Beard, 
of Burton, Ohio. Of this marriage there were 
three children, the eldest of whom was born 
August 27, 1842, and is the subject of this sketch. 
The father died April 8, 1847, at the homestead in 
Beardstown, thus leaving the young wife and 
mother alone to maintain the children and, unaided 
by a father's precept and example, to rear them to 
manhood and womanhood. How well her work is 
done the integrity of her sons and daughter will 
testify. In 1859 the widow became the wife of 
Rev. David Crawford, an Englishman by birth, and 
who died in 1881. The mother survived him 
until October 7, 1886, passing from this life at the 
home of her sou in Grand Island, aged seventy- 
sis years two months and twenty-six days. The 
early life of A. H. Bohne was spent in the vicinity 
of Beardstown, where he was employed in farm 
work. August I'.t, 1861, he enlisted in Company 
K, Thirty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
was sworn into the Union army before his nine- 
teenth birthday. He served with this regiment 
until May 1, 1863, when he was wounded in a battle 
near Port Gibson, Miss., after which he was 
placed in hospital at Memphis, Tenn. Having 
partially recovered he was removed to St. Louis 
and transferred to Company A, Second Regiment 
Veteran Reserve Corps. In December, 1863, he 
was sent to Jackson. Mich., when for several 
months he was on provost guard duty. Mr. 
Bohne received an honorable discharge from the 
service at Detroit, Mich. , September 2, 1864. In 
1865 he entered Eastman's National Business Col- 






:v£ 



012 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



U'j^i' at l*oiii^l)ki<o|)sio. N. Y. , hut. beiii}^ ii victim of 
iiilliimiiiiitory rlicuiiiatism was coiiijielled to leavfe 
iIji' iiistitutioa before lie bad completed the course. 
Returning to Illinois, be located in Cliarupaign 
County and engaged in farming. October 7, 18(51), 
Mr. A. H. Biibne and Miss Lyde M. (Jraig, of 
I'rhana. 111., were united in marriage. In the 
spring of 187M Mr. Bobue sold bis farm in Cbam- 
[)aigu County, and accepted a position in tbe ofifice 
of tb(> Illinoi.s Central Railroad at Rantoul. He 
remained tbere tbree years. In tb(^ spring of 
1876 Mr. Biibne removed bis family to Morgan 
('oinity. 111., wbere be turned bis attention to tbe 
manufacture of drain tile for two years. Tbe 
increasing demand of a young and growing family 
warned tbe fatber tbat \w must take a long look 
abead and provide for tbe proverbial " rainy day." 
Having tried farming, railroad work and maau- 
faeturing industry successively be became con- 
vinced, like many otbers, tbat to win in tbe l)attle 
for l)read tbat sbould bave its share of butter, or 
in other words to become a prosperous business 
man, be must ■' go M'ost and grow up with tbe 
country." Grand Island, Neb., was the point 
selected. Tbe move was made accordingly, tbe 
family arriving in Grand Island March II, 1878, 
where they have siuce resided. Tbe capital in- 
vested during tlie first five years consi.sted alone of 
tbat kind of stock that always insures safe returns, 
namely, industry, energy and economy, combined 
with the strictest integrity and a determination to 
gain a foothold. His tirst work was as .salesman 
in an agricultural implement establishment; follow- 
ing this be was employed at the office of the Union 
Pacific Railroad for nearly two years. Subse- 
quently he was in the employ of H. L. Burkett, at 
tbat time the leading undertaker and furniture 
dealer in Grand Island. In 1882 Mr. Bohne 
commenced in business for himself, and has since 
been prosperous in both branches as undertaker 
and furniture dealer. In 1887 Mr. George F. 
Ryan became associated with Mr. Bohne, the firm 
still existing as Bobne & Ryan. It is ranked 
among the leading firms of Grand Island; gentle- 
manly aiul accommodating in their business rela- 
tions, honest and upright in all their transactions, 



their ultimate success is both deserving and 
assured. Nine children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Bohne, six of whom are now living. The 
family i)ccu]>y high social relations, and are es 
teemed for their intrinsic worth. They are mem 
bers of the Presbyterian Church aqd congregation. 
Mr. Bohne is a member of Lyon Post No, 11, G. 
A. R., also of the A. O. IT. W., being at tbe pres 
ent time receiver of Charity Lodge No. 91. Mrs. 
Bohne is president of the Grand Island Woman's 
Christian Temperance Union, to which position 
she has recently been elected. She is also a mem- 
ber of tbe Nebraska State Board of Associate 
Charities and Reforms, and as such is a trustee of 
one of the State charitable and reformatory in- 
stitutions. As a member of the Women's Relief 
Corps Mrs. Bohne was twice elected to fill the 
responsible position of department president of 
the Nebraska Women's Relief Corps. Mrs. 
Bobne's father, William Craig, was born in Shelby 
County, Ky., October 12, 1810, and in 1830 
removed with bis jjarents to Illinois, and was mar 
ried in 1831 to Miss Martha Ann Dicky. He made 
that State his home until 1855, at which time he 
located on a one-fourth section of land near 
Omaha, Neli. , which was then a mere straggling 
village, expecting to remove his family there from 
Jacksonville, 111., at a very early date. He sub- 
se([uently returned to Illinois, giving up his 
Nebraska enterprise on account of the ill health of 
his wife, but in 1859 be again returned to this 
State and engaged in mechanical business in 
Grand Island. In 1880 he visited Astoria and 
Coquilla City, Ore., and while there was stricken 
with a disea'^e which necessitated the amputation 
of his limb. Since then he has been bed ridden, 
and in this condition was brought back to Grand 
Island, the home of his son-in law, where be 
desires to end his days. He is a remarkable 
instance of physical courage and Christian forti- 
tude, and although eighty years of age, bed-rid 
den, partially [)aralyzed, and almost speechless, he 
retains to a remarkable degree his vigor of mind 
and an unusually cheerful appearance. 

a. Fredeiick Brage is a well-known architect 
of (iraiiil Island, Neb., and like others of this 



l^y 



HALL COUNTY. 



018 



calling in the town has won an enviable reputation, 
and is a skilled workman. He was born in Prussia, 
Germany, July 25, 1852, and is a son of David 
and Christena Brage, with whom he eame to 
America in ISdS. They tirst located near Water- 
town, Jefferson County, Wis. , and here resided 
during the summer of 1868, but in September 
moved to Juda, Green County, Wis., and from 
there to Butler County, Iowa, in 1877. Two years 
later they settled in Franklin County of thai. State, 
and in 1882 came to Nebraska, and both parents 
are now residing in Merrick County of that State, 
their home being six miles north of Central City. 
In May, 1875, G. Frederick Brage left the home 
of his parents in Green County, Wis., and went to 
Milwaukee, but a few weeks later removed to Ra- 
cine, and was there engaged in working at the car- 
penter's trade from June, 1875, until December, 
187('), then spent the following winter and summer 
in Green County. In the fall of 1877 he accom- 
panied his parents to Iowa, and this State contin- 
ued to be his home until 1885. In 187S-7y he 
followed his calling in Hampton and vicinity, and 
during the remainder of his residence in Iowa he 
followed his trade in different places, and one 
summer was spent in millwrighting. After com- 
ing to Nebraska in the spring of 1885 he made his 
home in Hastings for a few months, but in No- 
vember of that year moved to Grand Island, which 
place has since continued to b« his home. He 
possesses much natural aptitude for his calling, 
and ever since his residence in this town he has 
been associated in busineiss with C. C. Rittenhouse, 
of Hastings. Socially ho is a member of the 
Masonic order and the A. O. U. W. 

Charles W. Brininger is the present city clerk 
of Grand Island. He is a practicing United 
States land attorney and is also engaged in the 
real-estate business, being a member of the well 
known tirm of Ross & Brininger. He was born 
in Middlebury, Elkhart County, Ind., December 
14, 18fi4, and is a son of John and Julia Ann 
(Smith) Brininger, who was born, reared and mar- 
ried in Snyder County, Pa., and after the consum 
mation of the latter event they moved to Indiana, 
in 1801. The father was a stone mason by trade, 



and was a man who possessed many worthy traits 
of character. The mother died January 1, 18!J(1, 
in full communion with the Lutheran Church, and 
is now lying in the family cemetery at Vistula, 
Ind. Four sons and six daughters of their family 
are living, of whom Charles M'. is the youngest. 
He was reared in Indiana up to the age of fourteen 
years, then came to Nebraska and made his home 
with his brother, Alfred F., a merchant of Central 
City, and while with him learned all the details of 
mercantile life. He also followed the occupation 
of teaching for some time, and in August, 1883, 
came to Grand Island, as register clerk in the 
United States land office, and this position tilled 
with ability itntil July, 1S87, when he formed a 
partnership with Mr. Ross, and has been asso- 
ciated with him ever since. He was married in 
Grand Island to Miss Mary E., a daughter of 
John Johnson, a blacksmith of Greeley Center, 
Neb. Mrs. Brininger was born in Paterson, N. 
J., and has borne her husband a son, named Ltxcius 
Roy, and a daughter, named Carrie Fay. They at 
tend the Episcopal Chitreh, and Mr. Brininger be- 
longs to the Masonic fraternity, the A. O. U. W., 
and is a stockholder in the Grand Island Improve 
ment Company, a director in the Grand Island 
Building and Loan Association, and is now tilling 
his second term as city clerk. 

Russel S. Bruce, farmer and stock-raiser, Uu 
derwood, Neb. To the person who closely applies 
himself to any occupation which he has chosen as 
his calling in life, there can oidy be one result — 
that of success and a high position of esteem from 
those among whom he has made his home. And 
the case of Mr. Bruce is no exception to the rule, 
for from boyhood he has been engaged in agricult- 
ural pursuits, and his strict attention to this calling 
accounts for his sitccess. He was born in Hills 
boro. Highland County, Ohio, in 1832, and was 
the eldest in a family of eleven children, the result 
of the union of James A. and Experience (Shaw) 
Bruce, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively. 
The father left his native State when a boy, emi- 
grated to Ohio, and was married in Brown Coirnty 
of that State, September 14, 1814, to Miss Shaw. 
He was a cooper by trade, and in 1850 moved to 



%^ a 



^rv 




Illinois, settled in Burouii County, and there Lis 
death occurred. The mother is still living, and 
resides in Putnam, Putnam County, 111. Their 
children were named as follows: R. S. (subject), 
John (married and resides in Putnam County, 111.), 
W illiam (died April 24. 183()), Ann (died in 18<)C). 
Maiy M. (now Mrs. Smith, of Princeton, 111.), 
Joseph (resides in Putnam County, 111.), Carey I. 
(married and resides in Poweshiek County, Iowa), 
Irene (now Mrs. Bobeck, of Bureau County, 111.), 
Experience E. (now Mrs. Biddulph), Emeline (now 
Mrs. Bnriiside, of Putnam County, 111.) and James 
F. (married and residing in Putnam County, 111.) 
Hussell S. Bruce was early taught the duties of 
farm life, received his education in the schools of 
Ohio, and under the tutorage of L. D. Whiting, of 
Tiskilwa, 111., and at the age of eighteen years 
went to Illinois, where he commenced farming for 
himself. He was marrietl in Bureau County, of 
that State, in 1855, Jo Miss Mary A. Owen, a na- 
tive of Marshall County, 111., and the daughter of 
Roderick and Nancy (Adams) Owen, natives of 
Connecticut and New York, respectively. Mr. 
Owen emigrated to Ohio when a young man, was 
married in 1S22 and settled in that State, where 
he learned the trade of a machinist and also worked 
at blacksmithing in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He 
and family came to Illinois at an early day, and in 
1832 he erected a flour mill on Crow Creek, the 
first in that section, people coming sixty miles to 
mill. Later he engaged in the plow manufactur- 
ing business, on a small scale, in Lacon, 111. (1S36), 
and after that began the manufactm-e of plows at 
Indiaiitown, later called Tiskilwa. where he built 
up a l)ig business, and there his death occurred in 
I860. His death was mourned by all. Mrs. Owen 
died September 28, 1849, at the age of forty three 
years. Their union was blessed by the birth of 
the following children: William R. (enlisted in 
the Seventy- seventh Illinois Infantry, Company D, 
and served five years; was in the siege of Vicks- 
Imrg. and was with the Western army; at the close 
of the war he returned to Illinois, and now resides 
at Tiskilwa), Pardon H. (married and resides at 
Port Byron, 111. , and is a teacher by profession), 
Sarah A. (now Mrs. Sheldon, resides in Louisville, 



Polk County, Ore.), John Q. (manufacturer, now 
resides in Denvei), Mary A., Permelia A. (was 
killed in Illinois in 1885), Ferguson (resides in 
Salem, Ore.), Harriet (died at the age of thirteen) 
and Helen (now Mrs. Starrett, of Denver, Colo.). 
After his marriage Mr. Bruce settled in Illinois 
and there remained until 185(3, when he removed 
to Benton County, Iowa, and engaged in farnn'ng 
in that and Poweshiek Counties. In 1874 be 
moved to Nebraska and settled where he now lives, 
on eighty acres of land. This he has improved 
very materially, and has an excellent place. He 
is active in politics, is independent in his views, 
and his vote is cast for the best man and for the 
best measures. He was justice of the peace for 
about eight years. Socially he is a member of the 
South Platte Alliance, was one of the first members 
in the southern part of the county, and this is the 
oldest alliance in the same. Mr. and Mrs. Bruce 
are members of the North Hastings Congregational 
Church, and are active workers therein. Their 
marriage has been rendered happy by the birth 
of foiu' living children: Edgar F. (married to Miss 
Mary Dings, and they have four children: Roy, 
Donna Belle, Edna Grace and Ada May; they 
reside in Grand Island), William M. (married to 
Miss Lola M. Oliphant, and they have three chil- 
dren: Earl, Loyd and W^innie; they reside in Ban 
ner County, Neb.), Winnie (now Mrs. L. T. Coul- 
ter, is the mother of one child, Vinnie, and resides 
on Elm Island, Hall County), and Edith Maj' (now 
Mrs. Harvey Johnston). Mr. Bruce has seen the 
complete growth of the country south of the Platte, 
and there was very little settlement in this part of the 
country when he came here. Mrs. Bruce' s grand- 
parents, Amasa and Elizabeth (Dana) Owen, were 
natives of Connecticut, and emigrated to Scioto 
County, Ohio, at an early day. The maternal 
grandparents, Joseph and Abigail Adams, were 
natives of New York, and at an early day emi- 
grated to the Buckeye State. Both died in Ohio. 
Henry Chamberlin is the present efficient cash- 
ier of the First National Bank of Wood River, 
Neb., but was born in Dubuque County, Iowa, in 
1855. When fifteen years of age he removed to 
Gentry County, Mo., and after obtaining a fair 



r 



J,_ 



^. 



HALL COUNTY. 



Qll 



knowledge of the common branches in the district 
schools, he entered a business college of St. Joseph, 
in which institution he thoroughly lifted himself 
for business life. In 18S3 he came to the State 
of Nebraska, and opened a bank at Battle Creek, 
Madison County, which he successfully conducted 
for two years, then removed to Arapahoe, and was 
one of the organizers of the First National Bank 
of that place. In the meantime he opened a bank 
at Hornerville, but sold out soon after and opened 
another l)auk at Benkleman, and after selling this, 
established one at Akron, Colo. Upon selling his 
interest in this bank he and a l)rother came to 
Wood River and organized the Hall County Bank, 
but at the end of one year converted it into the 
First National Bank, and he was elected its presi- 
dent and his brother its cashier. After a short 
time the latter sold out, and he and his brother 
o[)ened the Merrick County Bank at Clark, of which 
institution he is now president. Henry Chamber 
lin is the present oashier of the First National Bank, 
and is very painstaking and accurate. He was 
married in January, l.S!S8, to Miss Lola M. Tomblin, 
and by her became the father of three interesting 
children: Marvin, Ada L. and Beulah. Mr, Cham- 
borlin is a son of S. and Deborah (Price) Chamber 
lin, both being born in York State. They now 
reside at Stanberry, Mo. 

H. P. Chapman, stock- raiser and bank director 
of the First National Bank of Wood River, Neb., 
owes his nativity to Ohio, where his birth occurred 
in 1848, he receiving a rather limited education in 
the common schools of Meigs County, Ohio. He 
was married in that county to Miss Hopy Thomp- 
son, a native of Ohio, born in 1850, and the result 
of this union has been four children: James F., 
Roma, Erma anil Pearl (who died at the age of two 
years). After his marriage Mr. Chapman followed 
farming and stock-raising, but later sold out and 
moved to Hall County, Net). , where he formed the 
acquaintance of James Ewing, who owned a lum 
ber-yard, put in money with him and enlarged the 
yard, after which he bought and shipped stock. 
He was in the lumber business for less than a year, 
when he sold out to R. H. Dodd and purchased a 
herd of sheej), and was the first feeder of sheep in 



that vicinity. He has raised sheep in Ohio, and 
owned the second i)est shearing Ijuck ii\ Ohio, the 
yield being thirty-one and a fourth pounds. Mr. 
Chapman did fairly well at the lumber l)usiness, 
and in sheep he cleared over $1,250 on the tirst 
flock of 600 head he fattened. He still continues 
to feed and fatten stock. He purchased his present 
farm of 250 acres in the fall of 1SS5, and he also 
farms a section of land besides this. He is feeding 
iibout eighty five head of cattle now, and generally 
feeds from fifty to 100 head each year. He raises 
from 100 to 150 head of hogs each year, and also 
raises horses and mules. He has been a stock 
holder and director in the First National Bank 
for nearly two years, and is a man well and 
favorably known throughout the county. Wood 
River runs through his land and supplies his 
stock with an abundance of water. Mr. Chapman 
is a member of the A. O. U. W., also the I. O. 
O. F. and Camp of the last named order. He 
is the son of Truman and Sallie (Strong) Chap- 
man. The father was born in Massachusetts 
in 1810, emigrated to Northern Ohio when eight 
years of age, from there to the southern part of 
the State when twenty-one years of age, and in 
ISSOto Nebraska, where he is living at the present 
time. He is the father of four children, all alive. 
The paternal grandfather, John Chapman, was born 
in Massachusetts, but at an early period emigrated 
to Southern Ohio, where he was among the pioneer 
settlers. 

L. B. Chase, sheep feedei- and property owner. 
Wood River, Neb. Among the successfxil agricult- 
urists of Hall County, whose merits are such as 
entitle them to representation in the present work, 
is Mr. Chase, the subject of this sketch. He was 
originally from New Hampshire, where his birth 
occurred in 1845, and there he grew to manhood, 
and received his education. He left his native 
State and emigrated to Nebraska in the fall of 
1871, took a homestead, but did not keep it. He 
worked for James Jackson for the first year, then 
went to California and was engaged in the sheep- 
raising business for some time, realizing cousider- 
aijle profit from it, but lost all his money the 
year President Hayes was elected. He then quit 



fi 10 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



the sluit'i) )>ii8inPS8 and began oporating a saw-mill, 
which he continnod for a year, after which he sold 
out and went to the northern part of the State. 
There he worked on a wheat ranch for a year and 
a half and then returned to his native State, where 
he remained for six months. From there ho went 
to Wyoming Territory and purchased an overland 
mail route, which he conducted one year, clear- 
ing over 11,000 at this. He then sold out and 
entered the mercantile business as clerk in a store 
at Fort Steele, W. T., where he remained one 
year, and \\\in\, in 1882, he came to Wood River, 
Neb., where he has since made his home. He 
was mai'ried in Grand Island to Miss Lena Len- 
son, a native of Sweden, born in 18(51, and the 
fruits of this union were three children: Lee, 
Lon and Leslie. He purchased property in Wood 
Kiver about 1884, and as ho understands the 
sheep business ho is engaged in feeding for va- 
rious parties for three consecutive years. He has 
charge of and feeds 2,0t)0 sheep this year for G. 
Ferris, of Wyoming. He goes out about the mid- 
dle of April every year and for three and a half to 
four months shears sheep, getting from $5 to 
112 per day. He gets $60 per month for feed- 
ing sheep and is thorough and reliable in all 
his business relations. He is a membgr of the 
I. O. O. F. and the M. W. A., and in his po- 
litical views atiiliates with tlie Kepublieaii party. 
H<' is the son of James A. and Sarah (Cot- 
ton) Ohaso. natives of Vermont and New Hamp- 
shire, respectively. The father lived to be sev- 
enty years of age, and died in New Hampshire, 
and the mother is still living, is sixty seven years 
of age, and resides in that State. The grand- 
fatlier, Edward Chase, was probably born in Can- 
ada, l)Ut died in Vermont. Tlte maternal grand- 
fatlier was in the Warof 1812. Our subject's great- 
gi'andfatlier on the mother's side was the lir.st 
child l)orn in Grafton County, N. H. , and the 
mother of his great-grandmotiier was half Indian. 
Hon. Henry Emerson Clifford, probate judge 
of Hall County, Neb., was born in South Paris, 
Oxford County, Me., Septem])er I'.l, 1X58, and 
is a son of Jonathan Kend;ill and Harriet Newell 
(Hall I ('liffonl, the former a son of David ('lifPord, 



of South Paris, Me., and the latt(u- a daughter 
of Maj. Cyprian Hall, of South Paris. Both parents 
belonged to old families of Maini' and both pre- 
sumably date their ancestry in America to the early 
pioneers of Massachusetts. Judge Clifford devoted 
his early manhot)d to teaching school, l)ut his early 
predilections were for the study of law, but, like 
many another of the honored members of that pro 
fession in this country, his finances were limited and 
it was some time before he could find means to 
attain his end. He first devoted some attention to 
cheese-midvins; and farmintj. after which he went 
to Worcester, Mass., and conducted a bakery estab 
lishment. All this time during odd months he 
devoted to the perusal of Blackstone and found but 
little satisfaction in other pursuits. In the spring 
of 1882 he came West and located at Grand Island, 
entering the law oHice of the Hon. O. A. Abbott, 
and in January of the following year was admitteil 
to the bar. He at once entered upon a career of 
distinction and success, and business came to 
him unsolicited, for his strong good sense, his 
knowledge of human nature, his calm conservatism 
and his genuine legal ability were soon perceived 
and he gained the universal confidence of the peo 
pie. He was elected to his present incumbency in 
1889, but also served the city as clerk, justice of 
the peace and assessor. He is one of the origi- 
nal stockholders of the Grand Island Improve 
ment Company, and supports all enterprises for 
the good of his community. He and wife are 
members of the Congregational Church, their 
union having taken place in Shirley, Mass., she 
lieing a Miss Hattie E. Whitney, a daughter of 
Rev. Charles H. Whitney, a Congregational minis 
ter. Mrs. Clifford has borne her husband a son, 
Leon E. 

Hon. Irving M. Cole. Born in Jefferson 
County, N. Y., March 22, 1.S42, Mr. Cole is a 
little past his forty eighth year, and a man well 
and favorably known throughout Hall County, es- 
pecially in the vicinity of Cairo, where he is suc- 
cessfully engaged in the mercantile business. Irv- 
ing M.'s father, 1 hilip Cole, was born in York 
State and was married there to Miss Angeline Aus- 
tin, they l)(*ing also natives of Jefferson County, 



S "w 



-^ — A^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



617 



but in 1S44 they removed to Illinois, and in 1849 
settled in La Salle County, of which they were 
among the pioneers, and are there still residing. 
They reared four sons and one daughter to mature 
years, and all are living at the present time and 
are the heads of families. One brother lived in 
Adams County, Nel). , and one brother and sister in 
Hall (!ounty. Irving M. Cole attained manhood 
in La Salle County, and there received a good 
common school education. On August 18, 1861, 
he enlisted in the First Illinois Artillery and was 
honorably discharged in October, 1864, having 
participated in the battle of Stone River, Chicka- 
mauga, siege of Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge 
and siege of Atlanta. He also participated in the 
capture of Island No. 10, was taken prisoner at 
Stone River, and was kept in captivity for about 
forty days at Libby Prison, after which he was ex- 
changed; after his discharge he returned to La Salle 
County, and there continued the occupation of 
farming for several years. In 1876 he came to 
Hall County, Neb., and in January of that year he 
took a homestead claim near the present town of 
Doniphan, and here continued to till the soil until 
about 1885, when he sold out, moved to the town 
and embarked in the hotel business. In 1886 he 
came to Cairo, and now represents the North 
Platte Lumber Company, being manager of the 
business at this point. He carries a large stock of 
building material and is doing an excellent and 
paying business. He has always supported the 
Republican party, and in the fall of 1882 he was 
elected to the State Legislature by the people of 
Hall County, and filled the position with distinc- 
tion in the Eighteenth (Jreneral Assembly of the 
State. He is recorder in the A. O. U. W., and is 
a member of the Masonic fraternity. He was mar- 
ried in La Salle County, 111., Deeemlier 22, 1864, 
to Maria, a daughter of Henry Lutchford; she was 
born in England but was reai-ed and educated in 
the above-named county. They have four chil- 
dren: Sherman (who is married), Ida (wife of L. 
\V. Lyon), Minnie and Wilbert. Mrs. Cole is a 
member of the Baptist Church. 

Prof. Edward Everett Cole is the efficient 
principal of the Crand Island High School, and is 



one of the prominent and most successful educa- 
tors of the State of Nebraska. He was born in 
Henderson, Ky., August 5, 1859, and is a son of 
Rev. Jacob and Margaret (Worsham) Cole, the for- 
mer of whom came from his native land of Grer 
many to America with his parents when he was 
nine years of age. Upon reaching this country the 
family resided for a few years in New York City, 
after which they removed to Henderson, Ky., and 
here Rev. Jacob Cole was reared. He entered the 
Baptist ministry in early life, and for about forty 
years labored in that field, and during the late Re- 
bellion he served as chaplain of Gen. Logan's 
regiment. He and his wife are still living, and 
their union was blessed in the birth of seven chil- 
dren, of whom five survive. Prof. Edward Everett 
Cole was the fifth of his father's family, and when 
but two J ears of age was removed by his parents 
to Du Quoin, 111., where he resided luitil he was 
seventeen years of age, his early education being 
obtained in the public schools of that place. In 
1876 the family removed to Champaign Countj', 
111., and in the fall of 1878 he entered the Illinois 
State University at Champaign, aiid in this insti 
tution completed a full classical course, graduating 
in June, 1882. He al.so diu'ing this time completed 
a military course in this same institution, and after 
leaving college decided to become a teacher, the 
first two years being spent as a teacher in a coun- 
try school, the first year in St. Clair County, and 
the second in Champaign County. During the win- 
ter of 1884-85 he was principal of the graded 
school of Parksville, III., but in the fall of the 
latter year he determined to come westward, and 
during the winter which followed he taught a dis- 
trict school four miles north of Grand Island, Neb. 
In the fall of 1886 he entered upon the duties of his 
present position, and has filled it with character- 
istic a'oility ever since. He is a very thorough 
educator, and as principal of the high school of 
Grand Island has given the l)est satisfaction. He 
is an exemplary young man in every respect, and 
is an earnest worker in the Y. ]M. C. A. of Grand 
Island, and belongs to the Central Nebraska Teach- 
ers' Association. He was married July 12, 1887, 
to Miss Sophie J. Norris, a daughter of James F. 



:7; 




and Conlfllia A. (Deckard) Norris, Uio former a na- 
tive of Culpeper, Va., and the latter of Otterville, 
Mo. The mother of Mrs. (Jole ha.s been married 
twice, her lirst husband being Silas Jetikins, by 
wlioni she had four children, two now living. Her 
union with Mr. Norris resulted in the birth of five 
children, four daughters and a son, the latter being 
deceased. Th(> parents of these children located 
in Grand Island in 188'.). and are now among the 
oldest residents of the city. Prof. Colo and his 
wife are members of the Emanuel Baptist Church, 
and he is also a member of the M. W. A. Mrs. 
Cole is the eldest child l)orn to her parents, and 
for six years prior to her marriage was engaged 
in teaching music, for which art she has much 
tiilont. 

B. L. Colwell, farmer. Wood River, Neb. The 
subject of this sketch was born in Darke County, 
Ohio, in the year 1815, and is the son of John and 
Electa (Hand) Colwell, natives of New York and 
Pennsylvania, respectively. The father was born 
in 1 IH'l and was a farmer l)y occupation. Ho left his 
native State in l)oyhood, emigrated to Pennsylvania, 
where he married Miss Hand, and later moved 
to Darke County, Ohio. He was killed by a falling 
tree while passing through the woods in Cham- 
paign County of that State. In his political views 
he was a Whig. To his marriage were born nine 
children, eight of whom grew to maturity, married, 
and had families. As before stated, Mr. Colwell 
was killed by a falling tree, he had one brother 
killed by the breaking of a blood-vessel, and another 
killed by a kick from a horse. B. L. Colwell at- 
tained his majority in Ohio and was married there 
in 18:i7 to Miss Matilda Piuramer, anativeof Ohio, 
born in ISIU. Mr. Colwell had very limited edu- 
cational advantages in the primitive log school- 
house, with the puncheon floor, split logs for seats, 
and lire-place. After his marriage he resided in 
Ohio until 1850, and then emigrated to DeWitt 
County, 111., where he remained for some time. 
When first settling there he had a team. $200 
in money and a family of five children. By 
energy, economy and close attention to business he 
made considerable money while in Illinois, and 
there remained, engaged part of the time in the 



manufacture of brick, until 18N'J he came west to 
have more room. He purchased 480 acres of land, 
his children are now residing near him, and he is 
prepared to spend his declining years in peace and 
comfort. Of the ten children born to his mar- 
riage, nine are still living, are married, and 
have families. They are named as follows: 
Fidelia (wife of Milton Giddings), Milton U. 
(married Ida Simpson), Hannah J. (wife of Mr. 
Brittin, who is postmaster at Wood River), Me- 
lissa (wife of Nicholas Burchard), Oriu T. (married 
Flora Mitchel), Sarah (wife of C. Brockelhurst), 
Peter E. (married Jennie Glendening), Savilla 
(married T. C. Taylor) and William (married 
Anna Potts). Nest to the youngest was Mary, who 
died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Colwell are happy 
and contented, are surrounded by their children 
and grandchildren (twenty- three of the latter), 
and are universally respected by all acquainted 
with them. They celebrated their fiftieth anniver- 
sary in 1887 and received many valuable presents 
from relatives and friends as tokens of the respect 
and esteem in which they are held. Both are mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church, to which they 
have belonged for many years, he being one of the 
board of elders the most of the time. Mr. Colwell 
is a Republican in his political views, casting his 
first presidential vote for Harrison, the grandfather 
of the present President Harrison. Our subject's 
maternal grandmother was one hundred and five 
years of age at the time of her death, and his great 
grandfather, John Colwell, was a native of Ireland. 
A. Conn, farmer and stock-raiser, Cameron, 
Neb. Let a man be industriously ambitious and 
honorable in his ambitions and he will rise, whether 
having the prestige of family or the obscurity of 
fortune. We are led to these reflections by a 
perusal of the life of Mr. Conn. This gentleman 
is another of the many citizens of Hall County who 
owe their nativity to the Buckeye State, his birth 
occurring in Ashland County in 1849. His parents, 
David and Elizabeth (Benett) Conn, were natives 
of Maryland. The father was born on October 21, 
1821, and when about six or seven years of age 
went to Ohio with his parents. There be grew up 
and was married to Miss Benett. After living 



HALL COUNTY. 



619 



in Ashland County for some time he moved to Illi- 
nois and became a pioneer of De Witt County. He 
resided there for about thirty years, and in 1880 
came west to make his home with his son. He is 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South, and in politics is a Democrat. His wife, 
who died when about thirty-six years of age, was 
of German descent. The paternal grandfather 
was born in Virginia, was manned in that State, and 
■was a Revolutionary soldier. He died in Ohio. 
A. Conn grew to manhood in Illinois, received 
a common-school education, and at the age of 
twenty three years was married to Miss Jane 
Plummer in De Witt County, 111., in 1872. Their 
family consists of the following children: Ada, 
Cyrn.s, Edward, Ray and Ethel. Mr. Conn farmed 
in Illinois until 1875, then moved to Nebraska and 
homesteaded his present farm. He owns 280 acres 
of land, is engaged in raising stock, and is one of 
the progressive and substantial farmers of the 
county. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, 
and in his political principles is strictly Demo- 
cratic. 

James A. Costello is the present incumbent of 
the sherifp's office of Hall County, Neb., and since 
his election to this position, in 1889, has proved an 
efficient officer. He was born in Pittston, Luzerne 
County, Pa., October 15, 1860, and is a son of 
Thomas and Hannah (Greary) Costello, who were 
born in the Emerald Isle, and came to the United 
States unmarried and alone. The father was a 
stonemason by trade, hut followed coal mining in 
Peuns3-lvania until 1877, when he came to Ne- 
braska, and has since been engaged in farming 
near Wood River. He and wife became the 
parents of five sons and three daughters, of whom 
the subject of this sketch is the fifth child. After 
tlie latter had attained manhood he engaged in 
farming and railroading, but abandoned the former 
occupation to accept the position of deputy sheriff 
under E. A. Wedgwood, which position he held 
during the most of that gentleman's incumbency, 
from 1887 to 1889. In the latter year he was 
elected to his present position on the Democratic 
ticket, although the county is strongly Republican. 
He has also served as treasurer of his district school 



board, and was elected assessor of Jackson Town- 
ship, but did not serve. He is a member of the 
A. O. U. W., and is a stockholder in the Grand 
Island Improvement Company. Mr. Costello' s 
brothers and sisters are: Michael J. (residing at 
Wood River), Katie, Annie (wife of John E. Phillips, 
a locomotive engineer of North Platte), Thomas F. 
(a railroad conductor on the Union Pacific Road), 
William W. (a fireman on that road), Mollie A. and 
John. James A. Costello is a member of the 
Roman Catholic Church. 

John Creason, farmer and stock raiser, Doni- 
phan, Neb. Among the agriculturists of this 
county, so many of whom are mentioned in these 
pages, is Mr. Creason, the owner and proprietor 
of a landed estate of eighty acres. His home is 
on Section 10, and to his chosen calling he gives 
close attention, and with the result which only 
such conduct can produce. Born in Des Moines 
County, Iowa, in 1848, he was the fourth in a 
family of nine children born to the marriage of 
John and Abigail (Hillman) Creason, natives of 
Ohio. The parents were married in that State in 
February, 1841, and the same year they came to 
Iowa, settling in Des Moines County, near Bur 
lington. There he opened up and improved two 
farms, one in Des Moines County and the other in 
Lee, and remained there until 1865, when he emi- 
grated to Nebraska, and settled in Nemaha Coun 
ty. There he continued to reside until 1872, 
when he came to Hall County and settled in 
Doniphan Township. He homesteaded eighty 
acres of land, built a good house and barn, but 
sold it in 1883, and moved to Doniphan, where his 
death occurred February 15, 1887, at the age of 
seventy-four years. The mother is living and re 
sides in Doniphan, Neb. Of their children Will- 
iam H. (enlisted in Company D, Fourteenth Iowa 
Infantry, was under Gen. Grant, and was killed at 
the battle of Pittsburgh Landing), Sarah (now 
Mrs. Burge, resides in Brown County, Neb. ). 
Martha (now Mrs. W. J. Burger, resides in Doni- 
phan), John and James (twins), Maria (now Mrs. 
Joseph Denman) and Rhoda (now Mrs Collins, of 
Nemaha County, Neb.) John Creason was reared 
with a farm experience, and received his educa- 



-• — -^t ^ 



C20 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



tion ill the schools of lovvii. He wiis married in 
Cdss County, Neb., in 1870, to Miss Rutha Bal 
lard, a native of Cedar County, Mo., and the 
daughter of John and Elizabeth ((ioodvvin) Bal- 
lard, natives, respectively, of Kentucky and Mis- 
souri. Mr. and Mrs. Ballard were married in 
Missouri and at an early day moved to Mills 
County, Iowa, where the mother received her filial 
summons. Mr. Creason followed farming for him- 
self on the homestead in Hall County, and this he 
has iin])roved very materially since. He is a Re- 
publican in politics and served as supervisor in 
1889. He has been a member of the school 
board, has been school treasurer, and is a man who 
has the confidence and respect of all. He is a 
member of South Platte Alliance, and is also a 
member of the A. O. U. W., Doniphan Lodge No. 
7(). Mr. and Mrs. Creason are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. To their marriage 
liave been born eight children: Delia (now Mrs. 
Stanger, resides in Littleton, Cal. ), Charley, Har- 
vey, Kittie, Maud, Fannie, Josie and Iva. Mr. 
Creason has seen the country when buffalo and 
antelopes were numerous, and is one of the pioneer 
settlers. 

Sumner Davis, M. D. , is one of the leading 
physicians and surgeons of Hall County, Neb. , and 
is a credit to the profession which he represents. 
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. August 27, 1857, 
the son of A. Judson and Adaline (Merrill) Davis, 
natives of Massachusetts and Ohio, and aged fifty 
seven and fifty three years, respectively. The 
father was for many years a well-known merchant 
of Cincinnati, and still makes that city his home. 
Dr. Davis was a student in the public and high 
schools of his native city, and in 1879 began the 
study of medicine in the office of Prof. S. R. Beck- 
with, with whom he remained until 18S0, wlien he 
entered the Chicago Homoeopathic College, and 
was graduat(>d therefrom as an M. D. February 
28, 1888, and the following April was appointed 
one of the resident surgeons of the Cook County 
Hospital, of Chicago, which position he continued 
to hold until October 1, 1884. Then he received an 
appointment as demonstrator of anatomy in his 
(iliiui mater for the term of 1884-85, l)eing at the 



same time associated in general practice with Dr. 
E. H. Pratt, i)rofessor of surgery in the same col- 
lege. Owing to failing health he gave up a lucra- 
tive practice in this city (Chicago), and went to 
Southwestern Kansas, where he remained until 
July, 1888, when, having recovered his wonted 
health, he came to (irand Island, and hero has es 
(ablished a practice second to none in this portion of 
the State. He is at once safe and skillful, and has 
shown from his earliest days of practice that he" 
realizes the grave responsibilities resting on a phy- 
sician, and the reception which he has received in 
his ii(>w home shows that a very generous share of 
public favor is his. While he is a graduate of a 
homoeopathic institution, he is liberal in his views 
and independent in his practice, and in every in- 
stance uses those remedies he thinks best suited to 
the case. He makes a specialty of surgery and 
the diseases of women, and in those cases handled 
shows a thorough knowledge of the ''healing art." 
Dr. G. W. Weeter is associated with him in busi- 
ness, the firm name being Davis & Weeter, and 
they constitute one of the strongest medical firms 
in the State. Their reception, operating and consul- 
tation rooms, consisting of a suite of seven rooms in 
the Independent building, are well equipped with 
everything needful for the comfort of patrons, who 
always receive every kindness and attention. Dr. 
Davis was married in November. 188B, to Miss 
Minnie B. Gray, who was born near Athens, in 
Clark County. Mo., and by her he has one child, 
Merrill (iray (born February 7. 1888). He is a 
Republican in his political views, and socially is a 
member of the Masonic fraternity, Ashlar Lodge 
No. 88, the A. O. U. W. and the Royal Arcanum. 
George P. Dean, chief of police at Grand 
Island, Neb. , was born in Steubenville, Steuben 
County, N. Y., November 22, 184fi. being a son of 
William C. and Mary (Ferguson) Dean, natives of 
New Jersey, the former a car]HMiter and builder 1)V 
occupation. They moved to Michigan prior to the 
late Civil War and settled in Shiawassee County, 
from which place George P. Dean enlisted as a pri 
vate in Company H, Tenth Michigan Cavalry, in 
1868, and served throughout the remainder of the 
war, participating in a number of skirmishes and a 




' Al^tl-iyriM' U-^a.iyz^ / / ^j^ /t^-; 



Hall County, Nebraska. 



few battles. After tbe cessation of hostilities he 
served in tbe regular army three years, being on 
duty throughout the South, and was discharged as 
sergeant of Company H, Eighteenth United States 
Infantry. In 1869 he returned home and in 1872 
located in Nebraska, being engaged in farming un 
til 1884, since which time he has successfully con- 
ducted a livery stable at Grand Island. He is now 
serving his second term as a member of the city 
board of supervisors, and while a resident of May- 
field Township was for some time justice of the 
peace. He is a stockholder in the Grand Island 
Improvement Company, the Canning Company of 
that city, and is a director and stockholder of the 
A. O. U. W. Building, he being a member of that 
order. He is a member of the G. A. R., l)eing at 
present junior vice-commander, and has repre- 
sented his post in the county and State encamp- 
ments. He was married in Michigan to Miss 
Emily Ferster, a native of that State, and a daugh- 
ter of John and Maria (Haggerty) Ferster, b3' 
whom he has a son and a daughter: Guy Morris 
(who is associated with his father in the livery 
business) and Edna May. Mr. Dean is a Mason 
and has attained to the Commandery. He is also 
a member of the Select Knights, and at present is 
commander of Grand Island Legion No. 9. 

Hon. Z. H. Denman (deceased). Nature seems 
to have intended Mr. Denman for a long and more 
than ordinarily useful existence, but while just in 
the meridian of life his career was closed forever. 
He was born in Licking County, Ohio, March 26, 
1834, and there he attended the district schools 
during the winter months, and assisted his father 
on the home farm during the summer until he was 
nineteen years of age, at which time he bade adieu 
to his friends and went to Martinsburg College, 
in which institution he remained until he gradu- 
ated. Upon leaving college he spent .some time 
in traveling and school teaching, and upon attain- 
ing his twenty-fourth year was united in marriage 
to Miss Harriet Eobinson, of Newark, Ohio. He 
then settled down to farming in his native county, 
and while there held the office of county surveyor 
several terms but resigned this position to move 
with his family to McLean County, 111., in 1804. 



being there engaged in tilling the soil until Au 
gust, 1871, when he came to Hall County, Neb. 
Possessing great energy and much alsility he was 
not long in securing a comfortable home for his 
family in his adopted county, and soon became the 
owner of a homestead thirteen miles southwest of 
Grand Island, on which he at once set energetically 
to work to farming and raising stock. Owing to his 
enterprise, integrity and honesty of purpose he 
gradually increased his acreage, and in time be- 
came the owner of several hundred acres and a 
large amount of fine stock. He was well known 
for his many sterling characteristics, and ever after 
locating here he had the interests of the county at 
heart, and was one of the first citizens to patronize 
any enterprise calculated to build up the county 
and benefit his fellow-men. His principles were 
always ptu'e and true, his judgment sound, and 
his advice was earnestly sought by old and young 
in the community in which he resided. He was 
an active politician, and for many years held the 
position of county supervisor from Alda Precinct, 
and was renominated at the election in 1889 to the 
same office. In 1882 the people of the county 
showed their appreciation of his intellect by choos- 
ing him to represent them in the State Legislature, 
and the duties of this po.sition he filled with honor 
to himself and his constituents. He was president 
of the Hall County Agricultural Society in 1889, 
and his administration of the affairs of this society 
was so satisfactory that he was voted the most 
popular man in the county by the citizens, and was 
presented with a handsome gold headed cane as a 
token of their esteem. He was re-elected to the 
same office by the society at their last meeting and 
was looking forward with great pleasure to the time 
when the State fair would be held on the Hall 
County fair grounds. His death, which occurred 
very suddenly at the age of fifty five years, seven 
months and fourteen days, was lamented by all 
who knew him, for he was one of the county's best 
citizens and a generous and loving husband and 
father. He was beloved and respected for his 
sterling integrity, sound judgment, broad intelli- 
gence, liberality and progressive ideas, and he may 
justly be said to have been a man among men. He 



:7i: 



V 



J^ 



« k^ 



-^ 9 



622 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



was ail bonorod moniber of tli« Masonic fraternity 
Ruil was buried with tlio honors of that order. In 
1S58, while a resident of Ohio, ho was married, bis 
wife being a dauj.fhterof Samuel and Harriet (Gr.iy) 
Robinson, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and 
the latter of Ohio. Mrs. Denman was born, reared 
and educated in Licking County, and her union 
with Mr. Denman resulted in the birth of seven 
children: W. C. (whose sketch follows), James 
S. , Charles W. (married and residing on a farm), 
Ollie I., Lucius H., Hattie E. and Cary H. (the 
latter being thirteen years of age). 

Z. H. Denman has long been noted for his skill 
ill farming, and for the success which has attended 
his efforts in the stock-raising industry. He comes 
originally from a State well known for its intelli 
gent, progressive and enterprising agriculturists, 
Ohio, which is his place of birth, his arrival on 
this " mundane sphere " being in the year 1844. He 
is the fourth of eight children born to W. H. and 
Mary (Brown) Denman, who were born in Ohio and 
Virginia, respectively, their marriage taking place 
in Licking County, Ohio. Soon after their union 
they moved to McLean County, 111., and from there 
moved to Nebraska in 1855, and settled in Nemaha 
County, where he opened up several good farms. 
In ISf)S he took up a residence in Hall County, 
Neb. , and started a stock ranch, and after he had 
put things in good working order he brought his 
family thither (in 1S71). He died on this farm in 
December, 1880, his wife still surviving him. Z. 
H. Denman was educated in the subscription 
schools of Nemaha County, and after assisting his 
father on his different farms and stock ranch until 
he reached manhood he l)egan farming for himself 
in Nemaha County, and in 187! came to Hall 
County, which has since been his home. He was 
married in Nemaha County, Neb., in 186G, to Miss 
Margaret E. Lowry, a native of Indiana, and a 
daughter of William and Sarah {Clark) Lowry, of 
Ohio, who came (o Nebraska about 1857, settling 
in the above-named county. Here the father died 
in 1858, but the mother is still living and resides 
in Hall County. In 1871 Mr. Denman bought 
eighty acres of railroad land, but has since in 
creased his acreiige to 28(1 all of which is under 



cultivation. He usually feeds from sixty to 
seventy-live head of cattle throughout the year, 
and finds this business very profitable. He always 
supports the Republican party, but is not an office- 
seeker, although he has been a delegate to the 
county conventions. A family of eight children 
have been born to himself and wife, six of whom 
are now living: Clara (Mrs. Park of Reno County, 
Kan.), Nellie F., Scirah, George S., Charley and 
Daisy. 

Joseph A. Denman, farmer and stock-raiser, 
(irand Island, Neb. It has long since been ac- 
knowledged that no matter what a man's occupa- 
tion in life may be, two very necessary elements 
to his success are industry and perseverance. This 
doubtless is the cause of Mr. Denman' s success 
in life. He was originally from Licking County, 
Ohio, where his birth occurred on November 24, 
1846, and he came to Nebraska with his parents 
in 185f). They settled in Nemaha County, and 
there our subject grew to manhood and received 
his education. He was early taught the duties of 
farm life by his father, and after attaining his ma- 
jority he came to Hall County, where he purchased 
a fine tract of land. Two years later, or in 1874 he 
located on his farm and began improving the same. 
He has a good residence, a substantial l)arn, out- 
buildings, sheds, etc. , and has a tine young bear 
iug orchard. He has 120 acres of land, and all is 
under cultivation. Mr. Denman was married in 
this county on October 29, 1873, to Miss Maria 
Bell Creason, a daughter of John Creason (now 
deceased), who was one of the early settlers of Hall 
County. Mrs. Denman was born in Des Moines 
County, Iowa, liut was reared in Hall County, Neb. 
To her marriage have been born four children. 
Lulu, John, Lama and Robert, all attending 
school. Mr. Denman is a progressive and enter- 
prising citizen, and is liked l)y all acquainted 
with him. 

J. W. Denman. farmer and stock raiser, Grand 
Island, Neb. On his present homestead of 160 
acres of good tillable land, eighty acres in Alda 
and eighty acres in Washington Township, Mr. Den- 
man is actively engaged in stock raising in connec- 
tion with farming, and is one of the substantial 



^ 



V 



4 



HALL COUNTY. 



623 



and enterprising men of tbe county. He owes his 
nativity to McLean County, 111., where his birth 
occurred in 1854, and is the youngest in a family 
of eight children, horn to the union of W. H. and 
Mary (Brown) Denman, the father a native of the 
Buckeye State and the mother of Virginia. The 
])arents were mariied in Ohio, moved from there 
to Illinois, and in 1856 came to Nebraska, settling 
in Nemaha County, where he opened up a farm. 
In 1871 he moved to Hall County, settling on Sec- 
tion J 2, Alda Township, where he purchased land 
and began improving the same. His death oc- 
curred in 1887. The mother is still living and 
makes her home with her son, J. W. The latter 
was taught the duties of the farm in boyhood, 
and received his education in the schools of Ne- 
maha County. In 1880 he became convinced that 
it was not best for man to live alone and was mar- 
ried to Miss Ida Huhn, a native of Ohio, and the 
daughter of Jacob and Martha (McGee) Huhn, na- 
tives of Pennsylvania Her father died years ago 
but the mother is still living, and resides in Doni- 
phan Township. After his marriage, Mr. Den 
man settled on his present property and is one 
of the progressive citizens of the county. In pol- 
itics he. votes with the Republican party, but is 
not very active in political affairs To his mar- 
riage were born three children: Bertie, Willie and 
Minnie. The family were among the early set- 
tlers of the county, and Mi'. Denman has ever 
taken an active interest in all laudable interprises 
for the good of the same. 

VS'illie C. Denman comes from that land of pro- 
gressive and enterprising farmers, the " ' Buckeye 
State," his birth occurring in Licking County, 
August 20, 1858, and since his residence in Hall 
County, Neb. , he has been accounted one of the 
successful young agriculturists of this region. He 
came with his parents to Hall County, Neb., in 
August, 1871, and here received a fair knowledge 
of the English branches in the common schools 
near his home. He worked for his father until he 
attained his majority, then continued to till a por- 
tion of the home farm fur himself, and was married 
November 14, 1888, to Miss Mary, a daughter of 
Charles Fuller, of Hall County. Mrs. Denman 



was born in Iowa, but was reared and educated in 
Hall County, Neb., and her uuion to Mr. Denman 
has resulted in the birth of one child, an infaat 
daughter, whom they call Bessie Mada. Since his 
marriage Mr. Denman has resided on his present 
farm, his home farm consisting of eighty acres of 
fertile and well improved land. He has a neat 
one- story residence, and fair barns, granaries, etc. 
He also has 160 acres of grazing land, and seventy 
acres of meadow, in the Platte bottom, on which is 
a large herd of high-graded and some thorough- 
bred animals. He devotes his time to stock-raising 
and farming, and is considered a young man of 
energy, progressive spirit and clear perception, 
and gives every promise of becoming a wealthy 
citizen. 

James Dermody possesses those advanced ideas 
and progressive views necessary to successful agri- 
cultural life, and his time, since starting out in 
life for himself, has not been uselessly or idly 
spent. He was born in County Tipperary, Ire- 
land, in 1819, and is a son of Timothy and Mary 
(Clancy) Dermody, and grandson of Thomas and 
Julia (Kelly) Dermody and James and Julia (Ren- 
ohan) Clancy. James Dermody removed to Can- 
ada in 1S46, locating in Ottawa, and here two 
years later he was married to Miss Mary Watters, 
a daughter of John and Catherine (Gavin) Watters, 
and granddaughter of James and Mary (O'Don- 

nell) Watters, and and Barbara (Kennedy) 

Gavin. To their union a family of eight children 
have been born: John (deceased), Thomas, Michael, 
Mary A., William, Barbara, Timothy and Martha. 
Mary A. is the wife of John Roach, a prominent 
young ranchman, of Custer County, Neb. Mr. 
Dermody has spent his life in farming and stock 
raising, and since the year 1872 these occujiatiuns 
have received his attention in Hall County, Neb. 
His farm is one of the finest and best improved 
in the county, and is especially adapted to the 
propagation of stock, and every acre is capable of 
tillage. Mr. Dermody' s sons are now grown to 
manhood, and do the active part of the farm labor. 

A. DeWitte. well known to the citizens of Hall 
County, Neb., as an active, successful farmer and 
stockman, has been a resident of Alda Township 



V 



« Wi 



('.■^4 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



siiiCL" 1NN4, coiiiiii)i; from Harrison County, Ohio, to 
Grand Island. Ho was hora in that county in 
1844), and was the oldest ot three children born to 
John and Rachol (Turner) DeWitto, who were 
also born in Harrison County, Ohio, and of Irish 
descent. The father was a farmer by occupation, 
and made the " Buckcyo State " his home until 
his death, which occurred when the subject of 
this sketch was a small lad. The mother died : 
in the year 1872. A. DeWitte received the early 
education which usually falls to the lot of th(< 
farmers' boy, but possessing a naturally quick 
intellect he made irood use of his opportuni- 
ties and was soon able to make his own way in 
tlie world. His first venture for himself was as a 
farmer, and the result of his labor was so satisfac 
tory that he has made it his calling through life, 
but came to Hall County, Neb., in the year 1884, 
and purchased 120 acres of land in Harrison 
Township, Hall County. He immediately began 
stocking his land, and has since been actively 
engaged in buying and feeding stock for the 
market. He is an active Republican in his political 
views, held the office of township supervisor dur- 
ing 188S-S9. and has been a member of the school 
board of his district. He contracted to take 
charge of the county infirmary, his duties com- 
mencing in March, 18U0, and he now receives a 
fixed salary. He has always been a public spirited 
citizen, and socially is a member of the A. O. U. 
W., Charity Lodge No. 91. Miss Emily Wharton 
b(>came his wife in 1871, and by her he has three 
children: Sophroaia, Nellie I. and Lillie L., who 
are now attending the school at Alda, which is in 
charge of an excellent teacher. Mrs. DeWitte is 
a daughter of Daniel and Patty (Strode) Wharton, j 
who were born in Pennsylvania arfd belonged to 
the Society of Friends. At an early day they 
moved to Ohio, and Mr. Wharton purchased (UO 
acres of land at $25 per acre, im]u'oved it and 
here died in 1S81, the mother's death occurring , 
six months later. 

J. Elmer Dill is an active partner in the well 
known and reliable real estate and loan firm of 
Dill & Huston, of Grand Island, Neb. If indus- 
try, hanl woik and ceaseless activitv can accom- 



plish any thing in this world, then Mr. Dill is 
bound to succeed, for in him are to be found all 
the characteristics mentioned, and indeed he is de- 
serving of more than ordinary credit for his career 
thus far in life. He is a native lof the " Blue Hen 
State," his birth occurring in Kent County, No- 
vember 3, 1863, and he is the eldest of five chil 
dren born to the marriage of Robert U. Dill and 
Anna E. Griffith, also natives of Delaware, the 
former of whom was born May 14, 1837. The 
mother died February 20, 1879. The paternal 
grandfather, James W. Dill, was born in Delaware 
and died in that State about 1866. J. Elmer D"ill 
received the advantages of the common schools 
only in his boyhood, but, possessing a quick intel 
lect and being fairly studious, he made rapid j>rog 
ress, and at an early age was perfectly capal)le 
of "hoeing his own row." The month of March, 
1879, found him in (xrand Island, Neb., and here 
for six years he was engaged as a clerk in the 
store of J. W. West, but in the spring of 1885 he 
determined to start in business on his own resiDon- 
sibility, and accordingly opened a confectionery 
and fruit store, and in 1887 admitted Mr. Huston 
as a partner. They did a thriving business for 
two years, but since July, 1889, they have been 
real-estate and loan agents, and with two such in- 
telligent and enterprising young men at the helm, 
they are sure to become wealthy. March 15, 1888, 
witnessed his marriage to Miss Jessie Gardner, 
who was born in Meigs County, Ohio, in 1861, a 
daughter of Albert and Lucy Gardner. Mr. and 
Mrs. Dill have a daughter named Lucy A., who 
was born August 25, 1889. Mr. Dill is a Repub- 
lican, but cast his first presidential vote for Grover 
Cleveland. He and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is a charter 
member of Nysian Lodge No. 46, K. of P. 

F. C. Dodge, stock-raiser. Wood River, Neb. 
A person who devotes almost a lifetime to any 
one calling is reasonably expected to achieve a 
thorough _ and accurate knowledge of the details 
connected with every branch of his business. The 
reputation which Mr. Dodge enjoys as a stock 
raiser and feeder is not a local one, as may be seen 
by perusing this sketch. He was born in Sul 



vl^ 



®j v' 



12 s^ 



2- 



HALL COUNTY. 



B25 



livan County, N. H. , in 1840, and there received 
a good education in tlie common schools. He lirst 
started out for himself by working in a mill, then 
drove teams and was engaged in different occupa- 
tions until 1865, when he started for the far West. 
He came through in a wagon, and was obliged to 
stop and work on the way to get money to go on. 
He left his native State a week before Abraham 
Lincoln was assassinated, and reached Hall County, 
Neb. , in 1866. He was then the jsossessor of |35, 
which he kindly loaned to a man whom, it is 
needless to say, he has not seen since. He went 
to work on the grade of the Union Pacific Railroad, 
received $40 per month for his services, but later 
bought a team and worked for a Mr. J. Jackson, 
who paid him $1.50 per day. He still continued 
t« work and economize until he was the possessor 
of ten teams, after which he contracted on the 
railroad. Here he made considerable money and 
invested in land, 3,70D acres in all, and began 
raising stock. He is now one of the largest 
feeders in the State, and feeds annually over 
10,000 sheep, 1,000 head of hogs and 260 head of 
cattle. He milks sixty cows and makes a large 
amount of butter. He was married in Hall County 
to Miss Ellen A. Abbott, a native of Canada, and 
the fruit of this union has been one child, Ger- 
trude, who is now fifteen years of age. Mr. Dodge 
shipped the first cattle, hogs and grain that were 
ever shipped out of Wood River, that is from old 
Wood River. He has one of the finest farms in 
the county. He is the son of William and Lu- 
cinda (Stockwell) Dodge, the father a native of 
New Boston, Mass. , and a shoemaker by trade. 

William Dudley, a well-known citizen of Hall 
County, Neb., is an influential resident of Grand 
Island, and is quite extensively engaged in the real- 
estate business. He was born near Plattsburg, 
Clinton County, N. Y., February 25, 1849, and 
possesses those attributes of energy, enterprise and 
intelligence which have ever characterized those 
born and reared in the " Empire State." He is a 
son of Francis and Sarah (Santwire) Dudley, the 
former of whom was born in Berkshire, England, 
and came to America with his parents, locating in 
Montreal, Canada, when he was a small child. The 



paternal grandfather, Andrew Dudley, was a 
British officer and died shortly after his arrival at 
Montreal, his wife dying about the same time, so 
that Francis was left an orphan when between two 
and three years of age. He was adopted by a 
Frenchmen by the name of Julius Burissis, and 
with him he remained until he was twenty-one 
years of age, being engaged in farm labor up to 
that time. On becoming his own man he con- 
cluded to locate in the United States, and his home 
during the balance of his life was in Clinton 
County, N. Y. For a great many years he was 
engaged in l)oating on Lake Champlain in the 
capacity of first mate and pilot, but during the lat- 
ter part of his life he gave his attention to agri - 
cultural pur.suits. He was quite successful in all 
his enterprises and before his death had acquired 
considerable means. He was married at about the 
age of twenty- eight years to Miss Sarah Santwire, 
who was born in Clinton County, N. Y., September, 
1820, a daughter of Peter and Margaret (Laplant) 
Santwire, who were born, reared and married in 
Paris, France. Mr. and Mrs. Dudley became the 
parents of nine children, two sons and three daugh 
ters now living, William Ijeing the third of the 
family. The father passed from life March 17, 
1880, and the mother June 5, 1883. William 
Dudley was reared on a farm in his native county, 
and at the age of twenty-one years he entered the 
employ of the Wood Machine Company, and acted 
as their traveling salesman for about twelve years 
throughout the United States and Canada. In 
1882 he resigned his position and located on a farm 
seven miles northwest of Grand Island, Neb., and 
there founded a nursery which he conducted several 
years, but in March, 1887, he removed to Grand 
Island, and his whole attention since that time has 
been given to real-estate business, in which he is 
meeting with the best of success. A fact that 
should be stated is that he deals in no lands except 
his own, and is now the owner of some 3a,000 
acres, 6,000 being in one body in Washington 
Coimty, Ga., 10,000 acres in one body in McDow 
ell County, W. Va. , and 5,600 acres in one body in 
Clay County, Ky. , besides large tracts in Tennes- 
see, and $10,000 worth of residence property in 






(126 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Des Moinps, Iowa. Mr. Dudley is a pleasant- 
spoken hikI ai,'reeal)lo goiitleman, and in Lis l)usi- 
ni'.ss operations has always been found to be the 
soul of honor and has done well by those who have 
had dealings with him. He has always been a 
standi Republican in politics, and socially is a 
nienil)ei- of the A. O. U. W. He was married No- 
veiiiln>r I 1, iS78, to Miss Oolista M. Taylor, who 
was born in Essex County, N. Y. , August 7, 1850, 
and by her is the father of two children: Frank 
Nathan (l)orn September 8, 1882), and Florence 
(born January 3. 1889). He and wife are highly 
respected by all and have many warm personal 
friends. Mrs, Dudley is a daughter of Nathan 
and Susan (Bull) Taylor, who were born in Ruport, 
Vl., December 25, 18 11, and Essex County, N. Y. , 
Decemt)er 4, 1813, respectively. The father is 
still living in Essex County, N. Y., but his wife 
died August 2, 187(5. Mrs. Dudley's grandfather, 
William Taylor, was born in Vermont and was 
there married to Rhoda Harmon, also a native of 
that State. The maternal grandparents were Ben- 
jamin and Sally Bull, also Ijorn in the '' Green 
Mountain State." 

Charhw Dufford, another pioneer of Doniphan 
Townshi[) and one of the foremost citizens of the 
same, emigrated to Hall County, NeV). , in the 
spring of 1S71, and homesteaded IfiO acres on 
Section 4. He was the iirst to erect a frame 
house on the table lands south of the Platte River. 
Mr. Dufford was l)orn in Northampton County, 
Pa., in 1835), and was the son of Joseph and Sarah 
( Kelley) Dufford, natives also of the Keystone 
State. The father was a farmer, and in 1854 
removed to Wisconsin, where he continued his 
former pursuit, and where his death occurred in 
1864. The mother died in Michigan about 1875. 
Charles Dufford assisted his father on the farm, 
and received his education in the schools of Penn- 
sylvania. At the age of fifteen years he went to 
Wisconsin, and in 18(j4 began farming for himself. 
Previous to this, in 18(50, he crossed the plains 
overland to Southern Oregon, and drove an ox- 
team. In IS()1 he enlisted in .fackson County, 
Ore., iu Company A, First Oregon Cavalry, and 
went into service at Jacksonville of that State. He 



then wintered there, and in 1802 went to Walla 
Walla, where he took part in the Indian warfare 
in the Northwest Territory. He remained on the 
plains until 1803, when he was honorably dis 
charged at Fort Dallas, Ore. He then worked on 
a farm, and in 1863 returned by the overland 
stage to Wisconsin. He was married in (ireen 
County of the last named State, on December 3, 
1863, to Miss Addie Shultz, a native of Wisconsin, 
and the daughter of John R. and Eliza (Arm- 
strong) Shultz, natives of North Carolina and New 
York, respectively. Mr. Shultz settled in Wiscon- 
sin at an early day, and in 1872 emigrated to Ne- 
braska, where he closed his eyes to the scenes of 
this world in the same year. The mother died in 
1874. After his marriage Mr. Dufford farmed in 
Wisconsin until 1871, when he moved to Nebraska. 
He is now the owner of 160 acres of good arable 
land, and has followed agricultural pursuits ever 
since coming to this State, with the exception of 
two years, when he was in the furniture business 
in Doniphan. He is now engaged in farming, and 
a glance over his place indicates the kind of 
farmer that he is. He is active in politics, and his 
vote is cast with the Kepui)lican .party. He is a 
member of A. J. Smith Post No. 05, G. A. R. He 
has no children of his own, but has an adopted 
child, Stella. Mr. Dufford has seen the complete 
growth of the country, and was one of the original 
settlers of the township. Grand Island's popula 
tion numliered not over 000 souls at that date, and 
all was wild and unbroken. Although he has 
experienced three grasshopper raids, and was 
through the April storm of 1873, he still likes the 
State, and expects to make it his permanent home. 
During the years 1871 and 1872 his principal 
occupation was in hunting, as wild game was 
numerous, and he kept his family and relatives in 
meat. He still has the old shot-gun with which 
he scoured the country. 

John and Mary Dunn, prosperous agricultur 
ists of Hall County, Neb., are engaged in tilling 
the soil on the east half of the northwest quarter 
of Section 14, Township 10, Range 12 west, and 
are justly ranked amoQg the respected residents of 
this section. Mrs. Dunn was formerly Mrs. Ma 



HALL COUNTY. 



627 



riab McNutt, and whs bom ia County Tipperary, 
Ireland, in 1845, iu the fall of 185U emigrating to 
the United States with her parents, but iu 1861 
her father died and left three brothers and herself 
to fight the battle of life as best they could. Being 
possessed of an original and vigorous mind she 
came to the conclusion that Horace Greeley's ad- 
vice would aj)ply to young women as well as young 
men, and in 1872 came West, settling at Grand 
Island, and two years later took up the claim of 
l')0 acres, upon which she is now living. Her 
marriage to Mr. Dunn was consummated soon after, 
and they have since held their own with the farm- 
ers in their vicinity, and are very comfortably and 
pleasantly situated. Their farm is well stocked, 
and is nicely improved. Mr. Dunn is a son of 
William and Rose (Brady) Dunn, who were born 
on the "Emerald Isle," and emigrated to the 
United States at an early day, locating in Wau- 
kesha County, Wis., where their son, John, was 
born May 30, 1847. 

Alvin Eager was a successful merchant and 
stock-dealer of Prairie Creek Township, and since 
locating in Hall County, Neb., in 1874, has done 
his full share in advancing every interest in the 
county, and his endeavors toward promoting this 
end have been recognized by a host of acquaint- 
ances, among whom he stands high as a man and 
citizen. He was born in Oneida County, N. Y. , 
April 19, 1842, and is a son of William and Caro- 
line Eager, both natives of York State, who moved 
to Wisconsin in 1854, locating in Rock County on 
a farm, on which the father died in the month of 
February, 1871, his wife having died in York State 
in 1850. Alvin Eager attained manhood in Rock 
County, Wis., and was energetically at work when 
the war broke out. In the month of May, 1861, 
he enlisted in the Second Wisconsin Infantry, and 
after serving three years was discharged at Madi- 
son in June. 1864, having participated in the first 
and second battles of Bull Run, Gettysburg, Wil- 
derness and Spottsylvania Court House. He was 
wounded at the Second Bull Run by a gun-shot in 
the face and was taken a prisoner at Gettysburg, 
and after being held in captivity for one month 
was paroled. He was also wounded in the hand 



by a gun-shot at Spottsylvania. After the close of 
the war he returned to Rock County, Wis., and 
after following the occupation of farming there 
until 1868, he moved to Chickasaw County, Iowa, 
where he was engaged in farming sis years. In 
1874 he settled on a farm near Grand Island, Neb., 
but in the fall of 1888 he moved to the station, 
where he has since been engaged in merchandising, 
giving also a considerable portion of his attention 
to stock-dealing. He has held a number of posi 
tions of trust in the county, and socially is a mem- 
ber of the A. O. U. W. He was married in Iowa 
January 1, 1888, to Miss Julia Pheban, a native 
of York State, reared and educated in New York 
City, and their union has resulted in the birth of 
live children: Melvina (wife of AbeLeicer), Frank, 
George, John and Minnie. 

Michael Ellington was born in Madison County, 
Ohio, September 19, 1826, being a son of David 
and Catherine (Hoffman) Ellington, the former's 
birth occurring in the "Blue Grass State, " August 
22, 1797; he died on his birthday in 1883. He 
grew to manhood in Ohio, but in 1829 moved to 
Illinois, and died in De Witt County of this State. 
He was a Democrat and a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. His wife was born in 
Ohio, her birth occurring a few years later than 
his, and their union resulted in the birth of twelve 
children, seven of whom grew to maturity and are 
still living. The paternal grandfather was born 
in Kentucky in 1773, and was one of the early 
pioneers of Ohio. He spent rather a roving life 
wandering over Missouri and Arkansas, and passed 
from life in the State of Indiana. The maternal 
grandfather was a soldier in the War of 1812. 
Michael Ellington grew to manhood in De Witt 
County, 111., and obtained a common-.school edu- 
cation. In the month of April, 1850, he went 
West and traveled throughout California, Oregon, 
Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Ne- 
braska, and in 1866 entered the regular service 
of the United States army, and was a soldier 
on the frontier for five years, during which time 
he had many thrilling encounters with the Indians. 
Upon receiving his discharge in 1871 he went to 
St. Louis, Mo., thence to Illinois, where he pur- 






rrv" 



^1 



k 



1)28 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



cbiised land and tilled the soil for sixtwn years, 
then Kold out and canu* to Nebraska in 1888. He 
is now the owner of 210 acres of excellent land, 
which brinf^s iiiin in a yearly income more than suf- 
ficient to supply iiiniself and wife with all necessary 
comforts during their declining years. He was 
married in 1882 to Mrs. Rebecca Arnold, but as 
they have no children of their own, they have 
adopted a grandson of Mrs. Ellington's, Charley 
Evans, the adi ])tii)n taking place April 17, 1880, 
in Do Witt (lounty. 111. The present Mrs. Eiling 
ton was married lirst, in WisccMisin, to Lemuel 
Evans, and to them a family of throe children were 
born: Thomas, John and William. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ellington are living in happiness and contentment, 
and their only care is the rearing and educating of 
their adofited son. Mr. Ellington in his early 
travels visited Central America twice. He is a 
Democrat, but lii)eral in his views. 

Rob(>rt Kwing. Among the many families that 
emigrated westward early in the decade of '70, 
and located in Hall County, Neb., none have 
been more successful than that of the Evviugs. 
They are native New Yorkers, and hail from Alle- 
gany County. In the year 18(56 they settled in 
Cedar County, Iowa, where they followed farming, 
to which occupation they had lieen reared, and 
made that State their home until 1871, when the 
father of our immediate subject, who also bore the 
name of Robert, died. In 1872, the family wish 
ing to tind a place where industry would receive its 
higliest reward, wisely sought the prairies of Ne- 
braska, and settled in Hall County, where they 
have stood in the vanguard among the agricultur- 
ists, the many l)road acres which they own and the 
social position which they occupy, testifying to this 
fact. Four of the l)rothers now occupy one of the 
most valuable tracts of land in the county, and are 
honorable and useful citizens, their names being 
lloixtrt, William, Cliarles and Edwin. Hon. James 
Ewing, one of this family, rose to distinction in 
Hall County, and was at one time one of the most 
popular men in this portion of the State, but the 
numerous duties, both public and private, imposed 
upon him became more than the physical man 
could endure, and death called him in the midst of 



his public duties and in the zenith of his power, 
on October 31, 1888. He was born in Allegany 
County, N. Y., July 7, 1850, and assisted his father 
on the farm and attended the common schools near 
his home until he was sixteen years of age, then 
removed with his parents to Cedar County, Iowa, 
and until twenty-three years of age his time was 
spent in attending and teaching in the public 
schools. He then came to Hall County, Neb. , to 
seek his fortune, and soon found em])loyment as a 
teacher in the Moore district, but after a few terms 
he took charge of the school at Shelton. He was 
exceptionally successful as au educator, and took 
such an interest in educational matters that in the 
fall of 1877 he was elected superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction for Hall County, displaying much 
ability and energy in the discharge of his duties, 
and at the expiration of his term was re-elected. 
Upon leaving this office he purchased the Wood 
River Gazette, then a tive column folio struggling 
for existence, and in the management of this he 
was as successful as in his former occupation, and 
soon advanced the subscription list from 200 to 700, 
the result of his ability as an editorial writer, his 
good judgment and sagacity\ The first three years 
of his career as an editor he also filled the position 
of deputy county treasurer, which necessitated him 
leaving Wood River early in the morning and re- 
turning late in the afternoon, and during this 
period the readers of his paper were treated to the 
midnight productions of his pen. At the close of 
his work as deputy treasurer he devoted his time 
entirely to his paper, but his rest from public 
cares was very short, and in 1S8'> he was elected to 
represent Hall County in the State Legislature, 
and received every vote in Wood River Township 
with the exception of ten. He also {)roved a val- 
uable public servant in this capacity, and in rec- 
ognition of his services he was re- nominated by 
acclamation in the Republican convention held at 
Grand Island, but did not live to discharge his 
duties. On January 10, 1884, he was married to 
Miss Alma E. Thompson, of Hall County, and the 
result of this union was a son, Arthur (who died 
December 31, 1888). Mr. Ewing held a number of 
local offices also, and in the capacity of justice of 



■x^U *^ 



»fX 



jj±=l: 



HALL COUNTY. 



629 



tbe peace of Wood River filled the position in 
evetytbing the name implies, and by his kindly 
advice and fairness made many warm friends. He 
was township treasurer six years, and at the time 
of his d(>ath was nominee for the two last offices. 
From the time the village of Wood River was or 
fifiinized he was a member of the town board, being; 
all of the time chairman, and his advice was always 
found to be sound and to the best interests of the 
town. His life, an active and successful one, was 
devoted greatly to the welfare and happiness of 
others, and he was liberal and charitable in his 
views to all. and by all his death was deeply 
lamented. His funeral, which was conducted by 
the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W., to which he be- 
longed, was the largest gathering of the kind ever 
held in Wood River, and all business houses were 
closed and heavily draped in mourning out of re- 
spect for him who had been a friend and brother 
to all. Such a man as he could not associate with 
the young men of the community without inspiring 
them with a wish to live an upright, honorable life, 
to live for others as well as themselves, and to leave 
such monuments to their memory as he has done 
wherever they may reside. John Ewing, another 
brother, was also born in Allegany County, N. Y., 
in 1857, and supplemented his common-school ed- 
ucation with a course at Gilibon Academy. Buffalo 
County, Neb., his first term of school being taught 
in Hall County, at the age of nineteen years, this 
occupation receiving his attention for about seven 
years. He became well known throughout Hall 
County as a successful educator, but i.s now giving 
his attention to farming, his land lying al)out six 
miles northwest of Wood River, and comprising 
360 acres. His wife. Miss Laura Dubbs, was born 
in Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1864, and by her 
he has a family of four children; (iertrude, Will 
iam, John A. and James A. Mr. Ewing is a Re- 
pulilican, and is a member of the A. O. IT. W. His 
wife is a daughter of W. W. Dubbs, who was born 
in Ohio, and came to Hall County, Neb., in the 
s])ring of 1S72. Robert Ewing, our immediate 
subject, owes his nativity to Allegany County, N. 
Y. , his birth occurring in 1853. For several years 
after cominu; to Nebraska the brothers had a verv 



hard time to get along, owing to lack of rain, but 
they were ever ready to put their shoulders to the 
wheel when honorable work could Ije found, and 
they are now reaping their reward, for they are 
accounted among the most successful of Hall 
County's agriculturists and stockmen. The four 
lirothers mentioned above now own 640 acres of 
land, have I'il head of fat steers feeding, 100 head 
of hogs and sixty head of stock cattle. They are 
wide awake and enterprising young men, and owing 
to their native pluck and enterprise have made 
their present valuable property. They are quite 
talented musicians, one jilaying first violin, another 
second violin, the third the Bell clarionet and the 
fourth the bass viol. They are bachelors, and in 
their political views are stanch Republicans. 
Charles Ewing was elected as a mem})er of the 
board of supervisors of Hall County in 1888, and 
re elected in 1889. His re election proves that he 
possesses in a considerable degree some of the 
elements of personal popularity. The township 
where Mr. Ewing has been re-elected has a Dem- 
ocratic majority of sixty-two votes on the State 
ticket, and Mr. Ewing overcame this with a large 
majority. The father and mother, Robert Ewing 
and wife, were born in Scotland in 1819 and 18'-!4, 
and died in 1871 and 1883, respectively. All of 
their nine children grew to maturity. 

Cay Henry Ewoldt is an old pioneer of Center 
Township, who located in Hall County, Neb., in 
1857, although his birth occurred in Germany, 
August 14, 1831, he being a son of Paul and 
Cecilia Ewoldt. He became a subject of ' ' Uncle 
Sam " in 1852, and from that time until 1857 he 
resided in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, spend- 
ing two years in Davenport, of the first State, one 
year in the next and one in the last. He then re- 
turned to Davenport and joined a party of thirty- 
I one emigrants, who came to Hall County, Neb. , but 
it was not until 1862 that Mr. Ewoldt settled on 
his present farm. He has from time to time in- 
creased his original purchase, and is now the owner 
of 460 acres of magnificent land, well stocked and 
improved. He has always been closely identified 
with agricultural pursuits in this vicinity, and 
his well established characteristics of energy, per- 



rrr 




sovoninco iiiul uuhouiuliMl industry have brought 
him siifo rolurus. Hp gives excellent management 
to liis farm, and no man in tlie entire county staiuls 
higher for honor and integrity than Mr. Ewo!dt. 
He was married September 1, 1802, to Miss Eliza 
V. Stubeu, a native of Germany, born November 
in, 1S42, a daughter of Clans and Lena Stubeu. 
She came to America in 1858, and after spending 
fctir years in La Fayette, Ind., came to Hall 
County, Nel). They have a family of eleven chil- 
<lr(<ii: Bernard, Cecilia, Caroline, Henry, Wilhel- 
mine, Julius, Amelia, Clara, Laura, Hermann and 
fjizzie, of whom Caroline, Laura and Lizzie are 
(li'C(>ased. Mr. Ewoldt and his wife are members 
of the German Lutheran Church, and in his polit- 
ical views he is a Democrat. 

D. A. Finch, D. D. S., a young man still in his 
twenties, is, however, conceded to be one of the 
leading dentists of Hall County, Neb. He was 
born in Oneida County, N. Y., November 19, 1863, 
and is the second of four children born to Daniel 
and Maria (Livesey) Finch, who were born in Eng- 
land and brought to the United States when chil- 
dren, and here reared to maturity. The former's 
death occurred in York State in 1878, at the age 
of forty two years, but the mother, who was born 
in 1843, is still living, and resides at Camden, 
that State. Dr. Finch received a good practical 
education in the public schools of his native State, 
and finished his literary education in the Camden 
High School, from which he graduated in 1882. 
The following year he began the study of dentistry 
in the office of Doten & Martin, of Camden, N. Y., 
and with them lemained until the spring of 1885, 
when he followed Horace (ireeley's advice, and 
came west to grow up with the country, locating 
at Grand Island, and has done exceptionally well, 
for his ability and learning are well recognized in 
Hall Cotmty, and the people have given him a 
large patronage. He is in every respect a self- 
made man, and has done much to advance the 
business interests of Grand Island. He belongs 
to the K. of P. , the Modern Woodmen of America, 
and he and wife are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. His marriage occurred in Au- 
gust. 18N8. at which time Miss Addie M. Hall, 



born near Terre Haute, Iml., January 8, 18(54, be 
came his wife. She is a daughter of Harrison and 
Eliza (Carpenter) Hal], who now reside in Tacoma, 
Wash. 

John W. Fines, farmer and stock raiser. Sliel 
ton. Neb. The name that heads this sketch is that 
of one of the well-known residents of Hall County, 
Neb. Like many other settlers in the county he 
came originally from Pike (Vinnty, 111., whore his 
birth occurred on June 5, 1858. His father, 
William Fines, was a native of England, born about 
1810, and in 1880 he emigrated to America, where 
he was one of the pioneer settlers of Pike County, 
111. About 1852 he married Mrs. Sarah Musgrave, 
the widow of Joseph Musgrave, who came from 
England with his family, and by her became the 
father of four children: Martha, James, Joseph 
and Sarah Ann. Jcjseph is deceased. Mr. Fines 
died immediately after landing. Mrs. Fines was 
the mother of five children by her former marriage: 
Charles, Esau (deceased), Jacob, John W., Abi- 
gail. The father of the last-named childi-en came 
from England to America in 1830. John W. 
Fines started out for himself at the age of twenty 
years, and one year later was married to Miss Zerlda 
Myers, daughter of John and Annie Myers, of Hall 
County, Neb. This union resulted in the birth of 
four children : Lilly M. , Amzie, Loretta and an 
infant unnamed, all living. Mr. Fines has seciired 
a good start in life by his close application 
to all enterprises undertaken by good business 
investments. He has a good stock of cattle, horses 
and hogs, and a large tract of land, which is fenced. 
Water is found in abundance a few feet below the 
surface, and, take it all in all, Mr. Fines is highly 
pleased with Nebraska He is a member of no po 
litical party or church, but has recently become a 
member of the Farmers' Alliance. 

Thomas Francis possesses advanced ideas re- 
garding agricultural life and since 18GU has been 
engaged in tilling his present farm, which com- 
prises 100 acres of good land. He is a son of Will 
iam and Mary (Haley) Francis, and was born in 
County Gal way, Irchmd, in 1SH2, and was reared 
to manhood in his native land. Two brothers hav- 
ing become subjects of Uncle Sam, he determined 



1^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



631 



to seek a horae in the United States also, and ac- 
cordingly landed on American shores, and went to 
Wheeling, W. Va. , but soon after joined his broth- 
ers, at Barnesville, Ohio, remaining with them two 
years. He then pushed westward and for nearly 
two years he was engaged in railroading between 
Chicago and Detroit, Mich., but the year 1854 fonnd 
him in Louisville, Ky. , and a short time after in 
New Orleans, where he remained until 1850. then 
went to Nashville, Tenn., thence to St. Louis, 
where he again followed railroading, this time be- 
ing on the Iron Mountain Road. In 1858 here- 
turned to Nashville, was there during the opening 
of the Rebellion, joined the army and served nearly 
four years, participating in the following en- 
gagements: Perry ville. Blue Springs, Strawberry 
Plains, Cumberland Gap and numerous skirmishes. 
In 1 867 he was united in marriage to Miss Bridget 
Ryan, a daughter of William and Sabina Ryan, 
and to them the following family was horn: Will- 
iam (who was born March 31. 1869), Michael (born 
December 22, 1872), Mary (born May 15, 1874), 
and Sabina (born July 17, 1876). Mr. Fran- 
cis came with his family to Hall County, Neb. , in 
March, 1869. and located on 160 acres of land 
which is well watered by Wood River, which runs 
through it. He has a fine young orchard and his 
residence is located about a mile and a half from 
Shelton, Buffalo County, Neb. Mr. Francis and 
all his family are strict memV)ers of the Roman 
Catholic Church and he is a stanch Democrat and 
a member of the Farmers' Alliance. 

Henry Theodore Julius Fuehrman is a well- 
known and highly skillful architect of Grand Is- 
land, Neb., and was born in Briinswick, Germany, 
March 27, 1858, being the only son of Henry and 
Tulia Fuehrman, the latter of whom is now de- 
ceased. The father still resides in Germany. The 
immediate subject of this biography attended the 
schools of his native land until he was fourteen 
years of age, after which he served an apprentice 
ship at the mason's trade. Upon leaving school 
he decided to prepare himself for the duties of an 
architect, and throtighout his entire youth he de- 
voted himself closely to the study of architecture 
in different polytechnic institutions throughout his 



native land. When twenty years of age he entered 
the German army, serving one year, and in 1882 
he came to America, and after spending two years 
in Chicago and in different places in Dakota and 
in Omaha, Neb., he came to Grand Island, which 
place has since continued to be his home. Soon 
after coming to Hall County he did some brick 
laying, hut as soon as an opportunity presented it- 
self he resumed the calling of an architect, and 
has given his entire attention to that pursuit for 
the past five years, and is at present one of the 
leading men of his calling in the State. The fol 
lowing are some of the princi]ial buildings on which 
he has worked: The City Hall, Michelsou Block, 
Catholic Church, Baptist University, Soldiers' 
Home, and the Oxsnard Beet Sugar Factory in 
Grand Island and the Buffalo County Court-House 
at Kearney, Neb. He has built up an enviable repu- 
tation, for he is a very skillful workman and is 
noted for the thoroughne.ss of his work. Septem- 
ber 19, 1885, he was married to Miss Dora Joehnck, 
a daughter of Henry Joehnck, a sketch of whom 
appears in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Fuehrman 
have two children: Julia and Gustav. Mr. Fuehr 
man is a member of the A. O. U. W. , and polit- 
ically is a Republican. He is a skilled draughts- 
man and possesses much natural aVtility for his 
chosen calling. 

Charles Fuller, farmer, Alda, Hall County, 
Neb., a life-time of hard, earnest endeavor in pur 
suing the occupation to which he now gives his 
attention, coupled with strict integrity, honesty of 
purpose and liberality in all directions, have had 
a result to place Mr. Fuller among the truly re- 
spected and honored agriculturists of the county. 
He was born in the State of New York May 31, 
1829, and is the son of Pamenus and Hannah 
(Hubbard) Fuller, both natives also of the Em- 
pire State. They were married there and subse- 
quently moved to Pennsylvania, locating in Erie 
Coimty, where the father followed the stone mason 
and plastering trade. He moved to Ashtabula 
County, Ohio, then Medina County, where he 
])assed the closing scenes of his life. He lived on 
a farm the principal part of his life. He was born 
October 13, 1801. and died March 1, 1861. and 



032 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



tbo luothor was born April 5, 1805. Their family 
consisted of the following children (four living): 
M.irillii (born l'\'l)ruary 11, 1S24), Reuben (born 
November 10, 1S1'(5), Charles (born May 31, 18'J'J), 
Thomas (born August 3, 1831), Sidney (born De- 
cember 28, 1833), James (born October 29. 183r)), 
George (born October 13, 1839), Franklin (born 
February 2(5, 1842), Henry (born Jiily 29, 1845) 
and Susan (born February 27, 1849). The mother 
of these children died in 1801, only about two weeks 
after the death of her husband. Charles Fuller 
was still in his teens when he moved with his j)ar 
onts to Ohio, and he got $4 per month for 
three months during the summer when he win- 
nowed hay with a hand rake. He attended the 
common schools of that State and worked on a 
farm until he was married. He then picked up 
the car[)onter trade and went to Pennsylvania, 
thence to Iowa, where he settled in Fayette County, 
and followed his trade there for some time. He 
owned a farm and continued to cultivate the soil 
in the last named county until 1879, when he emi- 
grated to Nebraska, and purchased 160 acres of 
land in Hall County. He was married in 1854 in 
Erie County, Pa., to Miss Clarinda Wicks, who 
was born in the Keystone State in 1837, and to 
them have been born four living children: Melviu 
C. (born July 7, 1858), Mary C. (born May 31, 
1868), Monroe (born April 12, 1870) and Edward 
F. (born March 6, 1878). The children deceased 
were: Elnora L. (who was born April 7, 1863, and 
died in Iowa Fel)ruary 20, 1807), and the others 
were infants. Mrs. Fuller was the daughter of J. 
S. an<l Harriet (Conant) Wicks, the father a native 
of Vermont, born in 1.S09. The latter was reared in 
the State of New York, was married there, and 
there resided until 1836, when he went to Pennsyl 
vania and there died May 21, 1889. Grandfather 
Wicks was a native of England, while Grandfather 
Conant was a native of Scotland, and emigrated 
to America before the War of 1812. Mrs. Fuller 
is in possession of a pair of eye-glasses given her 
by her maternal grandfather, and which have been 
in the family for many years. 

M. C. Fuller, farmer and stock raiser, Alda, 
Neb. Mr. Fuller owes his nativity to Gratiot 



County, Mich, where his birth occurred July 7, 
1858, and is now following a calling that has for 
ages received undividtnl etl'orts from many worthy 
individuals, and one that always furnishes susten- 
ance to the ready worker. He is the eldest in a 
family of five children born to the union of (Uiavles 
and Clarinda (Wicks) Fuller, natives of New York 
and Penn.sylvania, respectively. The parents were 
married in the Keystone State, and there the father 
followed agricultural pursuits, but in connection 
carried on the carpenter trade. He subsequently 
moved to Ohio, thence to Gratiot County, Mich., 
back again to Ohio, then to Fayette County. Iowa, 
and there remained until 1879, when he came to 
Hall County, Neb., and settled in Wood River 
Township. There they both reside at the present 
time. M. C. Fuller was early initiated into the 
duties of farm life, and received a liberal education 
in the schools of Fayette County. Iowa. He came 
to Nebraska in 1S79, and was married at Prairie 
Du Chien, Wis., on April 11, of that year, to Miss 
Lydia H Brooks, a native of Fayette County, Iowa, 
and the daughter of Chancy and Hannah Brooks, 
natives of New York and Ohio, respectively. Mr. 
and Mrs. Brooks settled in Iowa at an early day, 
and there the father still resides. The mother died 
in 1876. In 18S2 Mr. Fuller purchased an un- 
improved farm of 160 acres, and went to work upon 
the same. He has since erected a good house, barn, 
outbuildings, and is also engaged in raising a 
good grade of stock. He is active in polities, and 
votes with the Republican party. He was ap[)ointed 
justice of the peace in 1887, was subsequently 
elected and re-elected in 1SS9. Socially he is a 
member of the Alda Lodge No. 165, A. O. U. W., 
and as a citizen and neighbor is thoroughly liked. 
To his marriage have been born two children : 
Hannah C. (born June 19, 1880) and Wesley M. 
(whose birth occurred September 29, 1885.) 

Robert Gillespie, assessor. Wood River, Hall 
County, Neb. This prominent and much esteemed 
citizen was originally from Virginia, where he was 
born in 1841, and is the son of James Gillespie, 
who was also a native of the Old Dominion, his 
birth occurring in 1812. The latter was a promi- 
nent tiller of the soil and died in Schuyler County, 



■^ — "k » 



HALL COUNTY. 



633 



111. , in 1 862. He married Miss Matilda Printie, a 
native of Virginia, born about 1814, and to them 
were born eleven interesting children, nine of 
whom grew to maturity. Robert Gillespie grew 
to manhood in Schuyler County, 111., was favored 
with such educational advantages as the district 
schools afforded, and was early initiated into the 
duties of farm life. He was married in Illinois, on 
September "20, 1870, to Miss Augeline Melvin, a na- 
tive of Indiana, born in 1844, and the result of this 
union was three living children: Horton (born July 
31, 1871), Charles P. (born Aiigust 27, 1878), Ella 
(born December 21, 1875, died July 21, 1888), Mil- 
ley (born December 15, 1877, died August 22, 
1888, both of diphtheria) and George R. (born 
September 15, 1883.) Previous to his marriage 
Mr. Gillespie had enlisted in the Union army. 
Company F, One Hundred and Nineteenth Illinois 
Infantry, and served three years. He was in the 
Western army and was in the battles of Nashville 
and Mobile, and was in Banks' defeat on the Red 
River Expedition, and in the final campaign in Mis- 
souri. He farmed in Schuyler County, 111., and 
owned town proj)erty in Huntsville, but he sold out 
and came west, locating in Jackson Township, Hall 
County, in 1873, on a soldier's homestead. He sold 
out in 1883, with the intention of going to the Pa- 
cific slope, but certain circumstances caused him 
to remain. He now owns 240 acres of land and 
has it well stocked. He was elected township) as- 
sessor of Jackson Township for five years, and has 
had one appointment during the time and has had 
four elections in a Democratic township. He is a 
member of the A. F. & A. M. Blue Lodge, and the 
Farmers' Alliance. Mrs. Gillespie is a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Calvin A. Goodrich. It was in the spring of 
1876 that Mr. Goodrich first became a resident of 
Hall County, Neb., having come here from Clinton 
County, Mo., whither he had moved from his na- 
tive State of New York, in 1870. He was born in 
Jefferson County, N. Y., May 5, 1846, but was 
taken to Oswego County, by his parents, in 1859, 
and was there reared to a farm life and educated 
in the common schools. He was the youngest of 
four sons and five daughters, all save one now liv- 

40 



ing and the heads of families, and July 7, 1861, 
at the early age of fifteen years, he joined the New 
York Cavalry, and after nine months' service was 
honorably discharged. On first coming to Hall 
County, Neb., he homesteaded 160 acres of land 
and now has this in a good state of cultivation, 
well improved, with a fine young bearing orchard 
and fair buildings. He has followed carpentering 
to some extent throughout life, and for some time 
has been engaged in putting in pumps. He was 
elected and served seven consecutive years as 
county supervisor, and was re-elected to his eighth 
term in the fall of 1889. He was married in Os- 
wego County, N. Y. , November 3, 1866, to Miss 
Lorinda McDaniel, a daughter of Madison Mc- 
Daniel. She was born, reared and educated in 
Oswego County, and her union with Mr. Goodrich 
has resulted in the birth of five children: Charles 
J. (a successful school-teacher of Hall County), 
Fred W., Clara M.. Harry E. and one other. Mr. 
and Mrs. Goodrich are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and he belongs to the G. A. R. 
organization, and is a member of the Farmers' 
Alliance. His parents, William and Cyrena (Still- 
well) Goodrich, were born in York State, and in 
addition to farming the father was engaged in con- 
tracting and building in Jefferson and Oswego 
Counties, until his death which occurred in 1859, 
his wife dying in the fall of 1886. He was a 
.soldier in the War of 1812. 

Charles Guenther is a skillful contractor and 
builder, residing at Grand Island, Neb. , and pos- 
sesses many of the sterling qualities which are 
characteristic of his nation. He was born at New 
Brandenburg, in the Datchy of Mecklenburg-Stre- 
litz, December 5, 1853, and is a son of Carl Johan 
Andreas and Fredericka (Liermann) Guenther, 
and spent their lives in their native land, the father 
being a farmer. Charles Guenther was the third 
of four children, three sons and one daughter, and 
until he attained his fifteenth year was a resident of 
Germany. He then concluded to seek a home in 
the New World, and bidding adieu to home and 
friends he came to the United States, and first 
located at Syracuse, N. Y., where he learned the 
trade of carpentering and building. At the end of 



634 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



two yours he eamo to Grand Island, Neb., and 
subsequently spent seven years as a journeyman 
IhrougLout the South, West and East, picking up 
a great deal of useful information. In 1878 he 
returned to Grand Island and has since been prom- 
inently identified with the building interests of 
this place, some of the structures which he has 
erected being the finest in the city. He was mar- 
ried in 1881 to Miss Margaretha Siek, who blessed 
their union with a son and daughter: Herman and 
Lily, but loft them motherless in 1885, being 
buried in the Grand Island Cemetery. In 1880 
Mr. Guenthcr wedded Miss Margaretha Eggers, 
of Holsteiu, Germany, and their union has re- 
sulted in the birth of a son, Carl. Mr. Guenther 
is a member of the A. O. U. W., the Liederkranz, 
and for some time has l>(>eii treasnr(>r i)f the tire 
department. 

J. M. Guy, farmer and stockman, Wood River, 
Neb. Mr. Guy occupies an advanced position 
among the representative farmers and stock men 
of Harrison Township. He is an Eastern man by 
l)irlh and bringing up, but has been a resident of 
this Western country for many years. Born in 
Madison County. Ohio, in 1837, he is the son of 
Willis and Jane (Haukins) Guy. The father was 
l)orn in the Old Dominion in 1800, and settled in 
Madison County. Ohio, at an early date. He was 
a farmer and followed this occupation the principal 
part of his life. The mother was also a native of 
Virginia, born in 1803. To their marriage were born 
eight children, four of whom grew to maturity. 
The maternal grandfather was Asa Hankins, and 
the maternal grandmother was Nancy Lee, from 
the same part of Virginia as Gen. R. E. Lee, and 
related to him. J. M. Guy has two brothers liv- 
ing: Samuel, residing in Wood River, Neb., and 
Asa H., who is in Danville, 111., and he has one 
half brother living, Joseph Guy, who is farming in 
Cameron Township, Hall County, Neb. Another 
brother, John, was killed in California in 1853. 
J. M. Guy remained in his native State until six- 
teen years of age, after which he went to Illi- 
nois and located in De Witt County, 111. He 
worked lay the month on a farm and entered the 
Union army August 9, 1862, Company D, One 



Hundred and Seventh Illinois Infantry, and served 
three years. He was hurt at jMnnfordsville, Ky., 
and did no more active service. He returned to 
De Witt County after the war. engaged in tilling 
the soil, and in 1871 was married to Miss ^Mary 
S. Frazier, a native of Maryland, born in 1850. 
To this Tinion were l)orn si.K children: Sarah J., 
Susan M., Anna L.. Martha E., Nellie F. and 
John Willis. Mr. Guy continued to farm in Illi- 
nois until 1873, when he came west and settled on 
his present farm, taking a soldier's homestead, and 
now has 480 acres of as good land as is to be found 
in the county. He raises anvl feeds stock, and is a 
prominent agriculturist of the township. He has 
received a pension of $4 per month since 1875. and 
this has since been iuc-reased to $10 per month. 
He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, chaplain 
of Plainview, and in ])olitics is a Republican. 
Mr.-i. Guy is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

Perry Hack, farmer and stock raiser. Alda, 
Neb. Hall County is acknowledged by all to be 
one of the best agricultural portions of the State, 
and as such its citizens are men of advanced ideas 
and considerable prominence. A worthy man 
among this class is found in the person of Mr. 
Hack, who settled on a farm in Nebraska in 1867, 
and homesteaded 160 acres in Section 30, Alda 
Township. He was born in Fountain County, Ind. , 
in 1841, and is the son of George and Rhoda (Her- 
ald) Hack, natives of Kentucky. The father left 
his native State at an early day, settled in Indiana, 
Chicago being their nearest market, and there tilled 
the soil until his death, which occurred in 1862. 
The mother survived him a number of years. 
Perry Hack was reared to the arduous duties of 
the farm, received his education in the schools of 
Indiana, and in 1861 went to Shelby County, Iowa, 
where he engaged in farm labor. The following 
year he enlisted at Council Bluffs, Iowa, for three 
years in Company A, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, 
and was mustered into service at that place. He 
was in the trans-Mississippi department, and par- 
ticipated in the battle of Helena, Little Rock, Sa- 
line Cross Roads and Jenkins' Ferry. He was 
wounded at Jenkins' Ferry and left on the battle- 



.k 



HALL COUNTY. 



635 



field. Mr. Hack remained at the Ferry for some 
time, and was then taken to Camden, Ark., Shreve- 
port, La., and thence to Taylor, Tex. He was 
paroled and honorably discharged June 7, 1865, 
at Davenport, Iowa. He came direct to Omaha, 
Neb., and there engaged as a teamster for William 
Palmer, or in team transportation, freighting from 
Omaha to Julesbnrg for one year. In 1867 he 
took his claim, engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
and, although at this early period wild animals 
were numerous and Indians scoured the plains in 
numbers, Mr. Hack was unmolested. He was one 
of the very first settlers in the township and assisted 
in the organization of the county, of whose rapid 
development he has been a witness. He is not 
active in politics, but votes with the Democratic 
party, and is a man whose energy and persever- 
ance would carry bim through any and all dilfi- 
culties. 

Josiah Hall is one of the oldest, best-known 
and most highly respected residents of Hall 
County, Neb. , and is a man whose life has been an 
active one, not without the substantial rewards of 
success. He was born in Steuben County, N. Y., 
May 4, 1836, and is a son of John and Betsey 
(Rarick) Hall, who were also born in the "Empire 
State," moving from there to Pennsylvania, thence 
to Michigan (about 1855), locating in Tuscola 
County, of the latter State. Mr. Hall resided on 
a farm in that county until his death, in 1863. 
His wife died in Pennsylvania about 1843. Josiah 
Hall is the elder of two children, the other mem- 
ber of the family being a sister, now the wife of 
John Morgan, residing in Tuscola County, Mich. 
Mr. Hall was reared principally in Pennsylvania, 
and upon attaining manhood moved to Michigan, 
and from there enlisted in June, 1S61, in Company 
A, Eighth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, for three 
years, and served until he was discharged for disa- 
bility, in September, 1862. He was promoted to 
the rank of corporal and participated in a number 
of important engagements and some sharp skir- 
mishes. After receiving his discharge he returned 
to Michigan and vf as there engaged in farming un- 
til his removal to Nebraska, in April, 1879. He is 
now the owner of 160 acres of ftrtile land, on 



which is a good grove and fair Iniildings. He has 
always been a Republican in politics and in the fall 
of 1889 was elected township supervisor, serving 
as one of the county supervisors. He has been 
married twice: First, in Tuscola County, to Miss 
Elizabeth Case, who died some three years later, 
his second marriage taking place in Washtenaw 
County, Mich., August 12, 1869, to Amanda Mor- 
gan, a daughter of Charles and Lydia Morgan. 
Mrs. Hall was born in Ypsilanti, and was reared 
and educated there. She and her husband are the 
parents of two children: Chester J. (who died 
January 6, 1889, at the age of fourteen years) 
and Stephen J. (a lad of twelve years). Mr. Hall 
is a member of the G. A. R., the Masonic frater- 
nity, and is one of the county's honored and re- 
spected citizens. 

A. B. Hankey, manager of the White River 
Land & Cattle Company, Meeker, Colo. This com- 
pany purchased 386 acres of land from Mr. W. Pow- 
ell, of Alda Township, Hall County, well watered 
by the north channel of the Platte River, on which 
they located a cattle-feeding ranch in September, 
1887. The comjjany has a ranch in Rio Blanco, 
Colo., consisting of 800 acres under fence. They 
feed from 600 to 1,000 cattle yearly on the ranch 
in Hall County, and buy from 60,000 to 70,000 
bushels of corn, and from 300 to 400 tons of hay 
yearly, thus making a good market for the farmers. 
Mr. Hankey was born in Herefordshire, England, 
in 1856, was the youngest in a family of three chil- 
dren born to the marriage of J. B. and Isabella 
(Peel) Hankey, natives of England. The father 
died many years ago. The mother is still living in 
England. A. B. Hankey was educated in England 
and in 1883 came to British America, prospected 
for some time, and finally engaged in the stock 
business, which he has since continued. He sold 
cattle for export from England to America, and is 
one of the live business men of the county. The 
company for which he works is composed of Eng- 
land shareholders, of whom two are in Colorado. 

John W. Harrison, Harrison Township, post- 
office Alda, Neb. It is well known over the county 
that he whose name heads this sketch is among the 
most influential and public-spirited citizens of Har- 



V 



r)3() 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



k. 



lisoD Township. Ho was born in Ohio April 4, 
1S39, anil is tho son of John ami Grace (Lonsdale) 
Harrison, tho former Ijoiuir a native of Yorkshire, 
Eugland, and the latter a native of the low lancte 
of Scotland. Tlic father was l)orn at Thursk near 
Leeds, April 1, ISOO, grew to manhood there, and 
was there married to Miss Lonsdale. One month 
after his marriage he emigrated to America, drifted 
to Cincinnati, and thence to Now Burlington, Ohio, 
where the subject of this sketch was born, engag- 
ing in tho merchaiidisiiigbusinoss, laying the foun- 
dation for a fortune, but lost it all in the pork 
l)usiness in the crash of 1840 to 1843. He is still 
alive and resides in Richmond, Tnd. Of the seven 
cliildren born to his marriage four are still living, 
one in Illinois, two in Ohio, and our subject. The 
mother died in 1843. She was a member of the 
Methodist Church. The father of late years has 
been an active minister of the Methodist Episcopal 
conference of Indiana, until superannuated a few 
years ago. He was an active politician during the 
stirring time preceding the late war — anti-slavery 
from a deep conviction of justice and right, and Re- 
publican when that party was formed, and is still a 
prominent man of his county. He had two sons in 
the United States army, John W. and his brother. 
The latter enlisted in the Forty -fourth Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry. He was forage master of his regi-^ 
ment, was taken prisoner at Nashville, Tenu., was 
in Andersonvillo prison eleven months. He says 
he owes it to the Masons that he got through. He 
is now a physical wreck from exposure in the 
prison. John W. Harrison was a member of the 
One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Ohio National 
Guards. In 1864 he was in the one hundred days' 
service, and participated in the battle of New 
Creek, W. Va. He was a Douglas Democrat in 
the exciting campaign that ushered in the late war, 
believed in squatter sovereignty, but during and 
since tho war has been a Republican. He attended 
Linden Hill Academy, New Carlisle, Ohio, in 1859 
and 18G0, commenced the study of the law, but 
owing to close application became a physical wreck. 
He began teaching in the jiublic schools of Greene 
County, Ohio, and continued in that profession 
until he was thirty- nine or forty years of age, ex- 



cepting a few terms. He was a very successful 
teacher, having taught five years in one school in 
Harrison Township, Hall County. He was elected 
justice of the peace in Bath Township, Greene 
County, Ohio, for two consecutive terms, and at the 
election for tho last term that he served out of the 
303 votes cast he received 30O, with the township 
strongly Democratic. He located here in 1872, 
and with his uncle (Peter Harrison) and his uncle's 
three sons, William, Richard and Charles Harri- 
son, took land, 160 acres each, but becoming dis- 
satisfied returned to Ohio in the spring of 1873, 
but returned to this State in tho spring of 1883. 
The Harrisons at once took an active part in the 
settlement and formation of tt)wnship and county, 
tlie township being named in honor of them. Peter 
served as county commissioner and represented 
the county in the Legislature one term, and his son, 
T. O. C. Harrison, tilled the position of county 
judge, member of Legislature, and is now district 
judge of this district. William and Richard are 
known all over the county for their sterling worth. 
William served two terms as commissioner or super- 
visor. Charles having returned to Ohio, is living 
there now. John since his return has filled the office 
of cotinty supervi.sor (or county commissioner) for 
two terms, and is now tilling his third. He is now 
farming and raising stock. He was married in 
186'2, to Miss M. E. Louck, a native of Fairtield, 
Greene County, Ohio, born in 1843, and to them 
have been born two children: Eugene and Jose- 
phine (now the wife of C. A. Wheeler). Eugene 
married C. A.'s sister. Miss Rena Wheeler, mem- 
bers of a highly respected family originally from 
Ohio. Mrs. Harrison's parents, John Louck and 
Elizabeth (Burk), were born in Pennsylvania in 
1811 and 1805, respectively; both are living. The 
grandfather of Mr. Harrison was ))orn near Leeds. 
England, and had seven sons and one daughter; of 
the boys there were four ministers and one lawyer, 
the Hon. R. A. Harrison, of Columbus. Ohio, who 
refused the supreme judgeship, when tendered him 
by the (then) Gov. Ben Foraker of Ohio. The 
great grandfather was born in England, was a sea 
captain, owned and navigated his own ship, was 
lost at sea. Tiie Harrison family trace their line- 



^s 



^v 



<S k^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



637 



age back to the same ancestors as Presideut Har- 
rison, Gen. Harrison, Cromwell's riglit hand bower, 
Cromwell the English liberator. 

Hon. T. O. C. Harrison, judge of the Ninth 
judicial district, is a man whose public services 
have been characterized by a noticeable devotion 
to the welfare of Hall County and the common- 
wealth, and he is also noted for his ability and 
fidelity in all positions of. public trust, which 
have made a lasting impression upon those with 
whom he has come in contact. He was born in 
Clinton County, Ohio, May 22, 1849, being one of 
eight children born to the marriage of Hon. Peter 
Harrison and Sylvania Lovekin, who were born, 
respectively, in England and Frederick City, Md. 
The father emigrated to the United States at the 
early age of eighteen years, and in 1872 settled in 
Hall County, Neb., where he became exceptionally 
well and favorably known. His many sterling 
qualities were soon recognized by the people, and 
he was at one time elected to represent Hall Coun- 
ty in the State Legislature, and for several years 
was a member of the board of county commis- 
sioners, and was president of the Hall County 
Agricultural Society, in each and all of which 
positions he discharged his duties in a very effi- 
cient manner. His death occurred in Hall Coun- 
ty, but his wife passed from life in Ohio. Judge 
T. O. C. Harrison first attended the public schools 
of Chester County, Ohio, and was subsequently a 
student in the Lebanon (Ohio) National Normal 
School. In 1870 he began the study of law in the 
office of his uncle, R. A. Harrison, at London, 
Madison County, Ohio, and continued his study of 
Blackstone until March, 1873, when he came to 
Grand Island, Neb., and in the following June 
was admitted to^the Hall County bar. The win- 
ter of 1875-76 he spent in California and Oregon, 
and upon his return to Grand Island was elected 
to the position of deputy county treasurer for one 
year, and in 1877 was appointed judge of Hall 
County, which position he held by re-election for 
two succeeding terms, being judge of Grand Island 
for the same length of time. For a number of 
years subsequent to his retirement from office he 
was engaged in the active practice of his profes- 



sion, and displayed much ability and sagacity in 
the management of his cases, so much in fact that 
his worth and excellence soon became well known, 
and in 1S82 he was elected on the Republican 
ticket, to represent Hall and Hamilton Counties 
in the Nebraska Senate. In 1887 he was appointed 
district judge, and was elected at the succeeding 
election, the district being composed of the coun- 
ties of Hall, Howard, Greeley, Valley, Garfield, 
Loup, Blaine, Thomas, Boone and Wheeler. His 
associate is Judge F. B. Tiffany, of Albion. Judge 
Harrison was united in marriage in 1879 to Miss 
M. Camille Laine, who was born in Madison Coun- 
ty, N. Y. He belongs to Lodge No. 33, of the A. 
F. & A. M. ; Mount Lebanon Commandery No. 11, 
K. T., and also the K. of P. and the A. O. U. W. 
Judge Harrison is thoroughly posted on the tech- 
nicalities of law, is popular in his district, and 
is in every respect a representative citizen, and 
one who would give prestige to any community in 
which he resided. 

James N. Harrison, M. D., is one of the fore 
most of the professional men of the county, and is 
acknowledged by all to be a physician of more than 
ordinary merit. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. , in 
1859, and since quite a young boy has made his own 
way in the world, and through his own unaided ef- 
forts has acquired a good literary and professional 
education, receiving his knowledge of books in gen- 
eral in the Pittslnirgh Academy, and his medical 
education in the Jefferson Medical College of Phila- 
delphia, Pa. For one year after graduating he 
practiced his profession in a hospital in that city, 
and then determined to take the advice which 
Horace Greeley gave to young men and " go west 
and grow up with the country." He at once 
entered upon a career of distinction and success at 
Wood River, Neb., and the large and paying prac- 
tice which he now commands is fully deserved, for 
he is thoroughly versed in medical lore, puts his 
knowledge in practice and is cheerful and encour- 
aging in the sick room, inspiring his patients and 
those about him with confidence in his skill and 
judgment. In truth, he possesses all the requis- 
ites which go to make an eminent physician. 

William Harrod, farmer and stock-raiser, Don- 



y 1^ 



638 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ipbiin. Neb. Born in the city of London, England, 
ill 1842, Mr. Hiirrod was one of a family of twenty- 
two children, tho result of the union of James Har- 
rod and Sarah (Barnes) Harrod, natives also of 
Loudon, England, born ia 1801 and 18 Ul, respect- 
ively. The parents emigrated to America in 1857, 
settled in Rockford, 111., and there followed agri- 
cultural pursuits and the dairy business. He is 
still living and makes his home with our subject. 
The mother died in Illinois in 1809. William 
Harrod was reared to farm life, secured a fair edu- 
cation in the schools of London, and was fifteen 
years of age when he emigrated to America. He 
first worked on his father's farm, and in 186'2 en- 
listed in Company D, Seventy -fourth Illinois In- 
fantry at Roekford, for three years, or during the 
war. He was mustered into seivice at the above- 
mentioned place and was assigned to the Army of 
tho Cumberland. He participated in the battle of 
Perry ville, Ky., Stone River, and was taken with 
lung trouble, on account of which he was honor- 
ably discharged, at Murfreesboro, in 1863. He 
then engaged in farming and was married in Rock- 
ford, 111., in 1867, to Miss Eldora Hilton, a native 
of Rhode Island, and the daughter of Rol)ert Hil- 
ton and Harriet (Baruingham) Hilton, natives of 
England. Mr. and Mrs. Hilton came to America 
in 1839. settled in Rhode Island, moved from there 
to Illinois at an early day. and there the mother 
died in I860. The father still resides in Illinois. 
Shortly after his marriage Mr. Harrod moved to 
Missouri, thence to Jasper County, Iowa, and in 
1874 to Hall County, Neb., where he now has 200 
acres in a good state of cultivation. He first lived 
in a large dug-out for a number of years and then 
erected a good house and barn. He has a fine 
orchard, and everything comfortable about his 
place. He is a Republican, and socially is a mem- 
ber of the A. J. Smith Post No. 05, Doniphan. 
He and wife are members of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, and Mr. Harrod is superintendent of 
the Sunday-school, in which he takes a very groat 
interest. He is a member of the Farmers' Alli- 
ance and a worthy man in every particular. To 
his marriage have been born eleven children, nine 
now living: Hattie, Susan (now Mrs. Coon, of Don- 



iphan Township), Dora, ^\'illiam, James, Charley, 
Joseph, Edwin and Bertha. Mr. Harrod came to 
Nebraska, in 1874, during the grasshopper raid, 
had limited means, and consequently experienced 
many hardsEips. He, however, was not the man 
to be so easily discoiu'aged, and is to-day one of 
the substantial men of the county. 

Roger Hayes is a son of Dennis and Margaret 
(Sullivan) Hayes, who was born in County Clare, 
Ireland, in 1843, and when four years of age was 
taken to Canada by his parents, in which country 
the father died soon after their arrival. The mother 
afterward married Michael McNamara, and in 1804 
they moved to the United States, and until 1870 
were residents of Pennsylvania, then removed to 
Hall County, Neb., and located on a farm which 
now joins Wood River, and there they are still re- 
siding. Roger Hayes begnn doing for himself at 
an early age, working as a ship carpenter in On- 
tario, Canada, but in 1806 came to Wood River, 
Neb., and in the fall of 1808 took up a claim of 
which he is still the owner. His property is valu- 
able, for it is well watered by Wood River, which 
runs through it, every acre is tillable and it is en- 
closed by a good fence and is well stocked and im- 
proved with first rate buildings. In the month of 
May, 1869, Miss Ellen Neville became his wife, her 
birth occurring in Ireland in 1S42. Owing to the 
early death of her parents, Michael and Mary 
(Cavanah) Neville, she was obliged to earn her own 
living when she was but a child, and at the age of 
thirteen years came to the United States to join 
her brothers and sisters, who had preceded her to 
this land, she being one of a family of seven: 
John, Mai"y, Patrick, Michael, Ellen, Margaret and 
Thomas. All are residents of the United States 
with the exception of John, who lives on the old 
homestead in Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes have 
become the parents of the following children: 
Mary B. (born February 29. 1N70), Margaret (born 
November 14, 1^>71), Dennis (born JMarch 3, 1S73), 
Alice E. (born January 9, 1875), Stella A. (born 
December 14, 1870). Francis R. (born October 27, 
l.S78)DeHaE. (born May 24, 1SS3). and Katie (born 
June 17, 1886), all of whom are living and in good 
health. Mr. Hayes has given his children good 



^, 



HALL COUNTY. 



639 



common-school educations and his daughter Mary 
has taught two terms of school. The family are 
Roman Catholics and in his political views Mr. 
Hayes is a stanch Democrat. 

John J. Heden, farmer and stock-raiser, Shel- 
ton, Neb. The estate upon which Mr. Heden now 
resides, and to which he is giving such close atten- 
tion in its cultivation, emliraces 160 acres, a well 
improved farm, substantial and convenient build- 
ings being a leading feature of these improvements. 
He is numbered among the thrifty foreign-born 
residents of the county, having been born in Meck- 
lenburg. Germany, in 1834. His parents, Peter 
and Maria Heden, were natives of the same j)lace 
as their son. and the father served as a soldier. 
John J. Heden emigrated .to the United States 
alone, landed in New York, and later went to 
Michigan, where he remained some time. From 
there he went to Illinois, where he was engaged in 
various pursuits, and subsequently moved to Pike 
County, Mo. He then returned to Illinois and 
was married to Miss Black, a native of Pike 
County, 111., and the daughter of W. G. and Mary 
Black, natives of Pennsylvania and New York, 
respectively, and early settlers of Illinois. After 
his marriage Mr. Heden settled in Champaign 
County of that State, but two years later they 
returned to Pike County, and there remained until 
1873, when he located in Hall County, Neb., tak- 
ing a soldier's homestead. In 1861 he enlisted in 
the Fifth Illinois Cavalrj', Companj' G, and served 
in the Union army for over four years. He was in 
the following battles: Cotton Plant and Helena, 
Vicksburg, Memphis, and later went to Texas 
under Gen. Custer. This was about the close of 
the campaign, and he was mustered out in the 
Lone Star State. Mr. Heden does a general farm- 
ing and stock-raising biisiness, and is prominently 
connected with the agricultural affairs of the com- 
munity. To his marriage were born six children: 
William J., Nellie F., Ethel D., Reuben P., Ed- 
ward S. and Mary M. Mr. Heden is a member of 
and an officer in the Farmers' Alliance. 

Jerome O. Heft'elfinger, proprietor of the Grand 
Island Soap Works, was born near Wooster, Wayne 
County, Ohio, October 17, 1859, and is a son of 



Michael M. and Elizabeth E. (Shamp) Heffelfinger, 
the former of whom was also born there. They 
are both still living and their present home is in 
Hastings. Neb. Jerome O. Heffelfinger was but 
three years old when he was taken by his parents 
to Henry County, 111., and there he was reared to 
manhood on a farm, a portion of his early life be- 
ing spent as a shepherd boy. At the age of seven- 
teen years ho began working in a live-stock yard 
in Geueseo, 111. , at $25 per month, and by honest 
and faithful service soon worked himself uj) to $50 
per month, and these wages he received for four 
years. He then became an employe of Hiram H. 
Davis, for whom he worked in a soap factory near 
Geneseo for three years, and in 1885 he engaged 
in the manufacture of soap on his own responsi- 
bility at West Liberty, Iowa, but a year later he 
came to Grand Island, Neb., and founded the 
Grand Island Soap Works, of which he has been 
proprietor ever since. He has conducted his estab- 
lishment very successfully, and he is now in a pros- 
perous condition financially. He has proven him 
self to be a valuable citizen, and in all his business 
transactions he is the soul of honesty and at all 
times endeavors to do as he would be done by. In 
the month of September, 1882, he was married 
to Miss Malinda Ann Davis, a daughter of Hiram 
H. Davis, a former employer of Mr. Heffelfinger' s. 
Mrs. Heffelfinger was born in Cambridge, Henry 
County, 111. , and he is a member of the A. O. U. 
W. , and in his political views is a Republican. 

Herman Hehnke is a member of the firm of 
Hehnke & Lohmann, contractors and builders of 
Grand Island, Neb., and was born in the village 
of Marne Ditmarschen, Holstein, Germany, July 
25, 1840, being a son of Johan and Katrina (Eck- 
hoff) Hehnke. He learned the carpenter's trade 
in his native town, and in the town of Hamburg 
completed his knowledge of the business. Being 
impressed with the idea that the New World of- 
fered better opportunities for a young man to 
make his way in the world, he, in 1881, came to 
the United States, settled at Grand Island almost 
immediately, and after working at his trade alone 
until 1885 lie was joined by Mr. Lohmann, and 
they engaged in contracting and building, and 



\^s 






(^ t^ 



^ 



040 



HISTORY OF NEBllASKA. 



liiivo sucttcodc^d iidiiiii'iil)ly in tbis undertaliing, as 
they fully deserve to do. Ho has become well lixed 
tinuncially, and is the owner of some excellent 
property in the town. ■ He is honest and indita 
trious, like all his countrymen, and althoni^h he 
has only resided in the county a short time, he 
is already considered one of her substantial citi- 
zens. He was married in Hamburi^, Germany, to 
MisB Mary Shroeder, a daughter of Honry Shroe- 
der, Esq., and by her has had a family of nine 
sons and one daughter, the following of whom are 
living: Herman, Otto, Hugo, Giistav, Carl, John 
and William, two .sons and a daughter dying in 
infancy. The family worship in the Lutheran 
Church. 

Hermann C. Held is a prosperous jeweler of 
Grand Island, Neb., and by his superior manage- 
ment and rare business ability and efficiency has 
done not a little to advance the reputation the 
town now has as a commercial center. He was 
born in Haren on the Ems, in Hanover, Germany, 
January 20, 184'2, and is a son of Hermann and 
Angela (Cantzen) Held, both of whom died in Ger- 
many, the former August 15, 1872, and the latter 
January 28, 1890. Hermann C. Held is the third 
of seven children born to them, six of whom are 
now living, and until fifteen years of age he was 
an attendant of the schools of his native land. He 
next served a four years' apprenticeship at the 
jeweler's trade, then worked two years as a jour- 
neyman, after which he entered the service of the 
German army and served for about twenty months 
in the war between that country and Denmark, 
and in 18(5(i was in the war between Prussia and 
Austria. On June 27, 1866, he participated in the 
battle of Langensalza, and for meritorious service 
was presented with two medals, which he still has 
in his possession. In 1867 he served six weeks in 
the Prussian army, and when not in military serv- 
ice ho worked at his trade, and for a year and a 
half before coming to America he conducted a jew- 
elry establishment for himself. In 1868 he came 
to America, embarking at Bremen October 10, 
and landing at New Orleans in the early part of 
November. He remained in this city for about 
one month, and in December went to Council 



BhifTs, Iowa, and in April, 1800, found himself in 
Omaha, Neb. Here he remained until the summer 
of 1872, working at his trade, but in September of 
that year he came to Grand Island and at once 
engaged in the jewelry business for himself, and 
has built up a splendid trade. He not only has 
the oldest jewelry establishment in the city, but 
it may be truthfully said of him that, with the ex- 
ception of the lawyers and bankers, he has been in 
the mercantile business here longer than any pres- 
ent resident of the city. He is a first class jeweler, 
a reliable and upright man of business, and pos- 
sesses the full confidence of the public. He is a 
member of the A. O. U. W., being one of the 
stockholders of the new building erected by that 
order, and he is also a member of the Liederkrauz 
society. From 1883 to 1886 he was a member of 
the city school board. In 1876 he was married to 
Miss Minnie Wiese, a native of Holstein, Ger- 
many, born January 2, 1854, being a daughter of 
Peter Weise, who with his wife still resides in Ger- 
many, Mrs. Held came to America in 1873, and 
her imion with Mr. Hold has resulted in the birth 
of the following family: Adolph H. (born June 5, 
1877), Minnie (born May 31, 1879) and Lizzie A. 
(bom April 23, 1883.) 

Noel Henderson is a son of John B. and Ma 
linda J. (Williams) Henderson, and was born in 
Todd County, Ky., on November 5, 1836. His 
father was born in North Carolina about 1805, and 
at an early day emigrated to Kentucky, where he 
was married, his wife being a native of that State, 
and there he reared a family of six children, al- 
though nine were born to him: John, James, Orin, 
Noel, Nancy J. and Larkin W. Mrs. Henderson 
died about 1842, and Mr. Henderson afterward 
manied Miss Rebecca Walker, their union taking 
place in 1844. The following family was born to 
them: Kate A., Mary E., Benjamin, Fountain and 
Susan. The father of these children died March 
10, 1861. Noel Henderson began making his own 
living at the age of eighteen years, and in 1854 
left Kentucky and removed to Do Witt County. 111., 
where he made his home until the breaking out of 
the Rebellion, and on August 24, 1861, he enlisted 
in the Union army, in Company K, Forty-first Reg- 



-« 9 



LL 



HALL COUNTY. 



641 



iment, and served until September 13, 1864, when 
he was honorably discharged, at Sjarinf^field, III. 
In May. 1871, he came to Hall Coiiilty, Neb., and 
located on the farm on which he is now living, 
which is one of the best in Hall County, well im- 
proved and fenced. He is one of the few farmers 
of the county who has demonstrated the fact that 
Hall County will produce as good timothy hay and 
clover as can be grown anywhere, for in 1888 he 
obtained two and one-half tons to the acre from 
a meadow of forty acres. He has good buildings 
on his property and a great number of forest trees 
on and around his farm. He has given particular 
attention to stock-raising, and as a consequence 
has the very best grades of horses, cattle and hogs, 
in fact, whatever he undertakes to do is done 
well, and he is acknowledged by all to be one of 
the leading agriculturists of the county. Miss 
Matilda J. Schodley became his wife December 9, 
1877, she being at that time a resident of Hall 
County, but a native of De Witt County, 111., born 
January 5, 1846, a daughter of Samuel and Eliza 
(Kimler) Schodley, of Virginia, both of whom are 
deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have had three 
children born to them, but John N. is the only one 
now living, aged live years. Alfred D. and Mary 
M. are deceased. Mr. Henderson is a member of 
the A. F. & A. M. and the Farmers' Alliance. His 
wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

Edward C. Hockenberger. Prominent among 
the many younger men of Hall County, Neb., who 
have taken front rank in public enterprises, stands 
the name of Mr. Hockenberger. He was born in 
Elmira, N. Y., July 28, 1862, and comes of Ger- 
man stock, inheriting many of the sterling princi- 
ples of that race. His father, William Hocken- 
berger, was born in Baden, and was a blacksmith 
and machinist by occu])ation, but after a few years' 
settlement in America he engaged in the brewing 
business, which he conducted on a rather extensive 
scale at Corning and Elmira, N. Y., and still later 
at Blossburg, Pa. He subsequently came to Ne- 
braska, opened up a farm in Boone County, and 
here passed from life in 1887. He was an exem- 
plary citizen, and gave to his children good educa 



tional advantages, coupled with thorough, practi- 
cal lessons of industry, which have worthily marked 
their after lives. His wife was a Miss Charlotte 
Rohrig, who died in 1864. Edward C. Hocken- 
berger has been a resident of Nebraska since 1 878, 
and iirst resided at Columbus, where he was short- 
ly after tendered a clerical position in the Union 
Pacific land office, and after about one year became 
clerk in the post-office of that place. Since 1880 he 
has resided in Grand Island, and for five years was 
assistant postmaster here, leaving this position to 
become cashier in the Wood River bank at Wood 
River, where he was engaged two years. At the 
end of this time he resigned his position to enter 
upon the duties of treasurer of Hall Coiinty, to 
which he was elected in the fall of 1887. As cus- 
todian of the county funds his management was 
so satisfactory that he was re elected in 1889, a fit- 
ting compliment to his ability and sterling integ- 
rity. In all matters pertaining to the advancement 
of the interests of Grand Island and locality, he 
has given a cordial co operation, and for some time 
he served as chief engineer of the fire department 
of the town, and is a member of the school board. 
He is a stockholder in the Grand Island Improve- 
ment Company, and was one of the organizers of 
the building of the A. O. U. W. temple, of which so- 
ciety he is a member, and is a worthy Sir Knight 
in Lebanon Commandery of the A. F. & A. M. 
He also belongs to the M. W. of A. He has 
always been a pronounced Republican in his jso- 
litical views, and he and wife worship in the 
Presbyterian Church. He was married in 1887 
at Wood River to Miss Alice Murphy, a very in- 
telligent lady, and by her has a daughter named 
Franc Charlotte. Mrs. Hockenberger is a daugh- 
ter of Joseph H. and Emma ( Wright) Murphy, 
natives of Ohio. 

Peter Holling is another example of what 
energy, industry and perseverance, when intelli- 
gently applied, have accomplished for those of 
foreign birth who have seen fit to locate within the 
limits of Hall County. Ever since locating here 
he has been connected with the farming and stock- 
raising interests of the community, and he is also 
a director of the First National Bank of Wood 






^ 



_rf 5/ 



642 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



River. He was born in the kingdom of Denmark 
Aiigu.st 10, 1S44, being a son of Frederick and 
Katharine (Kock) Holliiig, both of whom were born 
in Denmark, but died in Germany, the former at 
the age of seventy-one and the latter when forty- 
eight years old. Five of their ten children grew 
to maturity. Peter Holling, after reaching an age 
wherein he could think and judge for himself, 
determined to emigrate to America, and, upon 
reaching New York, his worldly possessions con- 
sisted of about $15. He managed to work his way 
westward, and in time reached Clinton County, 
Iowa, where a sister was living, and here he was 
employed as a farm hand for about two years, after 
which he came to Nebraska, and in 1870 took a 
pre-emption claim close to Grand Island. Like 
all his countrymen he was thrifty and economical, 
and had soon saved enough with which to purchase 
a yoke of oxen, and immediately began farming, 
but in 1S73 sold his land for $1,000 and purchased 
his present farm, consisting of 160 acres, but has 
since increased it to 700 acres. He has a forest of 
about 9,000 trees, besides some fruit trees, and 
has increased his stock from two cows to a herd of 
125, and has some fine horses and swine. He is 
very thrifty and painstaking and is consequently 
very successful; in fact, no man in the county is 
better posted on agricultural matters than he. He 
is independent in his jjolitical views and is a mem- 
ber of the A. O. U. W. He was married in 1875 
to Miss Annie Sievers, born in Germany in 1850, 
and by her has six children: John (who died at 
the age of five years), Emil, Gustavo, Rose, Hattie 
and Johannes. 

Hon. Edward Hooper, the present efficient Rep- 
resentative of Hall County, Neb. , in the State Leg- 
islature, is a native of Wales, his birth occurring at 
Newport, Monmouthshire, South Wales, April 10, 
1836, he being a son of Henry and Eleanor Sophia 
(Griffiths) Hooper, who were of English and Welsh 
extraction, respectively. The father was a founder 
by occupation and after learning his trade in Eng- 
land he worked at it in Wales, and was married 
here. Edward Hooper learned his father' s trade, 
grew to manhood in his native land, and was mar- 
ried in Monmouthshire in 1855 to Miss Sarah, the 



daughter of John and Esther (Collins) Parcell, by 
whom he has two sons and three daughters: 
William Heni'y (who is associated with his father 
in business, and is an intelligent and enterprising 
young gentleman), Annie Sophia (now the worthy 
wife of A. H. Wilhelm; Esq., of Grand Island), 
Alice E. (wife of Judge Joseph H. Mullin, whose 
sketch appears in this work), Charles A. (who is 
making a study of mechanics and engineering in 
St. Louis), and Lillian (who remains with her par- 
ents). In 1861 Mr. Hooper came with his family 
to American shores and for one year followed 
blacksmithing in Omaha, Neb., after which he 
moved to Merrick County, Neb., and tried his 
hand at farming, but in 1865 also abandoned the 
plow and sickle for the foundry and machinist 
business, and came to Grand Island, opening a 
blacksmith and machine shop. In 1878 he added 
the foundry business and his establishment is now 
being conducted on quite an extensive scale. He 
has always been alive to the growing needs of 
Grand Island, and has stood foremost among her 
citizens in support of all matters pertaining to the 
welfare of the city and county. Officially he has 
served as State representative one term; county 
treasurer, two terms; county commissioner, several 
terrns; mayor of Grand Island, two terms; council- 
man, several terms; a member of the school Ijoard. 
several terms, and served as treasurer of the last- 
named body between eight and ten years. He is 
one of the original stockholders of the Grand 
Island Improvement Company, and socially is a 
member of the Masonic fraternity, in which order 
he has advanced to the Chapter, and also belongs 
to the I. O. O. F., being a member of the En- 
campment. 

Blake Clinton Howard is a master mechanic in 
the Union Pacific car shops at Grand Island, Neb. 
He was born near Java in Genesee County, N. Y. , 
June 30, 1832, being the fourth of nine children 
born to Dwight Dimmick and Susan N. (Cleve- 
land) Howard, de.scendants of old Connecticut and 
Massachusetts families, respectively. The How- 
ards date their settlement in this country to a very 
early period — 1634 — and branches of the family 
took active part in the Revolutionary War and the 



j) fy 



M^ — ^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



643 



War of 1812. They were of English ancestry, 
Presbyterians in religious belief, and numbered 
among them manj' artisans. The mother belonged 
to the old American Cleveland family, whose his- 
tory is very well known iu America and numbered 
among her relatives our worthy ex-President 
Grover Cleveland and Moses Cleveland, the founder 
of Cleveland, Ohio. Blake Clinton Howard and 
his sister, Mrs. R. M. Dane, of Mobile, Ala., are 
the only ones of their parents' family who are now 
living. He began business in New York at the 
early age of fifteen years in the Central Railway 
shops, but in 1852 he went to Illinois and located 
in Chicago, and became connected with the Illinois 
Central Railway as fireman, but at the end of one 
year he entered the shops, remaining two years. 
In 1854 he began running an engine on the road, 
and the following year became engineer of a pas- 
senger train between Wapello and Centralia. Dur- 
ing the late Rebellion he was a decided Union man 
in his views, and was engineer of a train which ran 
through the hot beds of secession, and during this 
time had some thrilling experiences and some nar- 
row escapes from death, being many times tired at 
by the Rebels, and in other ways annoyed and 
and troubled. He made Centralia, 111., his head 
quarters until January, ISfiS, when on account of 
ill health he left the road and removed west, ac- 
cepting employment with the Union Pacific Railway 
as traveling engineer to the front, and this position 
held until July, 1871, when he was appointed 
division foreman and has since had charge of the 
shops at Grand Island. He was married in Clin- 
ton, De Witt County, 111., April 3, 1857, to Miss 
Sarah Sawyer, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of 
T. E. Sawyer, Esq., of Clinton. Mr. Howard and 
his wife have reared a family of two sons and three 
daughters: George E. (who is in the hardware 
business at Wood River, an engineer by profes- 
sion), Loretta A. (wife of William H. Hooper, of 
Grand Island), Clarence H. (assistant master-me- 
chanic on the Missouri Pacific Railroad at SL. Loxiis 
Mo.), Emma (wife of George B. Bell, cashier of 
the Grand Island Banking Company) and Marga- 
ret A. Willie H , their second child, died in Cen- 
tralia, 111., and is there buried in the city cem- 



etery. All these children are well educated and 
are a credit to the communities in which they re- 
side. Mr. Howard is a Mason, and has served as 
master, high priest and eminent commander in 
this order, has taken all the degrees in the I. O. 
O. F., and belongs to the Brotherhood of Lo- 
comotive Engineers, and has served as a delegate 
from his district in the first, second, eighth, 
eighteenth and twenty-fifth national conventions. 
He also belongs to the K. of H., and his wife is a 
member of the Rebecca and Eastern Star Lodges. 
They are both members of the First Presbyterian 
Church, and he is a stockholder in the Grand 
Island Improvement Company, the Grand Island 
Building & Loan Association, serving as president 
of the latter, and was a member of the school 
board eleven years, and was president of that body 
nearly half that time. 

Frank E. Howe, farmer and stock-raiser, Wood 
River, Neb. To the person who closely applies 
himself to any occupation which he has chosen 
as his calling through life there can be but one 
result — that of success and a high position of 
esteem from those among whom he has made his 
home. And the case of Mr. Howe is no exception 
to the rule, for it has only been by industry and 
strict attention to business that he has attained 
to the situation which he now enjoys. He was 
l)orn in New Hampshire in 1848, and his parents, 
H. and S. (Muzzy) Howe, were natives of the same 
State,,_the father born November 10, 1810, and the 
mother July 11, 1826. The former died May 31. 

1863, and the latter followed him to the grave in 

1864. They were the parents of six children, four 
sons and two daughters, five still living. The pa- 
ternal grandfather was also a native of the Granite 
State. Frank E. Howe attained his growth in New 
Hampshire, and received a good common- school 
education. He remained in his native State until 
1871, when he emigrated west, and settled in Ne- 
braska. He came to this State with limited means,_ 
but with the determination that characterizes him, 
he went to work'to grow up and build up with 
the country. That he has been successful is hard- 
ly necessary to add when one looks over his fine 
farm with its good buildings, etc., and the tine 



4-_ 



^ 



644 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



breed of stock that is to be found on his 280 
acres. Mr. Howe was married in Hall County to 
Miss Anna Hileman, a native of Pennsylvania, 
born in 1855, and their family circle has been in- 
creased by four children: Lloyd. Frank, Leo and 
Lola. Mrs. Howe is of German descent, and the 
daughter of Michael B. and Caroline L. (Criss- 
mm) Hileman. Mr. Hileman was born in Penn- 
sylvania in 1818, and died in 1877. He went to 
Illinois in early life, and was there engaged in 
merchandising and keeping a hotel. He afterward 
came to Nebraska, where he passed the last days 
of his life. His wife is still alive. 

Mrs. S. A. Hunt, a much-resjaected and es- 
teemed resident of Hall County, was born in the 
Keystone State in 1830, and is the daughter of 
Hawley and Cressa (Smead) Hammond. The 
father was born in 1807, and was in one of the 
battles on Lake Erie in the War of 1812. He 
was residing in Lee County, Iowa, at the time of 
his death, which occurred in 1860. He was a very 
successful farmer. His wife was born in Vermont 
in 1789, and died in 1805. They were the parents 
of twelve childi-en, ten of whom grew to maturity, 
and seven still surviving. The paternal grandfather 
was a native of Vermont. Mrs. Hunt was nest 
to the youngest child of the family, and was reared 
to womanhood in Lee County, Iowa. There she 
was united in marriage to J. N. Hunt, who was 
born in Ohio in 1833, and died in 1806. Their 
marriage was celebrated in 1862. Mr. Hunt fol- 
lowed merchandising while living in the city, but 
subsequently removed to a farm, on account of his 
health. Two of the children born tu chem are 
now alive: Hannah (a popular school teacher) and 
Jose[)hine. Mrs. Hunt is the owner of 300 acres 
of laud. She has displayed rare intelligence and 
ability in the conduct of her place, and is well 
posted on general subjects, discussing the current 
topics of the day with clearness and understand- 

.ing- 

Conrad Huper. As a man of business Mr. 
Huper's name and standing have become well- 
known throughout Hall County, and since July 1, 
1887, he has been associated with Mr. Frank 
Lange in the hardware and stove business in the 



city of Grand Island. He was bom in Bergeu- 
husen, near Friedrichstadt. Schleswig, Germany, 
September 8, 1853, and is a son of Conrad Hujier 
and Wiebke (Goseh), who are worthy citizens of 
Germany. Conrad Huper was reared in his native 
land, and there continued to make his home until 
July 15, 1873, when he emigrated to the United 
States, and almost immediately took up his abode 
in Grand Island, where he worked at the hardware 
business until 1887. Then he became associated 
with Mr. Frank Lange in their present business, 
which, owing to their strict attention to the details 
of the work, excellent ability and foresight, has 
built them up one of the largest and most prosper- 
ous trades in the county. Mr. Huper's career 
since coming to this country has been strictly hon- 
orable, and with each vital interest of this section 
he has been closely identified, thereby winning the 
respect of all who know him. He is a stockholder 
in the Grand Island Improvement Company, and 
socially a member of the A. O. U. W., and the 
Platt-Deutsche Verein. He was married in Grand 
Island, December 31, 1SS2, to Miss Margaretha 
Denker, who was born February 16, 1860, near 
Marne, Holstein, German}', being a daughter of 
John and Cathrina (JcEhde) Denker. To their 
union a son and daughter have been born: Dora 
and Ferdinand. Dora was born October 20, 1883, 
and Ferdinand, October 26, iSSo. They worship 
in the Lutheran Church. 

Samuel C. Huston is a member of the hrm of 
Dill & Huston, real-estate and loan agents of 
Grand Island, Neb. These gentlemen are thor- 
oughly reliable and methodical in their business 
transactions, and this has firmly established them 
in popular favor, as well as the fact that "honora- 
ble representation and fair treatment to all " is one 
of their principal mottoes. Mr. Huston was born 
in Painesville, Ohio, October 11, 1861, and is a 
son of Cyrus and Rhoda (Taylor) Huston, who 
were born in Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively, 
the former's birth occurring in 1825, and his 
death in Ohio in 1863, he having .been a tiller of 
the soil throughout life. His widow, with her two 
children, came to Grand Island, Neb., in 1871, and 
here she is now living at the age of sixty years. 



>?", 



HALL COUNTY. 



645 



Samuel C. Hustpn was an attendant of the schools 
of this town when a youth, but determined to ac- 
quire a better knowledge of the ' ' world of books ' ' 
than Grand Island afforded, and for this purpose 
entered the Nebraska City College, where he spent 
two years. The following year was devoted to sur- 
veying in Wyoming, after which he returned to his 
old home and the following six years were spent in 
clerking in the store of J. W. West. In 1887 he 
opened a confectionery store, in connection with 
Mr. Dill, and after successfully conducting this 
business for two years they embarked in their pres- 
ent enterprise, and although they have only con- 
tinued a short time, they are already well and fav- 
orably known, and are kept constantly busy. Mr. 
Huston is a young man of push and enterprise, and 
is doing a great deal to advance the material inter- 
ests of the city and county. He has always been 
a Democrat in his political views and his first presi- 
dential vote was cast for Grover Cleveland in 1884. 
He is a member of the Episcopal Church, and is 
one of the old settlers of Grand Island. His mar- 
riage, in November, 1887, was to Miss Anna A. 
West, a daughter of J. W. West. She was born in 
Delaware in 1867, and is the mother of one child, 
Samuel E. (born July 14, 1888). 

Henry Joehnck is an influential pioneer citizen 
of Hall County, Neb., and for some time has been 
engaged in market-gardening at Grand Island. 
He was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, 
April 28, 1835, and is a son of Christian and Kath- 
arina H. Joehnck. He spent his youth in his na- 
tive county and attended school until he was six- 
teen years of age, after which he went to Berlin 
and spent four years in learning the trade of a 
wagon-maker. At the age of twenty years he ac- 
companied his father and mother, two brothers and 
three sisters to America, and on reaching this 
country the family came westward to Davenport, 
Iowa, and two months later the parents, with five 
of their children, settled on a farm in Clinton 
County, where the former spent the remainder of 
their days. The father died August 12, 18S-J, at 
the age of ninety-one years, and the mother Feb- 
ruary 20, 1889, at the advanced age of eighty-nine 
years. Henry Joehnck did not accompany his 



relatives to Clinton County, but preferred to fight 
his own way in the world, and accordingly re- 
mained in Davenport two years longer, working at 
his trade. March 27, 1857, he was married in that 
city to Miss Margaret Goos, a daughter of Carl F. 
G. and Maria (Peterson) Goos. Mrs. Joehnck was 
born in Schleswig, Germany, February 4, 1840, 
and, with her parents, one brother and two sisters, 
came to America in the fall of 1851. On reaching 
this country they also settled in Davenport, and 
here Mr. Goos followed the occupation of wagon - 
making. He died June 27. 1867, at the age of 
fifty-four years. His wife survives him. is a resi- 
dent of Davenport and is seventy -seven years of 
age. Two months after their marriage Mr. and 
Mrs. Joehnck, in company with twenty-three men 
and five women, one young girl and one child, 
started from Davenport for the territory of Ne- 
braska, overland, and came to the present site of 
Grand Island, which town was founded by them 
and named. It will be seen from this that Mr. 
Joehnck and his wife are among the very earliest 
settlers. After working at his trade for two years 
he turned his attention to farming, gardening and 
stock-raising, and has successfully followed these 
pursuits ever since. The following family have 
been born to this couple: William, Fred, Henry, 
Carl, Dora, Laura, Christian, Augusta, Metha and 
Detlef. The eldest of these is thirty and the 
youngest ten years of age, and five of the children 
are married. The entire family are members of 
the German Lutheran Church. March 27, 1882, 
Mr. and Mrs. Joehnck celebrated their silver wed- 
ding, at which time their relatives and friends as- 
sembled in large numbers and left them many 
handsome and valuable presents as a token of their 
respect, good will and esteem. 

Stephen Jones is one of Hall County's pros- 
perous agriculturists, but is a native of Pennsyl- 
vania, born in Luzerne County, March 3, 1842, 
being a son of Daniel and Catherine (Jenkins) 
Jones, the former being also born in Pennsylvania, 
his birth occurring in 1807, and there he continued 
to make his home until his death in 1876. A 
Whig in early life, he afterward became a Eepub- 
lican, and during the Civil War was a strong 



— e) 



^ 



^^ 



046 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Union man and served for some time as deputy 
provost marshal. He was a man of very ener- 
getic temperament, but his body was unequal to 
the duties which ho imposed upon it, and his 
health was very feeble during the declining years 
of his life. His wife was born November 29, 
1808, in Pennsylvania, and is still a resident of 
that State, being hale for her years. The Jones 
family were originally from Wales, and the Jen- 
kins from Germany. Stephen Jones attained 
manhood in his native State and supplemeat(>d his 
common-school education by attending Wyoming 
Seminary. When twenty years of age he enlisted 
in the Federal army, in Schooly's independent 
t)attery, but it was subsequently transferred to the 
Pennsylvania Heavy Artillerj-, Company M, Sec- 
ond Regiment, and was on duty at Fort Delaware 
and Washington, D. C, until May, 18H4, when 
his regiment joined Grrant at Cold Harbor, and 
was with him until the fall of Petersburg. Fol- 
lowing the last battle in which Mr. Jones par- 
ticipated he was appointed division mail agent 
in Gen. Hartsuff's headquarters. He received 
his discharge June 2T, 3865, was mustered out 
at Petersburg and returned to his native State, 
and after farming for a short time began teaching 
school, continuing one term. After acting as fore- 
man of a gang of men on the construction of a 
railroad for sis months, he remained at home for 
the three following months, then went to Texas 
with a brother and made his home in the West for 
two years. After farming in his native State the 
two following years he was married May 10, 1869, 
to Miss Margaret Furinan, who was born in Penn- 
sylvania in 1842, and with her removed to Effing- 
ham County, 111., where he found employment un- 
til the following year, then settling on his present 
farm in Hall County, Neb., which comprises 240 
acres. He is a Republican, a member of the A. 
F. & A. M., and G. A. R. He and wife have 
two daughters: Lulu (who is a teacher in the 
graded school of Wood River), Lena M. (who is 
also a teacher and a graduate of the W^ood River 
schools. ) 

H. M. Jones, farmer, Wood River, Neb. Among 
the successful agriculturists of Hall County, whose 



merits are such as to entitle him to representation 
in the present work is Mr. Jones, the subject of 
this sketch. He was born in Luzerne County, Pa., 
July 13, 1846, and is the son of Daniel and Cath- 
erine (Jenkins) Jones, both natives of Pennsyl- 
vania. The father was born also in Luzerne 
County, May f30, 1807, and lived on one farm for 
forty years. He died there in October, 1870. He 
was a great traveler and wandered all over Michi- 
gan and the Western States. He owned at one time 
1,000 acres of land where thi^ city of Chicago is 
now standing, and sold it for 50 cents an acre. 
He was married, October 8, 1826, to Miss Jenkins, 
who was born November 29, 1808, and who is still 
living in Pennsylvania. They were the parents of 
twelve children, eleven of whom grew to maturity. 
The maternal grandfather was a child at the time 
of the Wyoming massacre, and was saved from 
death by l>eing dressed in the clothes of a woman. 
H. M. Jones attained his growth in Pennsylvania, 
and received a common and high-school education. 
He worked on his father's farm until grown, and 
February 14, 1871, he left home and emigrated 
West. He joined his brother, Steve Jones [see 
sketch], in Illinois, and they took wagons and after 
a tedious journey arrived at Lone Tree, Neb. This 
was then in an unsettled condition and the present 
cities were then but villages. They had enough 
money to make a start, but the dry weather and 
grasshoppers made times very hard. Mr. Jones 
entered 240 acres of land, which he has since im- 
proved very much. He was married, May 12, 1873, 
to Miss Rebecca Hillman, a native of Pennsylvania, 
born in 1851, and to them have been liorn two chil- 
dren: Claude D. and Grace C. Mrs. Jones came 
with her parents to Nebraska, in 1872, and received 
a superior education in her native county. She 
was a school-teacher, and the lirst one in Dis- 
trict 8. Her father, Michael Hillman, was born 
June 23, 1818, was a native of Pennsylvania, and 
of Dutch descent. Her mother, whose maiden 
name was Caroline Crissman, was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1831, was married to Mr. Hillman in 
1847 and is now living. Of our subject's brothers 
and sisters three are deceased: D. W. (born Sep- 
tember 5, 1840, died in June, 1841), Merritt B. 



HALL COUNTY. 



647 



(bora November 8, 1834, died January 1, 1870, at 
Fort Clark, Tex. ; he was a government employe) 
and France (born November '23, 1827, grew to 
womanhood, married M. W. Cooley, and died in 
1881, leaving six children). The family of Mr. 
and Mrs. Jones consists of Susanna B. (now Mrs. 
H. K. Ebert, resides in Wood River, Neb.), Hester 
(a widow), Elizabeth, Helen M. (the wife of Mr. 
Day), Elvira (married) and Louisa, all in Pennsyl- 
vania, and T. J. Jones, in Michigan. Mr. Jones 
is a Republican in politics and belongs to the M. 
W. A. 

S. M. Jordan, assistant cashier of the First 
National Bank of Wood River, Neb., and treasurer 
of Wood River Township, Hall County, of that 
State, was born in Gentry County, Mo., in 1860, 
and remained on a farm there until twenty years 
of age. He graduated from the Northwest Nor- 
mal and Business Institute at Stauberry, Mo., in 
1885, and afterward taught in the common schools 
for some time. Later he was made principal of 
the Stanberry public schools, which position he 
held for two years, and in May, 1888, he moved to 
Wood River, Neb., where, besides teaching, he 
has held the above-mentioned positions of trust 
and honor. He was elected treasurer of Wood 
River Township in November, 1889, and fills that 
position as well as collector of the township taxes. 
He was married in Stanberry, Mo., in June, 1889, 
to Miss Stella Flowers, a native of Missouri, born 
in 1863. His parents, Samuel and Ann (Puter- 
baugh) Jordan, were both natives of Pennsjdvania, 
the father born in 1821, and the mother in 1829. 
The latter died in 1883, but the father is still liv- 
ing and resides at Stanberry, Mo. The latter was 
quite well educated, and followed the teacher's 
profession in his younger days in Pennsylvania for 
some time. He was also a contractor and builder, 
which trade he had learned in Pennsylvania, and 
after his marriage to Miss Puterbaugh he came 
West, locating in Ohio, thence to Illinois, afterward 
to Wisconsin, Iowa, and finally to Missouri, where 
they located at Stanberry, on a farm in 1858. The 
father, who was in the Union service during the 
late war, was judge of the county court of Gentry 
four years. His grandfather came from England 



and was married in Philadelphia. He took part in 
the War of 1812; his wife died in her ninety-sixth 
year. His father and mother were both born in Bed- 
ford County, Pa. The former held the office of jus- 
tice of the peace for over twenty years, and was an 
old line Whig, being a great friend of Henry Clay, 
and mastered the political subjects of the day. He 
said that he was never drunk but once, and that 
was the day the news of peace between this coun- 
try and England was received. He died at the 
age of seventy years. His family consisted of ten 
children, eight boys and two girls. One brother and 
one sister died at the ages of three and five years. 
David, the eldest, was self-taught, mastered geome- 
try and surveying, took yellow fever while locating 
a railroad in Mississippi and died and was buried 
at Natchez. Francis, the second, graduated in Mar- 
shall College, in Pennsylvania, was admitted to 
the bar of Bedford Cou^nty, practiced law several 
years and was then sent to the State Senate. He 
was among the first paymasters Lincoln appointed, 
and went to Vicksburg to pay the troops, being 
there when it was taken, then went to Natchez and 
became sick, when he returned home and resigned. 
Subsequently he was appointed lieutenant-colonel 
under Gov. Curtain's staff, and State agent for 
Pennsylvania troops, with headquarters at Wash- 
ington, D. C. Going to Harrisburg he was ap- 
pointed secretary of State under Gov. Curtain and 
reappointed under Gen. Geery, himself coming 
within one vote of being nominated Governor of 
Pennsylvania. He is now practicing law in circuit 
and supreme courts in Pennsylvania, and is over 
seventy years of age. Samuel was the third son 
and William the next. His health failed early in 
life and he died in Pennsylvania. John M., the 
fifth, went by wagon from Chicago to Oregon, 
thence to California when gold was discovered, but 
returned to Oregon. On his return from Califor- 
nia he was shipwrecked and lost all but the clothes 
he wore. He was a good business man and soon 
accumulated a fortune. Finally he went back to 
Pennsylvania, where he died, leaving a daughter 
and son, the latter now a physician in Philadelphia. 
Thomas, the sixth, died; had a short but eventful 
career. He mastered all he undertook. Possess- 



'^-. 






648 



HISTOllY OF NEBRASKA. 



ing a great memory, be had a good command of 
language and wonderful powers of oratory. Over- 
work in books de.stroyed his boaltb. He went to 
Mississippi, then went to Euroj)e with a son of 
Gen. Quitman, visited England, Germany, France, 
Ireland, Scotland and Italy. Returning homo, 
the next year he started for the Sandwich Islands. 
He began teaching there on a good salary, but had 
to give it up, and started for home by way of Cali- 
fornia. He reached Sacramento, and in company 
with his brother John started for Pennsylvania. 
On reaching New Orleans Thomas died and was 
taken to Natchez and buried by his oldest brother. 
James, the next, died at the age of twenty-three 
from mental over work. The sister graduated at 
the Young Ladies' Seminary in Philadelphia, but 
also lost her health from hard study and died at 
the age of seventeen. None of the boys were ever 
drunk, and but one ever used tobacco. The ances- 
tors on the mother's side came from Germany and 
Ireland and located in Pennsylvania. To Samuel 
and Ann (Puterbaugh) Jordan were born nine chil- 
dren, seven sons and two daughters, our subject 
being fifth in order of birth. They are named as 
follows: Louis and James (both in the furniture 
business at Stauberry), William (in St. Joseph, with 
the Motor Street Car Line), S. M., George F. (cash- 
ier of Sherman County State Bank, in Sherman 
County, Kas. ), Minnie (at home), John (bookkeeper 
for the above-mentioned bank in Sherman County, 
Kas.), Walter (a student at St. Joseph Business 
College), and Mary (who died at the age of two and 
a half years). None of the boys use whisky or 
tobacco. 

Nicholas Kelly was bora in the "Emerald 
Isle" in the month of June, 1829, being a son of 
Andy and Mary Kelly, who spent their lives on 
their native island. In ISoG Nicholas Kelly was 
uuited in marriage to Miss Ellen Costiean, their 
union taking place in the United States, but she 
was also born in Ireland, and on first coming to 
the New World settled with her relatives in the 
province of Canada, V)ut later moved to Philadel- 
j)hia. Pa. Mr. Kelly received the advantages of 
the common schools, and possessing the quick wit 
and keen intellect of his countrymen, he made 



rapid progress in his studies, and is now a well- 
informed and intelligent man. He followed various 
pursuits until the spring of 1861, then joined the 
home guards, but was never in active service. In 
1882 he emigrated to Hall County, Neb., and pur- 
chased a farm of 160 acres, but his second crop 
was destroyed by the devouring elements, and for 
some time it was all he could do to make a living. 
By almost superhuman efforts he soon established 
himself on a sound footing, and has made for 
himself and family a comfortable home, much bet- 
ter than is owned by the average Nebraska farmer. 
His farm of 160 acres is all under cultivation, and 
is well stocked. He has always been generous in 
his contributions to worthy enterprises, and has 
always interested himself in the welfare of the 
community in which he has resided. He and wife 
are the parents of four children: Audrene (de- 
ceased), John, William and Andrew. The family 
attend the Eoman Catholic Church. 

Hiram E. Kent, farmer, was born in Erie Coun- 
ty, Pa., April 5, 1833, and is a son of John Kent, 
who was born in New Hampshire, but was reared 
principally in Canada, whither he was taken by 
his parents at an early day. After reaching man- 
hood he moved to Vermont, and was married there 
to Miss Zanna Chittenden, a native of the •' Green 
Mountain State." Mr. Kent served for over three 
years in the War of 1812, and after his marriage 
moved to York State, thence to Erie County, Pa., 
where both parents spent the remainder of their 
days. Hiram E. Kent received a good early edu- 
cation in the common schools of Erie County, Pa. , 
and supplemented this with a three-years' course 
in Girard Academy, after which he engaged in 
teaching the "young idea" in Pennsylvania and 
Arkansas. He was married in 1860, in Pennsyl- 
vania, to Miss Asenath Jerome,who was born, reared 
and educated in Ohio, and a daughter of Charles 
Jerome, and after their marriage they engaged in 
farming in Erie County, continuing until 1864, and 
in February of that year Mr. Kent enlisted in the 
Third Pennsylvania Artillery, and served until he 
received his discharge, July 25, 1865. He was 
then engaged in farming in Erie County until 1869, 
at which time he moved to Kansas, and after a two- 



-3 



HALL COUNTY. 



649 



years' residence in Atchison County, he came to 
Hall Uonnty, Neb., and is now the owner of 160 
acres of good land. His farm is situated about 
live miles from Grand Island, and is well improved 
with good buildings, fences, orchards, etc. Mr. 
Kent has served about twelve years as justice of 
the peace, and is a man who commands the respect 
and esteem of all with whom ho comes in con- 
tact. He and wife have a daughter, Elma A. (who 
is still at home.) 

Gustave Koehler is a liquor merchant and ice 
dealer of Grand Island, Neb., and was born at 
Mohorn, near Wilsdruff, kingdom of Saxony, 
Germany, December 27, 1S42, being a son of Hein 
rick and Carolina (Henker) Koehler, -who reared 
a family of three children: Bertha (widow of Her- 
man Werner, of Wilsdruff), Louis and Gustave. 
The father was a brick-maker by trade. Gustave 
Koehler came to America in 1866, and joined his 
brother Louis in Indiana, the latter being now a 
resident of Chicago, in the tin-smithing business, 
and although he had learned the drug business 
prior to coming to this country, he found that the 
hardware business would be more profitable, and 
accordingly opened an establishment at New Cory- 
don, Ind., and was profitably engaged there for 
two years. Being subject, however, to chills and 
fever in that locality, he removed to Omaha, Neb., 
and worked at the liquor business for two years, 
and then followed the same occupation in Wichita, 
Kas. , being also engaged in farming and garden 
ing. Since 1880 he has resided in Grand Island, 
and although he held the office of supervisor of 
Hall County one term, he is averse to holding pub 
lie ofMee. In 1885 he started a tine ice and lish 
pond at Grand Island, introducing German carp, 
and in addition to these enterprises, he is quite 
extensively engaged in the real estate business, 
dealing in farms as well as city property. He is a 
stockholder in the Grand Island Improvement 
Company, is a director of the Citizen's Bank, and 
is a stockholder in the canning factory. In all 
matters pertaining to the growth and development 
of his locality he has given an active support, and 
is highly respected as one of the leading business 
men of this portion of the State. He is a member 

41 



of the Liederkranz, and he and his family worship 
in the Lutheran Church. He was married in Coun 
cil Bluffs, Iowa, to Miss Kate Whitney, a native 
of York State, born in Otsego County. Mr. Koeh- 
ler' s only child, Emma, is a student at Garfield 
University, Wichita, Kas. 

Hon. Henry Arnold Koenig. president of the 
Citizens' National Bank at Grand Island, Neb., 
was born in Giitersloh, Westphalen, Prussia, May 
3, 1836, and is a son of Henry Christof and Caro- 
line (Zumwinkel) Koenig, the former of whom was 
a distiller by occupation, although his attention 
was given to other occupations also, he being the 
l)roprietor of a hotel. The Koenigs were a mer- 
cantile and manufacturing people, and the Znm- 
winkels were prominently identified with the j)ork 
packing interests of Westphalen. Hon. Henry 
Arnold Koenig grew to manhood in his native land 
and received a good literary education in the pub 
lie schools, supplemented by a commercial train- 
ing at Osnabrtick, graduating from an educational 
institution of that place, at the age of sixteen 
years. After spending four years as clerk in 
Arnsberg he went back to Giitersloh, and for 
about three years was a book-keeper in a pork- 
packing establishment belonging to an uncle. He 
next spent one year in the regular army, but in the 
fall of 1859 he joined an elder brother, who had 
been a resident of Omaha, Neb. , and was then at 
home on a visit, and came with him to America, 
and until the breaking out of the late Civil War 
was engaged in clerking in Omaha. He then en- 
listed in Company B, First Nebraska Volunteer 
Infantry, and was on active duty until the fall of 
Fort Donelson, when he was honorably discharged 
on account of disability and returned to Omaha. 
In 1863 he became associated with Fred A. Wiebe 
in the general mercantile business in Denver, Colo., 
but not being satisfied with his location he sold out 
his interest there and ret<irned to Omaha, but al 
most immediately came to Grand Island and 
opened a general mercantile establishment, which he 
successfully conducted for several years. During 
the Sioux Indian War of 1864 he fortified his store, 
and many farmers with their families would take 
refuge there during the night to protect them- 



\^ e 



solvos from the depredations of the Indians. 
Diirintr tlie construction of t\w Union Pacific Uail- 
road lie was a general contractor in railroad ties, 
and also fnniished snpjjlies and kept a State sta- 
tion and telegraph office for the Western Union 
Telegraph ('oiiijiuny. Mr. Koenig and his part- 
ner hnilt the first saw mill in Grand Island, and 
in 1S67 attached a grist-mill, which did duty here 
for many years. They di^ilt in grain, lumber, 
coal and general merchandise, and their trade ex 
tended from Columbus to Kearney. They started 
a general banking business at an early day, but by 
JS71 it had become so extensive that they opened 
a State bank under the name of the State Central 
Bank, which continued until 1S84 and then be 
came the Citizens' National Bank, and as such has 
since continued, Mr. Koenig being president of the 
bank continually since its organization. In 1887 
the United States Investment Company was organ- 
ized and a street car railway was built, of which 
Mr. Koenig has since been president. He has 
always been a very public spirited citizen, and to 
his influence is due the establishment of (lie beet 
root sugar industry at Grand Island, and he was 
also one of the chief promoters of the Grand 
Island Improvement Company. He has been 
active in local politics and has served the county 
as treasurer several terms, and from 1871 to 1874 
was treasurer of the State. He has also been a 
member of the school board of the city, and was 
one of the organizers of the Liederkrauz. Al 
tliough he attends the Lutheran Church he is lib- 
eral in his views. He was married in Grand Is- 
land, Miss Agathe Henriette Von Wasmer, a 
daughter of William Von Wasmer becoming his 
wife, and his union with her has resulted in the 
birth of three sons and one daughter: Kichiird 
(who is a bookkeeper in the Citizens' National 
Bank, is married and the father of a son, named 
William), Mary (who is the accomplished wife of 
Dr. John Janss, of North Loup, Neb., and is the 
mother of a daughter, named Frida). Arnold (an 
intelligent young gentleman, taking the civil en- 
gineers' course in the Washington University of 
St. Louis), and Henry (a clerk in St. Louis). 

William Kurka is a Bohemian, born in 1840, 



wiiich fact is enough to assure one that he is one 
of the enterprising, frugal and industrious men of 
the community in which he resides. He remained 
in his native land until thirty years of age, then 
came to the United States to seek his fortune, and 
subsequent events have proved his judgment to be 
good, for he is now a successful merchant tailor of 
Grand Island, and has a competency which places 
him beyond the reach of want. After coming to 
the New World he worked for a short time in Chi- 
cago, then traveled for some time, and in 1880 
located in Grand Island, and here has been promi- 
nently identitied with the merchant tailoring inter- 
ests of the place ever since. He is the owner of a 
tine business block and residence in Grand Island, 
and the thorough manner in which he has con 
ducted his affairs and the success which has at- 
tended his ef[V)rts, have tended to place him among 
the leading business men of the place. He was 
united in marriage to Miss Anna Manning, a native 
of London, Canada, their union taking place there. 
Mr. Kurka is a Select Knight of the K. of P., and 
as a man of business enjoys the esteem and confi- 
dence of all who know him. His parents, Matthew 
and Catherine Kurka, were also native Bohemians. 
Elbert S. Lamon was brought up to the life 
of a farmer by his father, Manuel Lamon, and like 
the majority of boys has followed in his progeni- 
tor's footsteps, and is now one of the leading 
agriculturists and stockmen of Hall County. He 
is a native of the "Hoosier State," born in Har- 
rison County, June 10, 1831, whither his parents 
moved from their native State of Tennessee in 
182y, both being of German parentage. Here 
the father was engaged in farming until his death, 
which occurred about 1808, his wife surviving him 
about twenty years, her death occurring at the ad- 
vanced age of ninety-seven years. Mr. Lamon was 
a man well known and highly esteemed for his 
many worthy qualities, and was for twelve consecu 
tive years magistrate in his district. He was also 
a faithful soldier in th<- War of 181 "2. Elbert S. 
Lamon attained his manhood in Harrison County, 
Ind. , making his home with his father, and was 
married there November 23, 1854, to PrLseilla 
Green, a daughter of John and Leah Green, 



(« w. 



HALL COUNTY. 



651 



natives of the " Bliio Grass State. " Mrs. Lainoii 
was born and reared in Kentucky, and after her 
marriage she and Mr. Lamon settled on a farm in 
Crawford County, which they continued to till until 
the fall of 1874, when they came to Nebraska. 
From that time until the spring of 1880 Mr. 
Lamon rented land, but in the last-named year 
located on the farm he now occupies, which con- 
sists of 274 acres of fine land. He has just sold 
200 acres, and now has a neat little farm of seventy- 
four acres all under cultivation and well improved 
with excellent buildings. He has a fine young 
bearing orchard of about 800 trees, also some 
cherry and plum trees. He has always been a 
Republican in his political views, and has served as 
a delegate to numerous county conventions. . He 
has been a member of the school board in his dis- 
trict, and socially is a member of the Masonic fra- 
ternity, Deuel Chajiter No. 11. His family consists 
of the following children: Manuel (who is married 
and resides in Sherman County, Neb.), William C. 
(who is married and resides in Grand Island), John, 
Walter, Virginia A. (wife of Charles Labatt, of 
Los Angeles, Cal.), Mary J. (wife of E. C. Walker, 
a sketch of whom appears in this work), Amy E. 
(wife of Austin Koberts, of Decatur County, Iowa), 
Minerva, Ida C. and Cora M. 

John ¥. Langan, dealer in retail li(}Uor, Wood 
River, Neb. This gentleman is a native of Penn- 
sylvania, born January 5, 1857, and is the son of 
James and Mary (Bresnihan) Langan. The father 
was a native of the Emerald Isle, and came to the 
United States when a young man, located in Pitts- 
ton, Luzerne Coiinty, Pa., and there worked in the 
mines for some time. He was married in that State, 
and there reared six of the seven children born to 
his union. He still resides in Pittston, but comes 
out West to visit his son, J. F., quite often. The 
mother was born in Cork, Ireland, but came to 
America and was married in Pennsylvania to Mr. 
Langan. She was the mother of seventeen chil- 
dren. J. F. Langan grew to manhood in Penn- 
sylvania, received a common school education, and 
worked in machine shops, and engaged in run- 
ning a sewing-machine factory for four and a 
half years. He came to this State in 1885 and re- 



mained here about ten months, when he went back 
and worked for the same company for about nine 
months. Again he returned to this State and em- 
l)arked in the licjiior business in Wood River, and 
has been here about three years. He has been quite 
successful, and is an enterprising and indiistrious 
man. He was married June 12, 1888, to Miss 
Maggie Conner, a native of Farmsdale, Pa., where 
she received her education. She is a lady of 
superior mental ability, and of high personal at- 
tainments. They have one child, a daughter, named 
Mary A. Mr. Langan owns the fixtures for two 
saloons here and is doingwell. Heisa memberof 
the Catholic Church. 

Seth Lee, farmer and stock- raiser, Cameron, 
Neb. A glance at the lives of the many repre- 
sentative men whose names appear in this volume 
will reveal sketches of some honored, influential 
citizens, who have passed beyond man's allotted 
age of three-score years and ten, and among those 
deserving of mention is Mr. Seth Lee. He was 
born in Bristol County, Mass., July 12, 1818, and 
his father, Stephen Lee, was also a native of the 
same county in Massachusetts. The latter grew 
to manhood, received his education, and was mar- 
ried to Miss Sarah West in Bristol County. She 
was also a native of that county, and there grew to 
womanhood. They were the parents of eight chil- 
dren, all of whom reached maturity. Both parents 
were members of the Christian Church. The pa- 
ternal great-grandtathei-, G. F. Stephen Lee, was 
born in Bristol County, Mass., and was a farmer 
by occupation. He was a soldier in the Revolu- 
tionary War, and his grandson, Stephen D. Lee, 
has his gun. Seth Lee was eighteen years of age 
when he moved to Providence, R. I., where he 
learned the trade of carpenter, and was married 
August 13, 1840, to Miss Lucy Pearce, a native of 
that city, who was born March 22, 1822. They 
were the parents of the following children: Edwin 
S. (born June 17, 1842), Julia M. (born October 
13, 1844), Amanda E. (born February 15, 1S4S), 
Willard H. (born March 28, 1856) and Charles F. 
(born March 1 8, 1 862, and died February 27, 1 867 ). 
Seth Lee worked at contracting and building for 
twenty-five years, and in that way iiccumulated 



:Fr 



052 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



considorablo wealth. He came west in 1872, 
invested in land, and is now the owner of two sec- 
tions, valued at 130 per acre. He began life with 
little or no means, but by saving $100 a year was 
worth §10,000 when he left Rhode Lsland. He is 
a member of the Christian Church, and in his 
political views affiliates with the Republican party. 
During the late unpleasantness between the North 
and South be was a stanch Union man, and op- 
posed to slavery. His wife is still living, and if 
both survive until August 13, 1890, they will be per- 
mitted to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their 
wedding. The grandparents on both sides were 
natives of Bristol County, Mass., and the maternal 
grandfather was a mechanic by trade, and a mem- 
ber of the Christian (Uiurch. He died in Warren, 
R. I. 

Edwin S. Lee, farmer and stock-raiser, Wood 
River, Neb. This prosperous farmer and stock- 
raiser of Hall County, Neb., owes his nativity to 
Providence, R. I., where his birth occurred June 
17. 1842 [see sketch of Seth Lee, for parents], 
and remained there until sixteen years of age, at- 
tending the piiblic schools of that city. He then 
moved with his parents to Massachusetts, and at- 
tended school in that State until twenty-one years 
of age. In 1864 be married Miss Amanda C. 
Wood, who was born in the town of Swansea, 
Mass., in 1844, and who received a more than ordi- 
nary education. They remained in Massachusetts, 
where Mr. Lee followed agricultural pursuits un- 
til 1N72, when he emigrated to Nebraska, and set 
tied in Hall County, where he homesteaded a good 
tract of land. He is now tlie owner of 320 acres, 
all of which is tillable, and is one of the flourish- 
ing stock raisers and feeders of the county. His 
farm shows evidence of thrift and energy. They 
came to Nebraska at a day when the marks of 
pioneer life were everywhere present, and brought 
with them the customs of the urbane population 
of the Eastern States. They are the parents of 
four living children: Arthur (who was born May 
20, 1807), Stephen (born in September, 1869), 
Lawrence (born December 25, 1873), and Seba 
(born November 29, 1881); Hattie, who died May 
28, 1888, was twenty three years of age. Ste- 



phen attended the Methodist Episcopal School at 
Central City, Neb., and is especially proficient in 
mathematics. Mr. and Mrs. Lee made a visit to 
their old home during the autumn of 1889, visiting 
Bunker Hill Monument and old Faneul H;dl, and 
other important places in and about their old home. 
They brought with them on their return as family 
relics two readers i)earing the date of 1802 and 
1805, respectively, also the arithmetic used in the 
eighteenth century by ancestors of the family. 
Mrs. Lee is a lady of education and refinement, 
and is above the average in culture and attain- 
ments. Her parents, Abel B. and Amanda C. 
(Case) Wood, were both natives of Massachusetts, 
the former born in 1814 and the latter in 1818. 
He was a farmer and died in Massachusetts in 
1887. He was a member of the Christian Church. 
The mother died in December, 1888, and was one 
of eighteen children born to her parents, her 
mother l)eing Mfty one years of age when Mrs. 
W ood was born. Mr. Lee has acceptably served 
as justice of the peace. He is a Republican in 
politics, and he and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Edward Lennan, farmer and stock-raiser. Un- 
derwood. What is usually termed genius has lit- 
tle to do with the success of men in general. Keen 
perception, sound judgment and a determined will, 
supported by persevering and continuous effort, 
are essential elements to success in any calling. 
Mr. Lennan was born in Maine, in 1848, and was 
rc'ared and educateil in that State. He went to 
Wisconsin in 1870, remained there but a short time 
and then went to Woodford County, 111., where he 
worked in a store for about a year. In 1874 he 
came to Hall County, Neb., and was married in 
Hastings County, Neb., in 1878, to Miss Mary C. 
Page, a native of New Hampshire, and the daughter 
of John W. and Sarah A. (Page) Page, natives of the 
Cranite State. Mrs. Page is still a native of that 
State, but Mr. Page is deceased. After his mar 
riage Mr. Lennan settled on the farm where he 
now lives, and has made many improvements He 
planted an orchard, also has some small fruit, and 
is very comfortably fixed. His farm, consisting of 
KiO acres, is situated from eight to ten miles from 



^^ 



ia^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



053 



three or four towns, is all cultivated, and on it he 
has two houses. He is interested in politics, and 
votes with the Republican party; is a member of 
the Farmers' Alliance, aud has held office in this 
organization, ami he aud Mr,^. Lenuau are mem 
bers of the North Hastings Congregational Church. 
Mr. Lennan. being one of the early settlers south 
of the Platte River, passed through the grasshop- 
per raids, the drought and the bad storms of Ne- 
braska, l^ut likes the State and is permanently 
located here. His parents, Thomas and Dorothea 
(Page) Lennan, were natives of the Pine Tree State, 
and the father always made his home in that State. 
He was a wool carder and died in 1809. The 
mother died in 1S09. They were the parents 
of four children, of whom Edward Lenuau was 
the youngest. 

Joseph Lilley. The subject of this sketch is 
one of the honored residents of Hall County, Neb. . 
and although he has only resided here for a period of 
ten years, he has become well known and the respect 
and esteem shown him is as wide as his acquaint- 
ance. His finely improved farm of 151 acres is 
well improved with good buildings, fences, orchard, 
etc., and he is accounted by all a successful tiller 
of the soil. He was born in the "Keystone State" 
in 1837, lieiug a son of Isaac and Mary (De Walt) 
Lilley, who were born in 1801 and 1803, respect- 
ively, and died in Pennsylvania in 1885. Joseph 
Lilley received the education and rearing which is 
usually accorded the farmer's boy, and upon reach- 
ing a proper age was united in the bonds of matri- 
mony to Miss Caroline McCarter, who was born in 
1845, also in Pennsylvania. She is a daughter of 
E. B. and Eunice (Bacon) McCarter, who were 
born in 1790 in Pennsylvania, and in New York in 
ISdl, and died in Pennsylvania in 1871 and 1885, 
respectively. Mr. Lilloy's marriage took place in 
Pennsylvania in 1804, and their union has resulted 
in the birth of the follc^wing children: Isabella, 
Daniel Do Walt, Edwiu K., Pharez B., Eunice M., 
J. Harley, Sarah E., Bertie C, Emma F. (de 
ceased), Lora V. and Orville H. Isabella, the eldest 
daughter, is now the wife of Robert L. Converse. 
their union taking place in 188'2. aud they have 
since been residents of Montana. During the late 



war Mr. Lilley served in the One Hundred and 
Seventy- second Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry 
(drafted), until 1803. He is now a memiber of the 
(i. A. R., aud in his political views is a Repulilican 
and is a director of his school district. E. B. 
McCarter had four sons in the Volunteer army, the 
youngest of whom, Henry, died of fever contracted 
in Virginia. James died also of disease. Warren 
was wounded and held a prisoner, and Elisha is still 
living. Mr. Lilley had also a brother among the 
Volunteers. 

George Loan, Sr., water commissioner of Grand 
Island, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, March 
■i3, 1820, being a son of George and Mary (Glen- 
denning) Loan, the former a physician in the 
royal navy and an eminent man, who became a 
sacrifice in the East India service to the fever prev- 
alent there. George Loan attained manhood in 
his native land, and in bis early youth became 
proficient in the art of wire making, and afterward 
worked for about fourteen years as an expert. His 
trade carried him over Scotland, England and Ire 
land, and in 1807 he came to America and settled 
in Grand Island, where he has made his home ever 
since. For about four years he worked in the Union 
Pacific ear shops at Grand Island and three years in 
the Union Pacific machine shops at North Platte, 
Neb., and afterward spent some time in the Black 
Hills, but returned in 1877, and has since been 
closely identified with Grand Island's intei'ests. 
He served four yeirs as chief of police, and is now 
filling the office of water commissioner, and is a 
stockholder in the Grand Island Improvement 
Company and the Grand Island Canning Company. 
He has roared and educated his family well, and 
has the pleasure of seeing them occupy honorable 
citizenship in the different localities in which they 
live. He came to these shores a poor man, willing 
and capable to earn a respectable livelihood, luit 
has succeeded far beyond his expectations, aiid 
to day enjoys the blessings of plenty and the es 
teem and respect of all who know him. He still 
retaius a healthy constitution, and the pleasant 
geniality of his youth. He was married in Down 
patrick, Ireland, to a Miss Sarah Johnson, a native 
of Northumberland, England, a daughter of Thomas 



<J^^ 



G54 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Joliiisuu, anil \>y byr bocauio tLi' father of the fol- 
lowing family of children: Alice (wife of Robert 
Patterson, a substantial citizen of Sedalia, Colo., 
and an engineer by profession). Mary (wife of 
Warren Goddard, engineer at Raton, N. M.), 
Fannie (wife of Robert M. Stout, also an engineer, 
of Coiuo, Colo.), Matilda W. and Bessie G. (at 
home, the latter being hor father's assistant), 
(Jeorge, Jr. (a business man in Gratid Island) and 
Edgar G. (a printer iu Denver, Colo. ) 

Frederick Lohuiann is a member of the firm 
of Hehnke & Lohmann, contractors and builders, 
Grand Island, Neb. His birth occurred near 
Bunde, Westphalen, Prussia, February 15, 1860, 
his parents, Henry and Charlotte (Brunhaus) Loh- 
mann, lieiug also born there, the fath(>r a fairly sue 
cossful tiller of the soil. He came with his family 
to the United States in 1882 and took up his abode 
in Grand Island, Neb., his son, Frederick, having 
come here iu 1881. He had learned the carpen- 
ter's trade in his native land, and after reaching 
the United States he worked at his trade for a short 
time in St. Louis, and from 1882 to 188') followed 
the same occupation in Grand Island, after which 
he became associated with Mr. Hehnke in business 
and has since successfully continued. He is a 
young man of active and energetic temperament, 
is intelligent and public spirited, a thorough 
master of his trade, and he and Mr. Hehnke con- 
stitute a substantial firm. Since settling in Grand 
Island he has Ijeen married to Miss Mary Grove- 
meyer, who was born in Kirchlingen, Westphalen, 
Prussia, in 1804. and a son and daughter have 
bles-^ed their union: Mary and Henry. Mr. and 
Mrs. Lohmann attend the Lutheran Church, jind 
are worthy citizens of Hall County. 

Clarence Lowry, farmer and stock raiser, Don- 
iplian, Neb. Clarence Lowry was born in Fulton 
County, Ind., in 1854, and his early life was 
divided between working on the farm and attend- 
ing the common schools of the [)eriod. At the age 
of eighteen years he emigrated to Hall County, 
Nel). , with his mother, and at tliat time there was 
not a house on the tal)le land south of the Platte 
Riv(^r. In lH7f) he homesteaded eighty acres where 
he now resides and commenced improving the 



same, and to that he has added enough to make 
200 acres of good tillable land, situated on Platte 
River. He was married in Hall County in 1877 
to Miss Maggie Dufford, a native of Pennsylvania, 
who was left an orphan at an early age. She came 
to this county with her uncle, Charles Dufford 
[see sketch]. Four children were born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Lowry: Delia. Nettie, Archie and Robert. 
Mr. Lowry is a Republican in politics, and takes 
considerable interest in the political afPairs of the 
county. Socially he is a member of Doniphan 
Lodge No. 86, A. F. & A. M. Like others of the 
pioneer settlers, he has experienced the grasshop- 
per raids, but has never been discouraged, and likes 
the State well enough to make it his permanent 
home. The improvements on his place are com- 
plete and neat in all respects. Stock raising in 
conjunction with his farming operations he is mak 
ing a specialty. He was the youngest of ten 
children born to the marriage of William and Sarah 
(Clark) Lowry, natives of the Buckeye State. At 
an early day the parents moved to Indiana, thence 
to Nebraska in 1858, settling in Nemaha County, 
and there the father was engaged iu tilling the 
soil. He died in 1861 and the family came to Hall 
County in 1872. The mother is still living and 
resides with the subject of this sketch. 

Rev. P. Lynch, Wood River, Neb. Among 
the Catholic prelates of the diocese of Omaha, 
Neb., who have especially distinguished them- 
selves as lal)orers in the vineyard of Christ, none 
are more zealous, nor have the labors of any one 
been crowned with greater success, than those of 
Rev. Father Lynch, the subject of this sketch, and 
the present pastor of St. Mary's Church, Wood 
River, Neb. He is a man of medium stature, 
light complexion, and the benignity of his coun- 
tenance bespeaks a heart full of the gentleness of 
Christian charity; but to the astute observer there 
lurks behind the depth of his dark blue eye the 
energy of that grand old Celtic race so famed in 
history for their eloquence and for the zeal with 
which they execute all projects that advance the 
interest of religion. Father Lynch was born in 
County Gavin, Ireland, and is the son of James and 
Mary (Smith) Lynch. In his earlier childhood he 



^ 



a t^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



655 



attended the national school of his native village, 
and when twelve years of age entered St. Pat 
rick's Seminary, Gavin, Ireland, and completed a 
6)is years' classical course. After graduating there 
he entered the Theological College, Dublin, Ire- 
land, and five years later, after arduous research 
and study, he graduated from the extensive coirrse 
there. June 24, 1S73, he was ordained priest in 
the above-named college by the Kt. Rev. Bishop 
Whalen. After ordination he remained three 
months in his native parish in Cavin, Ireland, 
with his parents, who were at this time in the 
vigor of life, and enjoyed a full realization of the 
most sanguine dreams of the devout Irish Catholic 
parents to see their son an ordained priest in the 
Roman Catholic Church. Father Lynch was or- 
dained for the diocese of Omaha, Neb., U. S. A., 
and in August of the year in which he was 
ordained was transferred to the city of Omaha. 
He acted as assistant pastor of the Cathedral at 
Omaha one year, was then made curate of Colum- 
bus, Neb., and served in that capacity for sixteen 
months. The aijility and fidelity with which he 
had tilled his charges up to this time caused him 
to be appointed pastor of the parish of North 
Platte and missionary of the same. When he 
arrived at North Platte he found an ordi- 
nary parish with no church facilities. He se- 
cured a small room in a country hotel there, 
and thus devoid of all the comforts of life, 
with at best but gloomy possibilities and a 
period of painstaking labor before him, he com 
menced his career as a pastor. He had a firm 
trust in God and a manly reliance on his own 
capabilities. A handsome structure, the first 
Catholic building ever erected in Lincoln County, 
Neb., still decorates South Platte as a monument 
to the scene of Father Lynch' s first efforts as a 
pastor. He also established new missions in that 
county. He was sent to Plattsmouth, Cass County, 
Neb., and there built two new churches, estab- 
lished one mission, bought two Catholic cemete- 
ries, and secured the property on which now 
stands an excellent convent school. He accom- 
plished his work in Cass County in the short 
space of five years, and at the termination of 



that time was removed to Grand Island, Hall 
County, Neb. He remained in that city for 
nearly two years, when it was discovered that the 
incipient parish of Wood River was surely in 
need of the personal suj)ervision of a man of 
energy and progress in order to bring it to the 
standard which it deserved. Accordingly Father 
Lynch was made the first resident jiastor of Wood 
River. He found here nothing but the crude 
material, no church and no pastoral residence, no 
place for the service of mass. He, however, 
nerved himself for the struggle, and a spacious 
church, the largest building in the town of Wood 
River, and a beautiful eight-room pastoral resi- 
dence and other church property, altogether run- 
ning far up into the thousands in value and none 
of it incumbered by a cent of debt, are evidences 
of the result of his labors in Wood River. This 
is only excelled by the moral regeneration that has 
taken place in the parish since his location here. 
Absence of religious authority and of religious 
ceremonies had caused many of the people to fall 
into habits of public dissipation, giving scandal to 
themselves and to religion. His mild but deter- 
mined policy placed a check upon the career of 
the wayward and a seal upon the \ips of the tra 
ducer, and his wise and prudent counsel has 
raised many to a plane of moial thinking and liv- 
ing to which they had hitherto been strangers. 
Father Lynch' s sermons are models of literary 
simplicity. The most illiterate can not fail to 
understand them, and the mo.st highly educated 
can but admire their beauty and strength. 

James McGuire is a striking example of Irish 
thrift and accjuisitiveness, for he came to Hall 
County, Neb. , but with little means, and is now 
one of the wealthy agriculturists of this region, 
being the owner of all of Section 12. He was born 
in County Meade, Ireland, in 1837, and is a son of 
Hugh and Jane (Gogarty) Mc(Tuire, who were also 
born in the " Emerald Isle, " and with their faniily 
emigrated to Canada in the spring of 1843, where 
they made their home until their respective deaths. 
In the land of their adoption they reared their fam 
ily, and here James received fair educational ad 
vantages. In the year 1856 he was united in mar 



371 



— -^ 



05G 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



riiige to Miss Annie, a diinghter of Jnd and Kate 
Walters, of Ottawa, Canada, ami this province 
continued to lie his home until the yt^ar 1872, when 
he emigrated with his family to Nebraska, and lirst 
took up his abode in Hall County, where he has 
become! well known as an enterprising, intelligent 
and successful agriculturist. To his union with 
Miss Walters a- family of ten children have been 
born: Jnd, Francis, Hugbey, Jimmy. T. J., Pat- 
rick W., Michael (deceasinl), Matthias, Mary and 
Kate. Knowing the value of a good educa- 
tion, Mr. McGnire has given his children many 
advantages, and they are now grown to honorable 
manhood and womanhood, and are engaged in busi- 
ness for themselves. The entire family are mem- 
bers of the Catholic Church. 

John F. Mader has been closely connected with 
the agricultural intere.sts of Hall County, Neb. , 
since the fall oi' 1871, and is now one of its wealthy 
and prosperous farmers and stock-raisers. He was 
born in Prussia, Germany, April 11, 1833, and is 
a sou of Christopher and Margaret (Krushy ) Mader. 
who were also born in Prussia, and removed to the 
United States in ISifi, settling in Ohio, the father 
being engaged in farming in Shelby County until 
his death, which occurred about 187S, his wife dy- 
ing two years earlier. John F. Mader attended the 
schools of his native land until his removal to 
America, and from that time until he attained his 
majority he remained with and assisted his father 
in tilling the soil. He was married in Shelby 
County January 2'J, 1857, to Miss Catherine Brehm, 
a daughter of John Brehm. both of whom were 
born in Bavaria, the former making her home there 
until she was about ten years of age. They resided 
in Shelby County a number of years after their 
marriage, but after residing in Warren County, 
lnd.,from 1S()7 until 187 I. they came to Nebraska 
and settled on a homestead claim in l'rairi(! Creek 
Township. This property he sold in 1882, and 
bought and has since made his present farm, which 
consists of 200 acres, all excellent tillable land. 
His farm is improved with substantial buildings, 
groves and a young liearing orchard, and is situ- 
ated about four miles from Grand Island. Mr. 
Mader is a Republicaa in politics, has been a 



member of the school i)oard for twelve years, has 
served as treasurer and collector, and has also held 
the [)osition of township supervisor. He has been 
a delegate to county conventions at different times, 
and is a man on whose judgment one can safely 
rely. He and wife have a family of seven chil 
dren, the two eldest, John and William, being mar 
ried and residents of the county. The rest are 
Louis, Elizabeth (wife of Fred Hiues), Isabella 
(wife of John Peterson), George and Charles. The 
family attend the Presbyterian Church, and he is a 
Royal Arch Mason. 

Richard Mankiu, of Hall County, Neb., was 
born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, in 
1836, being a son of Henry and Geresha (Tetchen) 
Mankin, both natives of Hanover. The father was 
a soldier in the Franco Prussian war, and is still 
living, but his wife passed from life when the sul> 
ject of this sketch was a small child, having borne 
a family of four children. Richard Mankin came 
with an uncle to America when twelve years of 
age, and during his residence in New York City 
he was a clerk in a grocery and liquor establish 
ment the greater portion of the time, but after- 
ward worked in a packing-box factory, and while 
thus employed had his hand badly mutilated by a 
planing machine, which necessitated the amputa- 
tion of all the lingers on that hand. He was 
married in New York to Miss Elizal)eth Matthews, 
a native of that city, and on July 6, 1871, they came 
west, and first located at Brody Island, and in the 
spring of the following year they settled on their 
pre.sent farm. He first began working on a railroad 
as a hand, but subsequently became boss on repairs, 
and was thus engaged about eighteen years alto- 
gether. He is now the owner of 400 acres of land, 
does general farm work, and is also engaged in 
feeding cattle He is independent in politics, an<l 
he and family attend the Roman Catholic Church. 
He and wife are the parents of three children; 
Frank. William and John. Mr. Mankin is a man 
who thoroughly enjoys his home, and has around 
him all that can make life enjoyable — a faithful 
and intelligent wife, dutiful children, and plenty 
of means. Mrs. Mankin is an Irish-American lady, 
is an excellent manasjer, and as a wife and mother 



J, 



-t s 



^. 



HALL COUNTY. 



657 



has few wjnals. Her parents, Patriok and Cath- 
erine (Kane) Matthews, were born in Lungford, 
Ireland, and after their marriage came directly to 
America, and locuted in Brooklyn, N. Y. , where 
the mother died in 1870, aged lifty-six years. The 
father afterward came west with Mrs. Mankin, and 
died in Nebraska, aged about sixty years. He was 
a Democrat, and a meml)er of the Catholic Church. 
Martin V. Marsh, farmer and stock-raiser, 
Doniphan, Neb. To the stock industry of the va 
rious townships of the county must be given a 
large share of credit for the reputation which Hall 
County enjoys as a wealthy progressive community. 
And to those leading men who have contributed so 
materially in the building up of this reputation, 
should be extended the sincere thanks and good 
will of the persons who have been benefited by 
their course. Prominent in all movements relat- 
ing to agricultural pursuits or stock-raising, Mr. 
Marsh has become so well known that nothing 
need be said by us as to his reliability and responsi- 
bility. He was born in Somerset County, Me., in 
1S87, and is the third in a family of eight, born to 
Edward E. and Almeda (Young) Marsh, natives 
also of the Pine Tree State. The father was a tiller 
of the soil, but in connection carried on the cooper 
trade. He emigi-ated to Wisconsin in 1852, settling 
in Waukesha County, but in 185 1 settled in the 
town of Berry, Dane County, Wis., where he pur- 
chased a good farm and made many improvements 
on it. In October, 1877, he came to Doniphan, 
Neb., and here his death occui'red in January, 
1878, at the home of his son, Bradford A. Marsh, 
when in his seventieth year. The mother still 
survives. Of their children, William H resides 
in Hall County, Lafayette Y. married and resides 
in Hall County, Martin V. is our subject, and Lucj' 
is the wife of Oliver Fenner. She died in 1886. 
Josephus enlisted at Fort Wayne, Ind. , in the Eigh- 
ty-eighth Indiana Infantry, Company D, for three 
years, in 1862; he was in the Army of the Cumber- 
land and was taken prisoner September 19, at the 
battle of Chickamauga; he was in Libby Prison, 
Belle Isle and Andersonville for fourteen months; 
his death occurred in June, 1864, in Anderson- 
ville. Eli E. enlisted in Dane County, W'is. , in 



Company D, Twenty-third Wisconsin Infantry, in 
1862, for three years, and was along the Missis 
sippi as far as Vicksburg; he was taken sick and 
returned to St. Louis, Jefferson Barracks, where 
he died June 9, 1863. Bradford A. married and 
resides in Hall County, where he settled in 1874. 
Carroll M. married and resides in Chase County. 
Neb. Martin V. Marsh received his education 
in the schools of Maine, and early became familiar 
with the duties of the farm. In May, 1861, he 
enlisted in Oconto County, Wis., in Company H, 
Fourth Wisconsin Infantry, and the last two years 
was in the cavalry. He enlisted as a private, and 
was mustered into State service at Green Bay, and 
the United States service at Kacine. He was taken 
directly to the front, was in the Eastern department 
and was under Gen. Butler at New Orleans. He 
was promoted from time to time, and was commis- 
sioned captain in 1866. He was on the transports 
at the siege of Fort Jackson and St. Phillips, 
and thence to New Orleans. His regiment was 
one of the first to march in the streets of that city. 
From there they went to Vicksburg, taking part in 
the battle of Baton Ronge, La., August 5, 1862; 
siege of Port Hudson, La., 1863, and was wound- 
ed at Clinton, La., June 3, 1863; Fort Blakely, 
Ala. , April, 1865. In January, 1864, he veteranized 
in the same company and regiment. He was at 
Shrevejwrt, La. , Marshall and San Antonio, Eagle 
Pass, Texas, and down the Rio Grande to Brown- 
ville. He was honoralily discharged on May 28, 
186(5, at Brown ville, Texas, and returned to Dane 
County, Wis. He was married in that county in 
March, 1868, to Miss Emma Stephens, a native of 
New York, but who was reared in Dane County. 
Wis., and the daughter of Leander and Julia 
(Rose) Stephens, natives of New York. Mr. 
Stephens was a farmer, and settled in Dane County 
in 1855, where he took up good land. In con 
nection with agricultural pursuits he was also 
engaged in milling. He is still living and resides 
in Dane County, Wis. The mother died in that 
county in June, 1886. Mr. Marsh cultivated the 
soil in Wisconsin until 1877; then he emigrated to 
Nebraska. He bought a partly improved farm of 
160 acres, has good buildings, etc. , and is one of 



_LZ_i 



658 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



the foremost farmers in the county. He is a Re- 
publican ill politics, and was town assessor in 1884. 
He was a member of the school board for about 
eight years, and is interested in all educational mat 
ters. Socially he is a member of A. J. Smith 
Post No. 05, G. A. R., Doniphan, Neb., has been 
commander and is now quartermaster. To his 
marriage have been born the following children: 
Edward L. , Flora, A. , Sarah E. , Adelbert and 
('haucy. 

Henry N. Martin, farmer and stock-raiser, 
Doniphan, Neb. Throughout the county, and es- 
pecially over this portion of it, the name of Henry 
N. Martin is very well known, for, one of the 
oldest citizens of the community in point of settle 
uient, he is at the same time recognized by all as 
one of its solid, substantial and thoroughly reliable 
residents His birth occiuTed in Yorkshire, Eng- 
land in 1848, and he was the eldest son born to 
George and Anna (Hour's) Martin, natives of the 
same place as their son. The father was a horse- 
trainer in the racing stables, and in 1850 left his 
native country to try his luck in the United States. 
He first went to Ohio, thence to Elgin, 111., where 
he followed farming, and later to Fremont County, 
Iowa, where he tilled the soil for one year. In 1862 
he moved to Nebraska and fi'oighted from Nebraska 
City to Denver until August of that year, when he 
settled on his claim of 160 acres on Platte River. 
His children consisted of three sons and three 
daughters, although he had a stepson, John 
Weavers, who was in the service from 1862 to 
1865, Company A, Fourth Iowa Infantry. He 
came to Nebraska about 1868, but now resides 
in Iowa. The other children were named as fol- 
lows: Eliza (died in 1885), Hepizi[)bah (now Mrs. 
Masterson, of Ellsworth, Ellsworth County, Kas. ), 
H. N., Robert (married and resides in Ellsworth 
County, Kas.), William E. (married and resides in 
Hall) and Anna (now Mrs. Huffman, of Rice County, 
Kas). At the time of Mr. Martin' s settlement in Hall 
County Indians were plenty, and in 1863 they began 
their depredations. In 1864 they made an attack 
on the south side of Platte River. Mr. Martin and 
his s(ms, Henry N. and Rol)ert, were hauling hay 
and were about three miles from home. Mr. Mar- 



tih was on tiie first load, had a six-shooting rifle 
and being first attacked could do but little on ac- 
count of being on the hay. He was wounded 
severely. The spy on the bluff then pointed out 
the boys, who were following on the second load 
of hay drawn by a yoke of o.\en, with ahorse in the 
lead lieliiud the load. When the attack was made 
on the boys tl^ey unhitched and turned the oxen 
loose, and our subject put his brother, Robert, on 
the horse and then got on behind. They then 
started for the house, which was their only refuge, 
there being no other settlers near, and when about 
a quarter of a mile from the house the Indians 
closed up on them. Our subject received an arrow 
between the shoulder blade and back bone, which 
came out on the right side of the breast and pen 
etrated his brother. He then received an arrow shot 
in the right arm, and his brother, Robert, was shot in 
the hip and thigh. They rode until our subject 
became dizzy, fainted and fell from the horse which 
also becoming tangled in the lines came to the 
ground. The Indians struck Robert and finding 
that he did not move supposed both were dead, 
and spoke of scalping them but changed their minds 
and said " Pappoose's scalp no good." Finally 
they left. When the arrow was drawn from Henry's 
arm he fainted and did not come to himself until 
en route with the family for York, they having im- 
mediately started for that place. He refused to 
go farther and after remaining there one week re- 
turned to the ranch, driving a team back. Inside of 
two weeks he was again at work. Robert has the 
arrow .still stained with their blood, that penetrated 
his brother and himself. The father remained in 
the county until his death which occurred in 1884, 
and the mother died the same year. In 1864 
Henry N. Martin was again attacked by Indians, 
or rather they attacked up and down the Platte 
River and stole two horses and a pony from our 
subject's father, after which they went to the 
latter's son-in-law's hoiise, took ahoi-se and cleared 
the ranch of everything. However no lives were 
lost. Again in 1865 they made a raid along the, 
Platte River, took two girls, eighteen and nineteen 
years of age, anil two twin boys four years of age 
belonging to Peter Campbell. They then shut 







Mrs. Owous, who was watching the course they 
were taking, while she was standiug at the door 
with a baby in her arms. When found in the 
evening the baby was playing in her blood. This 
child was cared for by A. Graham and grew to 
manhood. In 1860 the savages made a raid along 
the Platte River and attacked the home of Mrs. 
Wall and Flemming Maloney, bright and early 
one Monday morning, but with poor result. They 
stole two horses but one escaped from them and 
the father of our subject re captured it. This was 
the last of the Indian attacks. Henry N. Martin 
received his education in Hall County, Nob , and 
began farming for himself where he now resides. 
He now has 1,200 acres of laud in a good state of 
cultivation and some in pasturage. He has two 
good barns and is engaged in raising Durham 
cattle, Poland-China hogs, and a good stock of 
horses. He feeds about eighty to eighty live head 
of cattle yearly. He is not active in politics but 
votes with the Republican party. His marriage 
occurred in Hall County, Neb., in 1873, to Miss 
Lititia Donald, a native of Jacksonville, Morgan 
County, 111., who died in Hall County on January 
3, 1877, leaving two children as a memento of 
this marriage; Arthur and Viola. Mr. Martin's 
second marriage occurred on January 2, 1879, in 
Jacksonville, Morgan County, 111., to Miss Sarah 
M. Donald, a native of that county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Martin are Baptists in their belief. Mr. Martin 
has been a member of the school board and moder- 
ator since 1873. He is one of the tirst settlers of 
the county or State south of the Platte, and has 
seen the complete growth of the country. Socially 
ho is a member of Doniphan Lodge No. 86, A. F. 
& A. M. 

Thomas P. Matthews, confectioner of Grand 
Island, Neb., was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., August 
1, 1868, being a son of John A. and Agnes (Con- 
nelly) Matthews, the former a native of Brooklyn 
and the latter of Ireland. She was brought by her 
parents to America when five years old and was 
hen^ reared to womanhood. In 1870 she and her 
husband, Mr. Matthews, emigrated from Brooklyn 
to the State of Nebraska, and first located in Cum- 
mings Cotinty, but after residing on a farm there 



for one year they removed to Lincoln County, Neb., 
and here the father gave his attention to railroad 
ing for four years. In 1876 they came to Hall 
County, and after making their home in Schaupps 
ville until 1880 they removed to Grand Island and 
here still reside. The father is now in the employ 
of the Union Pacific Railway. When twelve years 
of age the subject of this sketch entered the em- 
ploy of S. N. Wolbach, of Grand Island, and 
clerked in his clothing e.stablishment for a period 
of nine years. On May 1, 188'.), he engaged in 
the confectionery business, to which his attention 
has since been given, and he is now the owner of 
a well -stocked establishment and is in the enjoy 
ment of a lucrative and rapidly increasing trade. 
He has connected with his establishment a candy 
kitchen, and manufactures all his own candies. He 
is a young man of push and enterprise, and being 
agreeable and accommodating to his patrons he 
gives every promise of becoming a wealthy citizen. 
He is a member of the Catholic Church, the A. O. i 
U. W. and the Catholic Knights of America. He is 
a Democrat in his political views. 

John Maughari was born in County Mayo. Ire 
land, January 25, 1856, being a son of Patrick and 
Ellen (Flynn) Maughan, who were also born in the 
"Emerald Isle" in 1833 and 1835, respectively. 
After their marriage they emigrated to America to 
seek their fortune, and after a ten-weeks' ocean 
voyage they landed in New York City, and, after 
making their home in York State for eight years they 
went to Pennsylvania, and are now residing on a 
farm. John Maughan received a good common 
school education in his youth, and after assisting 
his father on the home farm until 1881 he came to 
Wood River, Neb., and after tending bar for a 
short time opened a retail liquor establishment in 
1885, and has been in that business ever since, his 
house being quiet and orderly. He is a member 
of the Building and Loan Association of Wood 
River, and is the owner of some good business 
liuildings and a comfortable residence in the town. 
On June 12, 1888, he was united in marriage in 
the Wood River St. Mary's Catholic Church by 
Father Lynch to Miss Katie Brett, who was born 
in the State of Nebraska in 1865. They have one 



Aj (5___w_ 



660 



HISTOllY OF NEBRASKA. 



child, Joliii 1*. 'r\w pati'iiial grandfathiT, Edward 
Miiiigliaii, WHS hiini in County Mayo, Imland, and 
tlicre followi'd tiiii occupatioii iif faiiuiii^. 

Homy J. Mayor is a skillful iiiail)lo aiul stone 
cutter, of (Jraud Island, and ovor since bis rosi 
donee lioro, Juno, 1884, he has identified himself 
with nearly every enterprise of note. He was horn 
in Burlington, Iowa, January 26, 1858, being the 
son of Michael and ('atherino Mayei', who were 
horn, n>ared and married in Germany, and euii- 
grated to the United States in 1857, locating in 
Burlington, Iowa, where the father followinl the 
trad(^ of a stonecutter until 1860, at which time 
ll(^ moved with his family to Nauvoo, 111., where 
they made their homo until 1877. Henry J. Mayer, 
at the age of nine years, began working for a 
farmer near Nauvoo, receiving $5 per month for 
his services. As his first wages he accepted two 
pigs from the farmer at $7.50, and these he car 
ried homo in his pockets. He remained with him 
two yi>ars, and in time had his wages increased to 
$H per month. From eleven to fourteen years of 
age he remained at home, his time being spent in 
attending school, working in a vineyard and learn- 
ing the stone-cutter's trade of his father. At the 
end of this time he began learning marble cutting 
with George W. Kose, of Sonora, 111., with whom 
he remained live years. He then went to Waco, 
Tex., to which place his parents also removed 
shortly after and are there still residing. Being 
unable to secure employment at his trade in that 
vicinity, he began working on the Houston & Texas 
Central Railway and acted in the capacity of bridge 
carpenter for nineteen months. In 1859 he gave up 
this employment and went to Leadville, Colo. , be- 
ing lured thither by the silver excitement. He 
remained there for nearly four years, engaged in 
prospecting, and during this time he met with 
many interesting and exciting adventures. In 
August, 1882, he returned to Sonora, 111., and for 
about one year worked at his trade in the shop of 
his old employer, Mr. Rose. In the fall of 1883 
he again went to Waco, Tex., and during the 
winter which followed he secured employment at 
his calling. Since the month of June, 1884, he 
has been a resident of Grand Island, and his entire 



attention has been given to his trade, and here ho 
has built up an enviable reputation as a tirst-class 
woikman. and a reliable, upright man of business 
In 1SS5 lie (uiirasriHl in business for himself, and is 
now one of the loading mailiie and stone-cutters in 
this part of the State. Ho is an agreeable and 
sociable gentleman, and has made many warm 
friends since locating here. 

August Mieth. The principal events of Mr. 
Mielh's life might be separated into three divis- 
ions or periods: From his Ijirth until his marriage, 
from that time until his removal to the State of 
Nebraska, and the last, from that date to the pros 
ent time, and doubtless all would lie willing to 
concede that the last period has been by far the 
most enjoyable, as he himself would admit. Al- 
though he learned the blacksmith's trade in his 
youth, nature seems to have intended him for a 
farmer, and to day he is the owner of a landed 
estate numbering 320 acres, all well improved with 
a good bearing orchard and excellent buildings. 
He is also the owner of two other farms —one com- 
prising 160 acres, and the other 120 acres, near 
his homo farm, an<l both places are improved with 
buildings, etc. He first purchased 161 acres, then 
as his means would permit made other purchases, 
and is now one of the extensive real-estate holders 
of the county. He was liorn in Prussia, Germany, 
April 5, 1829, and is a son of Christian and Anna 
Mieth, who died in their native land. August 
received a fair education in his native language, 
and after serving a four-years' apprenticeship at 
the blacksmith's trade, he came to America and 
located first at Falls Village, Conn., but after- 
ward went to Buffalo, and from there to Chicago 
in 1855, and in this city followed his trade for 
about fifteen years. He then located in Burling 
ton, 111., and in connection with his trade was 
ensjacred in farming until 1880, at which time he 
moved to Hall County, Neb., and purchased his 
property as above stated. He was married in 
Prussia, but his wife died in Chicago, and after 
ward married in that city in 1860, Mary Pingel, a 
native German, but he was called upon to mourn 
the death of this wife also, her demise occurring in 
Burlington, 111., in 1872. Five children Were born 



HALL COUNTY. 



661 



to his last unioa: August (married, and residing on 
one of his father's farms), Emma (wife of John 
Ruhsen, of Venango, Neb. ), Fred E. , Bertha and 
Ida (the last three at home with their father). 

C. W. Meicer is the editor and proprietor of 
tlii^ Wood River Gazette, and through its columns 
wields a potent influence in the public affairs of 
Hall County. Although a man young in years ho 
is intelligent and enterprising, and has gained the 
esteem and approbation of all who know him. His 
paper commands a good patronage, and some use- 
ful and interesting information can always be 
gleaned from its columns. He was born in Ohio 
in 1S61, and is a son of V. T. and N. 11. (Wagner) 
Mercer, natives, respectively, of Pennsylvania and 
Ohio. The father was a soldier in the Federal 
army during the Rebellion, and in 1871 removed 
with his family to Nebraska, and is now engaged 
in farming near Gibbon. He is a member of the 
Odd-Fellows' fraternity. C. W. Mercer is the 
eldest of their five children, and since nine years 
old has resided in Nebraska. His early youth was 
spent in following the plow and attending school, 
but in March, 1882, he dropped farm work to 
enter the printing office of the Beacon, of Gibbon, 
and there served his apprenticeship as a printer. 
In 1884 he came to Wood River and went to work 
on the Wood River Gazette, and remained in the 
office until the death of the former proprietor, and 
in July, 1889, purchased the establishment, and as 
above stated has conducted the paper successfully. 
Its editorial policy has been directed Ijy a man of 
sound judgment, and its reputation as a repre 
sentative journal of this portion of the State is 
well establishe<l. Mr. Mercer is unmarried. 

I. L. Meseraull, grain buyer and farmer, Doni- 
phan, Neb. In writing of Doniphan its interests 
would l)e incomplete did we not mention Mr. Mes 
erauU, who is one of the foremost business men of 
the place. He first located in Hall County in 1871, 
on the bank of Prairie Creek, Section 22, where he 
homesteaded 160 acres of land, and this he sold in 
1877. In 1884 he erected a good elevator at Doni 
phan and engaged in the grain business the follow- 
ing year. He owes his nativity to Oakland County, 
Mich., where his birth occurred in 1845, and is the 



son of Petei- B. and Rachel (Drake) Meseraull, na- 
tives of New Jersey. At an early day the parents 
settled in Oakland Couuty, Mich. (1828), and fol 
lowed farming in that State until the death of the 
father, which occurred in 1865. The mother died 
ia 1859. I. L. Meseraull was early taught the dn 
ties of farm life and received his education in the 
schools of Michigan. He was married in Lapeer 
County, of that State, in 1865, to Miss Frances 
Smith, a native of Michigan, and the daughter of 
Orlando and Mary E. (Fuller) Smith, natives of 
Connecticut. The father is deceased, but the 
mother is now living. Mr. Meseraull lost his wife 
in Nebraska in 1S76. Two children were born to 
this union: Samuel I. (in Doniphan) and John F. 
(in Michigan.) At the i)reaking out of the war. in 
1861, Mr. Meseraull enlisted in Oakland County. 
Mich., for three years, in Company I, Tenth 
Michigan Infantry, and was assigned to the Army 
of the Cumberland, under Gen Thomas. He was 
in the battles of Farmington, Corinth, luka, Mis- 
sionary Ridge, Stone River, Buzzards' Roost, Res 
aea, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee 
River, Peach Tree Creek, Sandtown, Jonesboro, 
and on to Savannah. He established the first 
picket placed on the Augusta road, at the siege of 
Savannah, and was in the battles of Black River, 
Bentonville and Raleigh. He was at the grand 
review in Washington, D. C. , and was discharged 
at Jackson, Mich , in June, 1865. He was mar 
ried in Hall County, Neb., in 1878, to Miss Esther 
L. Fry, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of 
Charles Fry. Miss Fry was married previous to 
her marriage to Mr. Meseraull. To her marriage 
there were born two children: Ella and Edward. 
Her father enlisted in the Union army in In 
diana, and was killed while in service. The mother 
and children and grandfather emigrated to Hall 
County, Neb., in 1862, and settled near Wood 
River. The grandfather, Capt. Joseph Smith, was 
in the Mexican War. He preceded his daughter 
westward some two years, and in 1861 was killed 
by the Sioux Indians, as were also two uncles. 
The mother still resides in this county, and is 
the wife of Mr. Daniel Baker, of Alda Township. 
Mr. Meseraull moved to Grand Island in 18()S, 



G62 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



iiiul tliore leiuiiiiied until coiiiintr to Doniphan in 
1S87. He purchased ;i >^ooil faim of eighty acres, 
eroctod a good rosidenco, suhstiuitiul outlinildings, 
etc., and has a vory nice place. He is a member 
of Doniphan Lodge No. 180, A. F. & A. M., and 
wa.s also a meiuhor of the (>. A. U. He has been 
a nieinbor of the school board in his district. To 
his marriage were born the following children: 
Morris, Blaine, Francis, Claude, Maria and Katie. 
Dr. Howard C. Miller. Among the inventions 
of the nineteenth century, none are of more im- 
portance than those that pertain to dentistry, and 
among its most able practitioners may be men 
tionod Dr. Miller, who by the superior class of his 
work, his reasonable prices and his genial manner, 
has won a very large patronage. He was born in 
Lewis County, N. Y., January 15, 1859, and is a 
son of Isaac S. and Sarah A. (Stone) Miller, who 
were born and are now living in the "Empire 
State.'' Dr. Miller attended school at Rome, N. 
Y., and in 187V) began the study of dentistry at 
Camden, N. Y., in the office of Dr. A. T. Van, 
and continued to pursue his investigations in this 
science in the office of Dr. G. W. Wertz, of Oma- 
ha, Neb., having come here in 1879. He remained 
in the city of Omaha until his removal to Grand 
Island, October 1, 1881, and here has since prac 
ticed his profession with the most flattering re- 
sults. He has thoroughly prepared himself for 
this calling, and is the oldest dentist in Hall Coun- 
ty, in point of years of continued practice, and 
May 20, 1888, his ability was recognized by his 
being elected president of the Nebraska State 
Dental Society. In his political views the Doctor 
is a Republican, and socially belongs to the K. of 
P., being a charter member of Nysian Lodge No. 
4(), and is also a member of the A. O. U. W. He 
was married November 9, 1881, to Miss Ida V. 
VVickwire, who was born in Stephenson County, 
111., in 18f)(), and by her has two sons: Guy T. 
and Ralph I. 

W. W. Mitchell is a prosperous general mer 
chant of Hall County, located at Wood River, and 
by his excellent management and good commercial 
ability has built up a commendable business. He 
was born in the "Buckeye State" in 1846, and 



in that State made his home and received his edu 
cation until 18<)0, when he went to Michigan and 
was engaged in lumbering in the central and west- 
ern portions until 1S()4, when he joined the Fed(iral 
Navy and served on a gun-bo;it up and down the 
Mississippi River. Upon the close of the war he 
retiu'ned to Michigan and reniaiiied in the lumber 
business until 1871, when he came to Nebraska 
and settled on a soldier's homestead in Hall (boun- 
ty, near Alda. In 1S73 he opened a general mer- 
cantile establishment on a small scale, and also 
bought grain and sold farming implements. He 
did well and still owns a grain house there. He 
bought the elevator in Wood River before moving 
to the town, which is the only steam elevator, and 
ho now ships from one to live car loads of grain per 
day. He recently completed a fine brick store 
building, at a cost of $ t.OOO, and has a stock of gen 
eral merchandise valued at $10,000. As a man of 
business his fame is co- extensive with the surround- 
ing country, and every step of his financial and 
commercial career has been illustrated with acts of 
liberality. His success has been remarkable, and 
the confidence the people have in him in all respects 
is well deserved. He was for some time one of the 
county commissioners, is now vice-president of the 
board of the Building and Loan Association, and 
belongs to the town council. Socially he is a mem- 
ber of the A. O. U. W., the I. O. O. F., and he is 
a stockholder and director of the Wood River 
Bank. Politically he is a Republican. He was 
married in Michigan to Miss C. Morrison, by whom 
he has seven children. His parents, Adam and 
Elizabeth (Crumbaker) Mitchell, were born in Ohio, 
and were farmers by occujjation. The Mitchells 
are of Irish descent, and were among the earliest 
settlers of Virginia. 

James W. Modesitt is the postmaster and a 
successful general merchant at Alda, Hall County, 
Neb. He was born near Indianola, Iowa, Septem- 
ber 6, 1860, being a son of James and Nancy (Judy) 
Modesitt, natives, respectively, of Indiana and Illi- 
nois. The father vvas married twice, his first 
union taking place in Indiana, and his second, to 
Miss Judy, in Illinois. He died in Iowa in 1861, 
and his widow afterward moved to Illinois and lo- 



-f " » 



A 



HALL COUNTY. 



663 



cated ia TazewoU County, where she still resides. 
James W. Modesitt was reared to manhood and 
received a good common-school education in Illi- 
nois, and up to 1886 was engaged in farming. He 
came to Nebraska in 1884, and after following the 
plow for two years and clerking for about two 
y('ars longer, he opened his present establishment, 
and has since been doing well. His stock of goods 
is well selected and fairly large, and as he soils at 
rea.sonable rates he commands a large and luera 
tive trade. He was appointed postmaster of Alda 
by President Harrison in May, 1889, and has since 
discharged the duties of this position in a very effi- 
cient maimer. January 16, 1889, he was married 
to Miss Orilla Fleisher, a daughter of John 
Fleisher, of Hall County, in which county Mrs. 
Modesitt was reared to womanhood. Mr. Modesitt 
belongs to the A. O. U. W., and has held a number 
of official positions in his lodge. 

Peter Mohr, farmer and stockman, was born in 
Holstein, Germany, in 1833, and is a son of Peter 
and Lucy (Meiu) Mohr, also natives of that province, 
the father a farmer by occupation, who made his 
home in his native land until his death, which oc 
curred in 1836. His excellent wife survived him 
until 1868, when she, too, passed away. Peter 
Mohr, the immediate subject of this sketch, was 
reared to a farm life in his native land, and ob- 
tained a fair education in the schools of that conn- 
try. Upon reaching a proper age he entered the 
German army, but only served a short time, and 
after purchasing his discharge set sail from Ham- 
burg March 17, 1869, for the United States, and 
landed at Hoboken, N. J., and came direct to 
Grand Island. After working as a farm hand for 
one year he rented land, and in 1882 settled on his 
present property, which embraces 160 acres. He 
soon set out a good orchard, and in addition to his 
farm work he is now engaged in feeding tifty head 
of cattle yearly. He was one of the first settlers 
of Prairie Creek Township, and has always taken 
a deep interest in the welfare of his adopted State 
and county. He was married in Hall County, in 
18.S2, to Mrs. Wilhelmina (Hasenger) Kinkle. She 
was born in German j', and after coming to the 
United States was married to Dr. Kinkle and moved 



to Grand Island, Neb., where the latter died in 
1880. By the Doctor she became the mother of 
two children; Wilholm and Otillie. Hit union 
with Mr. Mohr has resulted in the birth of a sou, 
Carl P. Mr. Mohr votes with the Democratic 
party and was the first supervisor in his township, 
and has been a member of his district school board 
for twelve years. 

Orrin D. Montgomery is engaged in tilling one 
of the neatest and most fertile farms in the county, 
it comprising 400 acres of land. He was born in 
Saybrook, Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1830, being 
a son of Robert and Charlotte (Gillet) Montgomery, 
the former of whom was born in the Black River 
country, New York, and died in Ashtabula County, 
Ohio, in 1850, aged seventy-two years. The pa- 
ternal grandfather was born in Ireland, and at an 
early day emigrated to Scotland. The maternal 
grandfather was born in Scotland. Mr. Mont- 
gomery is proud of his Scotch blood, and with 
the characteristics of his race worships Scotland's 
national bard, Burns. The subject of this sketch 
was reared in Wisconsin, and was married in 
Michigan, October 28, 1855, to Miss Louisa A. 
Larrabee, the result of this union being five chil- 
ren, of whom four are living: Arthur, Homer, 
Josephine and Ada. After having traveled around 
for some time Mr. Montgomery was at length at- 
tracted by the apparent possibilities of Nebraska, 
and considering the land fertile as well as beauti- 
ful, and believing that his industry would receive 
a rich reward, he settled in Hall County in 1865, 
and the result of his labors has proved his judg- 
ment to be correct. His means were very limited 
on locating here, but he was blessed with good 
health, energy and strength, and is now one of the 
prosperous men of the county. Mr. Montgomery 
was called upon to mourn the death of his wife 
February 15, 1887, she having been a true help- 
mate to him and a most devoted wife and mother. 

Patrick Moore, a prominent pioneer of Hall 
County, Neb., was the first settler on Wood River. 
He was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1835, 
and until the year 1847 was an attendant of the 
national schools, but at that date was brought to 
American shores by his pax'ents, and in time be- 



1-/ 

7U 



OIU 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



caiim a sottler of the State of Illinois. Ho was 
soon placed in the Academy at Joliot, where his 
adviinta^ifi's were improvod to the utmost, and upon 
Icaviiiij thai iiistilntioii he l)ecame one of the jw}) 
iilar aiul sncci'ssfnl local educators of Will County. 
After a resilience of about one year in the State of 
Iowa he cauK* to Omaha, Neh., and in the spring 
of 1859 settled in Hall County, having previously 
pre cmptiMl a claim, and during his early residence 
|iasM'd through the various experiences of the pi- 
oneer settler. The county was very sparsely set- 
llcd until after the completion of the Union Pacific 
Uailroail in 1S(')8, and the families of the settlers 
very often had narrow escapes from death from 
marauding l)ands of Sioux Indians. In February, 
1862, a man by the name of Smith, his two sons, 
a neighbor's son, all neighbors and friends of Mr. 
Moore, were slain during one of the attacks. 
This caused great alarm to the remaining settlers, 
and for many nighls afterward they would assem- 
ble at some one house and keep guard throughout 
the night. By 1864 many of the settlers had re- 
turned to their former homes, but Mr. Moore, with 
the perseverance and determination which have ever 
characterized his efforts, determined to "hold the 
fort," and is now enjoying the fruits of his early 
yeai-s of anxiety and toil. He is the owner of a 
tine tract of land comprising 320 acres, well im- 
proved and every acre of which is tillable. His 
career is well worthy the emulation of the rising 
generation, for to the pluck and intrepidity of just 
such men the present admirable state of civilization 
is due. He is a man of more than ordinary intel- 
ligence, and his business capabilities are of a high 
order. He is a Republican in his political views, 
a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and is 
now vice president of and a heavy stockholder in 
the First National Bank of Wood River. His par 
ents were Patrick and Anastasia (Collins) Moore, 
and the former died on the voyage to America 
His wife and a daughter died of typhoid fever soon 
after landing. 

Charles A. Moore was born in North Bend, 
Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1839, a son of James 
and Margaret (Finley) Moore, the former of whom 
was also born in that county, a farmer by occupa- 



tion and a soldier in the Mexican War. His 
father, James Moore, was a native of Ireland, a 
farmer and gardener, and iipon coming to the 
United States settled first in New York State and 
th(!ii in Mahoning County, Ohio. The wife of 
James Moore was a diiughter of John Finley, also 
a native of Ireland. James Moore removed to 
Portage County, Ohio, with his familj', at an early 
day, and here Charles A. Moore grew up. When 
fifteen years of age he and a brother, James A., 
left their parents' roof and went to Chicago, in 
which city they had their home for about two 
years, being engaged in shipping horses. They 
next went to Pike's Peak, where they were en 
gaged in the stage business for a few years, but in 
1S63-64 they resided on a ranch on the Overland 
Stage Line, the place b(>ing known as Moore's 
Ranche. They were actively engaged in the stock 
business until 1868, when they abandoned their 
ranch and Charles A. Moore settled in Sidney, 
Neb. , with the interests of which i)lace he was 
identified for some years, coming to Grand Island 
in 1890. He was married in Freeport, 111., in 
1871, to Miss Mary A. Tarbox, she being born in 
that place, a daughter of Horace and Mary (Van 
Pelt) Tarbox, natives of York State. Mr. Moore 
and his family worship in the Presbyterian Church, 
and he and wife have an interesting family of two 
sons and one daughter: Horace G., Washington 
C. and Gracie. While a resident of Cheyenne 
County, Neb., Mr. Moore served for one term as 
county commissioner, the duties of which posititiu 
he discharged in a very eiKcient maimer. 

John Moore is a successful farmer of Hall 
County, Neb., and since the year 1880 has been 
engaged in tilling the soil on his own respon- 
sibility, and is the owner of ICO acres of excellent 
farming land in Hall County, his original purchase 
being eighty acres. The year 1889 he tilled 130 
acres of corn, and as his farm is conducted in a 
very thorough manner he is compelled to employ 
assistance throughout the year. He is a son of 
Anthony and Mary (Collins) Moore, and was born 
in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1857, but with his parents 
Wiis among the early settlers of Hall County, Neb. 
In this county he received a thorough common- 




:t. 



school education, and he is now considered a 
young man of far more than average intelligence, 
and has proved to be a valuable citizen in the com- 
munity in which he resides, especially in connec- 
tion with the farming interests. He has always 
supported the Democratic party and has served two 
terms as a member of the board of count}' commis- 
sioners. Hia worthy wife, before her marriage, 
which took place in January, 1880, was a Miss 
Mary A. Ryan, a native of Wisconsin, born in 
1858, her parents being among those who early 
sought a home in Hall County, Neb. , coming here 
in 1871. This young couple have had a family of 
four children born to them: Annie, Johnie, Mamie 
and Willie. Mamie died when about eleven months 
old. Mr. Moore resided with his parents until his 
marriage. He and wife are consistent members of 
the Roman Catholic Church. 

Charles Moritz is a German by birth, and this 
fact alone is enough to assure one that he is up- 
right in all his dealings, thrifty, industrious, and 
consequently successful. He has been a resident 
of Nebraska since 1878, and his farm, which com- 
prises 280 acres of tine land, nicely improved, is 
admirably adapted to the raising of all the cereals, 
as well as to the propagation of fine stock, to 
which Mr. Moritz gives a great deal of his time 
and attention. Since locating here he has proved a 
valualjle citizen in the community, especially in the 
direction of tine stock interests, and on his farm 
is an exceptionally fine lot of Holstein Friesian 
cattle and Poland China swine. At the early age 
of thirteen years he bade adieu to home and friends 
and for six years followed the sea, after which be 
came to America and engaged in tilling the soil, 
an occupation to which he has since successfully 
given his attention. He has always taken an act- 
ive interest in the political affairs of his adopted 
country, more especially of Nebraska and Hall 
County, and has supported the men and measures 
of the Republican party, serving in a number of 
local positions. He was married, in 1885, to Miss 
Lena Jost, whose place of birth was Germany, 
where she was born in 1863. and their union has 
been l)lessed in the birth of two bright little chil- 
dren : Martha and Otto F. Mrs. Moritz is a daugh- 



ter of Valentine and Sophia (Harteubach). Jost, who 
were born in Germany in 1830 and ISSi), respect- 
ively. Mr. Moritz's parents, Carl and Mary (Stahl 
hut) Moritz, were born in 1827 and 1830, respect 
ively, and in 1885 they emigrated to the United 
States, settling in the State of Nebraska, and are 
at present living near their son. Charles. 

Joseph H. Mullin, book seller and i)aper dealer, 
Grand Island, was born in Des Moines County, 
Iowa, February 24, 1851. His fatlier, Bernard 
Mullin, is a native of Adams County, Ohio, and 
his paternal grandfather, Thomas Mullin, was born 
in Pennsylvania, and is of Irish American stock. 
His mother, Mary (Brennan) Mullin, is a native of 
West Meath, Ireland, whence she came to America 
with her parents, Thomas and Bridget Brennan, 
when sixteen years of age. Joseph H. Mullin is 
one of a family of four sons and two daughters. 
He grew to manhood in Iowa, where he received 
the advantages of an academical education. He 
took a course in the law school of the Slate Univer- 
sity of Iowa, from which institution he graduated in 
1876, and was admitted to practice in the courts of 
the State. In the same year he opened a law office 
at Iowa City, but was not long in discovering that, 
while he enjoyed the study, the practice of law was 
not to his taste. Early in the spring of 1S71I lie 
came to Nebraska and established the business 
which he conducts at the present time. He was 
married here, October 15, 1884, to Miss Alice E. 
Hooper, a native of the State, and a daughter of 
Hon. Edward Hooper [see sketch]. They have 
two sons: Bernard Edward (born September 26, 
1885) and Wilfrid Cecil (l)orn August IS, 1887). 
Mr. Mullin and family are members of St. Marv's 
Roman Catholic Church, of which he is one of the 
trustees. He is a stockholder in the Grand Island 
Improvement Company, and is well and favoraltly 
known in Hall County. In the spring of 1889 he 
was elected police judge of the city, which office 
he holds at present. 

Hon. Michael Murphy is the efficient postmaster 
of Grand Island. Neb., and is a member of the 
board of supervisors of Hall County. He was born 
in May glass, County Wexford, Ireland, March 15, 
1835, and is a son of James and Ellen (Howland) 



^ 



Mnri)liy, t.lii' foniifi- ol' whom was a cari)(»iiter and 
builder by trade. Ho ami wife reared a family 
of four sons, all of whom found homes in Amer 
icu. Michael Mur{)liy came to America with his 
uncle, William Rowland, and settled with him near 
Galena, 111., where he remained until fifteen years 
of a^e, having by that time completed his school- 
iutc and worked for some time at the jirinter's trade. 
Ho first started out in life for himself as a jtrinter 
in Lafayette, Ind., but afterward went to La 
Porte, Ind., where he learned photography. This 
occupation he followed in Maquoketa, Iowa, 
whither be went in 1855, i)ut after spending about 
a year in St. Louis during war times, he returned 
to Maquoketa, and engaged in merchandising 
there live or six years. In 1870 he removed to 
Nebraska, and first took up his abode in Dixon 
C'ounty, but after a year or two of farming be gave 
up this occupation, returned to his camera, and in 
1875 moved to Plattsmoutb, where be opened a 
photograph gallery, and remained until 1877. He 
had in the meantime paid Cirand Island a visit on 
two different occasions, and liking. tbe city, he 
chose it as his future home, and accordingly moved 
here in 1877, and again opened a gallery, which 
he has since successfully managed. While a resi- 
dent of Maquoketa, Iowa, he was married to Miss 
Eliza Humjihrey, who was born near Buffalo, Erie 
County, N. Y., a daughter of Arthur King Hum- 
phrey, by his marriage to a Miss Orcutt. Mr. and 
Mrs. Murphy have a son and daughter: Eva (a 
teacher in the public schools of Grand Island, an 
intelligent and estimable young lady) and Earl (a 
lad of eleven years). Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are 
members of the Episcopal Church. He is a Scot 
tish Kite Mason, a K. of H., and belongs to the 
(irand Island Improvement Company. He has 
served as mayor of the town on two different occa- 
sions, and has been a member of the school board 
four years. 

A. C. Murphy, hardware merchant, Wood River, 
Neb. Prominent among tbe successful business 
men of Wood River .stands the name of the above 
mentioned gentleman, who owes his nativity to 
Hampstead, Va. , where his birth occurred October 
13, 1850. In April, 1857, he came with his par- 



ents, Pendleton and Eva (Cline) Murphy, to Coles 
County, 111., and thence to Douglas County, of 
the same State, where he grew to manhood and 
received the rudiments of an education. He was 
thrown on his own responsibility at an early age, 
and farmed in Illinois until 1884. He owned 
about 300 acres of land, and was engaged in rais- 
ing stock, grain, etc. In 1885 he sold his farm, 
and emigrated to Neliraska, where, in September, 
1887, he located in Wood River, and has since 
been engaged in the hardware business, with a 
stock valued at $5,000, and with annual sales that 
equal about |'20,000. He is a stockholder in tbe 
First National Bank, and is one of the substantial 
men of the county. He is a memlier of Lodge No. 
22, I. O. O. F., of Grand Island. His parents were 
both natives of Virginia, and the father died in 
Illinois at the age of sixty-tive years. They were 
the parents of eight children, six of whom are now 
living. A. C Murphy is a fine specimen of phys- 
ical manhood, standing six feet in his stockings, 
and proportioned accordingly. He is a typical 
Virginian, and is the truest of friends, but an 
enemy to be dreaded. 

John Myers, farmer and stock -raiser, Wood 
River, Neb. Among the residents of this town- 
ship who are accorded a worthy place in the re- 
spect of its citizens is John Myers, originally from 
Butler County, Pa., where his l>irth ocurred 
in 1828, he being the son of John and M. (Sti 
cale) Myers, natives also of the Keystone State. 
There he was left motherless at the age of two 
j'ears, and two years later his father married Miss 
Hannah Morrison, also a native of Pennsylvania. 
John Myers, Jr., began fighting life's battles for 
himself when but fifteen years of age, and in 1846 
came to Hancock County, 111., where he remained 
twi) years. After that he removed to Calhoun 
County, where in 1853 he was united in marriage 
to Miss Margaret Frances Turner, of Calhoun 
County, 111., and the fruits of this union were 
seven children, two of whom died in infancy, and 
one, Nancy A., when over two years old; four 
are still living: William W., Sarilda, Edward N. 
and Bertie O. Mr. Myers came west in 186V), 
settled in Washington County, Neb,, and there 



HALL COUNTY. 



667 



remained uutil the spring of 1874, when he came 
to Hall County, Neb. He was three times eaten 
out by grasshoppers, but was not discouraged, and 
is to-day one of the substantial farmers of the 
county. Aside from this his house with all its 
contents was destroyed by fire in 1886, but he has 
since reljuilt, has good outbuildings, etc., and a 
No. 1 farm of 320 acres, every acre of which is 
tillable. He has good stock, fine groves, and has 
only to dig about eighteen feet to get abundance 
of water. He has twenty-five acres of timothy 
and clover which is doing finely. He is a member 
of the Farmers' Alliance, and in his political views 
affiliates with the Democratic party. 

Lafayette Myers, Grand Island, Neb. Since 
locating in Grand Island in 187f) Mr. Myers has 
identified himself with every interest of the place, 
and is now considered one of its leading business 
men. He was born in Hughsonville, Dutchess 
County, N. Y., June 26, 1844, and is a son of 
Abraham and Lucretia (BrinkerhofF) Myers, who 
were also natives of the "Empire State." The 
father was a passenger on the first vessel leaving 
New York City in 1849 for the California gold 
fields, but died while crossing the Isthmus of 
Panama the same year, at the age of thirty-eight 
years. He had been a merchant in good standing 
in the above-named city. His wife was born in 
1815 and died in 1873. Lafayette Myers is the 
fourth of their six children, and was educated in 
the ward schools of New York City. He then was 
indentured, served his time and received fi"om the 
Governor of New York by consent of the Senate 
his full branch papers as pilot of the port of New 
York by the way of Hell Gate. In the spring of 
1876 he came to Grand Island, Neb., and was 
here actively engaged in the coal and ice business, 
but on March 31, 1887, being a Democrat, he was 
appointed to the position of postmaster of Grand 
Island and entered on his duties May 1, receiving 
his appointment from President Cleveland. As 
an official he was efficient and popular, hut con- 
scientiously believing that " to the victor belong- 
the spoiLs," on December I, 1889, cheerfully re 
signed the position in favor of his successor. He 
was married in Washington, D. C. , in August, 



1874, to Miss Fannie A. Campl)ell, who was born 
in New York City in 1849, and Ijy her has a family 
of four children: Lafayette, Elsie, Bessie and 
Emma. Mr. Myers was made a Mason when 
about twenty- one years of age. 

Thomas A. Oakes is alderman from the Fourth 
Ward of Grand Island, Neb., and his name is 
identified with the material and social happiness 
of Hall County. He was born in Baltimore, Md., 
March 20, 1849, and is a son of James and Mary 
(Nugent) Oakes, worthy people who were born in 
Derry, Ireland, and emigrated to the United States 
in early life. The father was a coppersmith by 
trade and for many years worked in the car shops 
of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Company at 
Baltimore. He died in 1865 at the age of forty- 
seven years, and his worthy wife followed him to 
the grave some two years later. The youth and 
early manhood of Thomas A. Oakes were spent in 
his native city, and there he learned the painter's 
trade, and after reaching his twenty first year he 
left home and worked at his trade in difperent parts 
of the United States for several years, being prin 
cipally engaged throughout the West. In 1881 he 
settled at St. Paul, in Howard County, Neb., with 
the interests of which place he was identified until 
1885. when he came to Grand Island and began 
working in the Union Pacific car shops, which has 
been bis principal occupation ever since. He is a 
steady, painstaking workman, and as a citizen com 
mands the respect of all who know him. He is a 
member of the K. of L. , and is now serving his 
first term as alderman for his ward. He was mar 
ried in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Miss Annie A. 
Cosgrove, by whom he has a son and daughter: 
Walter C. and May H. Mr. Oakes and his wife 
are regular communicants in St. Mary's Roman 
Catholic Church. 

D. O'Kane. The mercantile interests of Hall 
County, Neb., have been ably represented since 
March, 1880, by Mr. O'Kane, who has also been 
successfully engaged in grain-dealing. Upon first 
locating in the county, in January, 1880, he was 
the ticket agent at Alda for the Union Pacific Rail 
road, and held this position until he established 
his present business. He was born in Ogle County, 



\ 




111., in IS.'i"), ami was tlio fomlb of uiuo children 
1)0111 to Joseph and Mary (Davy) O'Kane, natives, 
respectively, of Philadelphia, Pa., anil Ireland, 
their union taking place in the State of Indiana. 
Soon after this event they settled in Illinois, and 
here the father was engaged in fanning until 1874, 
when ho moved to Nebraska, where he resided 
until his death in January, 1887, his wife dying in 
December, 1889. D. O'Kane received the advau 
tages of the comiuoa schools of Ogle County in 
his boyhood, but in 1874 left his parents' home and 
•settled in Dawson County, Neb., where he carried 
on stock-raising for some time. He then took up the 
study of telegraphy at Willow Island, and about 
1876 became an operator and entered the employ 
of the Union Pacific llailroad, and during a service 
of thirteen years he only lost about live weeks. 
He has been engaged in general merchandising for 
a number of years, and as he carries a large and 
varied assortment of goods which ho sells at very 
reasonable rate.s, he has obtained a large share of 
public patronage. He was married in Alda in 
January, 1882, to Miss Anna Mitchell, a native of 
Michigan and a daughter of Thomas Mitchell, who 
came to Nebraska in 1870. He is now a widower 
and makes his homo with Mr. O'Kane. To the 
union above mentioned two interesting children 
have been born: Mabel and Josie. Mr. O'Kane 
casts his vote with the Democratic party, and has 
served as justice of the peace of Alda Township, 
and has been a delegate to different county con- 
ventions. He is a member of the A. O. U. W., 
Alda Lodge No. IC)5, and is a wide-awake and 
enterprising citizen, interested in all good works. 
Amajiah D. Owens. Among the people of Hall 
as well as surrounding counties the name that 
heads this sketch is by no means an unfamiliar one, 
for ever since locating here he has been closely con- 
nected with the progress and development of the 
community. His birth occurred in Wirt County, 
W. Va. , February 27, 1847, and he was the fifth 
of eleven children, nine of whom are living, born 
to Luther and Mardulia (Lott) Owens, who were 
born within* the limits of Old Virginia. A. D. 
Owens, the immediate subject of this memoir, was 
reared on a farm in his native county, and in 1871 



accompanied tbt- family of Joseph H. Trout from 
West Virginia to the city of Indianapolis, Ind., and 
in the fall of 1872 he came with the same family 
to Hall County, Nel>. , and made his home with 
them for six months The two following years he 
spent in Wyoming Territory and Colorado, then 
returned to Nebraska, and engaged in farming in 
Centre Township of Hall County. On November 

4, 1880, he was niiited in marriage to Miss Annie 

5. B. , the daughter of Joseph H. and Amelia E. 
Trout, which family was the one Mr. Owens ac- 
companied from West Virginia. Mrs. Owens was 
born in P'rederick County, Md., January 30, 1856, 
and immediately after their marriage she and Mr. 
Owens settled in Grand Island, where they have 
since made their home. During the tirst few years 
of his residence here Mr. Owens was employed in 
different ways, and after working in an elevator 
for two years he spent two more years as clerk in 
a grocery store, and the following year was an em- 
ploye of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
Company. In December, 1885, ho bought a dray 
line in Grand Island, and has very successfully 
owned and operated it ever since. His line now 
consists of four teams, and he is doing a prosperous 
business. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. , the 
K. of L., and in his political views is a Republican. 
He and wife are the parents of the following chil- 
dren: Myrtie A., Clyde L., Byrel M. and an in- 
fant daughter unnamed. Clyde and Byrel are de- 
ceased. 

Jeremiah Parker is a representative agricult 
urist and stockman of Hall County, Neb., and is 
recognized and respected as such wherever known. 
He was born in Trnmbull County, Ohio, June 16. 
1823, and is a son of David and Elizabeth (Van 
Aken) Parker, who were born in Boston, Mass., 
and Delaware County, N. Y., respectively. The 
former removed to York State when a young man, 
was married there, and in 1816 removed to Ohio 
and settled in Trumbull County, where he made a 
farm and reared his family, his death occurring 
there on April 20, 1839. His wife survived him 
until January 30, 1863, when she, too, passed 
away. Of a family of twelve children born io them, 
two sons and three daughters are now living, but 



^k 



f 



4., Q_ 



HALL COUNTY. 



669 



all became heads of families before their deaths. 
Jeremiah Parker was the youngest of his father's 
family, and after reaching manhood was married, 
in Trumbull County. Ohio, in 1843, to Miss Betsy 
Jane Waste, and after his marriage located on the 
old home place, and farmed until 1862, at which 
lime he went to Andover, Ashtalnila County. He 
lost his first wife in 1851, she having borne him 
live children: David B. (was in the Twenty-ninth 
Ohio Infantry, and was killed at Culpeper Court- 
House August 12, 1862, and was buried at Alex- 
andria, Va. ), a daughter, Maria J. (married, and 
(lied after having given birth to two children), 
a son, Ira C. (is married, and lives in Hall Coun- 
ty), Leander I. (died at Alda February 13, 1886), 
Lovina E. (is the wife of William Lawrence, and 
lives in Hall County). Mr. Parker's second union 
also took place in Trumbull County, May 22, 1851, 
his wife being Miss Orpha Finlaw, a daughter of 
Ezra Finlaw. She was born in Pennsylvania, but 
reared in Ohio, and her union with Mr. Parker has 
resulted in the birth of six children: Jacob E. (a 
resident of Valley County), James P. (in Sherman 
County), Deborah S. (wife of P. A. Tobias, of Ash 
tabula County, Ohio), Marvin S. (is single and at 
home), Mary E. (wife of Alonzo Fowler, of Valley 
County, Neb.) and Nellie (at home). In 1862 Mr. 
Parker moved from Trumbull to Ashtabula Coun- 
ty, Ohio, and there made his home until he came 
to Nebraska, April 15, 1879. He soon purchased 
his present property, which was then but slightly 
improved, and now has 169 acres of fertile laud in 
a fair state of cultivation, on which are good build- 
ings of all kinds. Mr. Parker is an active poli- 
tician, voting the Republican ticket, and is serving 
as a member of the school board of his district. 
He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church for a number of years, and socially belongs 
to the I. O. O. F. 

N. J. Parker is a dealer in coal, and commis- 
sion agent for the Omaha Union Grain Company 
at Wood River, Neb. Like all native New Yorkers 
he is intelligent, enterprising and industrious, and 
although still a young man he has established for 
himself and wife a comfortable and pleasant home 
here. He was born in Monroe County, July 7, 1859, 



and is a son of John and Mary (Anderson) Parker, 
who were born in County Cavin, Ireland. At the 
age of twenty-two he came to the United States 
and first settled in New York, liut in 1866 removed 
to the State of Illinois, and there died on Autrust 
15, 1879, having been a stone and brick mason 
throughout life. Both parents were married prior 
to their union with each other, and the mother is 
now living in Beloit, Wis., making her home with 
a daughter. N. J. Parker is one of four children, 
and received his education and rearing in De Kalb 
County, III., lint after reaching his fourteenth year 
he liegan learning the trade of a molder, and this 
occu])ation continued to receive his attention until 
he came to Nebraska in 1885. His present posi- 
tion was [)roffered him liy his brother in law, P. C. 
Hunel)augh, and this he is very successfully tilling. 
He owns a good residence besides two building 
lots in the town, and is otherwise well-tixed 
financially. During the year 1889 he sold over 
1,100 tons of coal, making a good profit there- 
on. He is a Democrat in his political views. He 
was married in Sycamore, 111., to Miss Carrie M. 
Johnson, who was born in tliat State November 7, 
1862, their marriage taking place May 22, 1883. 
James M. Parrott, farmer and stock- raiser, Don- 
iphan, Neb. James M. Parrott was born in Wood 
County, Va. (now V,'. Va.), February 18, 1850, 
being the son of Abraham Parrott, a native of the 
Keystone State. The latter Was a teacher by pro 
fession, and followed this occupation in Ohio and 
Virginia for many years. He was married in Ohio 
to our subject's mother, whose maiden name was 
Miss Margaret Burchard, and who was a native of 
the last-named State. The father died in Ohio in 
1853, and in 1878 the mother emigrated to Ne 
braska, settled on the same section as her son, 
James M. , and there her death occurred January 
2, 1889. Their family consisted of six children : 
Elizabeth Ann (wife of David M. Mooney), William 
S. (who enlisted in 1863 in the One Hundred 
and Sixteenth Ohio Infantr\', Company I, was in 
the l>attle of Winchester and a number of other 
engagements, was wounded at the battle of Cedar 
Creek; he came home, finally settled in Kansas, 
and there his death occurred in 1880), John N. 




(came to Hall County, Nol)., in tho t^iirly part of 
1880, located in tins township, and made bis Lome 
with his mother until his death Jaiuiary JJl, 188'.)), 
Margaret J. (now Mrs. George C. Humphrey, of 
this township), James M. and Abraham C. [see 
sketch]. James M. Parrott's younger days were 
spent in Ohio, where he received his education, 
and in 1872 he moved to Hartford City, Ind., 
where he learned telegraphy, taking his first office 
at Royal Centre, on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & 
St. Louis Railroad. He remained in this office 
for five months and then returned to Hartford 
City, where he remained for nearly ten years in the 
employ of the same company. He then came to 
Nebraska, farmed for one year, and then took an 
office as agent and operator at Silver Creek, Neb., 
on the Union Pacific Railroad, tilling that position 
for two and a half years. He was then transferred 
to Orchard, Colo., on the Julesburg branch of the 
Union Pacific Railroad, and remained there another 
two years and a half,- spending in all about fifteen 
years in railroading. Mr. Parrott was married in 
Hartford City on September 6, 1876, to Miss 
Orrleaffa Moler, the daughter of John E. and Mar- 
garet (Stewart) Moler, natives of Virginia and 
Ohio, respectively. Mr. Moler was a physician of 
Hartford City and is living at the present time. 
The mother died in November, 1888. Mr. Parrott 
has one child, Bessie May. Our subject emigrated 
to Hall County, Neb., in 1883, having purchased 
100 acres of land in 1877, which he has l)een im- 
j)roving ever since, and which shows the care and 
attention that have been put upon it. He also 
raises a good grade of stock. Socially he is a 
member of the I. O O. F., Silver Creek Lodge 
No. 131, and is a charter member of the same. 
He is a Republican, and takes a deep interest in 
politics, as he does in all the current topics of the 
(lay. 

A. C. Parrott, farmer and stock raiser in Sec- 
tion 14, South Platte Township, homesteaded 
eighty acres in 187(3, and located on his farm in 
January, 1877. He was born in Virginia in 1853, 
(tarly became familiar with the details of farm life, 
received his education in Ohio, and when twenty- 
four years of age came to Hall County, Neb. , 



whore he engaged in farming on his present prop- 
erty. He erected a sod cabin in the spring of 
1877, and lived in that nntil the fall of 1883, 
when he erected a good frame house, improved 
the place, set out an orchard and now has his 
farm in a good state of cultivation. He was mar 
ried in Hall County, Neb., in 187'J, to Miss Marion 
Gray, a native of Wisconsin, and the daughter of 
Robert and Rachel (Chambers) Gray, natives of 
Ogdensburg, N. Y. Mr. Gray moved to Walworth 
County, Wis., at an early day, and in 1878 emi- 
grated to Hall County, Neb., settling in South 
Platte Township, where he purchased a partly- 
improved farm. He died in Hall County, March 
20, 1888, but his wife is still living and makes 
her home in South Platte Township. Mrs. Par- 
rott had three brothers in service during the late 
war. Dallas enlisted in the artillery, and was all 
through the war. His death occurred in Montana, 
in August, 1880. Bruce enlisted in 1863 in the 
cavalry, took cold, came home and died with the 
consumption. Leslie enlisted in 1 863 in the infantry 
service, was in active duty for some time, and was 
coming home by way of the Atlantic when the vessel 
in which he took passage was lost with all on board. 
After his marriage Mr. Parrott .settled where he 
now resides, has a well-improved place, likes the 
State, and is one of its prominent citizens. He is 
not active in politics, but votes with the Repub- 
lican party. To his marriage were born five chil- 
dren: Robert, Luda, Georgia, Ora, and Johnny 
(who died in infancy). Mr. Parrott is the son of 
Abraham and Margaret (Burchard) Parrott, natives 
of Ohio. After their marriage the parents settled 
in Virginia and remained there some time, the 
father engaging in teaching school. His death oc- 
curred in May, 1853. The mother died in Hall 
County, Neb., in January, 1889. They were the 
parents of six children, A. C. being the youngest. 
One of these children, William, was in the service. 
He enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Six- 
teenth Ohio Infantry, under (irens. Hunter and 
Sheridan, and was in the battles of Winchester, 
Cedar Creek and others. He was taken prisoner, 
confined at Libby, Belle Isle and Castle Thun- 
der, and was in the prisons of the South for several 






mouths. He received a guu-shot wound at Cedar 
Creek. Our subject was amoag the pioneer set- 
tlers of Hall County, and has always taken an act- 
ive interest in all that relates to the good of the 
community. 

James Christian Pederson is the proprietor of 
an excellent livery and sale stable, and his estab- 
lishment is well fitted np with a complete line of 
carriages and horses. He is popular with com 
mercial men, for his charges are reasonable and 
excellent rigs are provided for transportation. He 
was born near Biborg, Denmark, July 7, 1856, 
and is a son of iSoren M. and Annie Pederson, who 
came to America in 1809, and first settled at Ocon 
omowoc. Wis., but soon after the Chicago fire Mr. 
Pederson went to that place, where he was en- 
gaged in contracting and building and mason's 
work, until the fall of 1873, when he came to 
Grand Island, Neb., and subsequently settled at 
Dannebrog, in Howard County, where he was one 
of the prime movers in the colonization of the set- 
tlement with Danish people. James Christian 
Pederson is the eldest of his seven children, and 
was reared to manhood in Grand Island. After 
attaining a proper age be embarked in the grocery 
business and successfully conducted an establish- 
ment from 1879 to 1880, after which he pui'chased 
his present livery business, which is one of the 
best of the kind in the county. He was mar- 
ried here to Miss Jennie Morgan, who was born in 
Pennsylvania but reared in Nebraska, she being a 
daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Chapman) Mor- 
gan. They have three daughters: Be.ssie, Maysie 
and Gracie. Mr. and Mrs. Pederson are members 
of the Presbyterian Church, and he belongs to the 
K. of P. and the A. O. U. W. Mr. Pederson is 
the owner of considerable valual)le property, and 
besides owning some town property has a good 
stock ranch in Custer County. 

Hon. William H. Piatt, an influential member 
of the Grand Island bar, and the present mayor of 
the city, was born in Rochester, N. Y., October 16, 
1835, a son of William A. and Mary E. (Pierce) 
Piatt, both of whom were born in New York City, 
the former September 23, 1807. and the latter 
October 17, 1807. Their marriage was consum- 



mated September 23, 1829, in their native city, 
and there and in Michigan they made their home 
until 1872, when they located in Grand Island, 
Neb., and here the father passed from life in Jan- 
uary, 1875. His widow survives him and is mak 
ing her homo with her daughter, Mrs. Maggie E. 
Conely, at Brighton, Mich. The paternal grand 
parents, Allison and Margaret Piatt, were born in 
Germany and New York City, respectively, and the 
former was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. 
The maternal grandfather, John Pierce, was a na- 
tive of Dublin, Ireland, and was a sailor by occu- 
pation. While serving as skipper of the bark 
" Mary, "of which he was the principal owner, he was 
lost at sea while on a trip from Liverpool to New 
York City. William H. Piatt, the immediate sub 
ject of this sketch, was the third in a family of 
nine children, eight being sons, and he and a 
brother and sister are the only ones now living. 
William H. , Nathan and John P. served in the 
Union army during the late war, and the last 
named was a member of the Sixth Michigan Cav 
airy, and was taken prisoner at the battle of Fall 
ing Water, and died in prison on Belle Isle. Will 
iam H. Piatt was taken by his parents to New York 
City before he was a year old, and there all his 
early education was obtained. He graduated from 
an educational institution that is now known as 
New York College, at the age of sixteen years, and 
immediately after, or in the year 1851, he went to 
Brighton, Mich., near which place he spent three 
years and helped his father clear up a farm. Re 
turning to New York City, for a few years follow 
ing he was in the employ of his cousin, James A. 
Van Brunt, a prominent shipping merchant of that 
city, and upon the breaking out of the late Civil 
War he became a member of the Thirteenth New 
York Regiment of Brooklyn. On April 19, 1861, 
the same day Fort Sumter was tired upon, his 
regiment was ordered to Annapolis, Md. , thence to 
Baltimore, where he remained nearly four months, 
at which time his term of enlistment had expired. 
He was mustered out at Brooklyn, August 1, 1861, 
after which he went on a visit to his parents at 
Brighton, Mich., and while there, October Hi. 
1802, he was married to Miss Fannie E. Bidwell, 



who was l)orii near that town, a daughter of Soth 
Biilwell, a pioneer of Michigan. For aljout two 
years after his marriage Mr. Plait reuiaiued in the 
vicinity of Brighton, l)eing engaged in teaching 
school. In the spring of 18()4 he removed to the 
State of Nebraska, in which ho has made his home 
ever since, his residence during the first two years 
being chiefly in Omaha, he \)eing a civil engineer 
in the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad, which 
was then in course of construction. In the fall of 
1806 he removed from Omaha to Grand Island, of 
which place he has since been a prominent resi- 
dent. From the spring of 1S()7 to the year 186.S 
he owned and conducted a drug store, and contin- 
ued to be identified with that calling until 1872, 
but in the meantnue had eutiu'ed upon the practice 
of his profession. His ability soon became known 
and recognized, and in 1871 he was elected to the 
office uf county judge, was re-elected in 1873, and 
served in all four years. In 1872 he was a dele- 
gate to the National Democratic Convention held 
at Baltimore. In the year 1877 he formed a law- 
partnership with George H. Thummel, and the 
firm of Thummel & Piatt has existed ever since, 
being at the present time one of the al)lest legal 
firms in the county, if not in the State. They are 
both well versed in legal lore, have a large client 
age are conscientious and safe in their work, and 
have conducted many cases to a siiccessful issue. 
In the spring of 1877 Mr. Piatt was elected mayor 
of Grand Island, and at that time served one term 
of two years, was elected a delegate to the National 
Democratic Convention to bo held at Cincinnati, 
Ohio, in 1880, and in the spring of 1X87 was agnin 
elected to the office of mayor of Grand Island, and 
was re elected in the spring of 1889, being cictively 
engaged in the discharge of his duties at the pres- 
ent time. He has always taken an active part in 
educ^ational matters, and there is no one to wIjomi 
nioi e credit is due for the present excellent condition 
of the city schools than he. In 18G7 he, with four 
other gentlemen, contributed money with which 
the first school house in the city was l)uilt, and he 
has since served as a member of th(! city school 
board for fifteen years, being for stweral years 
president of the board. By his own industry he 



has accumulated a comfortal)le fortune, which lu* 
dispenses to the advantage of himself and his fol 
low men, and being one of the earliest pioneers of 
the city and well known throughout Hall and sur 
rounding counties, he commands the respect and 
esteem of all who know him. Ho is a member of 
the Masonic lodge, in which he attained the degree 
of Knight Templar. He and wife are the ]iarents 
of the following family of children: Ralph, Hugh, 
Pierce, Blanche and Ruth. Ralph is now a stu- 
dent at law in the University of Michigan at Ann 
Arbor. 

Caswell T. Poo, M. D., one of the oldest and 
best known physicians in the State of Nebraska, 
was born in Richmond, Va., March 27, 1830, being 
a sou of William and Margaret Ann (Tippet) Poe, 
the former born September 2, 1786, in Richmond, 
and died in Illinois in February, 1867. In his 
youth he was a classmate of William Henry Har- 
rison, in Hampden Sidney College, in Virginia, 
and after commencing for himself he followed the 
occupation of wholesale merchandising, and in his 
political views was a stanch Henry Clay Whig. 
His father, who was Thomas Poe, was born near 
Spottsylvania Court house, Va. , in 1749, and was 
a son of Anson Poe, who was born in England and 
came to the United States in 1707, settling in Vir- 
ginia on the Po River, where he lived and died. 
The father of Anson Poe was born in Italy on the 
Po River, date not known. The mother of Dr. 
Caswell T. Poe was born in Richmond, Va. , May 
21, 1807, and died in Illinois in 1872, having re- 
moved with her husband and family to Sangamon 
County of that State in 1845. Dr. Poe is one of 
four surviving members of a family of nine chil 
dren, and when a young man was an attendant of 
Woodward College, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Knox 
College, Galesburg, 111. In 1850 he began study- 
ing medicine under Dr. David Prince, of Jackson- 
ville, one of the eminent surgeons of the West, 
who died at the age of seventy-four years, and 
afterward entered the Cincinnati Medical College, 
from which he was graduated March 10, 1853, and 
for two years remained in Cincinnati in the office 
of Dr. F. A. Waldo, oculist. In 1856 ho attended 
a course of lectures in the Ohio Medical College, 



"^- 



Aj «i k^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



673 



thea went to Morgau County, 111. , aud l)ecame 
associated in the practice of his profe.ssion with 
Dr. John Simpson. In the fall of ISS'J he en- 
tered the State University of Michigan, at Ann 
Arbor, aud from the spring of that year until 
January, 1SP)'2, he was pharmacist aud second as- 
sistant physician in what was then the only hospi- 
tal for the insane, at Jacksonville, III. He re- 
mained in this State until April, 1872, when he 
caiuo to (irand Island, Hall County, Neb., which 
place has since been his home. For nine years he 
was county physician of Hall County, and dis- 
charged his duties in a very efficient manner. In 
1882 he received the honorary degree of M. D. 
from St. Joseph Medical College. He was married 
March 10, 1S62, to Mrs. Stella Beard Ferguson, 
who was born in Ohio in 1834, and by her has had 
three children: Frederick William, Margaret Ber- 
neice and Anna Louise. His step daughter. Belle 
Ferguson, taught the first school in South Platte 
Valley Precinct, Hall County, Neb., in 1873. The 
Doctor is a Democrat of the old school. 

William Powell has been a resident of Hall 
Counjy, Neh., since 1869, and has [iroved to be a 
valuable acquisition to the community in which he 
resides, especially in the direction of line stock 
interests. He was born in New Orleans County, 
N. Y., in 1824, being the eldest of seven children 
born to Reuben and Olive (Paine) Powell, who 
were also natives of the "Empire State." The 
father was a farmer and stockman, and in 1837 
removed to Trumbull County, Ohio, where he 
purchased land and improved, but died in Geauga 
County about 1873. His wife survived him until 
1885, when she, too, passed away. William 
Powell has always been familiar with farm duties, 
aud has made it his occupation through life. His 
opportunities for obtaining a good education in 
the common schools of his native State were lim- 
ited, and subsequently he determined to see some- 
thing of life, and crossed the plains to California 
in 1850, taking the overland route, and for four 
years was engaged iu mining near Nevada ('ity, 
after which he returned by water to New York 
City, and from there overland to his native State. 
In 1859 he returned to California and remained 



four years longer engaged in mining, then again 
returned to Ohio and turned his attention to farm - 
ing and stock-raising, giving particular attention 
to the propagation of sheep. He was married in 
Geauga County, Ohio, in 1857, to Miss Mercy A. 
Hosmer, a native of that county, and a daughter 
of Alonzo and Asenath (Biddleconie) Hosmer, who 
were born in the State of New York and were 
early emigrants to Ohio, being engaged iu farm- 
ing in both States, and Iwth are now ileceased. 
In 1869 Mr. Powell removed to Hall County, Neb., 
purchased 1,000 acres of partially improved land 
which he fenced aud turned into a stock farm, for 
which purpose it is admiraltly adapted, as it is 
well watered by the Wood River, along the l)anks 
of which is quite heavy timber. He is now feed 
ing 170 head of cattle and averages from 150 to 
160 head per year. He also raises an excellent 
grade of horses, and is the owner of a tine Ham 
bletonian horse. He has always voted with the 
Republican party, and has held a number of local 
offices. Mr. Powell lo.it his excellent wife in Jan 
uary, 1885, she having borne him four children: 
Frank (who is married and resides at Giblion, 
Buffalo County, Neb. ), Alonzo, Reuben (who works 
iu the First National Bank of Grand Island), and 
George (who is a graduate of the high school at 
Grand Island, and is now attending Rush Medical 
College, of Chicago). 

James D. Purdy, a well known contractor and 
builder of Grand Island, Neb., was born at Har- 
mony, in Chautauqua County, N. Y. , Jime 14, 
1840, and is a son of John and Maria (Bradner) 
Purdy, the former a cooper by trade, but also en- 
gaged in farming. The paternal grandfather was 
Silas Purdy. James D. Purdy was the third child 
and eldest son in a family of throe sons and four 
daughters, and was reared to manhood in his 
native State, receiving there the advantages of the 
common schools. While he was busily employed 
iu learning the carpenter's trade the war Itroke 
out, and he dropped his tools to take up arms in 
defense of the "stars and stripes," becoming a 
member of Company G, Forty-ninth New York 
Volunteer Infantry, aud was on active. duty for 
three years, participating in a number of battles. 



i ^ 



674 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



Aftor the war was over he spent some time at 
lu)m(v, hilt in 1806 went to Michij^an and for six 
years was a resident at Alma, where he carried on 
carpenterini^. In 1872 ho located in (irand Island, 
Neb., and here has since been prominently identi- 
fied with its Iniildinjif interests, and is an able and 
skillfnl in((plianic. The followinj^ are some of the 
bnildinii;s which he has erected: Independence 
Building, Jamiesoii Block, Michelsou Block, City 
Hall, first l)rick school-house, O. A. Abbott's resi- 
dence, besides many other business blocks, 
churches and schools. He was married in Har- 
mony, N. Y.. in 1866, to Miss Kosa Carr, a daugh- 
ter of Jonas Carr. and liy her has had a family of 
three sons and three daughters: Maud, Othello, 
William, May, Minnie and James D. , Jr. The 
family worship in the Methodist Epiacojjal Church, 
and Mr. Purdy is a member of the G. A. R. 

John Quinn, stock shi])per, Wood River, Neb. 
Of those persons of Irish ancestry mentioned in 
this volume none are more deserving of especial 
remark than John Quinn, a man whom Wood 
River will ever have cause to remember for the 
part he has taken in its building up and improve 
ment. He was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, 
in 1838, attended the national schools of that 
country, and was reareu to the arduous duties of 
the farm. When about twenty-two years of age 
he commenced dealing in stock, purchased in all 
parts of Ireland, and shipped to England and the 
principal markets of Ireland. He continued at 
this business in his native country until 1872, when 
he took passage for America. He located first at 
West Point, on the Hudson River, in the State of 
New York, and first worked for the Hon. Samuel 
Sloan and Secretary Fish. One year later he went 
to Newark, N. J., was employed in a mill at that 
place and there remained for a year and a half, 
when he went to Janesville, Wis., and was there 
engaged in lumbering and farming. He traveled 
quite extensively over the prairies of the North for 
twelve years, and then went back to Ireland, where 
he remained three months. Again returning to 
his adopted country, he went first to Janesville, 
Wis., but later (migrated to N'ebraska and settled 
in Wood River, where he has been actively en- 



gaged in farming and stock shipping ever since. 
He is the owner of 160 acres of land and ships 
over a hundred car loads of stock per year. He 
has never married, and is a mi^mber of the Romna 
Catholic Church. His parents. Miles and Eliza 
beth (Coolin) Quinn, are both natives of Ireland, 
the former l)orn in 1762 and died in 1868, and the 
latter born in 1766 and died in 1887, at the age of 
ninety one years. Of the nine children born to 
their marriage, five sons and four daughters, seven 

I are now living, but John Quinn is the only one in 
America. The Quinn family were originally from 
the North of Ireland, l)ut were driven out in the 

I time of the Rebellion and settled in County Wick- 
low. Four of his father's cousins were priests in 
the Catholic Church, and one of the most noted 
Catholic schools in Dublin, Ireland, was under 
their charge at last accounts. One of them was 
vicar-general at Kingston, Ireland, and two of 
them were consecrated bishops and sent to Aus- 

i tralia on missions. John Quinn is a powerfully 
built man, and in point of wit and humor is a typ- 
ical Irishman. He is noted for fairness in dealing 
and is honest and uj)right. 

Cyrus P. Rathbuns career has been of much 
benefit and influence to the people, not only of Hall 
County, but throughout the State, and a sketch of 
his life will be of more than passing interest. He 
is an old settler of Center Township, Hall County, 
Neb., and was born in Canada West January 19, 
1844, and is the fourth in a family of seven chil- 
dren born to the marriage of Daniel Rathbun and 
Ruth Ryder, both natives of York State, the for- 
mer's birth occurring February 24, 1812. They 

I were married in Canada about 1838, and in 1888 
celebrated their golden wedding, and both are 
still living, their home being in Van Buren County, 
Mich. The paternal grandparents were William 
and Irene (Niles) Rathlnni, the latter a native of 
Connecticut, and the maternal grandparents were 
Roland and Rebecca (Spencer) Ryder, both natives 
of the "Empire State." Cyrus P. Rathbun re- 
sided on a farm in Canada West until seventeen 
years of age, or until 1861, when he accompanied 
his parents to Van Buren County, Mich., that 
county continuing to be his home until 1868. He 



^« 



HALL COUNTY. 



675 



then bade adieu to Lis friends, and after visiting 
for one week in Canada, he went to New York City 
and took the steamer "Henry Chauncey," with the 
intention of going to Oregon. He crossed the Isth- 
mus of Panama, and went from there to San Fran- 
cisco on the steamer "Gokleii City," and from San 
Francisco to Portland ho took passage on the 
steamer " Oregonian." After spending six months 
in this State, engaged chiefly in saw-milling, he 
started from Salem, Ore., to assist in driving a 
drove of horses to Woodland, Cal., and in the last- 
named place fell in with some old acquaintances, 
aud there remained some eighteen months, engaged 
in farming. He then went to Sacramento and 
bought a ticket over the Union Pacific Road for 
Omaha, Neb., and from there he went to Fremont 
County, Iowa, and until January, 1872, was en- 
gaged chiefly in the harness business in Fremont 
City. Since that time he has resided in Hall County, 
Nell., his farm being situated about three miles 
west of Grand Island. He proved up on his claim 
in 1S77, after which he went to the Black Hills, 
and there spent some mouths engaged in mining. 
He is a Prohibitionist politically, and socially is a 
member of the A. O. U. M' . He and wife, whom 
he married April 12, 1880, and whose maiden name 
was Emma A. Clark, are members of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Rathbun was born 
in York State October 13, 1848, and liy Mr. Rath- 
bun has become the mother of two children: Ruth 
Myrtle (who died in the seventh year of her age) 
and John Wilbur. 

Darius Richardson, farmer and poultry-raiser, 
Alda, Neb. It is a fact unnecessary of denial that 
a person is better fitted to follow the occupation 
with which he became familiar in early life than 
to engage in an undertaking learned in later years. 
This truth is borne out by the career of Mr. Richard- 
son, who, from a boy, has known all the minute de 
tails of agricultural life. To this acquired knowledge 
may be added a natural faculty for that calling, for 
his father, Artemus Richardson, was also a farmer, 
although he also mined for a number of years in 
California. The latter was married to Miss Dorcas 
Hubbard, a native of Maine, where he also was 
born, and this union has resulted in the birth of 



six children. The parents both died in their na- 
tive State, the mother in 1854 and the father in 
1886. Darius Richardson was born in Oxford 
County, Me., in October, 1840. was next to the 
youngest in the above-mentioned family, and was 
educated in his native county. On June 21, 18()l, 
he enlisted in Company H, Fifth Maine Infantry, 
for three years, and was assigned to the Army of 
the Potomac. He participated in the battle of Bull 
Run, then the Peninsula campaign, Gaines' Mill, 
Seven-Day battle, second battle of Bull Run, An 
tietam, Funkstown Heights, Fredericksburg and 
Chancellorsville. In 1863 he veteranized in the 
same company and regiment for the service, and 
was in the battle of Gettysburg. He received a 
gun- shot wound through his leg at the battle of the 
Wilderness, and was confined in the hospital at 
York, Pa., thirteen months, and was in bed three 
months of that time. He also had the typhoid 
fever, and has had a fever sore ever since the "war. 
He was honorably discharged at York on June 17, 
1865, and returned to Maine. In 1866 he went to 
Ohio, and in 1868 settled in Summit County, of 
that State. In 1871 he moved to Howard County, 
Neb., settled on a farm, and engaged in the fruit 
industry, which he continued two years. He was 
married in Summit County. Ohio, in 1874, to Miss 
Emma A. Palmer, a native of that county and State. 
In 1873 Mr. Richardson located in Grand Island, 
clerked for al)out eighteen months,and then engaged 
in delivering goods, first in the city of Grand Island, 
where he remained until June, 1881, when he 
bought an improved fflrm of forty acres, and this 
he has since conducted with the success that at- 
tended his father's efforts in that chosen channel. 
He takes an active interest in politics, and votes 
with the Republican party. He has been justice 
of the peace for two years, and takes a decided in- 
terest in the temperance movement. Mrs. Rich 
ardson is a member of the Presbyterian Church. 
To this union have been born three living childi-en: 
Clarence, Maud and Carl. 

Lewis Richard, farmer and stock-raiser. Wood 
River, Neb. This very successful agriculturist and 
stockman was l)orn in the Empire State in 1831, 
and is the sou of George Rickard, who was also 



'k. 



(570 



HISTORY OF NE13KASKA. 



t)i>ni ill the State of Now York. The father was a 
furiiier by occupation, and in bis political views 
was an old line Whig. He died in INcSO, at the 
age of eighty five years. He was married to Miss 
Margaret Grove, a native also of New York State, 
and to this union were horn eleven children, six 
sons and live daughters, all of whom lived to be 1 
grown, and only one of the sous now deceased. 
Lewis Kickard received a common school educa 
tion, and wh(*n grown went to Wiscousiu, where 
he followed farming for many years. He was | 
t.her(< married in \H^tH to Miss Maria A. Fellows, 
a native of Michigan, boru in 1S85, and the fruits of ; 
this uuiou were nine children: Edward A., Martha ; 
A.. Ada K.(born in l<S6:i and died in 1867), Melissa 
(wife of N. T. Knox), Tenant L., Kate, Abraham 
Jjincoln, Leonard, Oliver G. and Mabel G. Mr. I 
Kickard resid(>d in Wisconsin and Illinois about 
ten years, and then moved to Iowa in 185J). He 
located in Black Hawk County, and remained there 
and in Buchanan C!ounty for twelve years, engaged 
in farming all the time. He tilled the office of 
township trustee there for several years. He left 
Buchanan County in 1871, emigrated to Nebraska, 
and took a homestead, which he settled on one 
year later. He is now the owner of 200 acres of 
land, and is one of the substantial men of the 
county. He is president of the Farmers' Alliance, 
and in his political views affiliates with the Repub- 
lican party. He was treasurer of Harrison Town- 
ship for one term. Mrs. Rickard's parents, Milton 
and Olive Ann (Nichols) Fellows, were natives of 
Pennsylvania and New York, born in 1815 and 
1814, respectively. The father was a soldier in 
the Black Hawk War, and died in 1885. The 
mother died in 1852. The Nichols were of Welsh 
and Dutch descent. 

Charles Ridell has spent his life in pursuing 
the calling which is now receiving his attention, 
and his earnest endeavor coupled with strict integ- 
rity and honesty of purpose have resulted in plac- 
ing him among the truly respected and honored 
agriculturists of Hall County. He was born in 
Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, September 14, 
1843, and is a son of Hans and Magdaline (Elmer) 
Ridell, both of whom were of German birth, and 



were reared and married in the old country. They 
emigrated to the United States in 1836 and moved 
the following year to Columbus, Ohio, where Mr. 
Ridell followed his trade, that of carpenter, until 
his death in August, 1844, his wife's demise oc 
curring in 1874. Cliarlos Ridell lived in Colum 
bus until six years of age, after which the family 
moved in the country, where he followed farming 
till manhood. He sup|)li'meiited a common-school 
education with about one year's attendance in the 
academies and colleges of Delaware. On Febru- 
ary 26, 1864, he enlisted in the Ninety tifth Ohio 
Volunteers and served until the close of the war, 
receiving his discharge at Jackson, Miss., August 
8, 1865, during his service having participated in 
the battle of (Tuntovvn, Miss. He was captured in 
this battle and was taken to that foul den, Ander- 
sonville, but live and one half months after was 
paroled, sent home, remained three months and 
then rejoined his regiment. After the war was 
over he returned to Columbus, and after attending 
a college in Delawaie, Ohio, for one term he taught 
school the following two winters, and then attended 
school until he came West in 1868. He first set 
tied at Jacksonville, 111., where he was watchman 
of the Deaf and Dumb Institute for one year, but 
he then came west to Nebraska and arrived at 
Grand Island in the fall of 1869, and has since been 
a resident of the county. There were not over 
three or four stores at Grand Island at that time, 
and the population consisted of about 300 souls. 
In the fall of 1870 Mr. Ridell entered eighty acres 
of land, has since added eighty acres more, and 
now has it all in a good state of cultivation, fur- 
nished with good buildings, fences, etc. He came 
here with but $100, and is now the owner of a line 
home and owes no man a dollar. He is considered 
one of the substantial men of the county, and be 
side his farm above mentioned, is the owner of 
some vacant lots in Fullerton, Nance County, Neb., 
and also two riisidences there. March 22, 1870, his 
marriage to Miss Isabel Fivey took place in Jack- 
sonville, 111. She was born in 1844 in County Down, 
Ireland, and was there reared and educated, a 
daughter of George and Betty Fivey. After com- 
ing to America she resided one year in Pennsyl 



l^r 



A 



-J>- 



HALL COUNTY. 



677 



vania and three years in Jacksonville, 111. Sbe is 
an earnest member of the Presbyterian Church. 

John Riss is a well-known grocer and pioneer 
citizen of Grand Island, Neb., and was born in 
Augsburg, Bavaria. March 27, 1842, a son of An- 
ton and Mary Ann Riss, with whom he came to 
America when he was a little over live years of ao-e. 
The family arrived in Milwaukee, Wis., September 
18, 1847, and here the father's death occurred in 
1853, the mother dying in 1858. During his youth 
John Riss learned the carpenter's trade, and in the 
State of Wisconsin continued to follow this occu- 
pation until the sounds of war caused him to enter 
upon the career of a soldier. With a patriotism 
which did not stop at the dark outlook of the 
future, he, on April 17, 1861, enlisted in Com- 
pany H, First Wisconsin Infantry, and served 
four months. January 6, 1862, he joined Com- 
pany H, Second Wisconsin Cavalry, with which he 
served throe years and one month, and besides 
numerous skirmishes in which he participated, he 
was in a number of battles, among which may be 
mentioned Vicksburg. He was mustered out of 
service at Memphis, Tenn., February 8, 1865, and 
then returned to Milwaukee, Imt about two weeks 
later went to Council Bhift's, Iowa, where he spent 
two years learning the harness maker's trade with 
an uncle. In 1867 he came to Grand Island, ar 
riving May 6, and from that time until 1871 he 
was the proprietor of a harness shop. From 1871 
to 1883 he was engaged in the retail liipior busi- 
ness, and from the latter date until the present time 
he has conducted a grocery, his efforts in this 
direction meeting with well deserved success. He 
is one of the oldest settlers of Grand Island, and 
is well respected and higlily esteemed by the in- 
habitants of the county, as well as by his fellow- 
townsmen. November 21, 1871, he was married 
to Miss Lena M. Schumer, who died June 24, 
1883. On February 26, 1884, he took for his sec- 
ond wife Miss Lena M. Geisinger, and by her is 
the father of three children; John A., Roscoe C. 
P. and Joseph H. Mr. and Mrs. Riss are members 
of the Catholic Church. He is a Republican in 
politics, a member of the G. A. R., the Catholic 
Knights of America, the Liederkranz. the Platt- 



deutscbe and the Old Settler.s" Societi(!s. He also 
belongs to the fire department, which he has .served 
five years, receiving his diploma. 

Henry Roach, one of Hall County's (Neb.) 
worthy and well-to-do farmers, is a son of Henry 
and Mary (Donahoe) Roach, both of whom were 
born in the "Emerald Isle." the latter's birth 
occurring in County Galway. The father was a 
victim of that barbarous .system of land tenure 
which in this age is known only in Ireland, and he 
was four times evicted. He died in the land of 
his nativity, in 1849, having been one of six chil- 
dren: Mary, Kate, Celia, Margaret, Henry and 
John. Henry Roach, the immediate sul)ject of 
this sketch, was one of seven children whose names 
are heie given: Thomas, Michael, Henry, Cather- 
ine, Celia, Ellen and Margaret, all of whom are 
living with the exception of John. The errand 
parents were Thomas and Margaret (Ginnes) 
Roach and Michael and Ellen (Dolan) Donahoe, 
and the great grandparents were Henry and Cath 
erine (Fenarty) Roach and Bartlett and Ellen 
(Henline) Donahoe. Henry Roach was born in 
County Galway, Ireland, in 1830, and on Decem- 
ber 20, bSaO, landed at New Orleans, La., and 
soon after came up the river to St. Louis, and 
from there went to Springfield, 111., to join some 
relatives. Here he remained until the opening of 
the Rebellion, and on March 14, 1861, he became 
a member of the Union army, under Capt. Hop 
kins, and went to Cairo, 111., and was placed with 
his company to guard Fort Prentice. Six months 
later he moved to Paducah. Ky.. from there to 
Fort Donelson, and here was mustered out of serv- 
ice in 1864. He then returned to Springfield, 
111., but in I86() removed to Hall County, Neb., 
which State has since been his home. He was en- 
gaged in railroading on the Union Pacific Rail- 
road until 1870, then took up a gov€>rnmeiit claim 
on the northeast (piarter of Section 4, Township 
9, Range 12 west, and has since purchased forty 
acres more, which makes him an excellent farm. 
He has fine shade trees surrounding his farm, a 
good young orchard, and a fine grove of box-elder 
trees near his residence. He devotes ten acres to 
timothy and clover each year, and for the past six 



(578 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



years lias (lone well in this lino. His horses, cat- 
tin and swine are of a good grade, and he is a 
thorou^'li and thrifty farmer, and gives particular 
alt(Mition to all details. In 1874 he was iiiairied 
tt) Ellen (Jarnes, who died November 25, 1889, and 
he then married Mrs. Katharine Kilkenny, also a 
native of Inland. Mr. Roach and his wife are 
members of the Roman Catholic Church, and he 
belongs to the Democratic party. 

Joseph Roach, farnaer, Alda. Neb. Mr. Roach 
owes his nativity to Clipston, North Hamptonshire, 
England, where he was born in 1835, and is now 
following a calling that has for ages received un- 
divided efforts from many worthy individuals, and 
one that furnishes sustenance to the ready worker. 
He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Eames) Roach, 
l)oth natives of England. The father followed 
farming in his native country until 1855 and then 
emigrated to the United States, settling in Elyria, 
Ohio, where he resided until his death, which 
occurred when he was about eighty years of age. 
They were the parents of seven children, Joseph 
being third in order of birth, and all l)ut one now 
alive. William was killed in West Virginia while 
fighting in the Union army. He enlisted in Com- 
pany K, Twenty third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 
May, 18fil, and served his country faithfully and 
well. The mother died in Ohio at the age of forty - 
live years. Joseph Roach came to America when 
about eighteen years of age, and located in the 
Buckeye State. He came by himself, and his parents 
and brothers and si.sters followed a couple of years 
later. After residing in Ohio for about fourteen 
years, engaged the principal part of the time in 
farming, he moved to Bloomington, 111., in the 
sj)ring of 18fi7, and remained there until the spring 
of 1876, when he came West and jnirchased govern- 
ment land in Hall County, Neb. He is now the 
owner of 16(' acres and Wood River runs through 
both eighties. The location of the old government 
post-office is on his land. He was married in Ohio 
March 27, 1850, to Miss Eliza Bonner, a native of 
Remsen, Oneida County, N. Y. , born in 1829. 
She grew to womanhood there and then went to 
Pennsylvania, thence nine months later to a brother 
in Ohio, where she met and was married to Mr. 



Roach. Their family circle numbers two living chil- 
dren: William C. and Marion C. Eliza D. Roach 
died October 24, 1807. Olive Elizabeth died in her 
twentieth year, on January 27, 1881, and was the 
wife of Matthew Curran. (Mr. Curran died June 
18, 1881). Joseph E. is also deceased. Mr. 
Roach is a [lowerful man physically, measures six 
feet three inches in height, and at his best weighs 
240 pounds. His wife weighs 287 pounds and is 
hearty and hale. She is a member of the Christian 
Church, and both have the respect and esteem of 
all actpiainted with them. Mr. Roach is a Repub 
lican in politics, but is not a partisan in home 
matters. 

T. B. Robb, farmer and stock-raiser, Doniphan, 
Neb. T. B. Robb, the son of Sylvester Robb, was 
born in Washington County, Pa. ,in 1841. His 
father was a native of Pennsylvania also, was a 
farmer by occupation, and was married to our sub 
ject's mother, whose maiden name was Isabella 
Moore. Eight children were the result of this 
union. In 1843 the father moved from Pennsyl- 
vania to Logan County, Ohio, where he continued 
his chosen calling. His death occurred in 1880. 
The mother is still living. T. B. Robb was reared 
to the life of a farmer, and received his education 
principally in the Buckeye State. He was married 
in Union County, Ohio, in 1868, to Miss Melvina 
Arrowhood, who was born in Ohio, and who was 
the daughter of Jacob Arrowhood, also a native 
of that State. The father moved to Illinois in 1800, 
but returned to Ohio, where he died in 1873. Mr. 
Robb settled in Iowa in 1868, and followed farm 
ing until 1872, .when he moved to Hall County, 
Neb., and entered eighty acres of land. Mr. Robb 
lost his wife in 1874, and has three children as the 
result of this union: Eva May, James B. and 
Harry M. For his second wife Mr. Robb chose 
Mrs. Esther (Proctor), widow of William Bivin, a 
native of Iowa. Five children have been the fruits 
of this union: Cora Alice, Thomas, Theodore, Ora 
Otis and Inis Pearl. Mr. Robb has three step- 
children: Nora (now Mrs. Jackson, of Grand 
Island), Emma (now 'Mn. Gideon, resides in Doni 
phan Townshi])) and William. Mr. Robb has im- 
proved his homestead, added to it, and now is the 



"71^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



679 



owner of IfiO acres of excellent laud in a good state 
of cultivation. Ho has embarked in the fruit in- 
dustry, and raises considerable small fruit. He is 
a Democrat in his political preferences, is a mem- 
ber of Doniphan Lodge No. 86, A. F. & A. M., 
has been treasurer of the lodge, and is also a mem- 
ber of Doniphan Lodge, A. O. U. W. He has 
experienced droughts, grasshopper raids, April 
storms, etc., in Nelu'aska, but thinks the State can 
not be beaten, and intends making it his perma- 
nent home. He is truly one of the respected men 
of the township, and by his (juiet, unpretentious 
course has made many friends, and at the same 
time been very successful. 

Caleb M. Robinson, M. D., is one of the best 
known physicians of Hall County, Neb., and keeps 
thoroughly apace with the times. He was born in 
Highland County, Ohio, March 29, 1826, and is a 
son of Joshua and Anna (Bentley) Robinson, both 
of whom were born in Gratiot County, Va. , at the 
foot of the Blue Ridge Motintains. The family 
were Quakers, and Mrs. Robinson was a preacher 
of that denomination for many years. They moved 
to Ohio in December, 1825, being among the early 
settlers of Highland County, but later settled in 
Clinton County, where the father passed from life 
in December, 1865, his wife having died in 1829. 
The Doctor is the youngest of four brothers and six 
sisters that grew to mature years, and he and three 
sisters are the only surviving members of the 
family, one sister being a preacher in the Quaker 
Church at Martinsville, Ohio. The Doctor received 
the advantages of a collegiate education in his 
native State, at Yellow Springs College, graduating 
in 1845, but some three years earlier had begun 
the study of medicine. He worked his own way 
through college, being engaged in teaching to de- 
fray his expenses, his first term being at the age of 
sixteen years, when he had al)out seventy two pupils. 
He took his first medical lectures in an Allopathic 
College at Columbus in the fall of 1844, and in 
the spring of the following year he went to Cleve- 
land, Ohio, and took a course in a medical institu- 
tion of that city, graduating in the fall of that year. 
He next studied in a medical college of Cincinnati, 
and in the spring of 1846 went to Philadelphia, 



where betook two full courses in the Eclectic Medi 
cal College, graduating in the fall of 1846. After 
com])leting his course he went to East Lilierty, Ohio, 
built a machine shop, and followed that business 
there and in Clinton County for several years. He 
was married in Wilmington, Ohio, in July, 1847, 
and prior to the late Civil War he had practiced his 
profession a short time. In April, 1861, he en- 
listed at the first call for troops in tiie three months" 
service, in the Twelfth Ohio Infantry, and was 
commissioned surgeon of his regiment, and at the 
expiration of his term of service he re-enlisted. He 
was then assigned to the National Guards, then to 
the Fifteenth Ohio Infantry, and served with that 
regiment until the close of the war. He was 
wounded October 28, 1864, while crossing the Chat- 
tahoochee River, but remained with the army until 
mustered out of service. He then returned to Wil- 
mington, Ohio, and as he was much disabled from 
his wound, did nothing for a number of years. In 
1868 he moved from Ohio to Missouri, and for three 
years practiced his profession in Macon City, and 
after one year's residence in Brunswick and two 
years' residence in Warrensburg, he moved to 
Nebraska, arriving here in the month of Octol)er, 
1873. After opening a farm and practicing his 
profession up to 1S87 he moved to where he now 
resides, adjoining the village of Cairo, where he 
has since been in the active practice of his pro- 
fession. He is a member of the State Medical So 
ciety, and attended the first medical society ever 
held in Grand Island. His first wife died in Ohio, 
her name Ijeing Martha J. , a daughter of Joel 
Woodruff, an Ohioan now deceased. The Doctor 
and his wife had two children: Mary Ann (wife of 
W^illiam Rudduch, of South Bend, Ind. ) and Sam 
uel W. (of Akron, Ohio). The Doctor married his 
present wife at Macon City, Mo., January 26, 1870, 
her name being Elizabeth Ashbaugh, a daughter 
of Dr. J. L. and Cynthia E. Ashbaugh, of Carroll 
ton, Mo. Mrs. Robinson was born in Kentucky, 
but was reared in Iowa and Missouri. One daugh- 
ter and two sons have Ijlessed this union: Estella 
Maj' (now nineteen years of age, a successful teacher 
of the county), Charles (aged eighteen) and Will 
iam Clarence (aged fifteen). The Doctor and his 



•v 



080 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



wii\< ant moiuhors of tbo Christian Cburcli, and lie 
belongs to tbo Masonic and I. O. O. F. fraternities. 
Thomas Uohinson, maehiiiist hy trade, and com 
inissioner of Hall County, Neb., is prominently 
identilied with and has long been a factor in the 
progniss and welfare of Grand Island. He was 
born in Lochwiniiocli, llenfrowshire, Scotland, 
March 31, 1840, and is a son of William and Jane 
(Allan) Robinson, the former of whom was a shoe- 
maker by trade. Jane Allan was a daughter of 
William Allan, a weaver, who reared quite a family 
of children, of whom Daniel was a cotton-spinner 
and teacher by occupation. He was a warm personal 
friend of David Livingston, the great African ex- 
])lorer. during his collegiate studies at Glasgow 
University, and in later years carried on an unin- 
ti>rrupted correspondence with that gentleman, who 
wrote him many interesting anecdotes concerning 
his ex])lorati()ns, and made his home with him on 
his return visit to his old highland home. Thomas 
Rol)insou, the immediate subject of this sketch, 
grew to mature years in Scotland, and in the city 
of Glasgow learned the machinist's trade, his first 
work as a journeyman being done on the celebrated 
southern privateer, "Alabama." After working 
for the Lairds, at Birkenhead, for seven years, he, 
in 1872, emigrated to Cana<1a, and for some time 
was an employe on the Grand Trunk Railway, of 
('anada, at Montreal. In 1875 he came to the 
United States, and from that time until 1S81 
worked for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific 
Railroad, at Stuart, Iowa, Vmt in the last-named 
year severed his connection with that corporation 
and removed to Omaha, Neb., and in 1882 came to 
Grand Island, where he has since remained, and 
vyhere he has become well and favorably known. 
He was first married to Miss Helen Leslie, a native 
of Edinburgh, Scotland, and a daughter of Thomas 
Leslie, a merchant tailor, and by him she bore a 
family of four children: Thomas, James, Helen j 
and Elizabeth. His present wife was Miss Mary 
E. Doyle, and they worshi]i at the Congregational I 
Church. Mr. Robinson is vico-])resident of the 
Burns Club, and has shown his approval of secret 
societies by becoming a member of the A. O. U. W. 
and the K. of L. He is now serving his second 



term us county commissioner and has shown him 
self to be a man of capability, sound judgment, 
broad intelligence and progressive ideas. 

Oscar Roeser is engaged in the grocery business 
in Grand Lsland, Neb., and although he has only 
been established in the grocery business since 188'2. 
he has built \\p a trade and founded a reputation 
equal to any of the oldest houses in the city. He 
was born in Saginaw, Mich., January 4, 1852, and 
is a son of William and Theresa (Vasold) Roeser, 
who were born and reared in Germany, but who 
were married in Saginaw, Mich., where they still 
reside. In a family of ten children l)orn to them, 
eight were sons and two were daughters, and the 
eldest was the subject of this sketch, he being one 
of the eight children who are livingr. He attained 
manhood in his native city and there received a 
good education in the public schools. When not 
pursuing his studies he worked in his father's gen- 
eral mercantile establishment, the latter having 
started this business in 1851, and still continues it-, 
but after acquiring a sutiticient education he gave 
up this work and engaged in wielding the ferule, 
continuing for two terms near Saginaw. In 1877 
he left his native county and came directly to 
Grand Island, Neb., where he has ever since made 
his home, and in this city he is now a leading busi 
ness man. During the first five years of his resi- 
dence here he was employed by Fred Hedde as 
manager of a lumber yard, but in 1882 he took the 
money he had earned and saved and invested it in 
groceries, and this business has continued to re- 
ceive his attention up to the present time. He has 
been unusually successful, and holds tint confidence 
of the citizens of Grand Island for integrity and 
sound judgment. His efforts on behalf of supply- 
ing dealers with the best quality of goods at little 
money are fully ap])reciated, and have gained for 
him an envial>le name in the mercantile circles 
throughout the county. On December (5, 1884, 
his marriage occurred to Miss Minna M. Stolley, a 
daughter of William Stolley, a pioneer settler of 
the county. Mrs. Roeser was born on the old 
Stolley homestead, one mile south of Grand Island, 
and her union with Mr. Roeser has resulted in the 
birth of a son, Emil F. In his political views Mr. 



HALL COUNTY. 



681 



Roeser is a devoted member of the Republican 
party. 

Emerson Rogers. One of the neatest and best- 
kept farms in Hall Connty, Neb., is that owned by 
Mr. Rogers. It comprises 280 acres, situated 
about four miles from Grand Island. Mr. Rogers 
was born in Casco. Me., in the month of August, 
1827, and there grew to manhood, receiving a good 
couimon-school education. In 1855 he came west 
and settled in Aurora, 111., where he engaged in 
contracting and building, and there met and mar- 
lied Miss Jennie Pierce, daughter of Robert and 
Elizabeth Pierce, of Denbigh, North Wales. Mrs. 
Rogers was born, reared and educated in Wales, 
and in 1857 emigrated to the United States with 
her uncle, John Pierce, Esq., of Big Rock, 111., 
and after her marriage she and Mr. Rogers resided 
in Aurora for about fifteen years. The latter, in 
addition to contracting and building, worked in the 
railroad shops of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Company. In 1871 the family settled in Hall 
County, Neb., and have since made their home on 
his present farm, all of which is in a good state of 
cultivation. He has a large two story house, good 
barns and other outbuildings, a fine, large grove, 
and raises a considerable quantity of small fruit. 
Mr. Rogers is a Republican in politics, and has 
held a number of local positions of trust and honor 
in the county, and has served as a delegate to the 
county and State conventions. They have three 
sons: Adin M. (who is married and resides on the 
farm), Lew Wallace (who is in the express business 
in San Francisco, married, and has one child, two 
years old, Earl Emerson) and Ernest P. (who is on 
the Union Pacific Railroad). They also have an 
adojited daughter, Mamie M. Genong (who has 
lived with them since she was six years of age, with 
the exception of four yeais away at school). The 
family p.ttend the Episcopalian Church of Grand 
Island, but Mr. Rogers is a Uuiversalist in faith. 
Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have traveled considerable 
during their married life. While living in Aurora 
(18<)8) they spent the summer in Maine, visiting 
Mr. Rogers' parents and brothers and sisters, and 
in 1873 Mrs. Rogers spent several mouths in 
Europe, visiting her parents and sisters, and in 

43 



1880 both spent eight months in Europe, traveling 
in England, Scotland and France, visiting Liver- 
pool, Manchester and London in England, Glasgow 
and Edinburgh in Scotland, and Dieppe, Rouen, 
Paris and Versailles in France, also Denbigh, 
North Wales, Mrs. Roger's birth place, and in 
1888 Mrs. Rogers passed eight months in Cali 
fornia, spending most of her time in San Francisco, 
Oakland and Alameda, and in 1880 Mr. Rogers 
spent six months in California. Both are so de- 
lighted with the lovely climate of the Pacific coast 
they intend to spend their winters there in future. 
H. A. Rose is a pioneer settler of Alda Town- 
ship, Hall County, Neb., having entered land here 
as early as November, 1863, amounting to 160 
acres. He came here in the month of April from 
his native State of Ohio, his birth having occurred 
in Geauga County in 1835, he being the eldest of 
ten children, eight sons and two daughters, born 
to Augiistus and Elizabeth (Robb) Rose. He was 
))orn in Burton, Geauga County, Ohio, November 
17, 1809, and his wife in Pennsylrania. Augustus 
Rose became familiar with farming in his youth, 
and also learned the wagon-maker's trade in Con 
necticut. Then he returned to Ohio, and that con- 
tinued to be his home until his death, which 
occurred in Austinburgh, Ashtabula County, in 
1875. He was an active Republican in his polit- 
ical views, and was a member of the Sons of Tem- 
perance. His wife survived him four years. H. 
A. Rose was educated in the common schools of 
Geauga County, and learned the details of farm 
work fr-om his father. He was married in Ohio in 
1871, his wife being a Miss Minnie W. Wiggins, a 
native of Ohio, and a daughter of Sanford Wig- 
gins, of Ashtabula County, who, in 1849, crossed 
the plains to California in search of gold and passed 
over the land where Mr. Rose now farms. The 
lattor's farm is finely improved with buildings of 
different kinds. He spent many of his earlj' years 
in Nebraska in freighting between Fort Kearney, 
Omaha and Council Bluffs, as there were no rail 
roads at that time and were none until three years 
after his arrival. He is a Republican in politics, 
and from 1866 to 1868 served as county sheriff, his 
territory extending over a very large area. He 



<a w- 



fk^ 



682 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



joined the I. O. O. F. lodge in Ohio. Mr. Rose 
has seen the coniplote growth of Hall County, and 
cnn woll remonibcr tlio time when immense herds 
of buffaloes roamed the prairies, and has often seen 
bands of Indians a hundred strong. He has always 
taken an active interest in the advancement of the 
county and has done his share to aid in its devel- 
opment. Although he has been moderator of his 
district school board his wife, until her recent death 
March 15, 189U, Ulled that position. She was 
a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and her union with Mr. Rose resulted in 
the birth of one child, Augustus Henry, who is now 
attending school in Grand Island. 

Henry S. and Joseph T. Ross are the represent- 
atives of an old and highly respected family, and 
the grandsons of Alexander and Sarah (Tipton) 
Ross, who became the parents of the following 
children: William (born May 12, 1799), Alexander 
(July 4, 1801), Nancy (October 0, 1803), John 
(February 20, 1806), Mary (November 0, 1808), 
James (January 17, 1811), David (June 4, 1813) 
and Sarah (May 3, 1817). The only one of this 
family now known to be living is Nancy, wife of 
John Heron, now residing in Quincy, 111. To the 
parents of the subjects of this sketch, whose names 
were James and Catherine (Spohn) Ross, the fol- 
lowing family was born: Henry S. (born January 
27, 1833), Alexander (June 14, 1835), Mary A. 
(in 1837), Barbara (in 1839), Hannah (in 1841) 
and Joseph T. (June 1"), 1843). Henry S. Ross, 
the eldest member of this family, was married in 
1853 to Miss Annie Miller, a daiighter of Joseph 
and Barbara Miller, of Ohio, and a family of five 
children were born to their union: David A. (who 
was born February 19, 1854), William H. (Janu- 
ary 27. 1857), Schuyler C. (May 26, 1862). Solo- 
mon A. (March 15, 1869) and Rose E. (November 
1, 1872). The mother of these children died on 
March 12, 1882, and September 6, of the same 
year, Mr. Ross espoused Miss Mary P. Stanley, a 
daughter of A. L. and Phoebe (Cook) Stanley, of 
Iowa. She was born in 1849, and is the mother 
of one child, James A. (who was born September 
10, 1883). Upon the breaking out of the Rebel- 
lion Mr. Ross joined the Union army, enlisting in 



the Eighty-seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer 
Infantry, under Col. H. G. Shryock, and was mus- 
tered into service August 31, 1862, at Indianapolis, 
and arrived at Louisville, Ky., on September 1. 
On October 1 they started in pursuit of Bragg, 
and on October 6 they had a skirmish with Bragg' s 
rear guard at Springfield. On the memorable 
October 8, 1862, when the wavering columns of 
Gen. McCook were so hotly pressed at Perryville, 
Ky., by the superior numbers of the rebels, the 
Third Brigade, commanded by Gen. Steadman. 
and of which the Eighty seventh was a part, rallied 
to his support and ended the unequal conflict. 
His command discontinued its pursuit of Bragg at 
Crab Orchard. October 16, 1862, and on the 20th 
arrived in Lebanon, Ky. , and on November 3 
arrived in Bowling Green, reaching Mitchellville, 
Tenn., on the 8th. After moving to many differ- 
ent points in this State, they had a sharp skirmi.sh 
with Van Dorn's Rebel Cavalry, on March 5, 
1863, and were afterward in the battles of Mur- 
freesboro, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Buz- 
zard's Roost, were with Sherman at Goldsboro, 
N. C, from there went to Richmond, thence to 
Washington, D. C, where he received his dis- 
charge and returned home. In the spring of 1866 
Mr. Ross came to Hall County, Neb. , and took up 
a claim, but in the fall of 1868 he moved to Cher- 
okee County, Kas. , where he resided until the 
fall of 1889, when he returned to Nebraska. 
Joseph T. Ross emigrated to Hall County, Neb., 
in the spring of 1867, took up a claim and here 
has made his home up to the present time. In 
1873 he was united in marriage to Miss Catherine 
Burmood, a daughter of Philip and Catherine Bur- 
mood, and she is an earnest member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. Mr. Ross is a Repub- 
lican and has taken an active interest in local pol- 
itics, and has served six years as constable and 
three years as justice of the peace. He is the 
owner of a tine farm, every acre of which is till 
able, and he has it well improved with good build- 
ings and well stocked. In the year 18'')1 Joseph 
T. Ross joined the Federal army, becoming a 
member of the Forty-sixth Indiana Regiment, un- 
der Col. G. N. Fitch, and served three years and 



\ 



HALL COUNTY. 



683 



eleven months in Company K. This company was 
recruited in Fulton County, was organized at 
Logansport, Ind., October 17, ISBl, and was mus 
tered into service in November, 1861, under Lieut. 
Phelps. Soon after he found himself in Kentucky, 
and still later in Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, 
Mississippi and Louisiana, and during his terra of 
service he participated in the following engage 
ments: New Madrid, Mo., in 1802; Ruddle's 
Point, in 1862; St. Charles, Ark., the same year, 
and in 1S63 the battles of Fort Pemberton, Miss., 
Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, siege of Vicksburg, 
Jackson, and in May, 1864, was in the battle of 
Mansfield. He was mustered into the Veteran 
Volunteer service, January 2. 1864, at Algiers, 
La., and was mustered out of service September 
18, 1865. 

Henry Rosswick, farmer and stockman, of Hall 
County, Neb. Of German birth and antecedents, 
Mr. Rosswick possesses to a remarkable degree the 
qualities which seem to be characteristic of those 
of German descent — frugality, industry, persever- 
ance and strict attention to business. His parents 
were people of like habits. He received a good 
education in the common schools of his native 
country, and after completing his studies learned 
the tailor's trade. When a young man he came 
to the United States, arriving in New York City in 
May, 1854, being then seventeen years of age, and 
worked at his trade for about one year, after which 
he located in Philadelphia, remaining there some 
two years. The two following years he spent in 
Freehold. N. J., and August 29, 1861, he enlisted 
in the Fifth New Jersey Infantry for three years, 
and served until he received his discharge at the 
expiration of his term. He was promoted from a 
private to a corporal, and was in a number of hotly 
contested engagements, the most important of which 
were: Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, the second battle 
of Bull Run, and a number of others. He lost his 
right arm at Bull Run, being permanently disabled, 
and after receiving his discharge went to Pitts- 
burgh, Pa., where he made his home for about 
three years, then returned to Newark, N. J. From 
there he went (three years later) to Milwaukee, 
Wis., thence to Nebraska in 1872, locating in Hall 



County, where he took up a homestead-claim and 
began improving his farm, but .sold out after a time 
and purchased his present farm, which consists of 
120 acres of good tillable land, on which is a good 
frame residence, barns, etc. He is a Republican 
in politics and has held a number of local offices. 
He was married in Hall County, April 1, 1879, to 
Mrs. Tabitha Farmer, a native of Ohio, reared and 
educated in Washington County. She is a daughter 
of Seneca Cowee, of that county, and was first 
married in her native State, moving west with her 
husband in 1873, settling on a homestead of 160 
acres in Hall County, Neb., which place Mrs. Ross 
wick now owns. Her first marriage resulted in the 
birth of five children: Alice (wife of Frank Per 
den, of Grand Island), C. C. (who is married and 
resides in Illinois), H. W., Retta M. (a successful 
teacher of Hall County) and Florence. A son has 
been born to her last marriage, George Henr^', a 
lad of ten years. Mr. Rosswick is a member of 
the G. A. R. organization and also the Farmers' 
Alliance. 

George Lothrop Rouse is accounted, and justly 
so, one of the successful farmers of Hall County, 
Neb. , and is one of the early settlers of Center 
Township. He was born in Ottawa County, Ohio, 
June 17, 1846, but his father, who also bore the 
name of George Lothrop, was born near Rochester. 
N. Y. , September 1 8, 1 809, and was a son of 
Lothrop and Sabra Roiise. The father oi the 
subject of this sketch was married to Miss Mary 
Knapp, born in the " Nutmeg State " September 
18, 1817, their union taking place in-Ottawa County, 
Ohio, about 1837, and resulting in the birth of 
eight children, of whom George Lothrop was the 
fifth. Their names are: Mary Sabra (born January 
8, 1839), Laura (August 3, 1841), Clara Lucretia 
(.fanuary 10, 1843, deceased), Betsey Wilson 
(September 24, 1844, and died November 20, 
1864), George Lothrop, Ida lantha Irene (April 
24, 1848), Joseph (Iwrn July 30, 1850. and died 
February 26, 1854) and Peborah Ann (born De 
cember 20, 1851). The father, who was a car- 
penter by trade and followed farming and stock- 
raising throughout the latter part of his life, died 
in Ottawa County. Ohio, May 26, 1851. Some 



^' 



A 



684 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



two or throe years later liis wiilow married Robert 
Killey, with whom she now resides in Ottawa 
Conuty, and by whom she has three children: 
Frances, Blanche and William H. The subject of 
this sketch spent his boyhood and youth on the 
old home farm on which he was l)orn, and during 
the winter months attended the district schools 
and during the summer assisted in tilling the soil. 
When sixteen years of age he entered Biddwin 
University at Berea, Ohio, but after attending this 
institution two terms he entered Oberlin College, 
of Oberlin, Ohio, which institution he attended 
two terms. When twenty-one years of age he 
entered upon the avocation of a teacher, and alto- 
gether taught five consecutive terms, the second 
term being in his old home district in Ottawa 
County, and the first, third, fourth and fifth in 
Whiteside County, 111. His last two terms were 
taught during the winters of 1872-73 and 1873- 
74. Meanwhile, in the fall of 1872, he came to 
Hall County, Neb., and bought 320 acres of land 
in what was then Alda Precinct. November 13, 
1873, he was married in Whiteside County, 111., 
to Miss Susanna Augusta llexroad, she having 
been born in that county May 8, 1851, being a 
daughter of Henry and Mehulda (Hoffman) Rex- 
road. The father was a Virginian born June 7, 1815, 
a son of Henry Rexroad, who was also born in that 
State, being the son of another Henry Rexroad. 
The mother of Mrs. Rouse was born in the "Old 
Dominion" in 1825, and was a daughter of 
Michael and Susanna (Sommers) Hoffman, who 
also belonged to the F. F. V.'s. Mr. and Mrs. 
Rexroad were married in Whiteside County, TIL, 
about 1845, and reared a family of three children, 
of whom Mrs. Rouse was the youngest, only two 
being now alive, the other member being Adam 
Francis. Eliza Ann died at the age of five years. 
The mother of these children died in May, 1853, 
and in 1857 the father wedded Mary M. Thomp- 
son, with whom he now resides in Morrison, 
Whiteside County, 111. Mrs. Rouse spent all her 
early life in her native county and received a very 
good early education. During her early woman- 
hood slie taught school for three years in White- 
side County, her first term l)eing taught at the age 



of eighteen years. In the spring of 1874, or just 
after closing his last term of school, Mr. Rouse, in 
company with his wife, came to Hall County, 
Neb., and began housekeeping, seven and a half 
miles west of the county court-house at Grand 
Island. Ever since that time Mr. Rouse has given 
his attention to agriculture, and is now considered 
one of the leading farmers and stockmen of the 
county. He has made a number of additions to 
his original purchase of land, and is now the 
owner of a magnificent farm of 640 acres. He 
and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, 
she having joined at the age of sixteen years, and 
Mr. Rouse is a member of the Masonic Lodge, in 
which he has reached the degree of Knight Temp- 
lar. He is also a member of the A. O. U. W., and 
organized the third Farmers' Alliance in the State, 
and was sent as a delegate to the first State Alli- 
ance. He has always been a stanch Republican in 
politics, and in November, 1885, was elected a 
member of the county board of supervisors and 
has served in that capacity ever since, having 
been reelected in 1888-87-88 and again in 1889. 
During the past three years he has served as 
chairman of the board. He is at present chair- 
man of the Republican County- Central Committee, 
having been elected in the fall of 1889, and takes 
a lively interest in political affairs, and is one of 
his party's most active workers in the county. He 
is an intelligent and influential man, and as a citi- 
zen holds a prominent place. He and wife are 
highly respected and have many warm friends. 
Their family is as follows: George Lothrop (born 
March 24, 1875), Mabel Margaret Augusta (born 
April 15, 1877), Heniy Francis (born May 19, 
1879), William Wayne (born March 80, 1881), 
Blake Howard (born May 10, 1883), Mary Laura 
(born January 31, 1885), Ida Agnes (born Feb 
ruary 12, 1887) and an infant son (born August 
24, 1889, and died unnamed). 

George Chester Roys is one of the successful 
business men of Grand Island, Neb. , and by trade 
is a mason, contractor and builder. He was born 
in Worcester, Mass , November 27, 1856, and is a 
son of John Benedict and Lucy D. (Aldrieh) Roys, 
the former of whom was Iwrn in Waterbury, Vt.. and 




was a builder by occupation. His father, Benedict 
Roys, was a blacksmith by occupation. The Roys are 
of Scotch descent, and settled in Vermont prior to 
the Revolutionary War, coming from Canada. The 
maternal grandfather, Simon Aldrich, was a farm- 
er, whose ancestors first settled in Rhode Island. 
George Chester Roys received his education and 
grew up to manhood in Boston, Ma.ss., and in that 
city he learned the mason's trade. Thinking to 
better his financial condition, and under the im- 
pression that the West offered better inducements 
to a man of enterprise and industry, ho came to 
Nebraska in 1879, and located at Sutlon, where he 
was engaged in farming until the spring of 1882, 
when he came to Grand Island, and has since iden- 
tified himself with the building interests of this 
place. He was married in Toledo, Ohio, in 1883, 
to Miss Elizalieth Slater, a native of Boston, Mass., 
and a daughter of James Slater, and their marriage 
has resulted in the birth of a son and daughter: 
Alice and Chester Stanley. The mother of these 
children passed from life September 25, 1889, and 
is buried in the cemetery at Grand Island, Mr. 
Roy is a Select Knight in the A. O. U. W. He is 
a stockholder in the Grand Island Improvement 
Company. 

George F. Ryan, one of Grand Island's mo^t 
worthy and esteemed citizens, is a leading under- 
taker and furniture dealer of that place. Nowhere 
within the limits of Hall County is there to be 
found a man possessed of more energy, determina- 
tion or force of character, and being honest to a 
fault in all his business transactions he has won the 
confidence and esteem of all who know him. He 
was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y. , March 
15, 1841, and was the eldest, and he and a brother 
are now the only ones living of a family of three 
children born to the marriage of Benjamin F. 
Ryan and Minerva Goodale, who were born in 
the house in which the subject of this sketch was 
born May 20, 1817, and in Jefferson County, N. Y., 
December 16, 181(5, respectively. Their union took 
place in the early part of 1840. The paternal 
grandfather emigrated from the State of Ver- 
mont and settled in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., 
where he followed the occupation of a^ farmer and 



reared a family of twelve children, Benjamin F. 
being the next to the youngest in the family. The 
maternal grandfather, Aaron Goodale, was also a 
tiller of the soil. George F. Ryan sjaent his early 
days at farm work in his native county, and also at- 
tended the district school until he reached the age 
of sixteen years, at which time he entered the 
Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary, which institution 
he attended three terms, and at the age of nine- 
teen years he became a school- teacher in his home 
district. October 5, 1861, he entered the Union 
service, becoming a member of Company C, Sixtieth 
New York Regiment, with which he served until 
the close of the war, having re enlisted December 
25, 1863, and during his service he participated in 
the battles of Chancellorsville, Antietam and Get- 
tysburg. He was wounded May 26, 1864, in the 
engagement at New Hope Church, Ga. , by a ball 
in the left leg, and was in the hospital at Jeffenson- 
ville, Ind., until January, 1865, at which time he 
had recovered sufficiently to again enter service, 
and joined his regiment at Raleigh, N. C, April 
24, 1865. As to his rank it shoirld be said that he 
enlisted as a private, but, upon the organization of 
his company he was elected a corporal, and was 
promoted to sergeant in November, 1862, becom 
ing in the fall of 1863 orderly sergeant. He was 
commissioned first lieutenant December 19, 1864, 
to rank from September 17, 1864, but did not re- 
ceive his commission until after he had rejoined 
his regiment the following April. From the time 
he was mustered in as first lieutenant until he was 
discharged he commanded his company, its cap- 
tain during this time being absent. The war being 
closed the Government had no further use for his 
services, and his final discharge was issued July 17, 
1865. after which he returned to his home in New 
York. His military service, which covered a period 
of nearly four years, was characterized by loyalty, 
courage and devotion to the cause he espoused, and 
in whatever capacity he served he acted in a man- 
ner becoming a brave and faithful soldier. From 
August, 1865, until the following November he re- 
mained at home on the farm, but he then entered 
Eastman's National Business College, at Pough 
keepsie, N. Y., in which institution he completed a 



'<1« 



J*-- 



{)8G 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



full cour.se, graduating March \'2. 18f)(). After 
sjKMiding the summcM- of that year at home on the 
farm, in S(>[)tenih(ir lie aceeptcil a [)o.sition as book- 
keeper with the firm of Beach & Dodge, |)n)j)rie 
tors of a tannery at Harrisville, N. Y. , and re- 
mained in their service two years. For a few 
years following the most of his time was spent in 
laboring on the home farm, but he was also en- 
gaged a portion of this time as book kee])er. May 
21, 1S72, he started for the State of Nebraska and 
reached (Jrand Island June 6. Shortly after he 
took up a homestead claim in Merriek County, 
about eight miles northeast of Grand Island, and 
here resided, giving his attention to agricultural 
]iursuits until 1877, moving in April of that year 
to Grand Island, where he has since continued to 
make his home, and of which he is a prosperous 
and intluential business man and a worthy and 
honored citizen. From April, LS77, until May 1, 

1881, he acted as book keeper for E. R. Wiseman, 
a lumber and grain dealer, but for one year follow- 
ing was employed in the same capacity in the dry 
goods establishment of H. H. Glover. May 1, 

1882, he engaged in the grocery business, in part- 
nership with W. E. Lorenzen and H. Thomas, the 
name of the firm being Thomas & Co. He retired 
from this business in January, 1887, and Decern 
ber 1(), of the same year, engaged in the furniture 
and undertaking business, in partnership with A. 
H. Bohne, the firm name being Bohne & Ryan. 
They have been doing a successful business ever 
since and are now one of the leading firms of the 
kind in this part of the State. Both Mr. Ryan 
and his partner are among the very best citizens of 
Grand Lsland and possess the full confidence of the 
public. They are men of unimpeachable hone.sty, 
and being of pleasant and sociable dispositions 
they have many warm friends. Mr. Ryan is a 
prominent member of the G. A. R. and takes a 
very active part in all the workings of that order. 
He is al.KO a member of the K. of L., and in pol- 
itics is a Democrat. In the fall of 1887 he was 
the candidate of his party for the office of county 
clerk, but failed to overcome the large opposing 
majority. He is a man of good habits and his life 
is wholly above reproach. 



M. H. Sage, farmer and stock- raiser, Under- 
wood, Neb. A stranger in passing over this por- 
iion of Hall County can not but admire the many 
beautiful places to be seen on every hand — places 
which indicate by their appearance the aliode of 
men, leaders in matters pertaining to husl)andry. 
M. H. Sage belongs to this class. The owner of 
160 acres of land, he is actively and successfully 
engaged in farming, conducting all his operations 
according to the most advanced ideas. This place 
is an excellent stock farm, and upon it, are to be 
found good graded animals. Mr. Sage came orig- 
inally from Genesee County, N.Y. , born in 1838, 
and is the younger in a family of two children 
born to the union of Hezekiah and Charlotte (Hins 
dale) Sage, natives of Connecticut. At an eai'ly 
day, the father went to New York, was married 
there and there remained until his death, which 
occurred about 1841. He was a mechanic by 
trade. His wife died in June, 1887. The paternal 
grandfather, Moses Sage, was a native of Con- 
necticut and a sailor. He was in the War of 1812, 
was taken prisoner and confined in Dartmouth 
prison, England, and was shot through the knee 
while in prison by Capt. Shortland ordering the 
guards to fire on the prisoners. Later he returned 
to Connecticut, where his death occurred. The 
great-grandfather Hinsdale was in the Revolution- 
ary War, and had thi-ee sons in the War of 1812. 
The Hinsdale family were among the early settlers 
of this country, coming here some time in the co- 
lonial period. M. H. Sage was reared in McLean 
County, 111. (whither his mother had moved when 
he was about seven years of age), and was educated 
in the schools of Bloomington. He was one of the 
first students in the Wesleyan University under 
President Andrews and Prof. Goodfellow, the college 
being in the basement of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Mr. Sage attended two years and then 
went on the lakes as a sailor. After this he was 
on salt water, belonging to Admiral Dupont's 
fleet. In August, 1.S31, he enlisted for three 
years, or during the war, in Company C, Thirty - 
third Illinois Infantry, and was assigned to the 
Western department in Missouri, under Gen. Fre- 
mont. He was in the battle of Fredericktown 



:^i 



HALL COUNTY. 



687 



and was discharged at Black River, Ark., in 1862 
on account of pneumonia. As soon as able, 
Mr. Sage went to Cliicago, and July 9, 1862, 
joined tlie United States navy for one year on 
the flagship, "Wabash," commanded by Admirals 
Dupont and Dahlgrcen. He went to Hilton Head 
and along the coast, and was then discharged 
from the navy, by reason of expiration of his term 
of service. In October, 1S63, he returned to Mc- 
Lean Couuty, 111., and in January of the following 
year enlisted in Company I, Third Illinois Cavalry, 
for three years, and was assigned to the Western de- 
partment. He went to Memphis, and was in the 
battle of Tupelo and Okolona. He then returned 
to Memphis and was there ordered on a five-days' 
scout, serving in that capacity in Kentucky for live 
months. He joined the regular army prior to the 
battle of Nashville, serving through tliat cam[iaign 
under Thomas, then went into quarters, and in IS65 
went to St. Louis, thence to St. Paul, Minn., and 
in July, 1865, was ordered across the country 
westward, after the Sioux Indians. October 10, 
1865, he was honorably discharged firom service 
from Fort Snelling, and returned to McLean 
County, 111., where he continued farming in that 
and Livingston Counties. He was married in Gen- 
esee County, N. Y., in July, 1867, to Miss Elmira 
E. Hinsdale, a native of Genesee County, N. Y. , 
and to them was born one child, Charley H. Mr. 
Sage is a member of A. J. Smith Post No. 65, 
Doniphan, Neb., and his son is a member of the 
Sons of Veterans. Mr. Sage is a member of the 
South Platte Alliance, and is one of the represent- 
ative men of the county. He has taken quite an 
interest in politics, but votes now independent of 
party. A number of times he has been a delegate 
to conventions. Mrs. Sage is a member of the 
relief corps. Mr. Sage is the oldest settler in 
Upland Township, and there were but seven voters 
in the township at the time he lirst settled here. 
James H. Salter, farmer and stockman, Shelton, 
Neb Of the many citizens of foreign birth now 
residing in Hall County, none are more deserving 
of mention than Mr. Salter, «ho owes his nativity 
to Marseilles, France, where he was born in 1846. 
His father, John W. Salter, was a native of Eng- 



land, and was married there to Miss Mary A. Nush, 
a native of England. He was a contractor and a 
brickmaker by trade, and went to Southern France, 
where he followed his trade until the religious war 
broke out, when he returned to England. After 
this he came to America, settled in St. Joseph, 
Mich., and there followed farming until his death, 
in 1888, when about seventy three years of age. 
The mother is still living, and her home is in Three 
Rivers, Mich., but at present she is in Fort Wayne, 
Ind. To this marriage were born fifteen children, 
eight of whom lived to maturity, and our subject 
is the third in order of birth. The latter grew to 
manhood in Three Rivers, Mich. , and attended the 
common schools. He was married to Miss Mary 
M. Preston, a native of New York State, born in 
1850, but who was reared in Michigan, where she 
received her education. Her father was a native 
of New York, and was a resident of Flowerfield 
Township. He bought government land close to 
Three Rivers, and owns a farm there. He is still 
alive, and is about seventy years of age. He came 
west in 1868, and now resides in Brown County, 
Neb. John W. Salter enlisted as a soldier in the 
Union army, Company E, Eleventh Michigan In- 
fantry, and served three years in the Western army, 
participating in the battles of Stone River, Chick- 
amauga. Buzzard's Roost and others. His son, 
James H. Salter, entered Company G, Thirteenth 
Michigan, and was under Gens. Buel, Rosecrans 
and Sherman. He served two years of his fir.st 
enlistment, then re-enlisted for three years, and 
served as corporal until the close of the war. taking 
part in the battles of Perry ville, Pittsburg Land- 
ing, Mission Ridge, Chickamauga, Savannah, and 
was taken prisoner before the battle of Bentonville. 
N. C. He was a prisoner at Salisluiry one month 
and twenty-seven days, and saw Jefferson Davis on 
the run through the town. Mr. Salter managed 
to escape, was caught again, but was only retained 
a very few days. He returned to Michigan after 
the war, and farmed in that State until INTS. wlien 
he came to Nebraska, and bought railroad land. 
He is now the owner of 160 acres of laud here, 
and has a half section in cultivation in Washington 
County. He went to Colorado two years ago, and 



^1 




took a homestead. Ho is a member ot the G. A. 
U., and is a Ropul)lican in politics. His wife is a 
Soveuth-day Advoiitisl. In the year 18S7 lie en- 
listed in Company F, Kei^imeiit of Nebraska Na- 
tional Guards, as second sergeant, and served one 
year and four mouths. XJiwn removing to Colo- 
rado ho received his discharge. He had two 
brothers in the hite war. Silas Salter enlisted in 
1S()2, at the age of fourteen years, and died soon 
after the vpar was over. George Salter eidisted in 
1864, and died at Louisville, Ky. 

Samuel M. Schisler. Like many of the re|)re- 
sentative citizens and farmers of Hall County, 
Neb., Mr. Schisler is a Pennsylvanian, bis birth 
occurring in York County, March 2, 1844. His par- 
ents, John and Martha (Myers) Schisler, were 
also born in York County, Pa., and the former was 
a farmer by occupation, and died in his native 
county in 1861, his wife having passed from life in 
1846. Samuel M. Schisler enlisted from his native 
county in the Federal army in the fall of 1864, 
becoming a member of the Two Hundred and 
Second Pennsylvania Infantry, and served until 
July, 1865, having participated in a number of 
skirmishes, and rising from the ranks to the posi- 
tion of corporal. After his return to York County, 
he worked at the shoemaker's trade for about 
two years, then moved to Hartford City, Ind. , 
where he was employed for three and a half years, 
but since 1871 has been a resident of Nebraska. 
He took up a soldier's claim in Hall County, but 
after residing on it for several years he sold out 
and pre empted the claim where he now lives, be- 
ing at the present time the owner of 320 acres of 
laud, on which are fair buildings and other im- 
provements. Mr. Schisler is a llejiublicaD in 
l>o]itics, and has held a number of local positions 
of honor and trust, such as supervisor, justice of 
the peace, etc. He became a member of the 
Masonic order while a resident of Indiana, in 
1867, and is now a Master Mason, and has held all 
the chairs in the I. O. O. F. He was married in 
Illinois in June, 1809, to Miss Mary E. Wingert, 
who was born and reared in Pennsylvania, a 
daughter of Peter Wingert, now of Hall County, 
Neb. This union has resulted in the birth of 



six children; Lillian, Ruth, Edith, Edward, Ilosa 
and Pearl. 

Mrs. L. J. Schooley, Shelton, Hall County, 
Neb. This intelligent and highly esteemed lady, 
who owes her nativity to Indiaua, where her birth 
occurred in 1844, removed with her parents, S. D. 
and Nancy (Lowry) Jones, to Illinois, when quite 
young. The father was a native of the Blue Grass 
State, liorn in 1817. He accompanied his parents 
to Indiana when a boy, there grew to manhood, 
and followed farming in that State. He was mar- 
ried in 1838 to Miss Lowr^', subsequently moving 
to De Witt County, III., where he was justice of 
the peace and school director, etc. He removed 
to Nebraska in 1878, and from there to Southern 
Kansas in the fall of the same year, where he now 
resides. He is a devout member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He was a Union man in prin 
ciple during the late war. He is not, nor has he 
ever been a strong man physically. His wife was 
born in 1819 in the Blue Grass State, and is also a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They 
were the parents of fourteen children, thirteen of 
whom grew to maturity. Mrs. L. J. Schooley was 
the fourth child in order of birth. She arrived at 
womanhood in De Witt County, 111., where she re- 
ceived her education in the common schools. In 
1874 she was married to A. D. Schooley, a native 
of De Witt County, born in 1841, and who died 
June 10, 1881. He emigrated west in 1872, 
entered land, and in the fall of 1874 returned to 
Illinois, where he was married to Miss L. J. Jones. 
Then he brought his wife west. They were eaten 
out by grasshoppers in the fall of 1876 and re- 
turned to Illinois, where they remained until 1877, 
when they returned to Nebraska. Mrs. Schooley 
is the owner of 160 acres of excellent land, lives but 
three miles from Shelton, and rents her farm herself. 
Her sister, Miss Ada Jones, resides with her. Mr. 
Schooley was a .soldier in the Union army. Com- 
pany I, One Hundred and Seventh Regiment, 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered in 
at Camp Butler September 4, 1862. 

Fred Schroeder, farmer and stock-dealer, Alda, 
Neb. The name that heads this sketch is that of 
one of the well-known residents of Alda Township, 



•X 



lX|* 



>?• 



HALL COUNTY. 



689 



who, like many other settlers in the county, came 
originally from Prussia, where his birth occurred 
in 1840. His parents, Fred and Mary (Schmidt) 
Schroeder, were also natives of Prussia, and the 
father was a teacher by profession. The parents 
remained in Germany all their lives, the father 
dying in 1843, and the mother in 1872. Fred 
Schroeder, Jr., was reared and educated in his 
native country, and was there married in 1862 to 
Miss Sophia Lepp, a native of Prussia, who bore 
him eight children, five now living: William (mar- 
ried, and resides near his father), Charley, Henry, 
Lizzie and Otto. After his marriage Mr. Schroeder 
worked at farm labor until 1867, when he left his 
mother country and set sail for America. He first 
settled in Syracuse, N. Y. , where he worked at the 
stone-mason trade, and afterward clerked iu a whole- 
sale store. He came to Hall County, Neb., in 1871, 
entered 160 acres of land, and there remained until 
1874, when he returned «to Syracuse, N. Y. He 
there followed farming for six years, but in 1881 
returned to Hall County. Neb., settled on the home- 
stead which he has owned ever since 1871, and is 
now the owner of 488 acres of good land, all well 
improved. He has a good farm-house, good barns, 
outbuildings, etc. , and has planted a good orchard. 
He also raises a good grade of Durham stock, and 
feeds from seventy-five to one hundred head yearly. 
He is not active in politics, liut votes with the Ke 
publican party. Mr. Schroeder is a self-made man, 
having accumulated all he has by his individual 
efPorts. He is always active in assisting all enter- 
prises for the good of the county, and as a citizen 
and neighbor is held in high esteem. 

Hans H. Schroeder. Hall County has long had 
the reputation of being one of the best farming 
counties in the State, and her farmers are men of 
intelligence, industry and enterprise. The gentle- 
man whose name heads this sketch has done his 
full share in advancing every interest of the coun- 
ty, and although a native of Holstein, Germany, 
he is now a faithful subject of " Uncle Sam." He 
was born in 1840, and is a son of Hans and Cath 
erine (Jess) Schroeder, also natives of Holstein, 
Germany, the father a farmer by occupation, who 
died in his native land in 1S64. His widow sur- 



vives him, and makes her home with the subject of 
this sketch, with whom he came to America. Hans 
H. Schroeder has been familiar with farm life from 
his earliest youth, and his early education was ob- 
tained in the schools of Germany. He served in 
the German army in 1864, and the War of 1870-71, 
after which he began farming for himself, opening 
up a good farm of sixty acres in Holstein. He was 
married there, in 1867, to Miss Anna Gulk, a 
daughter of George and Maggie (Frahm) Gulk, 
who were well-to do farmers of that land, both be- 
ing now deceased. Mr. Schroeder left the old 
country in 1881, and came to the United States, 
first settling in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, but 
in October, 1881, came to Hall County, Neb., rent 
ing land for one year. In 1883 he purchased I'U) 
acres of land, partly improved, and soon after mak 
ing his purchase began setting out an orchard and 
otherwise improving his property. He erected a 
good one and one half story house with an ell in 
1887, and has also good barns, granaries, etc., and 
on an average feeds sixty head of cattle annually. 
He votes with the Democratic party, and has served 
as treasurer two years. He is at present township 
clerk. He and wife are members of the Lutheran 
Church, and are the parents of three children: 
Catherine (Mrs. Kobey), George and Hans. 

John D. Schuller is a farmer and gardener of 
Washington Township, Hall County, Neb., and 
was born in that part of France which now belongs 
to Germany, September 5, 1830, being a son of 
John D. and Catherine (Fuchs) Schuller, both of 
whom died in France. They had but two chil 
dren, of whom the subject of this sketch was the 
elder. The other is a daughter and resides in the 
old country. John D. Schuller was reared to man 
hood in his native country, and during the winter 
mouths attended school until he was twelve years 
of age, his leisure hours being spent in laboring 
on the farm. In 1854 he determined to seek his 
fortune in the New World, and for some time 
worked on a farm and canal work in the State of 
New York, but was afterward engaged in laboring 
in the vicinity of Indianapolis, Ind., for about one 
year. The six months following he was engaged 
in chopping wood in Tennessee and Mississippi, 



6'JO 



HISTOliY OF NEBUASKA. 



aft.or which he went to Bureau County, 111., aud 
worked ou a farm and in a brick yard for six 
months longer. He next wont to Kankakee, 111., 
and after farming on shares for one season he 
spent about twelve months at market gardening, 
but in 1S59 left Kankakee County and made a trip 
throughout the West and Southwest, from New 
Mexico to Pike's Peak, aud in this latter place was 
engaged in digging gold from April until August, 
18(50. Returning East through Nebraska he spent 
two months at hay making near Fort Kearney, 
alter which he spent several months on a ranch, 
coming in 1862 to Hall County and locating on 160 
acres of land just south of the present city of Grand 
Inland, which place is now a beautiful and well 
ini[)roved farm. The post office of Grand Island 
was at one time held in Mr. Schuller's house, this 
being from July, 1862, until January, 1867, dur 
irig which time he was postmaster, the name of 
Ihe office being Grandlsland City. He was post- 
master until February, 1868, hut it had in the 
meantime been moved to the station of Grand 
Island. He was the third po.stmaster, the first 
being Richard Barnard, and the second, Albert 
Barnard. Mr. Schuller finally resigned in favor 
of C. W. Thomas, who was then appointed to the 
position. He was married August 15, 1873, to 
Miss Sophia Frederica Rohlf, who was born in 
Holstein, Germany, March 7, 1849, she being a 
daughter oi Joachim Christian and Anna Christena 
(Bolk) Rohlf, with whom she came to America in 
1873. On reaching this country the family came 
directly to Hall County, Neb., and here the father 
is still living, but the mother is deceased. Of a 
family of six children born to them Mrs. Schuller 
was the second, and only three are now living. Mr. 
aud Mrs. Schuller have reared a family of four 
children: Ernst (born June 13, 1874), Carolina 
(born March 5, 1878), John (born June 23, 1883), 
and Dora (born May 12, 1885). Ernst is the only 
child deceased. Mr. Schuller is now the owner of 
240 acres of fine land, and is considered one of the 
prosperous and intelligent farmers of Hall County, 
and he and wife are among its best citizens. 

John Schwyn, cashier of the bank of Doniphan, 
Neb. This bank was established in 1886, and the 



board of directors are as follows: S. N. Wolbach, 
C. F. Bentley, W. J. Burger and John Schwyn. 
In 1SS7 their building was destroyed i)y tire, and 
in 1888 they built up a good l)rick building. They 
have exchange with Grand Island, St. Joseph and 
New York. John Schwyn located in Doniphan in 
1886, and has been a resident of that city since. 
He was born in Switzerland in 1855, and was the 
son of John and Anna (Keller) Schwyn, natives 
also of Switzerland, where they are now residing, 
engaged in farming. John Schwyn, Jr., was edu- 
cated in his native country, and in 1875 emigrated 
to America, settling in New York State, where he 
remained until 1879. He then returned to Switzer- 
land, but soon again made the trip across the 
ocean to Amerian soil, and located in Hall County, 
Neb., where for some time he was engaged as a 
farm hand. After that he was in a country store 
for a while, later engaged in teaching, and then 
accepted a position as bojak keeper for Wolbach in 
Grand Island, with five branch houses, and Mr. 
Schwyn having all to look after. He remained 
with this house until he engaged in the banking 
business at Donii>han. Mr. Schwyn was married 
on Grand Isle, Lake Champlain, Vt. , to Miss Hat- 
tie Hoag, a native of Vermont, and daughter of 
Henry and Catherine (Vantine) Hoag, natives of 
Vermont and New Y'ork, respectively. The father 
followed farming, but is now deceased. The 
mother is living and makes her home with Mr. 
Schwyn. To Mr. and Mrs. Schwyn were born 
two children: Bessie and Anna. Socially Mr. 
Schwyn is a member of Doniphan Lodge No. 86, 
A. F. & A. M. , and is senior warden in the same. 
He is a member of the Lodge of Perfection No. 1, 
A. A. S. R. , and is a member of the Doniphan 
Lodge No. 76, A. O. U. W. He is also a mem- 
ber of the M. W. A., Doniphan Lodge No. 1033. 
Mr. Schwyn is one of the progressive men of the 
county. 

Samuel S. Shultz, farmer and stockman, Doni- 
phan, Neb. John R. and Eliza (Armstrong) Shultz, 
the parents of our subject, were natives, respect- 
ively, of North Carolina and New York. The father 
went to Wisconsin in 1S27. was mairied there, and 
in 1865 moved to Polk County, Iowa, where he 



^ s 



iL 



HALL COUNTY. 



691 



remained until 1872, when be emigrated to Hall 
County, Neb. There his death occurred the same 
year. The mother died in 1874. Samuel S. Shultz 
pa.ssed his boyhood days in assisting on the farm 
and in attending the common schools of Wisconsin. 
He came with his parents to Nebraska in 1872, a 
single man, and pre empted land that year, taking 
a timber claim of 160 acres. He was married in 
Hall County in 1879 to Miss Mattie E. Thorne, a 
native of Indiana, and the daughter of Albert 11. 
and Annie M. (Eoat) Thorne, natives of Virginia 
and Pennsylvania, respectively. Mr. Thorne was 
a farmer and came to Hall County in 1871, locating 
in Doniphan Township, but later moved to Howard 
County, Mo., where he resides at the present time. 
His wife died in Dawes County, Nel). , in August, 
1889. After his marriage Mr. Shultz settled on 
his farm in 1872 in Hall County, and now has 
a tine place. He is at present engaged in the 
butcher business at DoniphHn, and makes his home 
in that city. He is quite active in politics and 
votes with the Republican party. He is super 
visor of the township and was county commissioner 
in 1882. He is now serving his third term as 
supervisor. He has also been assessor. To his 
marriage have been born two children: Earl and 
l\lab('l. Mr. Shultz has witnessed the complete 
growth of the country south of the Platte River, 
and is one of the pioneers. He has survived three 
grasshopper raids and the terrible Easter storm of 
1873, and notwithstanding all this, likes the coun- 
try and expects to make Nebraska his permanent 
home. 

Thomas E. Smith is a well-known and success- 
ful dairyman of Hall County, Neb. , his home being 
in Center Township, west of Grand Island. He 
was born in Connecticut, October U, 1830, and is 
a son of Samuel and Lucy (Wheeler) Smith, who 
were also natives of the "Nutmeg State." The 
mother died when the subject of this sketch was 
about nine years old, having borne a family of nine 
children, of whom Thomas E. was the seventh, 
live of whom are now living. After her death, Mr. 
Smith wedded Jemimah Johnson, but both are now 
deceased. Thomas E. Smith was reared to man- 
hood in his native State, and after his mother's 



death made his home with an elder brother, during 
the greater part of his youth being employed in 
different ways. When about eighteen years of age 
ho came to the fertile prairies of Nebraska, and for 
one year was employed in a brick yard. At the end 
of this time he went to Iowa and was engaged in 
teaming near Glenwood for a few mouths, after 
which he went to Pike County, Mo., where he was 
in the livery business for several years. While 
there on January 24, 1865, he was united in mar 
riage to Clara E. McQueen, a daughter of John 
A. L. and Samaria (Nevel) McQueen, the former a 
native of Louisville, Ky., born March 14, 1788, 
and the latter born in Albemarle County, Va. , 
February 27, 1806. Mrs. Smith was the eleventh 
of their thirteen children, live now living, and 
was also born in Albemarle County, Va. , Feb- 
ruary 24, 1840, and when a small child was taken 
to Memphis, Tenn. , where she grew to woman- 
hood and where her father and mother lioth died, 
the former February 14, 1861, and the latter Feb- 
ruary 18, 1861. Mrs. Smith had been married in 
early life in Memphis, Tenn., to Wesley L. Pad- 
gett, by whom she had two sons, Calvin and George, 
both of whom died in childhood. Mr. Padgett 
died on October 18, 1861, the date of his marriage 
to Mrs. Smith having been September 16, 1856. 
After marriage they resided in Pike County, Mo. , 
and this continued to be her home until 1869 when 
she and her husband, Mr. Smith, located on a farm 
in Merrick County. Since 1879 they have resided 
in Hall County, Neb., and after a residence of one 
year in Grand Island they located on their present 
property and have since given their attention to 
farming and the dairy business, the latter enter- 
prise being conducted in quite an extensive manner 
for the past six years. His dairy, which is known 
as the Platte Valley Dairy, is among the principal 
ones in the vicinity of Grand Island, and his farm, 
which contains 160 acres, is splendidly improved. 
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of three chil- 
dren: Samuel Edward. Lucia L. and Geraldine. 
Mr. and Mrs. Smith and their two daughters are 
members of the Episcopal Church, and in his po- 
litical views he is a Democrat. The paternal 
grandparents of Mrs. Smith were Thomas H. and 



a k. 




Elizabeth McQueen, who were born, reared and 
marruHl in the highlands of Scotland, and in an 
early day emi<jrated to the United States and set- 
tled in Kentucky. The maternal grandparents, 
Samuel and Samaria (Sutherland) Nevel, were 
born, reared and married in England, arid on com- 
ing to America settled in Albemarle County, Va. 

S. E. Smith, lumber merchant, Wood River, 
Neb. This proniineut business man is a native of 
this State, his birth occurring in 1S6(>, and is the 
son of John M. and Jessie (Bisset) Smith, both 
natives of Scotland. His father is a farmer, also 
a thorough musician, living within one mile of 
North Bend, Neb. S. E. Smith passed his boy- 
hood days in Nebraska, received the rudiments of 
an education in the common schools and when 
prepared to go to college, having the choice of this 
or to learn the banking business, he chose the 
latter, and kept books in a bank and grain otWce 
combined at North Bend. After learning book- 
keeping, having no situation, he went to Buford, 
W. T., where he learned telegraphy. He was in 
the employment of the Union Pacific and North- 
western Railroad Companies for six years. On 
account of poor health he left this business and 
learned the trade of carpenter, which he soon after 
left to enter the employment of S. R. Howell & 
Co., lumber merchants, of Chicago. He had 
charge of the lumber business at North Bend 
for a year and a half, and was then moved by the 
company to AVood River. This is the only lumber 
yard in the city, and Mr. Smith has the entire 
charge of it. He is a member of the Building 
and Loan Association, and of the M. W. A. In 
politics he is an adherent to the Republican party. 
Mr. Smith has been married twice; first in Schuy- 
ler, Neb., in 1881, to Miss Mary Allen. To this 
union was bora a daughter, Miss Jessie B. Smith, 
the mother dying of child-birth. Mr. Smith's 
second marriage was in Fremont, Neb., in 18SS, to 
Miss Kate Forsyth, a native of Pennsylvania, and 
to this union were born Evan F. and Roderick M. 
Smith. Mr. Smith is a good liusiness man and the 
lumber trade of this section has given the city an 
importance in this branch of business, exceeded 
by that of no other industry, and one which has 



added in a great measure to its commercial repu- 
tation. 

Henry Spohn, farmer and stock raiser. Wood 
River, Nel). Mr. Spohn is a native of the Buckeye 
State, and so also was his father, Daniel Spohn, 
whose birth occurred in Perry County, and who 
now resides in Sandusky, of that State. The latter 
was married in Sandusky to Miss Catherine Bauch 
man, a native of Germany, and seven children 
were the result of this union. The mother is still 
living. The father was in the 100- days' service 
during the late war. Henry Spohn, the third child 
in order of birth in ihe above-mentioned family, 
received a fair education in the common district 
schools, and as he grew up upon the farm he be- 
came thoroughly conversant with that calling. He 
came west in 1878 and settled first on Wood River, 
where he worked for his brother for some time. 
He purchased his present farm in 1880, and now 
owns 160 acres of as good land as is to be found 
in the county. He was married in 1885 to Miss 
Bridget T. Haverty, a native of County Galway, 
Ireland. She came to America at the age of about 
fourteen years. To this happy union were born 
an interesting family of two children: Ella Theresa 
and Kate Belinda. He and wife are members of 
the Catholic Church, and he is a Republican in 
politics. The parents of Mrs. Spohn were John 
and Ellen (Killkenney) Haverty, natives of the 
Emerald Isle. 

Robert Stephenson, farmer and stock raiser, 
Underwood, Neb. Mr. Stephenson was originally 
from Yorkshire, England, where his birth occurred 
in 1851, and is the youngest of nine children born 
to Thomas and Charlotta (Mather) Stephenson, na- 
tives of the same place as their son. The father 
was a boot and shoe maker and now resides in Eng 
land. The mother died in 1853. Robert Steph- 
enson was educated in the schools of England, and 
at the age of eighteen years took passage on a ves- 
sel sailing for the United States. He first settled 
in Canada, tilled the soil there for some time, and 
.then came to New York, thence to Michigan, and 
in 1874 to Hall County, Neb., where he now owns 
eighty acres of excellent land. He was married 
in Hall County, Neb., in 1878, to Miss Ida Zeluf, 




a native of Michigan, and the daughter of George 
A. and Anna (Shay) Zeliif, natives of the Empire 
State. Mr. and Mrs. Zeluf removed to Nebraska 
in 1873 and tliere they now reside. To the union 
of Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson were born four living 
children: George Henry. Robert E., Walter Will- 
iam and Francis Joseph. Hannah Charlotte died 
in IST'J, at the age of eight years. Mr. Stephen- 
son is not very active in politics but votes for the 
best men and measures. Socially he is a meuiljer 
of the Farmers' Alliance, and is a man who has won 
a host of warm friends by his honest, upright con- 
duct and l)y his pleasant agreeable manners. He 
has made all his property by his own exertions, 
and takes a deep interest in all that relates to the 
good of the county. 

Henry Herman Stratmann is a well known and 
influential citizen of Grand Island, Neb., and is a 
prominent wagon- maker and agricultural imple- 
ment dealer of that city. He was born July 9, 
1850, in Hanover, Germany, and is a son of Henry 
and Dorothea (Sieling) Stratmann, the latter of 
whom died in Germany when the subject of this 
sketch was fourteen years of age. Henry Herman 
Stratmann attended school until he was in his tif 
teenth year, after which he began learning the 
wagon maker's trade of his father, and at the age 
of sixteen years he went to the town of Hoja, where 
he worked at his trade for a year and a half with 
Ludwig Knaplauch. From Hoja he went to the 
village of Bucken, where he worked at his trade 
until 1869, at which time he emigrated to America, 
embarking at Bremen and landing at New York 
City. After S2)ending nearly a year at Dwight, 
Livingston County, 111., and a little moie than a 
year at Monee, Will County, he, in 1871, came to 
Grand Island, Neb , which place has since contin- 
ued to be his home and of which he has proved to 
be a valuable citizen. During his entire residence 
here he has conducted a wagon factory, and has en- 
joyed a first- class patronage. His establishment 
is a handsome two-story brick lilock, erected in 
1888, and is situated on the corner of Second and 
Spruce Streets. For the past five years he has also 
dealt quite extensively in agricultural implements, 
and he is now the heaviest dealer of that kind in 



Grand Island. He was married November 20, 1877, 
to Miss Charlotte Spethman, who was born in Iowa, 
a daughter of John and Melvina Spethman. with 
whom she came to Grand Island in 1873. The 
union of Mr. and Mrs. Stratmann has resulted in 
the birth of five children: Herman L. , John and 
Mary (twins, who died when about one month 
old), the next was an infant daughter that died un- 
named, and Effie. Mr. and Mrs. Stratmann are 
members of the German Lutheran Church, and he 
belongs to the A. O. U. \V., the Liederkranz, and 
in politics is a Democrat. 

Claus Stoltenberg is a farmer and stockman of 
Alda Township, Hall County, Neb., and like the 
great majority of German Americans he is indus- 
trious, thrifty and consequently successful. He 
was born in Holstein, Germany, September 2, 
1832, and is a son of Henry and Katrina (Spett) 
Stoltenberg, who were also born in Holstein, both 
being now deceased. Claus Stoltenberg grew to 
manhood in his native land, and after serving one 
year in the regular army of his country he, in 
1856, emigrated to the United States, and in the 
spring of that year landed in New York City. He 
went almost immediately to Wisconsin, and for 
about eighteen months worked in Winnebago 
County, after which he came to Nebraska, and 
spent one and one-half years in Omaha, and after 
following various employments he came to Hall 
County, in April, 1859, being one of its very earli- 
est settlers. Wikl game of all kinds was very 
abundant, but buffalo, elk and deer were the most 
plentiful, and many pleasant hours were spent. by 
Mr. Stoltenberg in hunting In time a German 
settlement formed around him. He entered 160 
acres of land, but by many hours of honest toil 
he has become the owner of 255 acres of fine bot- 
tom land situated about five miles from Grand Is- 
land, on which are an excellent residence and other 
buildings, and a good bearing orchard. He was 
married here December 0. 1862, to Miss Esther 
Paustean, a native of Holstein, Germanj', a 
daughter of Hans Paustean, who died in his na- 
tive land, as did his wife. Mrs. Stoltenberg came 
to the United States after reaching womanhoo'i, 
and she and her husband are now the parents of 



jtja 



k. 



694 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



six cbildri^n: Alwiae (wife of Claus Tagge, of 
Grand Island), Edward, Ferdinand, Cicilie (wife 
of Bernhard Wise, of Rock County, Neb.), AVil 
Lelmiue (a yoimg lady at borne) and Carl. Mr. 
Stoltenberg is one of the leading farmers of Hall 
County, and is an intelligent and tboronghly 
|)osted man on all publie matters. 

Capt. Elza T. Stringer, grocer, of Grand Island, 
Neb. It will be seen by a perusal of tbis sketch 
that Mr. Stringer is one of the highly esteemed 
citizens of the county and that he possesses a more 
than ordinary degree of intellect and enterprise. 
He was born in Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio, 
May 1 1. 1S39, and was the second of six children, 
four now living, born to th(^ marriage of Thomas 
Stringer and Harriet Potts, both of whom are now 
deceased. The early education uf Elza T Stringer 
was received in the public schools of Ashland, it 
lK>ing completed by an attendance of one term in 
a college at Hayesville, Ohio. In the meantime, 
at the very early age of nine years, he had bade 
his parents good-bye, and without a dollar in his 
pocket he had started out to seek his own fortune, 
and since that time has relied solely upon his own 
e.xertions as a means of livelihood. He first went 
to Hayesville, Ohio, where he clerked two years in 
a general mercantile store, after which he spent 
one year in a grocery store in Mansfield. He next 
returned to Ashland, his native place, and was in 
a dry goods establishment of that city for over 
seven years, during which time the Rebellion broke 
out. He immediately enlisted as a private soldier, 
in.Company G, Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry- 
which was the second regiment to be formed for 
the three-years' service in Ohio, and was imme- 
diately sent to the front, crossing the Ohio River 
at Cincinnati. At Camp Nevin, Ky. , he was ap 
pointed ([uarter master sergeant of his regiment, 
and after the battle of Wood River, the tirst in 
which his regiment was engaged, he was promoted 
to the first commissioned vacancy that occurred in 
the regiment, which was that of second lieutenant 
in Company A, the right flanking company of the 
battalion. Tbis honor came to him unsolicited, 
and the first knowledge he had of his promotion 
was when he received his commission and was sum- 



moned to headquarters to take the oath of office. 
He filled this position with ability, participating 
in a number of engagements, until after the capture 
of Nashville and the battle of Murfreesboro, when 
he was promoted to the rank of tirst lieutenant, 
and was temporarily detailed as acting regimental 
quartermaster, in which capacity he acted until 
after the capture of Huntsville, Ala., when, in an 
engagement, the captain of Company A was 
wounded, losing a leg. Mr. Stringer, although a 
minor, succeeded in command, and on the second 
day's fight at Pittsburgh Landing he commanded 
the company, and during the siege and taking of 
Corinth, Miss., and Crab Orchard, and soon after 
the last-named battle he was promoted to the rank 
of captain and assistant quartermaster of volun- 
teers by President Lincoln, and was assigned to 
duty on Gen. Willich's staff, as quartermaster of the 
First Brigade, Second Division of the Fourteenth 
Army Corps, which was composed of five regiments 
of infantry, a squadron of cavalry and a battery of 
artillery. He continued in this capacity until after 
the battles of Chattanooga, Hall's Gap and Resaca, 
when, on account of ill health, he resigned and 
returned home. Finding the life of a civilian very 
monotonous after the excitement of war, he soon re- 
turned South, and at Nashville, Tenn., he was made 
roll and disbursing clerk for Capt. J. D. Stubbs, 
depot quartermaster, and in charge of river trans- 
portation. After filling this position for about nine 
months he purchased a steamboat, and engaged in 
transporting soldiers and army supplies for the 
government, having his boat under charter party 
at $175 per day and the expenses of the crew fur- 
nished. Being subject to the direction of the gov- 
ernment, he was sent with his boat and twelve 
other steamers, loaded with supplies under convoy 
of three gunboats, to Carthage, Tenn., thence to 
Burksville, Ky., thence to Point Isabel, at the head 
of navigation on the Cumberland River, 450 miles 
atjove Nashville. At the time of their departui'e 
there was a high stage of water in the Cumberland, 
but owing to the fact that the water had receded 
five of the transports were unable to cross Faubush 
Shoals, and returned for protection to the garrison 
at Carthage, Tenn. Capt. Stringer's vessel, which 



^ 



~:1^ 



HALL COUNTY. 



695 



was the "Nettie Hartupee," and the other seven 
proceeded toward destination, and reported to 
Col. Crook at Burksville. He ordered the vessels 
on to Point Isabel, but with the exception of the 
' ' Nettie Hartupee. ' ' they were unable to cross 
Goose Creek Shoals, and his boat proceeded with- 
out convoy or other protection, and discharged its 
supplies at Point Isabel, at which point Gen. Burn- 
side's troops were arriving, preparatory to besieg- 
ing and capturing Knoxville, Tenn., and as the 
rebels had burned all the bridges over the.Cumber- 
land and its tributaries, Capt. Stringer's boat had 
to transport all of Gen. Bnrnside's army, including 
infantry, cavalry and artillery, and about 1,500 
cattle, across that river. Capt. Stringer then re- 
turned with his boat to transport the cargoes of 
the other vessels across the shoals, the whole time 
consuming four months and twenty- one days. It 
was the hourly experience of his vessel to be lired 
into by the guerrilla's musketry and mountain 
howitzers. Shortly after that expedition the Captain 
sold his vessel and returned to Ohio, and Feljruary 
4, 1864, was married to Miss Ellen R. Jacobs, and 
for one year following was in the grocery business 
in Ashland, after which he removed to Decatur, 
111., where he was engaged in the banking business 
for several years, being assistant cashier and a 
heavy stockholder of the First National Bank. In 
the fall of 1872 he returned to Ashland, Ohio, and 
purchased a two-thirds' interest in the gas works 
of that city, which he operated until the fall of 
1875, conducting a grocery store also. In 1875 he 
removed to Toledo, having entered the employ of 
theArbuckle Bros., the mammoth coffee merchants, 
of New York City, as a traveling salesman, and 
January 1, 187(), removed to Fort Wayne, Ind., re- 
maining, however, in the employ of the above-named 
gentlemen until May, 1887, daring the last year of 
which time he had the entire management of that 
firm in the State of Indiana. In the spring of 1887 
he entered the employ of the Union Coffee Com- 
pany, of New York City, and had charge of the 
sujiply depots at St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha, 
selling goods exclusively to the jobbers of cities 
tributary to those points. He continued this work 
until January, 1889, when he resigned his position 



and came to Grand Island, Neb., as the manager 
of the Grand Island Grocery Company, and this 
position he now holds. This house was established 
in April, 1889, on a strictly cash Ijasis, with refer- 
ence to both sales and purchases, and some idea of 
the mammoth business done by this establishment 
may be had from the following: It has purchased 
during the past ten months twenty car-loads of flour 
(10.000 sacks), fourteen car-loads of salt (1,400 bar 
rels), four car-loads of canned goods (2, SOO dozens), 
and all other goods in like quantities. Capt. 
Stringer and his wife have five children, two daugh- 
ters and three sons. Two other children died in 
infancy. The Captain is a member of the Masonic 
order, and in his political views is a Democrat. 

John T. Sturm, farmer and stock raiser, Doni- 
phan, Nel). Mr. Sturm's farm of 100 acres is one 
of the finest for successful agricultural purposes to 
be found in this part of the township, and the 
manner in which it is conducted is in full keeping 
with the personal characteristics of its owner, a 
man of great energy, determination, and of much 
perseverance. He was born in Shelby County, 
Ohio, in 1828. and his father, Ephraim Sturm, was 
a native also of the Buckeye State. The grand- 
father, Mathias Sturm, was a native of Pennsyl- 
vania and at a very earlj' day settled in Ohio. He 
was a soldier in the War of 1812. Ephraim Sturm 
was married, in his native State, to Miss Anna 
Carver, a native also of Ohio, and they resided 
there until lS4y when they emigrated to Peoria 
County, 111. There the father purchased land and 
tilled the soil for a number of years. The mother 
died in Illinois in 1852, but the father is still living 
and makes his home in Peoria County, 111. Of 
the four children born to their marriage, John T. 
Sturm was the eldest. He assisted on his father's 
farm, received his education in the schools of Ohio, 
and at the age of twenty one years went to Illinois, 
where he tilled the soil for himself in Peoria Coun- 
ty until 1852, He was married in that county. 
January 20, 1852, to Miss Lucinda Vantassell, a 
native of Peoria County, 111., and the daughter of 
Alonson and Harriet (Richmond) Vantassell, na- 
tives of Indiana. Mr. Vantassell settled in Peoria 
County, 111., squatted on laud, and when the land 






-f 



096 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



was opened up for market at Danville he pur- 
chased his claim. There they both passed their 
last days, the mother dying in 1854 and the father 
in 1872. After his marriage Mr. Sturm settled on 
a farm in Peoria County, and June 2, 1862, he en- 
listed in Company G, Sixty-seventh Illinois In- 
fantry for three months. He was mustered into 
servic(> at Chicago, June 4. and was assigned to de- 
tached and garrison <luty, guarding prisons as far 
south as Vicksburg. Ho was honorably discharged 
iit Camp Douglas, November 7, 1862, and returned 
to I'eoria County, where he engaged in agricult 
ural pursuits. In 1871 he came to Hall County, 
Nel). , afid engaged in improving and developing 
his farm. Aside from his farming interests he 
raises considerable stock, and is one of the substan- 
tial men of the county. He is deeply interested in 
politics and his vote is cast with the Republican 
jiarty. He is among the foremost in educational 
matters, and has been a member of the scliool 
board; is active in the organization of school <lis- 
tricts, and in the organization of townships from 
precincts. He was assessor in South Platte Town- 
ship in 1885, has also been enumerator, and has 
held other local offices. During his service in the 
army he received a sunstroke, has felt the effects of 
it from that time to the present, and for the past 
ten or twelve years has been incapable of manual 
labor. Socially he is a member of the G. A. R., 
A. J. Smith Post No. 65, Doniphan, Neb., and has 
held offices of trust in the organization. To his 
marriage have been born fourteen children, eleven 
now living: William Oscar (married, and resides 
in Kansas City, Mo.), Perry (died in 1855), Alice 
E. (now Mrs. Lewis, resides in South Platte Town- 
ship), Odus F. (died in Illinois), Alonzo O. (mar- 
ried, and resides in Doniphan, Neb.), Minnie M. 
(now Mrs. Dennon, resides in Fairbury, Neb.), 
Bertha A. (now Mrs. Johnson, resides in Marshall 
County, Iowa), Stephen (resides in Hall County, 
Neb.), Hattie, Ella, Archie F., Ida, John R. and 
one died in infancy. Mr. Sturm has seen a great 
many changes since coming to this State, and is 
one of the five left of the original settlers of South 
Platte Township. He was there during the grass- 
hopper raids of 1874, 1875 and 1876, and endured 



the many hard.ships common to frontier life. He 
has seen the complete growth of the country, and 
has aided in all enteiprises for the good of the 
same. His house was made a stopping-place by 
emigrants moving westward and, with his large 
family, Mr. Sturm often found it hard to keep the 
wolf from the door. He and wife are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church at Doniphan, and 
are much respected l)y all ac(piainted with them. 
Mr. Sturm has and is now acting as correspondent 
for both religious and literary papers, for which 
he writes a great many articles, mostly signed 
' ' Independent, " or " X. " Some incidents con 
nected with frontier life in Nebraska's early days 
might prove interesting to some. But, suffice it to 
say, the Indians were quite numerous here, and 
as their custom was to make two trips a year to 
their hunting ground, they passed by the door of 
Mr. Sturm's residence. He says he has seen a 
caravan four miles long. They had to be watched 
as they were very treacherous, often taking prop 
erty that did not belong to them, and seeming to 
relish what white people loathe. 

J. Lue Sutherland, M. D. The medical pro 
fession of Hall County, Neb. , is ably represented 
by the above named gentleman, who was born in 
Shelby ville, Ind., on September 23, 1854, being 
the fourth of a family of ten children born to the 
union of John Wesley and Elizabeth (Mcllraith) 
Sutherland, the former X)f whom was born in Indi 
ana in 1825, and the latter in Pennsylvania in 
1828, and are now residents of Marion County. 
Iowa, where they settled in 1855. Dr. Suther 
land was reared on a farm in Central Iowa, until 
seventeen years of age, then entered the Central 
Iowa University, where he remained four years, and 
in the meantime began the study of medicine. He 
spent one year in the office of Dr. J. A. Roberts, 
two years with W. E. Wright, and during these 
years of study he taught an occasional term of 
school to defray his expenses. After attending 
lectures for one term he located in Buena Vista 
County, where he pra;'ticed his profession for about 
one year, then entered Rush Medical College of 
Chicago, and from this institution was graduated 
February 2, 1882, removing 'the same year to 




Nebraska. He located first in Wayne, Wayne 
County, but about a 3'ear later settled in Wisner, 
and on September 23, 1887, came to Grand Island, 
where be has since held forth and has built up 
a splendid practice. He is a close student and in 
the practice of medicine keeps fully apace with the 
times. Having acquired the German language 
from Ijooks, the Doctor now is able to read, speak 
and write that language much to his own satisfac- 
tion and the satisfaction of a large portion of his 
patrons, who are German. He is a stanch Repub- 
lican, and is a member of the A. O. U. W. and 
K. of P. He is examining surgeon for the several 
social organizations of Grand Island, also several 
old line insurance companies, and is surgeon-in- 
chief of this district for the Pacific Mutual Life 
and Accident Insurance Company of California. 
The Doctor is of Scotch-Irish descent, and is a 
descendant of the Duke of Sutherland, of Suther- 
land County, Scotland. June 26, 18S2, he was 
married to Mrs. Emily Kleeberger, of Buena Vista 
County, Iowa. 

B. Z. Taylor has been located in the State of 
Nebraska for the past eighteen years, and has 
proved to be a valuable citizen to Hall County, 
especially as far as farming is concerned. His 
farm, an exceptionally fine one, comprises 100 
acres, every acre of which is tillable, under fence, 
and well improved by good buildings. He comes 
of old Virginia stock, and was l)orn in the ' ' Old 
Dominion" in 1847, being a son of B. F. and 
Catherine (McDonald) Taylor, who were born, 
reared and married in that State. In 1852 they 
emigrated to Illinois, and after a short residence in 
Edgar County moved to Moultrie County, where 
they remained until 188 1 , then coming to Hall Coun- 
ty. B. Z. Taylor was reared and received a good 
common-school education in Moultrie County, and 
was one of two children who grew to manhood 
there. He enlisted in Company I, One Hun- 
dred and Thirty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
United States Army, and served until the time 
of his enlistment had expired, and September 
28, 1804, received an honorable discharge. He 
followed farming in Illinois rmtil 1872, then came 
to Nebraska and took up a claim where he still 



resides, but his first efforts in farming were a 
failure, as the grasshop{>ers destroyed his crops as 
fast as they came up. Somewhat discouraged he 
concluded to abandon his farm for a time, and 
removed to Iowa and teamed during the winter of 
1874. In the spring of that year he came back to 
his farm, and his efforts have since continued to 
prosper. During his early settlement game was 
very abundant, and many enjoyable hours were 
spent by Mr. Taylor in hunting buffalo and deer. 
In 1883 he was united in marriage to Miss C. Bow- 
den, who was born in Illinois in 1866, and by her 
he is the father of five children: Gertrude, Benny, 
Lettie, Leslie and Roy. Mrs. Taylor is a daughter 
of George and Mary (King) Bowden, the former 
of whom was born in England and came to the 
United States at the age of fourteen, locating 
in Grundy County, 111. George Bowden left Illi- 
nois in 1877 for Texas, and came from there to 
Hall County, Neb., in 1879, where he lived until 
1884, then moving to Custer County, Neb., his 
present residence. His people reside in Illinois, 
and his wife's people in Hall County, Neb. 

Francis N. Taylor, farmer. Wood River, Neb. 
Prominent among the many enterprising and suc- 
cessful agriculturists of Hall County stands the 
name of Mr. Taylor, who was born in Moultrie 
County, 111., in 1857, and who received his educa- 
tion in the district schools of that county. He 
was the youngest and only son in a family of four 
children born to his parents, and was left mother- 
less at the age of four years. The father after 
ward married again. He was a millwright by 
trade, and followed that occupation during his 
latter years, although during the first part of 
his life he was engaged in agricultural pursuits. 
He was a Whig in politics, and was a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the four 
children born to his marriage, Francis N. is the 
only one now living. The latter attained his 
growth in Illinois, secured a fair education in 
that State, and was there married to Miss Mary 
Pugh, a native of Illinois, born in ISo'.l. Five 
children are the result of this union: Mabel, Delia. 
Francis E., Lulu and Clifford. Mr. Taylor fol- 
lowed farming in Illinois until 1880, then sold out 



A! 



698 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



and emigrated to Nebraska, vvhfio he |)urchased 
130 acres of land in Hall County. H(> is now the 
owner of IfSO acres, and has a fine river running 
through his land, which affords abundant water for 
his stock. He keeps a good breed of stock, and 
in the management of everything connected with 
his farm he displays excellent judgment and thor- 
oughness, qualities which can not fail of success. 
In his political preferences he is a Republican, 
though no political aspirant, and throughout the 
county he has many friends, by whom he is well 
and favorably known. 

Andrew J. Thomp.son. Perhaps it is not to be 
so much wondered at that Mr. Thompson is pos- 
sessed of such progressive ideas atid tendencies 
regarding the management and conduct of his farm 
when the fact becomes known that he is originally 
from a community of intelligent and progressive 
agriculturists — Columbiana County, Ohio- where 
he was born on April 15, 1845. He was the young- 
est of ten children, six now living, born to James 
and Nancy (Magee) Thompson, natives, respective- 
ly, of Baltimore, Md. , and Allegheny, Pa., the 
former dying May 16, 1881, and the latter July 14, 
1878. The paternal grandfather was Gen. Thomas 
Thompson, of Revolutionary War fame, and his 
wife was Rebecca Thompson. The maternal grand- 
parents were John and Rebecca Ann Magee. An- 
drew J. Thompson spent his boyhood days on a 
farm in his native county, and at the age of four- 
teen years he accompanied his parents to Portage 
County, Ohio, and remained with them, assisting 
to till the home farm until he was eighteen years 
old, at which time he entered the Union army, be- 
coming a member of Company I, One Hundred and 
Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he 
served until the close of the war, partici]iating, 
during this time, in nineteen battles under Gen. 
Sherman, among which may be mentioned Knox- 
ville, Franklin, Nashville, Lookout Mountain, siege 
and battle of Atlanta, Fort Fisher and Fort Alex- 
ander. He was also with Sherman on his march 
to the sea, and July 1, 1865, he was honorably dis- 
charged at Salisbury, N. C. , whereupon he re 
turned to Portage Connty, Ohio, where he tilled 
the soil for three years. In 1868 he came westward 



to Muscatine, Iowa, and after farniiug there for 
one year removed to Vermillion County, Ind., and 
a few months later returned to his former home in 
Iowa. He continued to follow {Vgricultural pur 
suits there until 1887, and the following year came 
to Hall County. Neb. August '23, 1870, he was 
married, in Muscatine County, to Miss Lora O. 
Deming, a native of Portage County, Ohio, born 
March 24, 1843, being a daughter of Donald and 
Roxana (Fitch) Deming, the former born in Hart- 
ford, Conn., April 11, 17y5, and the latter in Cov- 
entry, Tolland County, Conn., August 14, 1805. 
They were married April 11, 182'2, and became the 
parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. Thompson 
was the youngest, six being now alive. The mother 
of these children died in Portage County, Ohio, 
Maich 1, 1868, and the father in Muscatine Coun- 
ty, Iowa, August 14, 1870. The paternal grand-- 
parents of Mrs. Thompson were Theron and Electa 
(Ensign) Deming, the maternal grandparents being 
John and Marilla (Gregory) Fitch. Mi-, and Mrs. 
Thompson have resided on the farm they now oc 
cupy ever since coming to the State, which com- 
prises 160 acres of well cultivated land, and have 
proved themselves to be valuable residents of the 
county. They have thi'ee children; Sherman A., 
Allie L. and Lora M. Mr. Thompson is a Demo- 
crat, and invariably supports the men and meas- 
ures of his i)arty. Prior to her marriage Mrs. 
Thompson was engaged in teaching school, and in 
eight years taught twelve terms in Portage County, 
Ohio. ' 

Elmer E. Thompson is the superintendent of 
public instruction for Hall County, Neb., to which 
position he was elected on the Republican ticket in 
1 889, and is now ably and successfully discharging 
the duties of this office. He was born in West 
Union, Fayette County, Iowa, June 3, 1860, and 
is a son of Alexander and Lavina (Foster) Thomj)- 
son, both of whom were liorn in the "Buckeye 
State," and removed to Iowa in 1859, where the 
father followed the occupation of cabinet making 
and carpentering for many years. In 1873 he re- 
moved to Nebraska, and made a home for himself 
and family on a farm near Cairo. He and wife 
reared a family. of three sons and two daughters, 



Tls 



-" — "K «. 



HALL COUNTY. 



699 



their names bciug as follows: Charles S. (cashier 
of a bank at Prove Cit.y, Utah), Will F. (a teacher 
at Wood River, Neli.), Alma E. (the accomplished 
wife of Hon. James Ewing, is now deceased) and 
Anna J. (who is one of the county's most success- 
ful educators). The paternal grandparents were 
Zaehariah and Priscilla Thompson, the former a 
native of Scotland, who came to the United States 
when a young man, and was here married. Elmer 
E. Thompson sjjent his youth in following the plow 
on his father's farm and in attending the district 
schools near his home, and, being intelligent and 
studious, he had soon a sutficient knowledge of the 
"world of books" to enable him to engage in teach- 
ing, and by this means he was permitted to accu- 
mulate sutKcient means with which to defray his 
expenses 'at college. He entered the seminary at 
College Springs, Iowa, and later the State Normal 
School at Peru, where he completed his education. 
He then applied himself to teaching, and has since 
devoted himself to this calling in Hall and adjacent 
counties, where he has become well and favorably 
known as an educator of ability. He has always 
been an active Repul)]ican in politics, and socially 
is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the A. O. U. W. 
William Thorpe is a member of the tirm of W. 
& F. Thorpe, and is a native of Ohio, born in 1845, 
a son of Thomas and Eliza (Herron) Thorpe, who 
were born near Dublin, in County Wicklow, Ire- 
land, being from the same neighborhood as Par 
nell, the agitator. They came to America with a 
family of small children and settled in Warren, 
Trumbull County, Ohio, where they reared six of 
their ten children to maturity, live of whom are 
still living and three residents of Ohio. The father 
was a carpenter and builder by occupation, and 
about 1856 removed with his family to Canada and 
settled in the town of Guelph, Wellington County, 
where two of his children were born. After about 
fourteen years he returned to the States, and from 
that time until his death in 1887 resided at his old 
home in Ohio, he being about ninety years of age 
upon his demise. His widow, who was born in 
1820, survives him and lives at Auburn. Ohio. 
Thomas Thorpe was reared by an uncle, a land 
agent, and he and his sister, Elizalieth, were re- 



markably well educated, being very fond of read 
ing. The paternal grandfather, Fred Thorpe, was 
an officer in the English navy. William Thorpe, 
the immediate subject of this sketch, was educated 
in Ohio, Canada and Michigan, and in his youth 
served an apprenticeship at the miller's trade, 
learning the details of the work in the last-namcnl 
State. After following this occupation on his own 
responsibility at Buchanan for some five years, he 
went to Ohio and settled near his old home, which 
was prior to his parents return, and worked as 
journeyman there for three years. He then liought 
a mill of his own at Auburn, but eleven years later, 
in 1881, came to Nebraska, and built the present 
Atlantic Mills at Wood River. He was joined liy 
his brother in March, 1S.S2, and their mill is now 
capable of turning out 100 barrels of flour per day, 
which is of an excellent quality and gives the best 
of satisfaction wherever used. Their mill is fitted 
up with the roller process and is in other respects 
very complete. He still owns his mill jiroperty at 
Auburn, Ohio, but as it has always made a living 
for the family he leaves it in possession of a younger 
brother. He also owns a steam circular saw-mill 
and two dwellings there, which are now very valu 
aiile Jiroperty. Fred Thorpe, one of the proprietors 
of the above-named mills, and also the proprietor 
of the Commercial Hotel of Wood River, w<is born 
in Warren, Trumbull Coimty, Ohio, in 1848, and 
went with his parents to Canada, where his educa 
tion was received. During the Civil War in this 
country he returned to the United States, and 
settled at Woonsocket, R. I., where he worked for 
some time for a cattle dealer, and later became 
connected with an oil tirm of Boston. At the end 
of one year he went to Chicago, 111. , and was first 
in the employ of S. W. McBride & Co., and later 
with another tirm, being superintendent of oil 
works all this time, but in March, 18S2, he came to 
Nebraska, and Ijecame associated with his brother 
in the flour mills of Wood River. He opened the 
Commercial Hotel of this place in 18S5, which is 
one of the best establishments of the kind in the 
town, and besides this property is the owner of 
several town lots, 160 acres of land, and a one-half 
interest in the mill, which alone is worth over §27,- 



I 



700 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 






000. Alt.liougli a Rf^mblicau in politics, he is not a 
partisan, and socially is a member of the K. of P. 
and the I. (). O. F. In 1872 he was married in 
Chicago, to Mrs. Shelton, a widow with one 
daughter, Annie M., who is now the wife of E. A. 
Wedgwood, of Grand Island. Mrs. Thorpe was 
born in Quebec, Canada, and is of Irish descent. 
These gentlemen by their many excellent qualities 
have succeeded in estaV)lishing a large and remun- 
erative trade, which the excellent (juality of their 
product fully justilies, and they are safe, reliable 
and upright men of business. 

Benjamin Grant Underwood, farmer and stock- 
man, Underwood, Neb. Prominent among the suc- 
cessful farmers and stock-raisers of Hall County 
stands the name of Benjamin G. Underwood, who 
owes his nativity to Oaldand County, Mich., where 
he was born in 1830, and is the son of Asa B. and 
Sabriua (Loomis) Underwood, natives of Canada. 
The father emigrated to Oakland County, Mich. , 
in 1827, and although a carpenter and ship builder 
by trade, he nettled on a farm and tilled the soil 
until his death, which occurred in January, 1844. 
He took quite an active part in politics in the cam- 
paign of 1840, and was a Whig. The mother sur- 
vived him until 1885, and had been a resident of 
the farm, where she reared her family of ten chil- 
dren, for over fifty-eight years. Benjamin G. 
Underwood began the duties of farm life at an 
early age, and received his education in the prim- 
itive log school house of pioneer days. He com- 
menced farming for himself in Michigan, and was 
married in McComb County of that State, in 1857, 
to Miss Cleantha Lerieh, a native of McComb 
County, Mich., and the daughter of Peter and 
Sarah (Fishbough) Lerieh, natives of New Jersey. 
Mr. Lerieh was married in New Jersey, and in 
1835 moved to what is now McComb County, 
Mich., where he purchased a partly improved 
farm and made that county his home. He and 
wife still reside in that county. Mr. Underwood 
followed farming in Michigan until 1884, when he 
came to Nebraska and purchased a partly improved 
farm of 160 acres, on which he has since erected a 
good house, ontbuildings, etc. He takes an in- 
terest in the votes of the Republican party, and is 



now serving his second term as justice of the 
peace, being elected in 1887. Mrs. Underwood 
was appointed postmistress in 1885, and the post- 
office was called Underwood. It is a good, strong 
office, and has tri weekly mail from Underwood to 
Hansen. Forty two families get their mail at this 
office. Mr. Underwood is a meml)er of the South 
Platte Alliance No. 373, and takes an active inter- 
est in the same. To his marriage were born seven 
children: Frank (married, and resides in South 
Platte Township), Hale (is the owner of a farm in 
Martin Township), William (resides at home), 
Charles, Mary, Clifford and Fred. The younger 
ones are attending school. Mr. Underwood has 
seen a great many changes in the country since 
settling here, and has always taken a prominent 
part in everything for the good of the county. 
He expects to make this State his permanent home. 
Henry Vieregg, the j)roprietor of the Grand 
Island Bottling Works, is a native German, and 
possesses all the sterling characteristics of his 
race. He was born in the village of Gaidersdorf, 
Holstein, Germany, December 22, 1810, his par- 
ents, Hans and Elsie (Kraso) Vieregg, being 
worthy residents of that place. He was one of 
their five children, and at the early age of sixteen 
years came to the United States to seek his fortune, 
and after spending two years in Davenport, Iowa, 
he came to Grand Island, Neb. , and upon attaining 
his majority he entered some land and was engaged 
in farming for some time in Merrick County, but 
in 187B he returned to Grand Island, and after 
giving his time and attention to the ice business 
for quite a period, he engaged in the bottling 
business and also sells mineral waters and temper- 
ance beverages. He was married in Grand Island 
to Miss Caroline Spethmann, a native of Holstein, 
Germany, and a daughter of John and Malvina 
Spethmann, and by her has bad a family of eleven 
children born to him: Malvina (wife of Franz Rosser 
assistant post master, by whom she has had a son 
named August), Louisa, Willie, Othelia, Albert, 
Emil, Henrietta, Oscar and Elsie. August and, 
Carl died in early youth. Mr. Vieregg and family 
attend the Lutheran Church, and he is a promi- . 
nent Democrat and has been a member of the City 



» \ 



HALL COUNTY. 



701 



council and alderman of his ward for two terms 
of two years each. He was a candidate for the 
Legislature against a very popular Republican, but 
owing to the great Republican majority in the 
county was defeated. He is well known and 
highly respected, and besides the farm which he 
owns and his present business, he is the owner of 
a bottling establishment at St. Paul. He belongs 
to two German societies. 

Isaac H. Waldron is a prominent pump dealer 
of Grand Island and is well known throughout 
Hall County as a man of sterling business princi- 
ples, soiind judgment and intelligence. He is one 
of four surviving members of a family of eight 
children, and was born in Albany County, N. Y. , 
December 23, 1837, his parents, Aaron and Susan 
Waldron, Vieing born near Auburn and Albany, N. 
Y., respectively. Both parents are now deceased. 
Isaac H. Waldron spent his youth on a farm in his 
native county, receiving the advantages of the com 
nion schools in the meantime, but at the age of 
seventeen years he went to Schenectady, N. Y., 
where he was employed for two years as a hack 
driver. At the end of this time he emigrated 
westward, and until 1872 made his home in Syca- 
more. De Kail) County, 111., his first work at this 
place being for Reuben Elwood, who was an exten- 
sive raiser of broom corn. After remaining with 
him for two months he was chiefly engaged at farm 
work until 1862, and on August 7 of that year he 
was mustered into service in Company C, One 
Hundred and Fifth Illinois Infantry, United States 
Army, and was detailed as an orderly immedi- 
ately after entering, and held this position until 
his time had expired, which was at the end of two 
years and ten months. He was a participant in the 
battles of Peach Tree Creek, Resaca, Dalton and 
Buzzard's Roost, and was with Sherman on his fa- 
mous march to the sea. June 7, 1865, he was 
mustered out of service at Chicago and returned 
to De Kalb County, III., and resumed farming. 
In 1872 he came to the fertile prairies of Nebraska 
and settled upon a homestead which he had taken 
in Hall County, and here he continued to follow ag- 
ricultural pursuits until 1885. In December of 
that year he removed to Grand Island and has 



since given his attention to the sale of pumps and 
wind mills, and has built up a paying business. He 
was married July 3, 1862, to Miss Ruth A. Depue, 
a daughter of James and Julia A. (Marsh) Depue. 
Mrs. Waldron was born in Pennsylvania, and she 
and Mr. Waldron are the parents of six children: 
Edith A., John C, Lettie M., Lewis J., Julia M. 
and Frederick, of whom John C. and Frederick 
are deceased. Mr. Waldron is a member of the 
A. O. U.W., and in politics is a stanch Republican. 
Edward C. Walker. Nowhere in Hall County, 
Neb., is there to be foimd a man of more energy, 
determined will or force of character, than Mr. 
Walker possesses, and no agriculturist is more de- 
serving of success in the conduct and management 
of his farm than he. His birth occurred in Clark 
County, Ohio, July 1, 1844, a son of Joseph J. 
and Delilah (Umbel) Walker, who were born, 
reared and married in Ohio, being among the early 
settlers of Ohio, where the father made his home 
until his death. His widow survives him, and re- 
sides in Hall County with a daughter. Edward 
C. Walker attende<l to the duties on the farm until 
1861, but upon the call for troops to suppress the 
Rebellion which had arisen, he left the plow and 
.enlisted in Company I, Forty fourth Ohio Volun- 
teer Infantry, and re-enlisted on January 5, 1864, 
his regiment becoming known as the Eighth Vol- 
unteer Cavalry. He was discharged in July, 1865, 
as a corporal, and during his term of service had 
participated in the battles of Louisburg and 
Charleston, W. Va. ; Dntton's Hill, Ky. ; the 
siege of Knoxville, and took part in numerous 
skirmishes. He was shot in the right fore- arm at 
Beverly, W. Va., was disabled for several months 
and was on detached duty. After the closing of the 
war he returned to his home in Ohio, but soon re- 
moved to Butler County, Iowa, and there made his 
home for about six years, after which he went to 
Nebraska, and in 1871 settled in Hall County, on 
the farm' on which he is now living. He owns 
160 acres, on which is a comfortable house, and 
was one of the first men in the county to locate 
north of Grand Island. He has always been a 
Republican in politics, supporting the men and 
measures of that party, and in 1872 was elected 






(S s- 



702 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



to the position of magistrate, and after serving 
one term was elected to the [xxsitioii of supervisor. 
He is now serving bis third term as justice of the 
peace, and his third term as collector and treas- 
urer. He was married at Grand Island Septem- 
ber 22, 1878, to Miss Mary J. Lamon, a daughter 
of E. S. Lamon, she being a native of Indiana. 
They have four children: Charles E., James L., 
Ernest L. and Pearl (an infant six months old). 
Mr. and Mrs Walker are Baptists in faith, but 
are not members of any church. 

George L. Warner, one of Hall County's most 
successful agriculturists, was born in the "Nut- 
meg State" Deceml)er 5, 1S'21, and is a son of 
Martin and Nancy (Hart) Warner, the father 
being also a native of Connecticut, born in 1770. 
At the age of fifty four years he left his birth- 
place and went to York State, where he farmed. 
He also owned a sailing vessel which plied the 
ocean and entered the then small city of New York, 
but afterward moved to Ohio and was a resident of 
Wood County until his death, which occurred when 
he was eighty two years of age. Ho was a man of 
great physical strength, was six feet and one half 
inches in height, and never had a spell of sickness 
until he was tifty years old. H(( was a Presbyte- 
rian in faith. His father, Martin Warner, was 
born in Connecticut and was a soldier in the Revo- 
Intiouary War, Solomon Warner, an uncle of the 
subject of this sketch, being also in that war. 
The maternal grandparents came originally from 
England, the grandfather serving in the Revolu- 
tionary War. On his father's side of the family Mr. 
Warner traces his ancestry liaek to thiee brothers 
who took passage in the good old ship, the "May- 
flower," landing at Plymouth Rock. The male 
members of the Hart family were principally sailors. 
Nancy (Hart) Warner was born in Connecticut, 
and she and Mr. Warner reared a family of ten 
children, six of whom are now alive. The mother 
died in 1 (S'j'j over eighty years of age. George L. 
Warner resided in York State iintil he reached his 
twelfth year, then went with his parents to Wood 
County, Ohio, and there the greater part of his 
<!ducation was received. Upon the opening of the 
war 1j(^ joined (he Federal army, becoming a mem- 



ber of the One Hundred and Forty- fourth Ohio, 
but after the battle of Frederick City he returned 
home and took care of his parents until their 
deaths. He was first married in Ohio to Miss 
Charlotte Yates, but she left him a widower in 
1874 with a family of four children: Ellen (wife 
of James W. White), William, John and Franklin. 
After residing in Ohio until 1806 Mr. Warner 
removed with his family to Burr Oak, Mich., but 
sold out there in 1871 and came to Nebraska. He 
took up a soldier's homestead of 160 acres, and 
soon after erected his present residence, but his 
labors at first were not attended with good results, 
for the grasshoppers ate his crops, and at one time 
from fourteen acres of corn he only secured a 
basket full of nubbins. He persevered, however, 
in his determination to make a home for his family 
in Nebraska, and in time became the owner of 400 
acres of land, but has since sold a considerable 
portion of this. He is very philosoishic in his 
views, is an exceptionally intelligent man, and is a 
deep thinker. He is a Republican, is a member 
of the G. A. R., J. Hooker Post, and in his relig- 
ious views is a Presbyterian. In October, 1875, 
he was married to Mrs. Jane A. Hill, who had a 
family of three daughters by her first husband. 

Edgar A. Wedgwood. Socially, politically and 
as a painstaking and zealous official, we find none 
whose record, in point of excellence, excels that of 
Mr. Wedgwood, who for a number of years was the 
efficient sheriff of Hall County. Although a .stanch 
Democrat in his political views (his party having a 
minority of several hundreds below that of the Re- 
publican party in Hall County) he has, by a very 
creditable career, won the resj)ect and liking of 
those opposed to him in his preferences, and 
owing to their hearty support, as well as to that of 
his constituents, he was elected to the office of 
county sheriff November 1, 1885, and as a mark of 
resjject for his painstaking services he was honored 
with a re election in 1887, which fact speaks louder 
than mere words can do as to his ability, integrity 
and [jopularity, and his retirement from office in 
the spring of 188'J was witnessed with many re- 
grets. He has drawn around him a host of friends, ■ 
who pay him a hearty respect in his official retire- 



-T» K. 



HALL COUNTY. 



703 



merit. He was born in the "Old Bay State," at 
Lowell, May 2, 1856, and is a son of Andrew J. and 
Theresa A. (Gould) Wedgwood, who were born in 
the State of Maine, the former in Newport and the 
latter in Dixfield, both l)elonging to old and prom- 
inent families of the "Pine Tree State." The 
\Vedgwoods are of English extraction. Andrew J. 
was a machinist by occupation, and for many years 
was in honorable employment with the Merrimac 
Manufacturing Company, of Lowell, Mass. In 
1879 he came to Nebraska, with his family, and 
settled on a farm near Wood River, where he 
passed from life April 7, 1889, leaving his widow 
and the subject of this sketch as his survivors. 
The latter had received good advantages in the 
schools of his native city, being a graduate of the 
high school of that place when eighteen years of 
age, and on coming west with his parents took up 
the building business, with which he was identified 
until 1SS5, when, as above stated, he was elected 
to the sheriff's office. He has always interested 
himself in the advancement of all good works, and 
contributes liberally to their success. He has 
served Wood River as its treasurer, and Grand 
Island as a member of its council, and socially is 
a member of the Masonic fraternity, theA. (). U. W. 
and the K. of P. He contributes liberally and irre- 
spective of denomination to the different churches, 
looking on all as grand temples of morality. Him 
self and wife enjoy the esteem of all who know 
them. 

G. W. Weeter, M. D. , physician and surgeon 
of Grand Island, Neb., is associated with Dr. 
Sumner Davis in his practice, they forming a firm 
worthy of all confidence. He owes his nativity to 
Clarion County, Pa., where he was born on Octo- 
ber 20, J847, and was one of a family of twelve 
children born to George and Sarah (Lobaugh) 
Weeter, whose ages are, respectively, seventy-live 
and sixty-nine years. The father has three broth- 
ers living, one eighty one, another eighty three and 
another eighty five. Dr. Weeter acquired his lit- 
erary education in Callensbnrg Academy and the 
Clarion Collegiate Institute, and in the latter was 
assistant principal for nearly two years. He put 
himself through these institutions, securing the 



means with which to defray his expenses by teach- 
ing school during the winter months and attending 
school during the summer seasons. In 1871 he 
began the study of medicine under Dr. R. C. Cal- 
lahan, remaining until the fall of 1878, at which 
time he entered the Western Reserve University, 
at Cleveland, Ohio, and after taking lectures one 
year, began practicing with Dr. I. W. Mease, of 
Shippenville, Clarion County, Pa., with whom he 
remained associated a year and a half. In the au- 
tumn of 1875 he again entered the Western Re- 
serve University, graduating as an M. D. in the 
spring of the following year, and in August, 1876, 
he located in Crawford County, where he practiced 
for twelve years, two years having been appointed 
as physician of the county infirmary of that 
county. He spent a portion of the winter of 1886 
at his old alma mater with a view to furtlieriug 
his knowledge of medicine, and in May, 188S, de- 
cided to still further push his investigations, and 
for this purpose took a course in the New York 
Post Graduate College. In November, 1888, Dr. 
Weeter came to Grand Island, where he practiced 
his profession alone until July, 1889, when ho 
formed a partnership with Dr. Davis and is doing 
well. He gives some special attention to diseases 
of the throat and nose, and in the treatment of 
the cases which have come under his control he 
has been very successful. On May 22, 1889, he 
was appointed secretary to the pension board of 
Grand Island. The Doctor is a Republican and 
has held various offices of trust in the different 
localities in which he has resided. He married 
Emma J. Mease, of Shijipenville, Pa., on March 
28, 1870, to whom two children have been liorn: 
Arthur R. (aged thirteen years) and Lelah Ma- 
nora (aged nine years and six months). They are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

J. M. Weldon was born in the State of New 
York, in 1862, and like all native New Yorkers, is 
intelligent, enterprising and industrious. He is a 
son of J. M. and Jane (Irving) Weldon, who were 
born in York State in 1824 and England in 1834, 
respectively, the former being a blacksmith and 
machinist by occupation. Their union took place 
August 10, 1851, and after making their home in 



^1 



~d 9 



704 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Now York until 1S7'2, tlioy came to Hall County, 
Neb., iiiid took u]) a boinostead claim, hnt suhse- 
quontly moved to Wood River, where the father 
resided until his death in 1887. Dnrinc^ the Re- 
bellion he served in the Union army, in <he 
Fourth New York Heavy Artillery, under Gen. 
Hancock, and for many years was a member of 
the Re|)nl)licau party, and socially belonged to 
the A. F. & A. M. The paternal grandfather was 
born in the "Empire State." was a farmer by 
occujKition and lived and died in the Mohawk 
Valley. His wife was also born in that State. 
J. M. Weldon, the immediate subject of this 
biography, was eleven years of age when he came 
to Nebraska, and he received excellent educa- 
tional advantages in the district schools near his 
home and in the high school at Gibbon. In Novem- 
ber, 1882, he was married to Miss Ella M. Dunlaja, 
who was born in Siillivan County, Mo., December 
25, 18^)2, and by her he is the father of three 
children: Blanche, Carrie and E. K. He inherited 
some money from his father, purchased some land 
when twenty years of age, and now has 120 acres 
in his home farm and 200 acres in other tracts. 
Mr. Weldon is one of the wealthiest and most en- 
terprising young farmers of the county, and owing 
to the many estimable qualities which he possesses, 
be is respected and esteemed by all. He is au 
officer of Chamberlin Encampment of the I. O. O. 
F. iit Wood River, being a charter member of the 
same, and holds a life insurance of 12,000 in the 
A. O. U. W'. His wife is a daughter of Tennessee 
and Mary L. (Myers) Dunlap, the former being a 
native of Illinois, although his people came from 
Tennessee. He is now residing in Eureka Springs, 
Ark. His mother is still alive and resides in 
S|)ringfield, 111., aged eighty-four years. 

Riley Wescoatt, general merchant of Wood 
River, Nelj. , has a well stocked establishment, and 
being strictly honest in his dealing with his custom- 
ers and selling his goods at reasonable prices, he 
has built up a paying trade. He was l)orn in the 
" Hojsier State " in 1828, and is a son of Joseph S. 
and Sarah (Metzgar) Wescoatt, who were born in 
Cayuga County, N. Y., and Dutchess County, Pa., 
ill I 7U0 and 1785, respectively. The father was a 



farmer by occupation, and at an early day removed 
with his family to Ohio, thence to Indiana in 1828, 
locating in Vermillion County near Eugene. From 
this State he removed to Iowa in 1837 and made his 
home in Van Buren County until his death, in 
IStiO. He was judge of the Van Buren County 
Court at this time, and had been a member of the 
Territorial Legislature at one time. He served 
in the Black Hawk War, and in his political views 
was an old line Whig, being a man exceptionally 
well educated foK those times and well posted 
on all current topics. His wife lived until 1888, 
making her one hundred and three years of age, 
and was hearty and spry, with not a gray hair in 
her head, but met with an accident which resulted 
fatally. Riley Wescoatt is one of seven children, 
the youngest of whom is now over fifty eight years 
of age, and grew to manhood and was educated 
in the State of Iowa. He followed merchandising 
in Alva, 111., from 185S until the opening of the 
war, and in May, 1861, enlisted in Company A, 
First Iowa Cavalry, United States Army, but 
after serving two years and nine months was dis- 
charged for disability. He was in the engage 
ments at Rolla, Mo., Pea Ridge, Cross Roads, 
Newtonia, Prairie Grove, Little Rock, and was on 
the Camden expedition. He was at home when 
the war closed and from that time farmed until 
1874 when he removed to Nebraska and purchased 
laud. In 1883 he sold his estate and removed to 
Wood River where he began merchandising, con- 
tinuing successfully up to the present time. He 
is an influential citizen, popular with all, and is 
ever ready to extend the right hand of fellowship. 
He is a member of the G. A. R , the I. O. O. F., 
and is trustee of the Building & Loan Association 
of Wood River. He was married in Iowa to Miss 
May J. Richardson, who was born in Illinois in 
18')r). and by her he has four children: Nelson, 
Frank, Harry and Emma. 

William H. West is a successful agriculturist 
and is a raiser and dealer in Polled Angus cattle 
and Poland-China hogs. Although born in New- 
castle County, Del., January 23, 1832, he was 
reared to manhood in Kent County of that State, 
making his home with his parents. After farming 



^ 



« k. 



.^ 9 



HALL COUNTY. 



705 



for himself iu his native State for eight years, he 
began merchandising at Wilmington, continuing 
there until 1874, when he moved to Nebraska, and 
located at Grand Island, where he also opened a 
mercantile establishment, and was successfully 
engaged up to 1888, when he closed out and 
removed to the farm where he now resides. His 
first purchase of land was in 1878, and he is now 
the owner of 480 acres of land, all in one tract and 
very valuable. He has a good one and one-half 
story residence, substantial and commodious barns, 
and besides his home property he owns a section of 
timber land in Arkansas. He is devoting much 
of his attention to raising Polled-Angus cattle, and 
now has a herd of twenty-six head of thoroughbred 
registered cattle, with a fine young animal, " Ken- 
neth,"' four years old and weighing '2,000 pounds, 
at the head. This animal was sired by Baronet, 
an imported animal. He also has twenty nine 
head of graded stock, and is prepared to furnish 
both registered and graded animals for sale. His 
drove of swine is of the Poland China breed and is 
one of the finest in the State. He has made a 
business of buying and shipping cattle since com- 
ing on his farm, and there is now no man in the 
county more extensively engaged in their propaga 
tion than he. His farm is well fitted for this 
purpose, the conveniences, etc. , being unsurpassed. 
He has always been a Democrat in his political 
views, and has held a number of positions of honor 
and trust since coming to the county. He was 
married in Delaware, in 1853, to Miss Rachel Syl- 
vester, who was born in that State and died in 
1870, leaving a son, Leonard J., of Grand Island. 
His second marriage also took place in Delaware, 
October 4, 1872, his wife being Miss Sallie A. 
Lufl^, reared and educated in that State and a 
daughter of John and Martha Luff. Mr. West 
and his wife are members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, and he is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity, in which order he has attained to the 
Commandory. His parents, James and Rachel 
Ann (Davis) West, were born in Delaware, and 
in the spring of 1837 moved from Newcastle 
County to Kent County, where they died in March, 
1850, and in May, 1849, respectively. The father 



was a mechanic by trade, and was a worthy man 
and a highly honored citizen. 

Frank S. West. Among the young men deter- 
mined to make a home for themselves and families 
on the fertile prairies of Nebraska was Mr. West, 
who left his native State of Iowa, and came to Hall 
County in the fall of 1883, and purchased a quarter 
section of fine land in Section Ifi, and has since 
been identified with the growth and prosperity of 
the county. He is a young man of much push, 
energy and enterprise, and the manner in which 
he has acquired his present estate denotes him to 
be a thorough master of his calling. He was born 
in the " Hawkeye State" in 1860, and is a son of 
Isaac and Watty (Weldon) West, and in his early 
youth received the advantages of the common 
schools of his native State, acquiring a fair knowl- 
edge of the " world of books." When quite a 
young man he went to California and was engaged 
in agricultural pursuits and sheep-raising in that 
State for five years, but, as above stated, came to 
Nebraska in 1883, and here has since made his 
home. In the summer of 1885 Miss Mary Ewing, 
a member of one of the most influential families of 
this portion of the State, became his wife, and their 
union has resulted in the birth of one child, Ray 
W. Mr. West has always supported the Repub- 
lican party, and has taken (juite an interest in 
local politics. He is universally respected, and 
socially is a member of the A. O. U. W., Wood 
River Lodge. 

Frederick Whitehead, farmer and stock-raiser, 
Wood River, Neb. Mr. Whitehead is a native of 
the Empire State, where his birth occurred in 1844, 
and is the son of William and Sarah (Wat.son) 
Whitehead, both natives of England. The father 
was born in 1810 and was a cotton-spinner by 
trade, working at his trade in his native country 
until he came to America in 1834. He was mar- 
ried in England in 1830, and after reaching this 
continent continued his former trade for about ten 
years in New York. He then went to Middleville, 
town of Newport, and followed the same business 
there for six years, after which he moved to Wis- 
consin and engaged in agricultural pursuits, con- 
tinuing the same until 1884, when he emigrated to 



!) ^ 




Nebiciska. He is now eighty years of age, reads 
ami writes without glasses, takes care of a car- 
loud of cattle and carries corn to thenj on his 
sliouldors. He belonged to the regular military 
in England, was with them a year, when bis peo- 
ple bought his discharge. When the Civil War 
broke out ho was a Union man in principle and 
gave instruction to the bugler of the Third Wis- 
consin Cavalry. His two sons, Fred and William, 
were in service. The mother of our subject died 
in July, 1S57. She was the mother of nine chil- 
dren, seven of whom are still living. After her 
death, or in 1868, the father married again, to 
Miss Mary lihines, who bore him two daughters, 
both now living. The grandfather, William White- 
head, was Iiorn in England in 1705, and died 
there in 1S37. He was a hatter by trade. His 
wife, whose maiden name was Mary Ashworth, 
was a native of Denton County, England, born in 
1772. They were the parents of fourteen chil 
dren, twelve daughters and two i-ons, and six 
of whom grew to maturity, but our subject's 
father is the only one now living. The last one 
that died was eighty-one years of age. The great- 
grandfather, Rol)ort Ashworth, was born in the 
town of Denton, England, and was a hatter also. 
Frederick Whitehead passed his youthful days in 
Wisconsin and there received a fair education. 
He was early instructed in the duties of farm 
life i)y his father, and at the breaking out of the 
late war entered the Federal service in Company 
C, Thirty- second Wisconsin Infantry. He was 
discharged in June, l.Sf)5, and participated in the 
following battles: Tallahatchie, Holly Springs, Par- 
ker's Cross Roads, Colliersville, Monroe, Lafayette, 
Marion Station, Padncah, Decatur, Courtland, 
the siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, Savannah, Salke- 
hatchie, Orangeburg, Columbia, Cheraw, Fay- 
etteville, Bentonville, Raleigh, and many other 
skirmishes. He participated in twenty-two gen- 
eral engagements. He then returned home, and in 
April, 18f)7, he was married to Miss R. Carter, a 
native of Wisconsin, born in 1851, and the fruits of 
this union have been two children: Alvin and Merty. 
Mr. Whitehead continued to farm in Wisconsin 
until 1872, when he came to Nebraska and home- 



steaded Section 18, Town 10, Range 11. He sold 
this in 1878 and the following year bought his 
present property, paying $10 an acre for it, and 
raised enough the first year to pay for it all. He 
is now the owner of 155 acres and feeds cattle 
every winter. He has about ninety head of cattle 
on his farm, hogs in proportion, and also raises 
some horses. Ho is a member of the Shaupps- 
ville Farmers' Alliance and is chaplain for the 
lodge. He belongs to Brady Post No. 134, G. A. R., 
and is also a member of the A. O. U. W. In his 
political views he affiliates with the Republican 
party. The father of Mrs. Whitehead, William 
Carter, was born in Massachusetts, and the mother 
in Wales. The father was a joiner and ship car- 
penter by trade, and died on January 28, 1882, at 
the age of eighty one years. The mother died in 
1806 at the age of forty one years. Her maiden 
name was Laura Williams. Grandfather Will 
iams was a native of Wales, who came to America 
at an early day. 

E. Whitehead, farmer and stock- raiser, Cairo, 
Hall County, Neb. The e.state which Mr. White 
head now cultivates embraces 200 acres, land well 
adapted to the puri)osesof general farming, and in 
his operations he displays those sterling principles 
characteristic of men of New York State, espe- 
cially industry and wise, judicious management. 
He was born in Herkimer County in 1851, and 
was one of nine children boin to his parents [see 
sketch of Fred Whitehead]. The children were 
named as follows: James, Mariah, Mary, Samuel, 
William, Frederick, Eleanor, Margaret and Ervin. 
Seven of these children grew to maturity. In 
1857 the family emigrated from New York to Wis 
cousin, and there remained until 1873, when they 
broke up. Ervin Whitehead emigrated to Hall 
County, Neb. , and took up the southwest quarter 
of Section 2, Township 11, Range 12 west, where 
he still resides. When he came to Nebraska he 
was without money but was blessed with good 
health and plenty of energy, a fact which is clearly 
demonstrated by bis success. He is a man of 
more than ordinary business ability, and one who 
is universally respected. He served three terms 
from Cameron Township, as county supervisor, 



HALL COUNTY. 



707 



and has for eight years filled the ofiice of school 
treasurer ia the district whore he lives. He is at 
present the president of Cairo Farmers' Alliance 
Business Association, and is a member of the A. 
O. U. W. Of his fine farm every acre is tillable, 
and all is under fence. He has a good young 
orchard, in fact one of the best in this part of the 
county. To his marriage have been born three 
children: Lloyd, Edith and Ervin. 

Henry Wiese, farmer and stock-raiser, Grand 
Island, Neb. This prominent and most successful 
citizen was originally from Holstein, Germany, 
where his birth occurred in ]iS36, and is the sec 
ond in a family of children bom to the union of 
A. and Catherine (Wiese) Wiese, natives also of 
Holstein, Germany. The parents sailed from Ham- 
burg, Germany, in the fall of 185<S, oq the vessel 
" Austria " which was burned in mid ocean, and 
both parents perished. Henry Wiese was edu- 
cated in Holstein. Germany, and immigrated to 
the United States in 1856. He came direct to 
Davenport, Scott County, Iowa, and engaged in 
agricultural pursuits for some time. In 1859 he 
was married in Scott County to Miss Anna Wiese, 
a native also of Germany and the daughter of Paul 
and Bertha (Spaeth) Wiese, who were born in the 
same country. Her parents emigrated to the 
United States, located in Nebraska, and both died 
in Hall County of that State. After farming in 
Scott County, Iowa, until 1871, Mr. Wiese emi- 
grated to Nebraska, and bought a partly improved 
farm of 174 acres in Hall County. This he has 
since added to and improved, until he now has 274 
acres of as good land as is to be found in the county. 
He has good substantial buildings and is pros- 
perous and contented. Although not active in poli- 
tics, he votes with the Democratic party. He and 
Mrs. Wiese are members of the German Lutheran 
Church. To their marriage have been born six 
children: Lena (now Mrs. Kruger, of Hall County), 
Katie (now Mrs. Buttner, of Hull County), William 
(married, and resides in this county), Henry,Gustav, 
and Otto (who is married and resides at home). 
Mr. Wiese has seen a great many changes in the 
country since coming here, and has aided in all 
laudable enterprises for the good of his adopted 



State. He has made all his property by his own 
exertions. 

Hans Wiese has been a resident of Nebraska 
for the past nineteen years, and it is safe to say 
that there is not a man of sounder principles, or 
who possesses more sterling principles than he. 
He was born in Holstein, Germany, in 1843, being 
a son of Paul and Bertha (Spaeth) Wiese, the former 
of whom was a tiller of the soil in his native land. 
In 1805 ho came to America, landing at New York 
City, and immediately went to a son who lived in 
Scott County, Iowa, and from that time until his 
death made his home with his children and died in 
Nebraska, at the home of his sou, Hans, in 1870, 
having been an earnest member of the Lutheran 
Church for many years. His wife was born in 
Holstein, Germany, in 1806, and bore herhusl)and 
six children, all of whom grew to maturity, and 
five are now living and are residents of Hall County. 
They all came to Nebraska at the same time, and 
are now the owners of good farms and are prosper 
ous citizens. The mother was also a member of 
the Lutheran Church, and died in Nebraska, in 
June, 1883. Hans Wiese, the immediate subject 
of this biography, came to the United States in 
1804, and landed in New York City April 14 or 15, 
the voyage having taken eleven days. He soon 
came westward, and for some time worked on a 
farm near Davenport, Iowa, receiving $27 for his 
first month's wages. After a short time he began 
renting land, and two years later he was united in 
marriage to Miss Catherine Hirt, a native of Penn- 
sylvania, born in 1850. When three or four years 
old, she was taken by her parents to Davenport, 
Iowa, and was there reared and educated in the 
commoil schools. In 1871 Mr. Wiese came with 
his family to Nebraska, and for one year they re- 
sided near Grand Island on rented land, then 
homesteaded their present property, and here have 
made their home ever since. He has gradually iu- 
creased his acreage until he is now the owner of 
500 acres of land, well stocked and improved, ami 
ever since locating here he has been regarded as a 
man of enterprising and progressive spirit, and a 
careful and energetic tiller of the soil. He and 
wife are the parents of the following children: 



708 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Emma, John William. Charles Martin, Matilda M. 
ami August Paul. Mr. Wiese is a Democrat. Mrs. 
Wiosy's fatli(^r was liorn in I'rns.sia, and at an early 
day emigrated to America and settled iu Pennsyl- 
vania. He was married in Germany, and his wife 
died when Mrs. Wiese was a child. He was a 
laborer iu an irou furnace in Pennsylvania, but is 
now a farmer of Iowa. 

A. H. Wilhelni, a real-estate dealer and notary 
public of Grand Island, Neb., was born in New 
York City, February 20, 1S49. being a son of 
Hyrouimus N. and Sophia (Spaugenberg) Wil- 
helm, who were from Goettingeu, Hanover, Ger- 
many, and after their marriage emigrated to the 
United States, and in the year 1840 .settled in 
New York City. The father was a graduate in 
medicine from a leading German college, and upon 
settling iu the above-named place he practiced 
his profession for many years, enjoying a large 
and lucrative patronage, but during his declining 
years retired from active duty, and in 1867 passed 
from life at the age of sixty eight years. His wife 
survives him and still resides in New York. A. 
H. Wilhelm is the second son and fifth of seven 
children, and grew to manhood in his native city, 
being reared to a commercial life, which he fol- 
lowed for many years, as a knight of the gripsack. 
In April, ]87'2, he came to Grand Island, Neb., 
and engaged in merchandising, and from 1876 to 
1S82 sold agricultural implements also. In 1884 
he moved to Columbvis,- Miss., remaining there 
about one year, whence he returned to Grand Is- 
land. From that time until the fall of 1889 he was 
book-keeper and contidential clerk for John L. 
Means, and at the end of that time embarked in 
his present occupation, and is now doing, a thriv- 
ing business. He was married in 1873 to Annie 
Sophia, eldest daughter of Hon. Edward Hooper, 
whose sketch appears in this work, aud by her has 
had a family of four children: Edward, Alvin and 
Mabel (living) and Alice (deceased). The family 
worship in the Episcopal Church, and Mr. Wilhelm 
is a member of the A. O. U. W. 

Seth W. Wilson is now successfully following 
the occupation to which he was reared, that of 
farming and tine stock-raising, a calling that has 



for ages received undivided efforts from many 
worthy individuals, and one that has always fur 
uished sustenance to the ready worker. His farm, 
which comprises 320 acres, is one of the finest for 
successful agricultural purposes in the county, and 
is W(>11 improved, with a good residence, barn aud 
accompanying sheds for his stock, granaries, etc. 
He was born in Pennsylvania in 1850, and from 
that State removed to the State of Nebraska, in 
1S71, having, only a short time before coming 
here, been married to Miss Harriet Hartsock, a 
native of the "Keystone State," born in 1852. 
To them a family of three children have been 
born: Myrtle, Ora and Leon. Mr. Wilson has 
supported the men and measures of the Repub- 
lican party ever since he attained his majority, and 
has held a number of local offices in his township. 
Mr. "Wilson is a son of Ira Wilson and Mary (Hart) 
Wilson, who were born in New Jersey and Penn 
sylvania in 1811 and 1818, respectively, and re 
moved to Nel)raska in 1.S73, taking up their abode 
on a farm adjoining their son's. Mrs. Wilson is 
a daughter of Daniel and Mary (Bryan) Hartsock, 
who were burn in New York and Pennsylvania, in 
180U and IN 15, and died in their respective States 
in 1885 and 1880. 

H. S. Winn, farmer and stock-raiser. Wood 
River, Neb. It is well known all over the county 
that he whose name heads this sketch is among 
the most influential and public-spirited citizens of 
Wood River Township. He was born in Muskin- 
gum County, Ohio, in 1840, and is the son of 
James aud Eliza (Shaw) Winn, natives of Virginia. 
The father was born on September 30. 1808, and 
is now residing in the Buckeye State. H. S. Winn 
received a common-school education, and on August 
28, 1861, he enlisted in the Second Ohio Infantry, 
and was taken prisoner on September 20, 1863. 
Previous to that he was in a number of the prin- 
cipal engagements, aud after his capture was taken 
to Richmond, Va. , Danville, and thence to Ander- 
sonville, where he remained until September, 1864. 
when he was taken to Milan, Ga., and there 
paroled on November 18 of that year. Thir- 
teen of our subject's comrades went to Andersou- 
1 ville together and only four came out alive. For 



V 



-* 9 



k. 



HALL COUNTY. 



709 



liis services Mr. Winn received $552.50, which he 
invested in land in Illinois, and he is very proud 
of the fact that he got bis first start on the money 
he drew while he was in prison. On April 4, 1866, 
he was married to Miss Fannie S. Bratton, and to 
them have been liorn seven children: Octavia A., 
Etta E., Oakley A. L,. Viola M., Ida B., Annie E. 
and Lillian G. Mr. Winn remained in Illinois 
until 1873, when he moved to Nebraska, and is 
now one of the most successful and practical farm- 
ers of Hall County, in spite of mishaps and 
droughts. He has half a section of land, and ships 
and feeds a great many cattle each year. He is a 
member of the Farmers' Union and has his life in- 
sured for 13,000. He is a Republican in politics, 
is a member of the G. A. R. , and is also a member 
of the A, O. U. W, He belongs to the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

Adam Windolph is the proprietor of a well- 
equipped and well-conducted livery and sale stable 
at Grand Island, Neb. , and like all his countrymen, 
possesses those characteristics which are necessary 
to the successful conduct of any business. He was 
born in the town of Uder, kingdom of Prussia. 
Germany, April 'IS, 1833, and is the fourth child 
and second son born to the marriage of Andrew 
Windolph and Marguerite Biel. The father was a 
successful groceryman, although the majority of 
the male members of his family were husband- 
men, the Biels being also followers of that call- 
ing. Adam Windolph grew to manhood in Ger- 
many, and in his youth became familiar with 
the details of the grocery business, which call- 
ing received his attention until 1864, when he 
came to America and settled at Kankakee, III. , but 
only remained a few months, and after a still 
shorter stay in Iowa he found himself in Nebraska 
in the year 1865. He farmed for several years, 
and after dealing in live stock for some time he 
built a large feed barn, to which he has since given 
his attention. His establishment is excellently 
conducted and nets him a paying annual income, 
and besides this he is the owner of the Windolph 
Block, and some fine residence property in Grand 
Island. His wife was formerly Miss Marguerite 
Stender, who was born in Kirchgandern, Ger- 



many in the year 1840, she being a daughter of 
John Stender. Mr. and Mrs. Windolph became 
the parents of two sons and six daughters: John 
(who is associated with his father in the livestock 
business), Adam (who is also a stockman), Eliza- 
beth (wife of Peter Heintz, who is engaged in the 
agricultural implement business in Grand Island, 
and by whom she is the mother of two children: 
Maggie and Paul), Katrina, Mary, Annie, Lena 
and Minnie. Mr. Windolph and his family are 
regular communicants of the St. Mary's Roman 
Catholic Church, and he is a trustee of the same. 
He is a member of the Catholic Knights of Amer- 
ica, and is a man whom all respect and esteem. 

George Elliot Winn, contractor and builder 
and proprietor of the Grand Island planing mill, 
was born in the "Green Mountain State," at Wind 
sor, in 1850, being a son of James and Adaline 
(Bruce) Winn, both being members of old Scotch 
families and natives of Vermont. Upon reaching 
manhood George E. Winn determined to follow 
the advice of Horace Greeley to young men and 
"go west," and the year 1877 found him in the 
State of Nebraska, located at what is now Benton, 
but the following year he came to Grand Island, 
and became an employe in the car shops at this 
place, remaining thus employed for five years. At 
the end of this time he engaged in contracting 
and building, and many of the handsomest build- 
ings in the city were erected by him, among which 
may be mentioned the residences of A. H. Baker, 
W. H. Piatt, John Voetlo and W. B. Dingman. 
He is conducting business on an extensive scale, 
and gives employment to about eighteen hands 
throughout the year. While a resident of his na- 
tive State he was united in the bonds of matri- 
mony to Miss Emma S. Thornton, of MidtUesex, 
a daughter of Stephen Thornton, and by her has 
two sons and two daughters: Lena, Paul, Harry, 
and Alice. Mr. Winn has been identified with 
the business interests of Hall County ever since 
locating here, and as a carpenter and builder he is. 
as all will acknowledge, an adept of a high order, 
and all things of a public nature which point to 
a material benefit of the county receive his hearty 
support. 



^-^ 



"a > 



M 



« w. 



9 l/» 



710 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



Very Rev. Dean Wunibald Wolf, tho able iind 
eloquent pastor of St. Mary's Roniiui Catholic 
Church at Grand Island, Nob., and dean of the 
Grand Island District, was born in Westphalia, 
Germany, Fel)ruary 22, 1854. He received his 
education iu the collef^e of Paderborn, which in 
stitution he attended for nine years, and in 1876 
he (unigratcKl to the United States, and landed in 
New York City on November 1 of that year. He 
at once proceedeil to Milwaukee, Wis., where, 
upon his arrival, ho entered St. Francis Theolog 
ical Seminary, in which institution he completed 
a full course, being ordained on June 27, 1880, 
for the diocese of Nebraska. He at once entered 
upon his ministerial labors, and after spending one 
year in Greeley County, Neb., and five years as 
pastor of the Roman Catholic Churches at Crete 
and Friend, Saline County, Neb., he on October 
9, 1886, entered upon hie duties as pastor of St. 
Mary's Roman Catholic Church at Grand Island, 
and here has discharged his duties with distin- 
guished ability ever since. March 1, 1887, he was 
appointed by Bishop O'Connor, of Omaha, dean of 
the Grand Island District, and is now servinar in 
that capacity. He is an able pastor, is a pleasant 
spoken, agreeable gentleman, and is very popular 
with all classes. 

Jesse Woodward holds an enviable position 
among the prominent and successful men of Hall 
County, Neb., and the property which he now 
owns has been obtained through his own earnest 
endeavor. He is a niitivo of England, born in 
Gloucestershire, on July 22, 1S32, and is a 
son of Jacob and Harriet Woodward, also of En- 
glish birth. Jesse Woodward emigrated to the 
States in 1852, landing in New York City iu Juno 
of that year, and first took up his abode in Wash- 
ington County, N. Y., but two years later went to 
Worcester, Mass. , which place he made his home for 
several years. He was married there March 24, 
1868, to Miss Hannah A. Wentworth, a native of 
Connecticut, and a daughter of Benjamin Went 
worth, and there resided until he came west 
and settled in Hall County, Neb. , on an island in 
the Platte River, where he remained for about 
eighteen months engaged in cutting and hauling 



wood. At the end of this time he moved to the 
town of Grand Island, and after residing here one 
year took up a homestead claim, and now has 
eighty acres in a good state of cultivation, on which 
are erected a good residence, barn and other out 
buildings. His farm is situated about two miles 
from town, and here he has made his home since 
1S70. He and wife have a family of live children; 
Harriet L. (wife of Byron N. Ring), Ellen F., 
Stephen T. (married), Laura Ann and Emma I. 

David C. Zink is a straightforward and pros 
perous real estate agent of Hall County, Neb. He 
was born in Davidson County, N. C, November 10, 
1802, and is a son of Solomon and Elizabeth (Clod- 
felter) Zink, the former of whom was killed in the 
War of the Rebellion in 1863 near Richmond, Va., 
when about thirty- five years of age. The mother 
died in Liverpool, Perry County, Pa., in 1860, 
having removed from North Carolina to that State 
in 1863. David C. Zink is the youngest of three 
brothers, tho other two members of the family be- 
ing Samuel J., who was born in 1858 and now 
resides in Davidson County, N. C, and William 
D., who was born in 1854 and resides in Liverpool, 
Pa. David C. began to make his own way in the 
world at the extremely early age of seven years, and 
after working for his board for one year in Liver- 
pool, and also attending school, he began working 
on a farm for Levi Hunter, six miles from that town, 
where he remained until he was sixteen years of 
age, then went to Harrisburg, and for two years 
was in the employ of Hon. Don Cameron. In 1881 
he came to Grand Island, Neb., and in the spring 
of that year began working on a farm which was 
then one mile out of the town, but is now a part of 
the city. He continued to remain here for seven 
months, then entered the employ of J. B. Murray 
& Co. , and was an efficient clerk in their grocery 
for about four years. In 1884 he embarked in this 
business on his own responsibility, and successfully 
conducted affairs for two years under the firm name 
of Zink, Hunter & Co. At the end of this time he 
became a traveling salesman for Kennard & Miller, 
of St. Joseph, Mo., and on January 1, 1888, en- 
gaged in the real estate business under the firm 
name of Zink & Hathaway, which connection con- 



*7\-. 



- 9 

r 



^. 



HALL COUNTY. 



711 



tinned until August 1, 1889, since which time Mr. 
Ziuk has been alone in business. He is also a 
general loan agent, and annually handles about 
1200,000. Mr. Zink is a cajiahle and energetic 
man of business, and is active in evury measure 
advanced for the general good of the city and 
county, and deserves much credit for the admirable 
way in which he has surmounted the many difficult 
ies which have strewn his pathway from early boy- 
hood. His marriage to Miss Nettie E., adaut^hter 



of Levi Hunter, was consummated in 188:5. His 
wife was Ijorn in Pennsylvania, and they were 
reared together, for in his youth, as above stated, 
ho resided with Mr. Hunter for a number of years. 
Her mother was 'Sarah E. Hunter, 'who died in 
1877. Mr. Zink is a stanch Republican, and his 
first presidential vote was cast for James G. Blaine. 
He is a member of the M. W. A., the Equitable 
Aid Union, and he and wife are members of the 
JCnglish Lutheran Church. 







la 

r 



A. (B 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



713 



Hamilton Oounty. 



CHAPTER XXYIII. 



•«e=a{-3::3t.. 

General Descrii-tion— Boundary and Area— Physical Features, Streams, etc.— Geologic Formation— Soil- 
Productiveness— Statistical Valuation— Population— Climate— Storms— Days of Old- 
Zoology— Earliest Inhabitants in County— Aborigines— Explorations— Mor- 
mon Trail— Ranches— First Settlements— A Number op Pioneers- 
Reminiscence^— Indian Depredations — A Few Pir.st 
Things — Early Agriculturists Now Other- 
wise Occupied- Deceased Pioneers. 



.->H«-1-^ 




O knew he but his happiness, of men 
The happiest he! who. far from public rage, 
Deep in the vale, with a choice few retired, 
Drinks the pure pleasures of the rural life.- 



Thomson. 



AMILTON COUNTY 

is located in the finest ag- 
ricultural section of the 
State, and is bounded on 
the east by Polk and 
York, on the south by 
Clay, on the west by Hall 
and on the north by Mer 
rick Counties, the Platte River, 
flowing in a northeasterly direction, 
forming the boundary line between 
Merrick and Hamilton. It includes 
the territory lying between the east 
line of Range 5, and the west line 
of Range 8, and the south line of 
Township 9, and the Platte River, 
and contains 345,045 acres of land, 
of unsurpassed fertility and productiveness. The 
surface is gently undulating, rising in long, grad- 
ual "slopes,"' from the valleys of the streams, to 

45 



the tops of the " divides." separating them. Four 
principal streams have their sources in this county, 
and flow in an easterly direction through it. The 
North Blue heads in Town 12, Range 7, and flows 
in a northeastern direction; Lincoln Creek, rising 
in the north part of Town 10, Range 8, follows 
closely along the town line, between Towns 10 and 
11, to the east side of the county; Beaver Creek 
heads in the southwest part of Town 10, Range 8, 
and also flows in nearly a direct easterly course 
through the entire breadth of the county; and the 
Blue River flows eastwardly through the southern 
tier of town.ships. The latter stream is the most 
important, always containing a plentiful supply of 
running water, and having some excellent mill 
sites. The soil is a rich dark loam, from one to 
four feet deep, with an alluvial sub-soil extending 
to a depth of from ten to twenty-five feet. This 
sub soil is strongly charged with comminuted sil- 
ica, and is virtually identical with the celebrated 



^ 



^pr 



e k^ 



7U 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Loess deposit of the Nile Valley. So long as this 
alluvial shall endure the fertility of Hamilton 
County's broad acres will be undiminished. Un- 
derlying this deposit is a bed of sand, which con- 
tains a never- failing supply of pure fresh water, 
which is easily reached by "boring," or by " diiv- 
ing. " This water is of the greatest imsiginable 
benefit, as it is carried to the surface by capillary 
attraction, and sustains vegetation through long 
periods of drouth, an<l keeps it green and vigorous 
under conditions which would utterly destroy it in 
mostsectionsof the country. The soil is eminently 
adapted to nearly all varieties of cereals and grasses, 
especially so to corn, rye, oats, flax, etc. ; the cere- 
als, and l)lue grass, timothy, clover and millet, of 
the grasses; potatoes, garden vegetables; fruits, 
such as apples, pears, cherries, grapes, plums, and 
all the small fruits adapted to this latitude, flour- 
ish here to the highest perfection. As a reference 
to other pages will show, there were ia cultiva- 
tion in 1889, '249,876 acres, and the large amount 
of products annually shipped out of the county at- 
test their productiveness. The following is the 
total assessed valuation of the county, for the pur 
pose of taxation, for the year 1889: 

Lands $950,432 50 

Towns 170,902 00 

Personal 645,417 00 

Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 

Company 315.890 55 

Fremont, Elkhorn & Mi.ssouri Valley 

Railroad 49,600 00 

Western Union Telegraph Company . 545 60 

Grand Total $2,132,793 65 

A conservative estimate of the actual value of 
the real estate of the county would probably be 
$7,500,000, farm lands ranging in value from |15 
to $40 per acre. 

The following statement shows the increase of 
population from the settlement of the county to 
the present time: Census of 1870, 130; censvis of 
1880, 8,267; census of 1885, 12,065; estimated 
population 1890, 14,500. 

The climate is unsurpassed by that of any 
section of the country in this latitude. Spring 
and summer are characterized by frequent .showers 
of rain, while fall and winter are dry, compara- 



tively little snow falling in this section. The hot 
sun of summer is rendered pleasant and agreeable 
by the cooling breeze which is almost constantly 
blowing. The rigors of winter are rendered much 
more endurable here than in other ]iortions of the 
country by the extreme dryness of the atmosj)here. 
No miasmatic influences prevail and malaria is 
comparatively unknown. 

Occasionally the county has been visited by se- 
vere snow storms termed " blizzards,' ' which usually 
continue from twelve to forty-eight hours. They 
are characterized by a high north wind, while the 
air is tilled with a whirling, driving, sifting mass of 
snow. Probably the most severe of these storms 
was the celebrated "Easter storm" of April 13, 
1873, which raged with great fury during three 
days. The air was filled with a blinding cloud of 
snow, which was so dense as to render objects at 
a few yards distance entirely invisible. The 
weather was not cold and the snow was wet and 
heavy. Consideralile stock perished during this 
storm, but no lives were lost in this county, 
although some of the adjoining counties were not 
so fortunate. The storm was very seriously felt by 
the settlers, as they were in many cases poorly pro- 
vided, not only with proper shelter for stock, but 
even in the matter of shelter for their families. 
One can hardly appreciate the hardships to which 
the early settlers of this county were exposed, cer- 
tainly nut one wlio has come here within the last 
decade. The conditions now are so entirely differ- 
ent that it is difficult to realize that scarce a score 
of years ago this was a boundless plain, unmarked 
by the hand of civilization. 

Where now are seen peaceful farms and ham- 
lets, with herds of cattle and horses quietly feed 
ing in the green meadows, vast herds of buffalo, 
elk, deer and antelope were wont to roam, when 
first the feet of the settler trod these plains. These 
herds contributed liberally to supply the larder of 
the pioneer, however, and were highly appreciated 
at a time when the nearest trading point was Ne- 
braska City. Thej' soon disap]ieared, however, 
before the advance of civilization, and the last great 
herd of buffalo left in 1869 to return no more. 
Elk, deer and antelope remained a little longer. 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



715 



and ten years after the disappearance of the buf- 
falo, occasional bands of antelopes could be seeu. 

Hamilton County of to day, whose beautiful 
surface is covered by well improved, productive 
farms, and busy, thriving cities and villages, was 
but a few years ago the hunting grounds of the 
Indian, who " untrammeled bylaw" pursued the 
immense herds of buffalo, elk, deer and antelope, 
which fed on the luxuriant grasses, with which 
bountiful nature had carpeted her valleys, hills and 
sloping plains. 

The first white men to encroach on the domain 
of the savage was the Indian expedition of Gen. 
Kearney, in IH'Ab, which crossed this county on the 
line of the old trail between Lincoln and Beaver 
Creeks. J. P. Elliott, one of the first .settlers of 
Aurora Precinct, accompanied that expedition. In 
1842 the exploring party of Gen. John C. Fremont 
crossed the county, and they were followed five or 
six years later by the Mormons, in their long, 
weary journey from Nauvoo, 111., to Salt Lake. A 
deep, wide, " trail " marked the course of their 
march. This was known as the "Old Mormon 
Trail," and was the route traveled by the freight 
and stage lines, between Nebraska City and Fort 
Kearney, until the building of the Union Pacific 
Railroad siiperseded these modes of conveyance. 
One of these transportation companies tried the 
experiment of drawing the freight wagons by a 
steam road engine. The experiment proved a 
failure, i)ut it served to give the old trail a new 
name, that of the " Steam Wagon Trail." 

"Ranches" were established along the trail, 
for the accommodation of freighters. The first 
of these ranches established in this county was that 
of David Millspaw, on Section 11, Town 10, Range 
5, in the year 1861. The next year, 1862, John 
Harris and Alfred Blue established the famous 
"Deep Well Ranch," on the Beaver, two miles 
and a half north of the town of Bromfield. In 
1863 an overland stage line was put in opera 
tion between Nebraska City and Fort Kearney, and 
"Prairie Camp," a relay station, was established 
six miles west of the Millspaw Ranch. A second 
trail crossed the county following the Platte bottom. 
This was first traveled by the military, and snbse 



quently by the " forty-niners," and was called the 
"Old Fort Kearney," or " Pike's Peak Trail." 
About 1862 J. T. Briggs established a ranch on 
this trail near the Platte. Those several ranches 
flourished until 1867, when the advent of the iron 
horse supplanted the ox and mule team of the 
freighter. Traces of these old trails can be seen 
at this day, l)ut they are rapidly disappearing un- 
der the plow of the husbandman. 

The first settlement made in the county for the 
purposes of agriculture was made on the Blue 
River, near the south line of the county, by Jarvil 
Chaffee and George Hicks, who settled on Section 
34, Town 9, Range 6, in the month of June, 1866. 
Mr. Chaffee built a "dug-out," which was the 
first residence constructed in the county, its size 
being 10x12 feet. In January, 1867, James 
Waddle and John Brown made settlements on 
Section 26, Township U, Range 5, in Farmer's 
Valley Precinct. These, with their families, were 
the next to make Hamilton County their home, and 
they built the first log-hoiises in the county. J. 
D. Wescott, C. O. A\'escott, N. M. Bray, Michael 
Steinmetz, arrived in May of the same year, and 
also located in Farmer's Valley. In the month of 
June, 1867, Robert Lamont and James Cameron 
settled on Section 26, Town 9, Range 6, and John 
Harris took a claim on Section 28, Town 9, 
Range 5. In October of the same year, James 
Cummings and William D. Young located in 
Farmer's Valley Precinct. 

In the month of February, 1868, George Proud 
settled on Section 26, Town 9, Range 6, and in 
December John Salmon, Alexander Salmon, James 
Rollo and Frank Dickson made settlements. The 
Messrs. Salmon made their claims on Section 28, 
Mr. Rollo on Section 30, Town 9, Range 5, and 
Mr. Dickson on Section 26, Town 9, Range 6. 

In April, 1869, S. M. Hunter and Philip Hun 
ter settled on Section 34, Town 9, Range 5, and 
in the month of June, John Laurie settled on the 
claim of John Harris, Section 28, Town 9, Range a. 

The first settlers on Lincoln Creek were Mar- 
tin Werth and family, William Werth and Au- 
gust Werth, locating on Section 24, Township 10, 
Range 5, in October, 1869. Jacob Erickson also 



•<< 



716 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



settlod al)()nt this time on Section 22. The fol- 
lowing spring of 1S70, S. W. Spjifford an<l family 
and N. P. S{)afFord Hettled on Section 32, and 
Henry SpafFord on Section 34, Township 11, 
Range 0. L. W. Hastings and James McBride 
settled on Section 2, Township 10, Range 6. In 
the fall of 1870, G. C. Boyce, Noah Brotherton, 
William S. Boyce, S. F. Gauis and R. E. Boyce, 
came out here from Iowa to locate, but returned 
and came out the next spring. 

J. M. Fodge, Ct. Hauer, A. P. Hendrickson, 
A. Mogensoii, J. M. Sechler, John Mathews, J. 
C. RatclifF, J. P. Elliott, John Hagermau, P. C. 
Culver, John Tweedy, D. (Irant, C H. Kimball, 
John and Christopher Hazelbaker, made settle- 
ments during the spring and summer of 1871, and 
in the fall of 1871 Messrs. Fodge and family made 
settlement on Section 32. 

The Blue Valley in the north part of the 
county was settled by W. L. Whitteiuore, in 1870, 
who took up his claim on Section 2, Township 12, 
Range 5. B. F. Webb also settled on Section 
12, Township 12, Range 5. T. W. Manchester, 
M. Vanduzen and others located here in 1872. 

John Danhauer settled in South Platte Pre- 
cint in 1871, Stephen Platz and James Odell in 
1872. 

Mr. Hewitt settled in the extreme northeast 
corner of the county on Section 24, Township 10, 
Range 5, in 1872, and shortly after J. W. Ward, 
C. Thurman, James Foster and J. A. Foster, who 
took up their claims in Bluff Precinct. 

S. K. Butler and Henry Jennings are also among 
the early settlers who came to Hamilton County 
with the heavy frosts of many yeai's resting upon 
their honest fiices. but showing as much youth and 
vigor in subduing its fertile soil as many of the 
younger settlers. Mr. Platz brought with him quite 
a herd of cattle, but most of them perished during 
the Easter storm of 1873, while that tremendous 
storm of snow and wind was sweeping over the 
county. Among the older settlers of the extreme 
west side of the county are Charles Tompkins and 
family, Jacob Jeffers and family, and Mrs. Char- 
lotte Ward, who arrived and camped on their 
homesteads on Section 4, Township 10, Range 8. 



The next settlers were H. B. Hall and Rev. A. 
D. Tremball. Mr. Hall settled on Section 28, and 
Rev. Tremball upon Section 32, Town 11, Range 
8, and S. P. Cowgill, another early settler, located 
upon Section 4, Town 10. Range 8. 

The lirst settler in Hamilton Precinct, formerly 
a part of Deepwell Precinct, was G. K. Eaton, who 
took up his claim in the spring of 1872, and 
shortly after was followed by H. B. Miller, Robert 
Eyres, S. B. Gebhart, B. F. Iseman and Samuel 
Miller. 

A post-office was established here in 1874 under 
the name of Hamilton and afterward changed to 
Alvin. Benjamin Abbott was appointed post- 
master. 

The southwest part of the county embracing 
Scoville and Union Precincts was settled in 1871; 
Union, by M. Farrell, D. Kensinger, J. E. Jackett, 
A. V. B. Peck, W. H. and C. M. Garrison, taking 
up their claims on Sections 20 and 28, Town 9, 
Range 7; Scovill, by D. A. Scovill and D. W. 
Garrison, who held full possession until the spring 
of 1873, when they were joined by A. Murdock, 
J. M. Livingstone, T. D. Case and S. N. Case. 
Messrs. Scovill and Garrison settled on Section 
24, Town 9, Range 8. In the fall of 1872 there 
was quite a sensation created in this precinct, 
caused by a ]>arty of men hunting antelope. The 
report of their guns frightened a woman into the 
belief that the Indians had made a raid upon the 
settlement. Taking her two small children she 
fled from her home, partly dragging them across 
the prairie spreading the news of carnage and 
desolation among the settlers as she went, and 
finally concealing herself in an old sod stable. 

Brave men were soon under arms willing to die 
for their homes and families. The women, after 
the first occasion of alarm had passed, showed 
themselves worthy, and quietly went to work run- 
ning bullets and preparing ammunition for their 
husbands, who were out waiting to give the first 
Indian that appeared a warm reception. After a 
time the true state of affairs was discovered, and 
after a hearty laugh all returned to their homes, 
and peace and quiet once more prevailed. 

The first settlers on Beaver Creek were R. M. 



~T. 



' i\ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



717 



Hunt, Samuel Yost and S. B. Chapman, in 1870, 
and very soon after they were followed by J. W. 
Jones, H. M. Graham, Henry Newman and Frank- 
lin Jacoby. 

During the years 1872 and 1873 settlers poured 
into the county from all parts of the country. 
Since that date settlers have continued to arrive 
with each succeeding season, transforming its fer- 
tile soil from a mere uninteresting plain of rolling 
l>illowy prairie into a very garden, teeming with a 
busy population of intelligent, well-to-do people, 
possessing every social advantage enjoyed by com- 
munities having greater opportunities and hoary 
with the frosts of a century. 

From the little handful of eighteen sturdy pio- 
neers who assembled at the house of John Harris 
barely twenty years ago to organize the county, 
their followers have increased to a population of 
nearly or quite 15,000, and their possessions to an 
assessed valuation of over $2,000,000. 

While the early settlers were never really mo- 
lested by the Indians, they were in constant appre- 
hension of a visit from these turbulent denizens of 
the plains, and the slightest indication of their ad 
vent served to call the little band of brave men to- 
gether, armed for the fray. One or two incidents 
will serve to illustrate this. In the fall of 1S08 a 
stranger dashed up to the door of " Jarv. ' ' Chaffee's 
dugout, his horse covered by foam, and said he 
had been chased six miles by a band of Indians. 
The alarm was at once spread down the river, and 
in a short time a dozen men were assembled, well 
armed and mounted. Among them were Charles 
White, Robert Henderson, Alex Salmon, Hugh 
Ketchum, Robert Waddle, Norris M. Bray, C. O. 
Wescott, Dan George, R. Fairbanks, John Harris 
and Alex Laurie. They at once started up the 
river to meet the foe. After riding for several hours, 
scouring the "draws" along the river, night over- 
took them, without their having seen any traces of 
Indians. They had reached what is now Scoville 
Precinct, and concluded to camp there till morning, 
which they did, sitting down on the prairie and 
holding their horses. During the night they were 
disturbed by observing some kind of animal prowl- 
ing around through their camp. Investigation re- 



vealed the fact that it was one of their own num 
ber, Alex Salmon, moving around on his hands and 
knees. Asked what he was looking for, he replied 
that he was " hunting a hole in which to put his 
picket pin, so he could go to sleep. ' ' 

The next morning, no signs of Indians being 
seen, they decided that the stranger had been lying 
and returned to their homes. The same day a 
party of Indians attacked the ranch of Mr. Mall, a 
few miles farther west, in Hall County. 

On another occasion Mrs. James Waddle was 
alone at her home with her children, when she ob- 
served a party of horsemen coming over the hill 
toward the house. As this was off the line of 
travel, she concluded at once that the strangers 
were Indians, and determined to defend her home 
and little ones to the death. The house consisted 
of two rooms, the front or main room being built 
of logs, and the rear being a "dug-out," with a 
door connecting them. Instantly putting the chil- 
dren in the dug out, she placed a large meat barrel 
in the open doorway, then arming herself with 
several revolvers, and Bob's rifle, she concealed 
herself in the barrel and awaited the attack. When 
the party came up she was relieved to find they 
were whites, a band of " gold diggers, " on their 
way to California. With her characteristic hos- 
pitality, for which she is bo deservedly famous, she 
supplied their inner wants, and sent them on their 
way rejoicing. 

The following events are of interest, as being 
connected with the early history of the county: 
The first birth which occurred in the county — but 
before its organization as such — took place at 
the Millspaw Ranch in 1861, a child to John and 
Rosy McCIellan, and grandson of David Millspaw, 
and the first death occurred at this same ranch, in 
the removal of the above-mentioned child in the 
summer of 1863. It was buried in a lonely grave 
on the prairie, near the site of the old ranch. 

The first Isirth on record was Orville Wescott, 
a son to C. O. Wescott, and the first death was that 
of the wife of J. D. Wescott. The first marriage 
wiis that of Philip Hart to Elizabeth Ellen Verley, 
on August 21, 1870, the ceremony being performed 
by Robert Lament, probate judge. 



"If 



\ 



« 



(18 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



The first Foiirtli of July colnbrdt.ion whh held 
ill tiio year 1870, in a j^rovo on t\w Houth side of 
tho Blue River, the property of J. D. Wescott. 
Tbe oration was deliven^d by B. D. Brown, and 
was the first oration delivered in the county. 

The first crime committed was the murder of a 
Mr. Johnson, of Illinois, in Aui^ust, INTO. 

The first post-oflice was estalilislied on tin' 
Blue, at the house of Robert liamont, who was 
appointed postmaster. The post-ofHce was named 
Verona, and continued under that name until its 
removal to Orville City. In the spring of 1871, a 
second post office was established on Lincoln Creek, 
at the house of S. W. SpaU'ord, with S. W. Spaf- 
ford as postmaster. A weekly mail route was es- 
tablished, L. W. Hastings, contractor, from Sew- 
ard to Grand Island, via York and Spafford's 
(irove, and in the spring of 1872 another ofifice, 
called Williamsport, was established at William 
Werth's place. Later this office was moved to the 
house of G. W. Hiatt on the "State Road," the 
town line between Townships 10 and 11. 

The first school district was organized Sep- 
tember 27, 1870, with Joseph Stockham as di- 
rector. The census return of the district recorded 
the names of thirty-nine children of school age. 
A log school-house was erected by the settlers. 
Two pine boards served as desks, and split logs as 
seats. It was located on Section 34, Township 9, 
Range 5, with Miss Jennie Laurie (now Mrs. A. M. 
Glover) as teacher. E. J. Waddle, Es(£. , of Aurora, 
was a pupil in this primitive educational institu- 
tion. He says, "The seats were made by splitting 
green box elder, full of sap, which they could 
never get warm." Quite a number of the old set- 
tlers yet remain, and continue to till the soil, many 
of them being in comfortable circumstances, and 
some having accumulated respectable fortunes; 
among them are the following, with a statement of 
important official positions which they have occu- 
pied in the county: Jarvil Chaffee, James Waddle, 
J. U. Wescott (county clerk, 1870 to 1874), N. M. 
Bray (commissioner, 1870 to 1875), George Proud, 
James Rollo (coroner, 1870 to 1872), Alex Sal- 
mon (coroner, 1872 to 1874), John Laurie (super- 
intendent, 1870 to 1872), Martin W(u-th, James 



McBride, John Mathews, John Hagerman, P. C. 
Culver, T. W. Manchester, John Danhauer, J. M. 
Hewitt, O. Thurman, Jacob Jafl'ers, G. K. Eaton, 
Robert Eyres, B. F. Isenian (county commissioner, 
1875 to 1878; is a member of the [)resent board, 
his term expiring January, 1893), Benjamin Ab- 
bott, M. B^arrell, D. Kensinger, J. M. Livingstone, 
T. D. Case, J. W. Skelton, W. J. Carver, Frank 
Jenison, W. H. Hardin, F. C. Putnam (State Sen- 
ator. 1885 to 1887; commissioner, 1887 to 1890), 
Ed Huling (commissioner, 1879 to 1882, and mem- 
ber of present board, his term expiring January, 
1891), Edward Nugent (commissioner, 1873 to 
1878), Jonathan Foster (commissioner, 1879 lo 
1881), Samuel Yost, J. W. Jones, C. O. AVescott 
(treasurer, 1870 to 1874), P. C. Housel (commis- 
sioner, 1873 to 1875). 

The following-named pioneers of the county 
have abandoned the peaceful ptirsuit of agricul 
ture, to engage in other occupations: N. P. Spaf- 
ford, merchant, Aurora; L. W. Hastings, editor 
Republican, Aurora; George Hauer, Hampton; 
John Tweedy, postmaster, Aurora; C. H. Kimball, 
retired, Aurora; S. B. Gebhart, constable, Aurora; 
A. V. B. Peck, postmaster, Bromtield (served as 
commissioner from 1878 to 1880); D. A. Scovill, 
police judge (served as State Senator in 1879 and 
1880, and is one of the present members of the 
Legislature, his term expiring January I, 1891, 
also served one term as sheriff from 1876 to 1878); 
S. B. Chapman, merchant, Aurora; Henry New- 
man, retired, Aurora; J. F. Glover, retired, Ham 
ilton (served as commissioner in 1871 and 1872); 
William Glover, banker, Aurora and Bromfield; A. 
M. Glover, merchant, Aurora; Robert Lamont, 
drayman, Aurora (served as first probate judge in 
1870 to 1872); T. A. McKay, retired, Hamilton 
(served as treasurer from 1878 to 1882); Robert 
Waddle, meat market, Aurora; E. J. Waddle, 
banker, Aurora; T. B. Johnson, editor and pub- 
lisher, Stockham (served as Representative in 1877 
and 1878, and in 1881 and 1882); Joseph Stock- 
ham (was commissioner from 1882 to 1885); Gen. 
Delevan Bates, banker, Aurora (served as super- 
intendent in 1878 and 1877, has also served the 
city of Aurora as treasurer, councilman and mayor); 



\i 



4>>, 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



719 



R. W. Graybill, attorney at law, Aurora (was Rep- 
resentative in 187'J and 1880). 

The following-named settlers, who were prom- 
inently identified with the early history of the 
county, have passed over the river and settled in 
that country " from whose bourne no traveler ever 
returns:" John Brown, John Salmon, Phil Hun- 
ter, G. C. Boyce, James M. Foster, J. A. Foster, 
S. K. Butler, Alex Laurie (one of the members of 
the first board of commissioners), S. N. Case (died 



while serving as commissioner in 1885), R. M. 
Hunt, William D. Young, William Werth, John 
H. Helms, James Laurie (died April 18, 188(), 
while serving as county clerk). 

A strong feeling of fraternity exists among the 
"old timers," which has led to the formation of 
old settlers' organizations in several portions of 
the county; this feeling will no doubt continue 
until the last "old settler" has passed into the 
hereafter. 




^ i 



(S w_ 



720 



HISTORY OF NEBKASKA. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



•«e=2:-»-i3<- 

Lboislative Acts— Boundaries Defined — Representation — Senatorial and Representative Districts- 
Section IjINES— OKIIANIZATION AND FORMATION — COUNTY SEAT WaB— COMMISSIONERS' PROCEEDINGS — 

Estimate op Expenses for 1890— Judicial, History— District Court — Beginning— Early 

Terms — Officials— Roll of Attorneys— Present Court Officers— Cases 

OF Civil Importance — Crimes and Criminal Cases. 



H*|- 



Of all virtues justice is the best; 

Valour without it is a common pest. — Waller. 




HE bouudarie.s of Hamil- 
ton were defined by an act 
(if the twelfth session of 
the Territorial Legislature, 
Sections 2 to 31, as follows: 

An act to tiefine the limits 

of Clay. Webster, Hamilton, 

Adums and Franklin Counties. 

Be it eimcted by the Council and House 

of Representatives of the Territory 

of Nehriiskd: 

Se(\ 3. That the territory included 
within the following described limits, 
to wit: (loinmencing at the point where 
f^^ the west line of range four, west of the 
/,ii<n sixth principal meridian, crosses the 
*'A^ Platte River, and running from thence 
up the cliannel of said river to the point 
where the west line of range eight west 
of the si.vlh principal meridian crosses 
the said river, and running from thence due south, to 
the .soutliwest corner of township number nine, range 
eight, and running from thence due east, to the south- 
east corner of township number nine, range five, and 
running from thence due north to the place of l)egin- 
ning, be, and the same shall constitute the County of 
Hamilton. 

An act of the Legislature approved February 
24, 1873, provides that section lines in the county 
shall be public roads and highways. 

Hamilton Oouuty, by an act of the Legislature 



of 1871, formed a part of the Twelfth Senatorial 
and Thirteenth Representative Districts, each of 
which was entitled to one meml)er. 

The Twelfth Senatorial District included the 
counties of Saline, Gage, Jefferson, Fillmore, Clay, 
York, Polk, Hamilton, Nuckolls, Wel)ster, Adams, 
Kearney and Franklin, together with all that por- 
tion of the State not included in any other Sena 
torial district, and which lies south of the Platte 
River and west of the counties named. 

The Thirteenth Representative District included 
the counties of York, Polk, Butler, Platte, Hamil 
ton, Fillmore, Clay and Adams. By the constitu- 
tion adopted in 1875, the county was apportioned 
representation as follows: 

* * * * "District (Senatorial) No. 22 shall 
consist of the counties of York and Hamilton, and 
be entitled to one Senator." Representative Dis- 
tricts: '"District No. 28 shall consist of the county 
of Hamilton, and be entitled to one Representative." 

In the reapportionment of 1881, Hamilton and 
Hall Counties were constituted the Twenty-fifth 
Senatorial District, while Hamilton County formed 
the Forty third Representative District, and was 
entitled to two members, which continued in force 
until 1887, when Clay and Hamilton were united 
to form the Twenty-fifth Senatorial District, aud 



rr^r 



/ J^ — ^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



721 



Hamilton County coustitutedt.be Forty-first Repre- 
sentative District, entitled to two members, which 
continues at this time. 

Hamilton County was organized at a general 
election held May 3, 1870, at the house of John 
Harris, called for that purpose by a proclamation 
of Gov. David Butler, issued March 13, 1870, of 
which the following is a copy: 

State of Nebraska, ) 

Executive Department: ( 

Whereas, a large number of the citizeus of the unor- 
ganized (county of Hamilton have united in a petition 
asking that an election be called for the purpose of choos- 
ing county officers, preliminary to the organization of 
said county: 

Therefore, I, David Butler, Governor of Nebraska, 
by virtue of the authority in nie vested, do hereby order 
that an election be held, at the house of John Harris, in 
said county, from 9 o'clock A. M. to 6 o'clock P. M., on 
Thursday, the 'M day of May, A. D., 1870, for the purpose 
of choosing three county commissioners, one county clerk, 
one county treasurer, one sheriff, one probate judge, one 
county surveyor, one county sujjerintendent of public 
schools, one coroner, three judges of and two clerks of 
elections. 

And I here designate and ajipoint .John Laurie, Nor 
ris M. Br.ay and Jarvil Chaffee as judges, and Josias D. 
Wescott and William D. Young, clerks, to conduct said 
election in accordance with the act for the organization 
of counties, approved June 3-t, bs67, and the election laws 
ef the State. 

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, 
and caused to be affixed the great seal of the State of 
Nebraska. Done at Lincoln, this thirteenth day of March, 
in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred and 
seventy, of the independence of the United States, ninety- 
fourth, and of this State the fourth. 

[seal] By the Governor, David Butler. 

Tiio.MAS P. Kennaud, iSerrclary of ,Shi/e. 

In accordance with this proclamation eighteen 
citizens, the voting population, assembled at the 
house of John Harris, in what is now known as 
Farmers' Valley Precinct, on the Blue River, May 
2, 1870, and organized the county, (fleeting the 
following officers, as shown by the certificate of 
this election filed in the county clerk's office, 
which is as follows: 

For county-seat, south half of northeast ijuarter, 
and north half of southeast quarter. Section (22), Town 
(9) north. Range (6) west, had (18) votes, being the whole 
number cast at the flrst election held in Hamilton County. 

The officers elected were Josias D. Wescott, Count}' 



Clerk; County Commissioners — William D.Young, Norris 
M. Bray, Alexander Laurie; Clarence O. Wescott, Treas- 
urer; George F. Dickson, Sheriff; Robert Lamont, Pro- 
bate Judge; John E. Harris, Surveyor; John Laurie, 
Superintendent Public Instruction; James Hollo, Coroner. 

Attest: John Laurie, 

Norris M. Bray, 
Jarvil Chaffee, 
Josias D. Wescott. Judges of Election. 

William D. Young, 

Clerks of Election. 

The county-seat, as located by the vote of the 
people, was named Orville City, and was surveyed 
by John Harris. 

A court-house was built in May, 1872, in which 
the records of the county were kept until their 
removal to Aurora, January 1, 1876, at which 
date Aurora was made the county-seat aftei' a long 
and bitter contest, during which five elections were 
held to decide the question of removal. 

The question of .removal was first submitted to 
vote in October, 1873, and resulted in favor of 
removal, upon which the commissioners decided 
that the electors of the county should, at the next' 
general election, designate on their ballots the 
place of their choice. The next election was Octo- 
ber 13, 1874, and resulted as follows: Aurora, 39U; 
Hamilton, 147; Orville City, 53. The county clerk, 
William R. Mitchell, thereupon declared Aurora to 
be the county seat. The commissioners, however, 
rejected the decision, and refused to remove the 
records. 

At this junetiUre Aurora mustered 150 of her 
faithful followers, and by the force of superior 
numbers captured the records and removed " them 
to their present depository, but the following spring 
a writ of mandamus compelled their removal back 
to Orville, and a third court house election was 
ordered. 

Hamilton now entered the fight, and it became 
a three-cornered battle; the law required two 
thirds of all the votes polled to move a county seat, 
and on this ballot Aurora failed to get a sufficient 
number of votes, the vote standing, Aurora, 394; 
Hamilton, 361 ; Orville, 5. Not dismayed by these 
unfruitful contests, Aurora quietly took its defeat, 
and in July, 1875, again succeeded in getting the 
question of removal submitted. After a hotly con- 



^ 






-i2'l 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



tiistoil battle it was badly defeated, Hamilton get- 
ting a majority of thirty votes over Aurora, but not 
enough to remove the county seat from Orville, 
the election lieing Hamilton, 434; Aurora, 404; 
Orville, 3. The vanquished charged fraud, cor- 
ruption, ballot box stuffing, but at that time the 
trick of going behind the returning board was un 
known, and Orville still held the much coveted 
county seat. 

The fifth election in this somewhat extensive 
series was, however, the Waterloo for both Hamil- 
ton and Orville. Aurora had by this time learned 
the tactics of its rivals, for when the last vote was 
counted Aurora had a majority of eighty over all, 
and its enemies laid down their arms. The votes 
at this last election were confined exclusively to 
the two principal contestants, Aurora receiving 
4S 1 and Hamilton 400. 

Aurora, according to agreement, built a court- 
house, which, together with the public square, was 
transferred to the county August 11, 1877. This 
had been one of the most hotly contested county 
seat tights ever known in the State, almost every 
man in the county taking an active part in it. A 
great deal of ill-will and bad blood resulted from 
it, causing a bitter sectional feeling to prevail, 
which continued for many years, leaving its im- 
press on the politics of the county, until time 
gradually healed the wounds and smoothed away 
the scars. 

The following summary of commissioners' pro- 
ceedings from 1S72 to the present time is a record 
of th^ more important acts of that body : January 
1'.), 1S7'2, action to secure pre emption of location 
for county seat; July 27, to establish each road 
district as a voting precinct, except North Blue, 
which constitutes one voting jjrecinct; January 19, 
1872, fix salary of probate judge $100 per annum; 
August 10, 1882, appropriate $250 to fencing 
square and planting trees; August 24, 1872, issue 
warrant for .f 220 for payment pre-emption claim — 
county seat; order consolidation of Scoville and 
Deepwell as one voting precinct; December 5), 1872, 
order special election in Farmers' Valley, Orville 
and Scoville Precincts to vote on $10,000 bonds to 
ai<l in l)uilding grist-mill; March 23, 1873, first 



settlement with county treasurer since organization, 
balance on hand, $401). 33; April 21, 1873, contract 
for iron cell 6Jx7 feet, 7 feet high, price, $1,500; 
May 27, 1873, order submission of question of 
voting bonds in Aurora, Williamsport, Beaver 
Creek and North Blue Precincts, to aid in erection 
of wind grist-mill in Aurora; August 26, 1873, es 
tablish Deepwell as election precinct, to include 
Towns 10 and 11, Ranges 7 and 8; September 3, 
1873, order submission at nest general election of 
re- location of county seat; December 1, 1873, the 
following record is made: " According to the can- 
vass of the last election there was a majority of the 
votes cast for the removal of the county seat; it 
shall be the duty of the county board, in the no- 
tice for the next general election of 1874, to notify 
said electors to designate upon their ballots at said 
election the place of their choice for the county 
seat;" April 7, 1874, South Platte Precinct organ- 
ized out of North Blue, to comprise Towns 1 2 and 
13, Range 6; April 20, 1874, claim of Brown & 
England, attorneys in case of County vs. Union 
Pacific and Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 
Companies, allowed $1,200; to appoint Stanford 
May probate judge in place of S. M. Hunter, re- 
signed; re-district county as follows: First Com- 
missioners' District, Towns 9 and 10, Ranges 5 and 
6; Second Commissioners' District, Towns 9, 10, 
11 and 12, Ranges 7 and 8; Third Commissioners" 
District, Towns 11, 12, 13 and 14, Ranges 5 and 6; 
May 11, 1874, S. W. Hunter appointed to till 
vacancy as probate judge; June 9, 1874, special 
election called July 18, 1874, to vote on bonds for 
the construction of two bridges across the Platte; 
July 6, 1874, bond election postponed to general 
election October, 1874; September 9, 1874, special 
election ordered on re location of county seat; BlufP 
Precinct organized, comprising all territory lying 
north of Town 12, in Range 5; appoint E. D. 
Preston sheriff in place of J. M. Smith, resigned; 
" Ordered that the clerk be instructed to destroy 
all claims against the county in his office;" Oc- 
tober 13, 1874, W. K. Ream and Clinton Briggs 
employed to collect the Union Pacific and Burling- 
ton & Missouri taxes for the year 1873, for ten per 
cent; the vote on the re location of county seat 



"^5 r- 






HAMILTON COUNTY. 



723 



as ascertained by board of canvassers, presented, 
and the town of Aurora declared by county clerk 
to be the county seat of Hamilton County (on 
motion it was voted that the said declaration be re- 
jected); Decembers, 1874, " charges and articles 
of impeachment brought against William R. Mitch- 
ell, clerk, and J. H. Faris, treasurer, by H. W. 
Hickox, received, and summons issued return- 
able December ]4, 1874;" charges and articles of 
impeachment tiled against P. C. Housel, commis- 
sioner, by Darius Wilcox, summons issued re- 
turnable December 16; B. F. Iseman, commis- 
sioner, protests against all business transacted 
Decembers, except settling with road supervisors; 
December 14, 1874, writ of injunction served on 
commissioners to restrain action in case of H. W. 
Hickox vs. William R. Mitchell; December 15, 
1S74, separate voting precincts formed of north 
half of Aurora Precinct; January 5, 1875, special 
election ordered to vote on issuing $60,000 aid 
bonds (the election resulted in their defeat, 559 
voting against, to 23 for the bonds); Commission 
ers Nugent and Housel issued order commanding 
county clerks ' ' to return the property belonging to 
his office to Orville City, against Monday, Jan- 
uary 11, 1875" (this property was the records, 
etc. , heretofore removed to Aurora). 

March 5, 1875, a special election was ordered 
for April 6, to elect member of constitutional con- 
vention (J. H. Sauls was elected, receiving 207 out 
of 211 votes cast); Monroe Precinct, formed by 
cutting from Deepwell all of Towns 10, 11 and 12, 
Range 7 ; appropriation of 1 2^ per cent of taxes 
collected in case of Union Pacific Railroad Com- 
pany vs. McShane et al., in full settlement of at- 
torney's fees of Brown & England; ordered county 
treasurer to pay Brown & England 20 per cent 
of taxes received from Union Pacific Railroad Com- 
Ijany, for year 1872 as attorney's fees; April 6, 
1875, election ordered for May 20, 1875, on re- 
location of county seat; suit ordered brought 
against Darius Wilcox, David Stone et al. for 
damages, for removal of county property from Or- 
ville City to Aurora; May 27, 1875, Hamilton Pre- 
cinct created by cutting from Monroe, Town 10, 
Range 7; Union Precinct created by cutting from 



Scoville, Town 9, Range 7; election ordered for 
June 28, 1875, on relocation of county seat; spe- 
cial election ordered to vote on granting bonds to 
aid in construction of Midland Pacific Railroad, in 
Bluff Precinct, $5,000; North Blue, 15,000; South 
Platte, $4,000 (election resulted, North Blue, 
yeas, 52, nays, 0; Bluff, yeas, 35, nays, 0; South 
Platte, yeas, 52, nays, 8); September 1, 1875, sub- 
mission of question of re-location of county seat at 
general election, October 12, 1875; September 16, 
1875, Briggs & Ambrose, of Omaha, retained to 
defend Hamilton County in action brought by 
Union Pacific Railroad Company to recover taxes 
heretofore paid; fee, 10 per cent of amouut saved; 
ordered settlement with Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad Company for taxes of 1873-74, on 
basis of Judge Dillon's decision; October 28, 1875, 
election ordered for November 30, 1875, to vote 
on issuing bonds for $89,000 to aid in construction 
of Nebraska Railway through the county (propo- 
sition was defeated, vote standing for bonds, 295; 
against bonds, 341); resignation of J. T. Price, 
as superintendent accepted; bids ordered for re 
moval of all county property from Orville to Aurora 
immediately after January 1, 1876; April 19, 1876, 
suit against Darius Wilcox et al. withdrawn; July 
5, 1876, Town 11, Range 8, annexed to Monroe 
Precinct; $1,000 appropriated to assist in build- 
ing bridge across Platte east of Grand Island; 
September 16, 1876, A. W. Agee employed to at 
tend suit brought by Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad Company to restrain treasurer from col- 
lecting tax for 1875; proposition to vote bonds for 
$1,000, to complete and furnish court house (propo- 
sition defeated, for 84, against 595). 

October 3, 1876, agreement with commissioners 
of Merrick County, for construction of wagon 
bridge across the Platte (Chapman bridge); Ham- 
ilton County to pay $800 toward cost of bridge, 
and maintain in repair the bridge over south chan 
nel; November 8, 1870, established Cedar Valley 
Precinct, Town 13, Range 6; ordered that proceed- 
ings be begun on bond of Robert Miller et al. for 
failure to complete court house; April 18, 1887, 
ordered that road supervisors work the north and 
west boundary lines of their districts ; July 3, 1877, 



^' 






ik^ 



724 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



appropriate |5,()00 for construction of wuyou bridge 
across Platte, Town 11, Range 8; incorporate town 
of Anroni; August 11, 1877, courthouse building 
accepted from the trustees of Aurora; suit against 
Robert Miller et al. discontinued; lightning rods 
ordered for court house at 32^ cents per foot; Oc- 
tober 2, 1.S77, ordered the submission of township 
organization at the next general election, and also 
question of issuing funding bonds; November 14, 

1877, Ed. Nugent resigned as commissioner; 
George M. Hollenbach resigned as surveyor; a 
majority of 371 of the votes cast having been in 
favor of issuing the funding bonds, clerk was or 
dered to have prepared Series "A," 110 bonds of 
$500 each, at 10 per cent per annum, interest pay- 
able semi-annually, Ironds to mature in twenty 
years; December 4, 1S77, negotiated $10,000 of the 
funding bonds at 96 per cent of par value, and 
115,000 at 91 per cent, and placed $30,000 in the 
hand of the county treasurer for negotiation at not 
less than 90 per cent; December 15, 1877, organ- 
ized "Towns," appointed officers, etc., under 
"Township Organization" law (the supreme court 
deciding the law unconstitutional, on February 5, 

1878, the board annulled their action of December 
15, 1877); api)rojM-iated $5,000 to building Chap- 
man bridge across the Platte; December 31, 1877, 
office of coroner declared vacant, and Goodman 
Noble appointed to till the vacancy; February 5, 
1878, election ordered in Monroe Precinct, March 
8, 1878, to vote on issuing $1,200 bridge bonds 
(vote resulted, for 71, against 2); March 13, 1878, 
D. A. Scovill appointed coroner; April 2, clerk 
ordered to contract for planting of trees in square; 
April 18, old court-house sold to W. H. Streeter 
for $200; arranged for building jail 14x20 and ten 
feet high; provided for issuing Series " B," 
$20,000 of funding bonds; May 8, William G. 
Brotherton appointed coroner. 

June 18, reward of $300 oflPered for the capture 
and return of H. C. Case, who broke jail Sunday 
night, June 16; August 2, appropriated $125 to 
spike one half of ChajJinan bridge; August 14, is- 
sued the Monroe Precinct bridge l)onds, $1,200; 
appro|)riated $641.50 for Chapman bridge; $5,000 
appropriated for building Hall County bi'idge, one 



end to be in Hamilton County; January 7, 1879, 
settled in full with John Burlingham for recapture 
of H. C. Case for $150; fixed salary of superin 
tendent at $4 per day actual service; January 29, 
met in joint session with commissioners of Hall 
County and settled in fiill for Grand Island bridge, 
issuing warrants for $5,000; June 7, special elec- 
tion called to vote on the question of the bonds of 
the county for $40,000— Aurora Precinct $8,000 
and Valley Precinct $2,000, to aid in the construc- 
tion of the Republican Valley Railroad (election 
resulted, for 956, against 238, blank 7); July 1, set- 
tled attorneys' fee, Briggs & Ambrose, for collect- 
ing taxes from Union Pacific Railroad Company, 
in accordance with contract September 16, 1875, 
for $3,625; September 1, made provision for leas- 
ing poor-farm, formerly county seat; October 8, 
ordered question of appropriating $1,500 for 
building poor house submitted to vote at next 
general election, also sale of county lots in Aurora; 
November 17, issued $50,000 bonds to Republican 
Valley Railroad; October 5, 1880, ordered sub- 
mission of question of selling county lots in Aurora 
to vote at the general election November 2, also of 
appropriation of $2,000 to build poor-house; Jan- 
uary 15, 18S1, salary of superintendent fixed at 
$3.25 per day actual service; March 8, application 
ordered to be made to supreme court for mandamus 
to compel county clerk to report fees for year 
1880, and pay over to county all in excess of $2, 
050; April 19, vote on sale of lota declared car 
ried — numlier voting, yeas, 349, nays, 206; May 
19, appropriated $70 to secure quit-claim deed 
from David and Mary A. E. Stone to county 
j)roperty in Aurora; August 16, levied tax of 10 per 
cent in School District No. 6 for payment of jvidg- 
mentof $1,632.40 and costs $108.06 in favor of 
School District No. 9 et al; also levy three mills 
tax on all taxable property in Beaver Precinct, 
formerly constituting School District No. 3, to pay 
balance of judgment of $291.4(5 against said dis- 
trict; November 15, provided for construction of 
plank walks through the square; rescinded action 
levying tax of 10 \wr cent on School District No. 
6; January 11, 18S2. accepted report 'of W. L. 
Whittemore, es county clerk, and case in supreme 






-^ 9 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



725 



court dismiased; Jannary 13, fixed pay of superin- 
tendent at $3 per day; February 23, on request of 
D. P. Wilcox, board began re- examination of books 
of W. L. Whittemore, ex-county clerk; February 
24, issTied summons to W. L. Whittemore to ap- 
pear and make further report; February 25, on 
examination find 1789. 52 due county from Whitte- 
more; April lU, settled in full with Whittemore; 
September 24, E. J. Hainer employed to prosecute 
T. C Klumb, ex county clerk, for fees not reported; 
January 10, 18S3, incorporated village of Hamp 
ton, with the following trustees: E. D. Foster, S. 
W. Holden, D. M. Zook, Levi Cox, M. E. Gerdes; 
February 14, George W. Pierce resigned as com- 
missioner Second District, and S.N. Case appointed; 
February 28, county clerk ordered to purchase for 
the county all lots heretofore sold in Orville City, 
to clear title of ' ' poor farm, ' ' price not to exceed 
amount received for same by the county; March 
30, fixed per diem of superintendent at $3. '25; Sep- 
tember 4, ordered the submission of question of 
township organization at next general election; 
January 10, 1884, contracted with Ira Longcor for 
building poor-house; April 4, W. K. Ream, county 
judge, requested to report fees, refused to do so in 
order to test constitutionality of the act ; A. J. Rit- 
tenhouse ordered to take steps to compel rendition 
of report; May 29, Marquette incorporated — trus- 
tees, Elias Farr, J. W. Ward, J. J. Farley, C. F. 
Berry, Reuben Cox; June 10, incorporation of 
Marquette annulled; August ti, poor-house estab- 
lished on south half of the northeast quarter of 
Section 22, Town 9, Range 6; September 16, Phil- 
lips Precinct established with the following boun- 
daries: " Commencing on town line between Town- 
ships 10 and 11, on line dividing Hamilton and 
Men'ick Counties, running thence east to the south- 
east corner of Section 31, Town 11, Range 7, 
thence north to the county line, dividing said coun- 
ties, thence southwest along said county line to the 
place of beginning; " January 16, 1885, Hainer & 
Kellogg employed as county attorneys at $400 per 
annum: fixed salary of superintendent at $900. 

January 28, established the following road dis- 
trict boundaries: No. 38.— Sections 20, 21, 28, 
29, 32 and 33, Town 11, Range 7; No. 39.— Sec- 



tions 19, 30, 31, Town 11, Range 7, and Sections 
23, 24, 25, 20, Sections 35 and 36, Town 11, 
Range 8; No. 40.— Sections 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 17. 
Town 11, Range 7. and Sections 32 and 33, and 
fractional Sections 28, 29 and 21, Town 12, Range 
7; No. 50.— Sections 34, 35, 30, 25, 26, 27, 22, 
23, 24, 13, and fractional Sections 14, 15, 11 and 
12, Town 12, Range 7; No. 59.— Sections 22, 27, 
33, 34, and fractional Sections 21, 28, 29, 31 and 
32, Town 11, Range 8; No. 60.— Sections 13, 14, 
and fractional Sections 1, 10, 11, 12, 15 and 10, 
Town 11, Range 7, and fractional Sections 30 and 
31, Town 12, Range 7; March 3, settled with T. 
C. Klumb in full for fees; May 19, grand jury 
having condemned jail as unsafe, resolved that a 
proposition be siibmitted to the electors, as therein 
recommended, for the building of a jail, and pro 
vided for commissioners visiting other jails in the 
State; June 2, appropriated $250 for securing con 
viction of band of outlaws supposed to exist in the 
county; June 15, special term of district court 
reque.sted, to try seven prisoners apprehended in 
the county; Western Union Detective Association 
employed to secure conviction of above band, and 
Hainer & Kellogg employed to prosecute them; 
July 7, $350 additional to the $250 heretofore ap- 
propriated for jsayment of detectives, having 
secured conviction of six of the outlaws; Octoi^er 
7, proposition to appropriate $7,000 for building 
jail, ordered to be submitted at the general elec- 
tion November 3, 1885, and to appropriate $3,500 
to build addition to court-house; the proposition 
was defeated by the following vote: On jail prop- 
osition, for 404, against 1,325; court house prop- 
osition, for 80, against 1,603; February 2, 1886, 
death of Commissioner S. N. Case announced and 
suitable resolutions adopted; February 12, J. A. 
Kirk appointed to fill vacancy; salary of superin 
tendent fixed at $1,000; E. J. Hainer appointed 
county attorney for 1880, salary $400. 

February 9, boundaries of commissioner's dis- 
tricts confirmed as heretofore made; April 19, 
board convened by call of L. W. Shuman, acting 
clerk, announcing the death of J. M. Laurie, 
county clerk, April 17, 1886; suitable resolutions 
adopted; R. H. Peard appointed to fill vacancy; 



^^ 






726 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



July 7, ou petition of Joo .Skoltoii, St. -loo vacated; 
August 21, lot contract for building addition to 
court liouso, for $1,025: October fi, ro(iuin* steam 
threshers, traction engines, etc., to protect bridges 
over which they cross; January 24, 1 888, ordered the 
purchase of county funding bond of $y>00 due Jan- 
uary 1, 181'3, drawing 10 per ciuit interest, for $600; 
April 5, county attorney authorized and instructed 
to advertise for purchase of $20,000 county bonds; 
May 31, purchased site for jail, price ffJoO; July 
25, contracted for two steel cells for jail, price 
$2.01)0; ,)uly 2f), contracted for Imildiiig jail as 
follows: Kobert Miller, wood work, $1,746; D. 
Burt, mason work, |2,r)26.66; September 18, 
Stockhani incorporated— trustees, F. J. Sharp, Jos 
eph Stockham, \V. C. Flickinger, Walter Scott, 
Henry Reiselt; December ll,Bromiield incorpo- 
rated — trustees, C. E. Brown, Tj. P. Wheeler, W. 
H. Loinberger, John McCarthy, Charles Allen; 
February 28, 1889, Marquette incorporated — trus- 
tees, T. H. Line. S. P. Boyd. M. E. Farr, Keiiben 
Cox, H. D. Hall; April 5, arranged to build 
bridge across the Platte, in conjunction with Mer- 
rick County; Hamilton County to l)uild one-half of 
425 feet; May ]5, contracted for drinking fount- 
ain in square, price $135; December 12, J. H. 
Smith having boon appointed judge of the Sixth 
Judicial District, resigns as county attorney, and 
J. A. Whitmore appointed; January 17, 1890, the 
following Soldiers' Relief Committee appointed: 
F. C. Putnam, three years; L. W. Hastings, two 
years; Delevan Bates, one year. 

The following is estimate of expenses for 1890: 

County general fund f 19,(100 

Bridge fund .'^.OOO 

Road fund 6,(100 

Insane fund 1,800 

Inlerest on county fund 9,000 

Principal on county fund 12,0(K) 

Interest on railroad fund 4.000 

Principal on railroad fund 4,000 

Interest on Aurora Precinct railroad bonds 700 
Principal on Aurora Precinct railroad 

bonds 800 

Interest on Valley Precinct railroad bonds 200 

Principal on Valley Precinct railroad bonds 200 

Soldiers' relief fund .lOO 

|R:i.200 



Fees for clerk's offlce, 1888 and 1889. . . .$7,949 60 
E.xpense, clerk and two deputies, 1888 

and 1889 5,800 00 

Excess $2,149 60 

By an act of the Legislature of Nebraska, ap- 
])roviMl Jiuie 12, 1867, the State was divided into 
three ju<licial districts, the counties of Cass, Sarjiy. 
Douglas. Saunders, Lancaster, Seward, Butler, 
and the territory lying west of the same, constitut 
ing the Second District. A subsequent act, which 
went into effect June 21, 1873, fixed terms of 
court for Hamilton County, on the first Thursday 
after the first Monday of May in each year. 

Under these acts the first term of the district 
cotirt was held in the county, commencing May 7, 
1874, at Orville City, Hon. George B. Lake, of 
Omaha, presiding, with J. M. Smith, as sheriff, 
and William R. Mitchell, clerk. 

There were nine cases on the docket, the first 
being that of Levi Lentz vs. S. G. Glover and 
Thomas Glover; Dilworth & Robinson, attorney's 
for the plaintiff. There were no contested cases 
tried, one decree only being entered, on default of 
defendant, in the divorce case of George W. Howard 
rs. Fidelia J. Howard. The attorneys appearing of 
record at this term were Dilworth & Robinson, M. 
H. Sessions, of Lincoln; John D. Hayes, of Har 
vard; O. A. Al)bott, of Grand Island, and Thomas 
Darnall, F. M. Ellsworth and E. W. Denio, of 
Aurora. The last three, together with Alex Pos- 
ten, constituted the bar of Hamilton County at 
that time, S. S. Hayden being admitted at this 
term. May 6, 1875, the time fixed for holding 
the next term of court. Judge Lake failing to ap 
pear, court was adjourned sine die by the clerk. 

On November 1, 1875, the new State consti- 
ttttion went into effect, by which the counties of 
Saunders, Dodge, Butler, Colfax, Platte, Polk. 
Merrick, Hamilton, York, Seward, Hall and How 
ard were constituted the Fourth Judicial District 
of the State, and the same year Hon. George W. 
Post, of York, was elected jirdge. 

The next term of court was held by Judge Post, 
commencing June 13, 1876. This term was the 
first held at Aurora, to which place the county- 
seat had been removed the preceding Januar}'. 



Al 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



727 



At this term A. W. Ageo, W. K. Ream and J. S. 
Miller made their first appearance as attorneys in 
the district court of this county. From this time 
on regular terms of court were held in the county, 
Hon. George W. Post presiding as judge until the 
close of LS82, when he resigned, and Hon. T. L. 
Norval, of Seward, was appointed by Gov. Dawes 
to fill the vacancy. Judge Norval was an excellent 
jurist, and a man of keen perception and fine at- 
tainments. He was universally respected by the 
bar and citizens of the entire district. He pre- 
sided in this capacity until December, 1889, when, 
having been elected to the supreme bench of the 
State, he resigned as judge of the Sixth District, 
and Hon. J. H. Smith was appointed by Gov. John 
M. Thayer to till the vacancy. 

By an act of the Legislature, which went into 
effect March 31, 1887, the State was re-apportioned 
into twelve judicial districts, the counties of Sew- 
ard, York, Hamilton and Polk constituting the 
Sixth District. 

The following is a list of the attorneys who 
have been members of the bar of Hamilton County, 
together with the terms of court before which they 
made their debut: 

Thomas Darnall, F. M. Ellsworth, E. M. Denio 
and Alex Posten, May, 1874; A. W. Agee, W. K. 
Ream and J. S. Miller, June, 1876; Hayden, Crip- 
pin & Posten, William Marshall, district attorney, 
December, 1876; George Wildish, M. B. Reese, 
district attorney, June, 1877; A. J. Rittenhouse, 
Miller & Rittenhouse, E. J. Hainer, December, 
1877; C. R. Glover, June, 1878; J. H. Smith, 
MUler & Smith, June, 1879; W. L. Stark, Rit- 
tenhouse & Glover, William P. Hellings, De- 
cember, 1879; H. V. Temple, Agee & Hel- 
lings, June, 1880; Philip Likes, January, 1881; 
J. B. Winters, DeeemVier, 1881; J. H. Lincoln, 
J. H. Sauls, F. R. Norman, December, 1882; H. 
M. Kellogg, Hainer & Kellogg, December, 1883; 
W. J. Stevenson, Agee & Stevenson, November, 
1884; J. H. Edmundson, D. M. Waite, Ritten- 
house & Waite, March, 1886; J. A. Whitmore, R. 
W. Graybill, March, 1887; Robert Shirk, Septem- 
ber, 1888; J. U. Davenport, January, 1890; F. M. 
Coykendall. March, 1X90. 



The present officers of the court are Hon. J. 
H. Smith, judge; J. A. Whitmore, county attor 
ney; W. H. Fall, sheriff; William P. Hellings, 
clerk; Frank Tipton, reporter. 

The members of the bar are E. J. Hainer, A. 
W. Agee, Philip Likes, Kellogg & Graybill, J. A. 
Whitmore, W. L. Stark, W. J. Stevenson, J. A. 
Sauls, J. H. Lincoln, J. H. Edmundson, F. R. 
Norman, W. P. Hellings and F. M. Coykendall. 

Among the more important civil cases tried be- 
fore the district court of this county are: The State 
ex rel. the Commissioners of Hamilton County vs. 
W. L. Whittemore; Sechler ct Brotherton vs. W. L. 
Stark; Joshua Cox vs. F. M. Ellsworth; George T. 
Hunter et al. vs. John C. Soward; George W. 
Jordan vs. Hamilton County Bank; Henry New 
man vs. George Mueller et al. ; State ex rel. Com 
missioners of Hamilton County vs. W. K. Ream ; 
State e.r rel. Reuben Graybill vs. W. L. Whit 
temore; S. K. Haines vs. Spanogle e< a/. ; J. C. 
Ratcliff vs. J. H. Faris; School District No. 9 vs. 
School District No. 6; School District No. 16 e< al. 
vs. School District No. 9; William A. Johnson vs. 
E. D. Preston; William H. Waters vs. Adolph 
Reuber; Thomas Lynch vs. J. J. Reardon; Cath- 
erine Engle vs. W. V. Morse & Co. and many 
others. Of these a few which are of general in- 
terest and importance are here cited at length. 
Among them are the cases growing out of the 
division of School District No. 6. (RatelifF c.s. 
Faris: School District No. 9 vs. School District No. 
6; School District No. 6 vs. School District No. 9, 
etc.) One of these will be sufficient to explain 
the points involved in the suits. 

School District No. 9 vs. School District No. 6, 
A. W. Agee and M. H. Sessions, attorneys for 
plaintiff, E. J. Hainer and George B. France, for 
defendant. This was a celebrated case and in- 
volved a considerable sum of money, which was 
claimed from District No. 6 by District No. 9. 

February 14, 1872, School District No. 6, of 
Hamilton County, was organized, and included 
the east half of Township 10 north. Range 6 west, 
and on March 27 of the same year it was enlarged 
so as to include all of Townships 10 in Ranges 6, 
7 and 8. On the first Monday of April of that 



■ --,- H' 



IZ 



728 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



yoiir, ail olectioii for officers of said district was 
lu>ld, and ii tax of ten mills on the dollar, of tax- 
alilo property in the district, was voted for the 
purpose of l)ailding a school house ia the district, 
and also a tax of five mills on the dollar for iuci 
dental expenses, and the payment of teaethers" 
wages. On April 1) of the same year School Dis- 
trict No. 9 was formed, and included the west half 
of Township 10, Range G, and all of Township 10, 
Ranges 7 and S. The taxes voted by District No. 
0, on the first Monday of April, 1872, were levied 
on all the territory comprising the district at the 
time of the election. 

In 1875 the Union Pacific Railroad Company, 
whicli then had a large amount of land in District 
No. U, paid into the treasury of the county more 
than $1,000 of the school tax thus voted by Dis- 
trict No. 6, and levied on its lands in District No. 
9. The money was jDaid by the county treasurer 
to District No. 6, and an action was brought for 
its recovery by District No. 9. 

The case was tried to the court, Hon. Judge 
Pound presiding, in place of Judge Post, Decem- 
ber 18, 1878. The court decided in favor of the 
defendant, and rendered judgment for costs against ! 
District No. 9. 

The plaintiff appealed on error to the supreme 
court, where the judgment of the lower court was 
reversed, and the case remanded to the district 
court, where judgment was rendered for the plain- 
tiff for the full amount of the claim, interest and 
costs, amounting to about $2, 200. District No. 6 
afterward prosecuted error to the supreme court, 
when the judgment of the district court in favor of 
No. 9 was affirmed. 

The case of the State of Nebraska ex rcl. the 
Board of County Commissioners of Hamilton 
County vs. Walter L. AVhittemore, was an applica- 
tion to the supreme court for a writ of mandamus 
to compel the respondent, Whittemore, to report 
fees. 

Whittemore, who was elected county clerk in 
1879, the county at the time of his election contain 
ing less than 8,000 inhabitants, was ex-offlci.o clerk 
of the district court. When reporting his fees he 
failed to rojiort those received by him as clerk of 



the court, claiming that he was only required to 
report fees received by him as county clerk, which 
he had done. The court held that, " in counties 
having less than 8,000 inhabitants county clerks 
are also clerks of the district courts of their 
respective counties. The duties being imiwsed 
upon them as county clerks, they must report the 
fees received by virtue of their office, ' ' and awarded 
the writ. 

The action of William A. Johnson vs. Edgar D. 
Preston was an action in ejectment brought by 
the plaintiff for the recovery of the po.ssession of a 
strip of ground, "beginning at a point forty rods 
north from the quarter section line corner, be- 
tween Sections 4 and 9," in Town 10, Range H, 
"thence north forty rods, thence west twenty-one 
rods, thence south forty rods, thence east twenty - 
one rods to the place of beginning," and involved 
the title and ownership to a large number of lots 
within the corporation limits of Aurora. The plain- 
tiff was the owner of the southwest quarter of Sec 
tion i, Town 10, Range 6, and claimed that the strip 
described was a part of said quarter, and that the 
mound which had been considered the half section 
corner as established by the government surveyors, 
was in fact a badger hole. It was shown in the 
trial of the case, that the south half of Section 4 
contained a large amount of land in excess of 820 
acres, but that the quarter section mound was lo- 
cated IGO rods and two links east of the southwest 
corner of the section, and hence the excess was all 
includecl in the southeast quarter. 

The case was tried before Judge Post to a 
jury on June 15, 1878. 

The verdict was in favor of the defendant. 
Plaintiff appealed; the supreme court affirmed the 
judgment of the district court, holding that " where 
the jury find that such corner was established by 
the government surveyors, its location cannot be 
changed by testimony showing that it is not equi- 
distant between the southwest and southeast cor- 
ners of the section," and " that mounds thrown up 
by the government suiveyors as corners and quarter 
section corners, of sections, control course and 
distance." Reported in 12th Nebraska, page 474. 

State of Nebraska ex rel. commissioners of 



ijy 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



729 



Hamilton County vs. W. K. Ream. Original ap- 
plication to supreme court for mandamus to com- 
pel the defendant to report fees as county judge. 

This was a friendly contest in order to test the 
constitutionality of "an act to regulate the fees of 
county judges, county clerks, sheriffs and county 
treasurers,"" approved February 15, 1877. 

The attorneys for the defendant contended that 
the act was in conflict with Article III, Section 2, 
of the constitution, which declares that "No bill 
shall contain more than one subject, and the same 
shall be clearly expressed in its title. 

The court held that ■" Where the subject matter 
of an act is within the scope of the title, the act 
will not be declared unconstitutional because a 
more appropriate title could have been selected." 
* * * "It is the duty of the defendant to re- 
port the fees received by him, and a peremptory 
writ is awarded as prayed for. ' ' 

From the earliest settlement of Hamilton Couutj', 
the citizens have been, taken as a whole, a peace- 
able, law-abiding people, devoted to building up 
and beautifying their homes and elevating the con- 
dition and morals of their fellows, and yet a few 
dark pages appear on its otherwise fair history. 

The first great crime committed within its bor- 
ders was the murder of a Mr. Johnson, of Illinois, 
in August, 1.S70. He and F. Sawyer, of Lincoln, 
had driven from that point to look at the country, 
and when they reached the western part of York 
County stopped over night at a ranch. Leaving 
there next morning they continued their way west- 
ward. Toward evening Sawyer drove back to the 
ranch and stated that Johnson had gone on to 
Grand Island afoot, carrying his gun and valise. 
A few days later a party of freighters discovered 
the dead body of Johnson lying on the prairie on 
or near Section 18, Town 10, Range 5. Sheriff 
Dixon went to Lincoln, and, placing Sawyer under 
arrest, brought him back to Hamilton County, 
where he was kept guarded at the house of James 
Waddle (the count}^ having no jail) for several 
weeks. Johnson" s revolver was found close to the 
body, but his rifle and valise were sought for in 
vain. A party of Indians were known to have 
crossed the county from soiitb to north on the day 

46 



Johnson was shot, and the belief was that he had 
been killed by them, and that they had taken his 
money, valise and rifle, or that he had been mur- 
dered by Sawyer for his money, and that the gun 
and valise had been concealed. After a long and 
fruitless search it was determined to attempt to 
frighten Sawyer to disclose their hiding place. 
Accordingly one Sunday morning a dozen men 
placed him in a wagon, together with a rope and 
shovel, and were about to start for the scene of the 
crime when J. E. Phillpot, Esq. , attorney for the 
prisoner, put in an appearance and accompanied 
the party. Nothing new was elicited. A prelimi- 
nary examination was then held at the house of Mr. 
Waddle, before John Brown, justice of the peace, 
and Sawyer was held for trial, being sent to Lin- 
coln for safe keeping. He was afterward dis- 
charged from custody on a writ of habeas corpus. 

A second homicide occurred in the county Feb- 
ruary 12, 1878, that of the murder of Abraham G. 
Hagey Ijy Henry C. Case. Case was indicted and 
arraigned on the charge of murder in the first de 
gree at the December term of court, 1878. He 
pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter, 
which was accepted by the counsel for the State, as 
there was some question as to the man's sanity. 
He was sentenced to the penitentiary for eight 
years, where he died before the expiration of the 
time. 

In the' early part of 1885, a great deal of petty 
thieving was going on in the vicinity of Marquette, 
from farmers in the surrounding country and from 
merchants in the town, several burglaries even be- 
ing committed. It was concluded that an organ- 
ized band of outlaws existed in that section of the 
county, and the commissioners took steps for their 
apprehension and conviction, making a special ap- 
propriation of funds for that purpose. Messrs. 
Hainer & Kellogg were attorneys for the county 
and at once entered upon an investigation of the 
matter. A detective was employed and in a short 
time an overwhelming amount of evidence was ac- 
cumulated and six members of the gang were arrest 
ed. A special term of the court was called in June, 
1885, for their trial, but so completely had the work 
of secui'iug evidence been done, that no defense was 




attempted, the parties pleading guilty. Ed Colby, 
Fred Coll)y, Richard Shull, Jacob Miuidell and 
Cab lliuurey were each sentenced to two years and 
six months and J. Garrett to one year in the peni- 
tentiary. 

On July 18, 1889, Henry Thornhill shot and 
instantly killed William Alonzo Barrett, in the 
south part of the county. Thornhill was arrested 
the next day, and made the following statement to 
the coroner: That he had gone to Bromfield on 
July 13, to get some medicine for Mr.s, Barrett, 
who was sick. That upon returning between 9 
and 10 o'clock that night, he heard an altercation 
in the house, and approaching the window he saw 
Barrett and his wife quarreling, the former hold- 
ing a chair in his hand. That he at once ran to 
the house of Thomas Cross, a neighbor, and bor- 
rowed a gun, "for the purpose of holding Bill 
[Barrett] up, and making him behave himself;" 
that upon his return to the Barrett house, he again 
looked through the window, and saw Barrett with 
a butcher knife in his hand, struggling with his 
wife, who was in a crouching position in front of 
him, and holding or grasping his hands ; that fearing 
Mrs. Barrett would be killed, he drew up the gun 
and fired, intending to cripple Barrett's right arm. 
Mrs. Barrett corroborated this statement, and 
showed marks on her neck and hand, which she 
claimed were made by her husband in the struggle. 
Thornhill was arraigned and tried at the January 
(1890) term of the district court. Judge A. M. Post, 
of Columbus, presiding, in place of Judge Smith 
(Judge Smith having prepared the information 
against Thornhill while serving in the capacity of 
county attorney before his appointment as judge, 
was disqualified to preside in the case). The evi- 
dence showed that Barrett had separated from his 
wife several days before the homicide, and that he 
had been staying at the house of a neighbor, David 
Beat; that on July 13, he and Beat had gone to 
Aiirora, where Barrett had procured a Ijottle of 
"Tippecanoe Bitters;" that on the way home, 
and after reaching there in the evening, Barrett 
had taken several drinks from the bottle of bitters, 



and at half past eight had start(^d fur his own 
house; that when Thornhill went to Cross's for 
the gnn, he was apjiarciitly in a great hurry, stat 
ing that he wanted to shoot a dog, and that after 
getting the gun he stated to Cross that it was a 
two-legged dog. The shooting was done through 
the south window of the house, thiB main charge 
taking effect in front of the right shoulder, while 
scattering shot entered the face and breast. 

This was the most celebrated case ever tried in 
the county, and had attracted such general atten- 
tion that three days were occupied in securing a 
jury, during which 168 jurors were examined. 

The counsel for the State were County Attorney 
J. A. Whitmore and E. J. Hainer, and for the 
defense H. M, Kellogg and A. V,'. Agee, who were 
assigned by the court. 

The well-known ability of these gentlemen, 
together with the importance of the case, attracted 
an immense crowd, which daily packed the court 
room. The jury remained out barely two hours, 
when they returned a verdict of murder in the first 
degree. Thornhill was sentenced to be hanged 
on June 13, 1890, between the hours of 12 m. 
and 2 p. M. His attorneys having filed a motion 
for a new trial, which was overruled by the 
court, filed a bill of exceptions, and appealed on 
error to the supreme court, where the matter at 
present remains. 

Other important criminal cases, in which con- 
victions were secured, were: The State vs. Howard 
T. Marshall, forgery; The State r.s. O. A. Bacon, 
seduction; The State vs. Yoeman, incest. 

The last great tradegy which occurred in the 
county was that of the shooting of \V. W. Lewis 
on March 15, 1890, and the lynching of bis mur- 
derer, A. E. Staton, the same day by a part)' of 
masked men, a full account of which is given in 
subsequent pages. 

The legal ability and high character and stand- 
ing of the attorneys of this county have given the 
Aurora bar a reputation and standing throughout 
the State, especially before the supreme court, of 
which the citizens are justly proud. 



l\^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



731 



CHAPTER XXX. 



Aj, «*-; — a □ — .1 ^ 

PoLiTfOAL History — First Voters — Earmest Election — Formation of Parties — Conventions — Establish- 
ment OF Party Interests— The Lines Drawn— Candidates — Interesting Contests — History 
OP Political Movements — Election op 1889 — Statistics — Election Returns — 
Roster op Public Servants. 

My soul aches 
To know, when two authorities are up. 
* * * How soon confusion 
May enter. — Shakespeare. 




i'^RIOR to the fall of 1872 
only the east half of the 
eoiiiity had been settled, 
and parties were an un- 
known element in the se- 
( lection of candidates to 
fill the various offices. At 
A the election of that year all that part 
of the county west of Range consti- 
tuted one election precinct; the elec- 
tion was held at the house of D. A. 
.Scovill. There were only six legal 
voters in the precinct at the time. 
They were D. A. Scovill, George 
y> Jackett, W. P. While, A. V. B. Peck, 
David Wright and David Boag. As 
^ it required five of them to constitute 
the election board, it left one man who received no 
pay for his day's time. This man was W. P. 
White, and the "board" put in their time during 
the day electioneering the one man who consti- 
tuted the constituency. During the year 1873 the 
towns of Aurora and Orville began to gird up 
their loins for the contest, which each knew to be 
inevitable, and which meant the death of one or the 
other. For the first time in the history of the 



county two conventions were held in that year, one 
at Orville and one at Aurora. At the election 
which followed the Aurora ticket proved victorious, 
the following adherents of that place being elected: 
William R. Mitchell, clerk; J. H. Paris, treasurer; 
J. M. Smith, sheriff; J. T. Price, superintendent, 
and B. F. Isaman, commissioner. During the 
succeeding two years the "county seat fight " had 
developed into open and bitter warfare, with 
Hamilton in the fray fresh and vigorous, Aurora 
thrice defeated, but cool and determined, and 
Orville " badly disfigured, but still in the ring. " 
With this condition of affairs a convention was 
called to meet at Aurora in the fall of 1875 to 
nominate a county ticket. Aurora Precinct caucus 
was called to meet at the school house (now the 
Catholic Church) at <) o'clock the evening before 
the convention. Promptly on the minute the cau- 
cus was called to order, with L. W. Hastings and 
R. W. Graybill as chairman and secretary. With- 
out any undue loss of time a delegation was 
selected and the caucus proceeded to vote on same. 
In the meantime the voters of Hamilton started in 
a body from the store of T. A. McKay, in Hamil- 
ton, and wended their way toward the school-house. 
Arrived there, T. A. McKay opened the door and 






-rf 9 



732 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



was greeted by the followinof words in the voice of 
the cbaiiman, L. W. Hastings: " Have you all 
voted ? If so I declare the ballot closed." The 
Hamilton delegation, claiming that nndue haste 
had be(ni used in order to disfranchise them, then 
withdrew and nominated a second set of delegates. 

The convention was organized the next day, 
with D. A. Scovill, chairman. A bitter tight at 
once ensued between the rival delegations from 
Aurora Precinct. The convention after hearing 
the case presented by both sides, seated the Aurora 
delegation. In this convention, R. W. Graybill 
was a candidate for superintendent, and J. M. 
Fodge, for sheriff, but as both these gentlemen 
were members of the Aurora faction, it was de- 
cided that they would have to be sidetracked, and 
the candidates for those positions be selected from 
the south side of the county in order to hold as 
many votes iu that section as possible, to counter 
act the defection caused liy the " double header " 
delegation from Aurora. With this view D. A. 
Scovill was nominated for sheriff, and Gen. D. • 
Bates for superintendent. Mr. Graybill, fully 
appreciating the situation, accepted the inevitable 
with good errace. Mr. Fodge, however, was not 
so complacent, and before the election announced 
himself as an independent candidate. A conven- 
tion called at Orville the same year nominated 
candidates for clerk and county judge. The 
Aurora ticket was elected by large majorities. 

In 1877 the "county seat war," was a thing 
of the past, but its influence remained, and was 
the great factor in moulding parties, and determin- 
ing the politics of the county. This fall a straight 
Republican county ticket was put in the field. 
The Democrats and dissatisfied Republicans united 
with the members of the "Greenback"' party, 
which had a very re.speetable following in the 
county, to defeat the Republican ticket. 

The campaign was a "red hot one," both 
sides using their utmost efforts to win. After a 
long and exciting contest, when the smoke of bat- 
tle had cleared away, it was found that the "sugar 
plums ' " had been gathered in by the ' ' greenback 
ers," they having elected their candidates for the 
offices of clerk, treasurer and surveyor, while the 



Republicans had secured "the offices of sheriff, 
probate judge, superintendent and coroner. In 
1878 three legislative tickets were put in the field, 
and the Rejiublicans achieved a comparatively 
easy victory, electing D. A. Scovill to the Senate 
(the first member that Hamilton County had con 
tributed to that body) and R. W. Graybill to the 
House. The next contest was iu 1879, and was 
waged with the same energy and spirit as char- 
acterized the election of two years before. 

The Republicans put up au excellent ticket, 
knowing it would require good men and united ef- 
fort to overcome the personal popularity of T. A. 
McKay, the candidate for treasurer on the Green- 
back ticket. For this reason W. H. Streeter was 
induced to accept the nomination for treasurer. 
He was not only well known throughout the county 
as a first rate business man, but his personal pop- 
ularity was second to none in the county. The 
closeness of the contest will be seen in the fact that 
McKay received 599 votes, and Streeter 594, the 
former being elected by a majority of five votes. 
All the balance of the Republican ticket was 
elected. In 1880, being "presidential year," the 
Republicans were well consolidated and elected 
John Helms (Republican) to the Legislature over 
A. Reuber (Democrat). The campaign was a lively 
one, but much better feeling prevailed than for- 
merly. 

Again the advent of election of county ofificers 
in 1S81 brought on a hard struggle, and again the 
Democrats and " Greenbackers " united. They 
were now under the leadership of W. F. Peck, a 
shrewd politician and a skillful organizer. The 
Republicans were badly beaten, failing to secure 
anything except superintendent. Heretofore the 
political contests had been confined almost en- 
tirely to the election of county officers, but in 1882 
the Democrat and Greenback parties united on a 
Legislative ticket, putting F. M. Barnes (D.) and 
L. C. Floyd (G.) on the track. The Republicans 
nominated Joshua Cox and A. J. Spanogle. Both 
the Republican and Greenback candidates for lieu- 
tenant-governor were Hamilton County men, A. 
W. Agee on the Republican, and P. B. Reynolds 
on the Greenback ticket. As the Legislature of 



;f- 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



733 



18S3 would elect a United States Senator, both par- 
ties put forth their utmost efforts to elect their 
candidates. The contest was very close, the vote 
standing Agee (R.) 766, Reynolds (G. ) 724. Cox 
(R.) 846, Barnes (D.) 750, Spanogle (R.) 853, 
Floyd (G. ) 731. The Greenback party having 
died a natural death, in 1SS3 Mr. Peck organized 
his forces under the battle tiag of " anti-monop- 
oly," and under that banner led them onto victory. 
The Republicans suffered the most complete 
rout they had ever experienced in the county. 
The only office they succeeded in securing was that 
of coroner. In 1SS4 the Republicans had an easy 
victorv in electing their Legislative ticket, F. C. 
Putnam to the Senate, and Joshua Cox and George 
Liebhart to the House. In 1SS5 the Republicans 
entered the arena determined to regain their foot 
hold in the courthouse, and put up an excellent 
ticket. Again the Democrats and " Ant i -Monopo- 
lists " united, with J. M. Laurie for clerk and W. 
F. Peck for treasurer. A very sharp campaign 
ensued, the leading candidates on both tickets can- 
vassing the county thoroughly and interviewing 
almost every man in the county. The election was 
extremely close, as the following figures will tes- 
tify: For clerk, J. M. Laurie (D.), 1,109; W. M. 
Thomas (R.), 1,090. For treasurer, H. Cole (R ), 
1,033; W. F. Peck (A.). 997; W. Glover (D.). 
182. For sheriff, F. E. Valentine, 1,194; W. Z. 
Pollard, 1,011. For the balance of the offices the 
Republicans had larger majorities. This election 
was the Waterloo of " fusion " in this county. In 
August, 1885, E. W. Hurlbut had established 
The Sun, a Democratic newspaper, in Aurora, 
and had succeeded in gradually withdrawing the 
Democrats from the fusion party, and consolidat- 
ing it under the straight banner of Democracy. 
This at the same time had the effect of dissolving 
the " fusion ' ' party, and those Repiiblicans, who 
had withdrawn from the ranks, on account of local 
differences, gradually floated back to their old 
party, so that when the time came for nominating 
a Legislative ticket in 1886, straight Democratic 
and Republican tickets were nominated. Both 
parties entered the campaign eager for the contest. 
The result of the election was : Member of Congress, 



Second District, James Laird (R.), 1,149; \V. A. 
McKeighan (D.), 711. Members of Legislature, A. 
W. Agee(R.), 1,043; A. Wilsey (R.), 1,090; Sam- 
uel Robbins (D.), 769: D. S. Woodard (D.), 849. 
Again, in 1887, the two old parties faced each 
other, this time on election of county officers. 
This was the first time in the history of the county 
when the two parties struggled hand to hand for 
the possession of the court house "pap," divested 
of all extraneous influences. It is true the Pro- 
hibitionists had a ticket in the field, but its influ- 
ence was too slight to affect the result. The entire 
Republican ticket was elected by majorities ranging 
from 275 to 750. The same conditions prevailed 
in 1888, upon the election of the legislative ticket. 
In this campaign the Democrats made a great effort 
to secure the election of Reuben Cox, one of their 
candidates. For this purpose a severe tight was 
made against D. A. Scovill, one of the Republican 
candidates. The following was the vote: For 
member of Congress, Second District, James Laird 
(R.), 1,621; W. G. Hastings (D.), 1,048; George 
Scott (P.), 164. For members of the Legislature, 
D. A. Scovill (R.), 1,633; J. J.Farley (R.), 1,770; 
Reuben Cox (D.), 1,072; S. B. Youst (D.), 964; 
L. A. McKay (P.), 121; M. Castle (P.), 122. The 
political campaign of 1889 was one of the most 
notable in the history of the parties in the county. 
The Republican convention was called to meet at 
the court-house in Aurora on Saturday, October 5. 
The primary election in Aurora Precinct, for elec- 
tion of thirteen delegates, was held October 4. 
Two sets of delegates were being balloted for, the 
Moore delegates, who favored James Moore for 
nominee for sheriff, and the Shenberger delegates, 
who favored the nomination of W. W. Shenberger. 
After the primary polls were closed and the votes 
counted the canvassing board, consisting of Will- 
iam P. Hellings, D. A. Scovill and L. W. Hastings, 
announced that the "Moore " ticket was elected. 

The convention the next day was called to order 
by E. J. Hainer, chairman of the Republican 
county central committee; William P. Hellings, 
secretary of the central committee, acting as sec- 
retary of the convention. 

The "Moore" delegates presented their ere- 



-^7 
^ « 



v- 



e w. 



-d. ?> 



7:U 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



dKiitials, as follows, and demanded seats in the con- 
vention : 

AuROUA, Neb.. Oct. ."nli, 1889. 
At a primary olcctiou of the Kepublican voters of 
Aurora Precinct, the 4lh day of October. 1889. the follow- 
ing were the delegates elected to the convention lo be 
held October 5th. 18H9: 

For delegates to the county convention— Thomas 
Smith. Sr.. George Daniels, H. F. Williamson. A. C. Craw- 
ford, \V. A. Ellsworth. Roger Hurlbut. Rolla Powell. Ole 
Anderson. William Ronnan. (ieorge Liebhart. .1. P. Chap- 
man. K. .\nderson, P. F. Moore. 

L. W. Hastings, 
Ser.Uj. Republican Prect. Committee. 

The " Shenberger " delegates also presented 
credentials, as follows: 
To the Chairman and Members of the County Republican 

(krnrention: 

I hereby certify that the following named persons 
were duly elected delegates to the county Republican 
convention, to be held at Aurora, Nebr., on the 5th day 
of October, 1889, and are entitled to seats therein, viz.: 

For delegates to the county convention — B. F. Ander- 
son, E. Haling, B. F. Richards, A. W. Downey, J. E. 
McBride, C. L. Valentine. C. C. Coon, H. B. Witte, L. W. 
Hastings, A. G. Hoegren, D. L. Toof, W. P. Hellings, 
I. X. Jones. 

Witness my hand this 5th day of October, 1889. 
William P. Hellings, 
Attest: L. W. Hastings. President. 

Secty. of Avrora Precinct Committee. 

There being a contest between these two delega- 
tions, the committee on credentials, composed of 
Ed Nugent, L. F. Fye and W. J. Carver, pro- 
ceeded to investigate the matter. After securing 
such evidence as was attainable, the committee 
oame to the following conclusion: That the 
'•Muore'" tickets and the " Sheobeiger "" tickets 
were printed with the same kind of type, but that 
the "Moore" tickets were printed solid; that is, 
with very little spacing between the names, while 
the Shenberger tickets were heavily leaded; that 
is, with wide spaces between the names; that dur- 
ing the afternoon, fearing they would run out of 
tickets, additional Shenberger tickets were printed, 
but that the leads had been removed from the 
form and the names shoved together, so that these 
tickets were printed solid, and had the same ap- 
pearance as the "Moore" tickets; that the can- 
vassing board, instead of reading the tickets, had 
sorted them with reference to the spacing between 



the names, counting all the "leaded" tickets for 
Shenberger and all the " solid " tickets for Moore, 
and that in this way they had counted tickets for 
Moore which should have been counted for Shcii 
berger. The following affidavit of \\illiam P. 
Hellings was filed with the committee on cre- 
dentials: 

STATE OF NEBRASKA, i 
Hamilton Codntt. ( ^^' 

William P. Hellings, being first duly sworn, says that 
he was one of the judges who conducted the Republican 
primary election in the precinct of Aurora on the 4th day 
of October, 1889, and was president of said board; that 
after the polls were closed the tickets were counted oul, 
and it was found that there were "^74 tickets that were not 
scratched, 140 of which were counted for what is known 
as the " Moore tickets." 

AfHant says that said tickets were taken up by the 
judges, each judge counting, and what were thouglil to 
be " Moore tickets " laid in bunches of ten on one part of 
the table, and what were known as "Shenberger tickets" 
laid in bunches of ten on another part of the table, except 
six (6) tickets on which some name or names had been 
scratched; that in counting said tickets affiant did not no- 
tice the names on each ticket, but believing that all the 
Shenberger tickets were longer than the Moore tickets, 
and not knowing that two sizes of the Shenberger tickets 
had been printed, he placed lUl of the short tickets with 
what is known as the Moore tickets; that since the vote 
was counted and the ballots placed in the ballot-box and 
locked up, affiant has learned that there were two sizes of 
tickets printed with the names of the Shenberger dele- 
gates thereon, and that he has reason to believe that in 
counting said tickets he counted tickets for the Moore 
delegation that ought to have been counted for the Shen 
berger delegation. 

Affiant further states, that after tlie votes were all 
counted, they were strung on a string and placed in the 
ballot-box. and the ballot-box was locked up by D. A. 
Scovill. one of tlie judges, and that as he supposed said 
Scovill kept the key to said box; that said box was left in 
his office, and the doors and windows to his office were 
locked by him very soon after the completion of the count; 
that no other person has the key to his office to his knowl 
edge, and that no person could get into his office without 
breaking in; that he has kept said ballot-box in said office 
and has kept bis door locked ever since that time. exce])t 
when he would be in his office himself, so that no person 
could tamper with said ballot-box. 

Affiant says that he learned that said key had been 
left in his office, since twelve o'clock of this day; that said 
Scovill then told him that he had left the key in a drawer 
in affiant's office, and that affiant immediately went to his 
office and found the key in a small pasteboard box, con- 






HAMILTON COUNTY. 



735 



taining paper fasteners which were in a drawer in his 
office. 

Affiant says said ballot box has not been out of his 
office and has never been opened since said tickets were 

placed therein and the bo.x locked. 

W. P. Hellings. 

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5th day of 

October. 1889. 

W. L. Stark, 

[Seal.] County Judge. 

The affidavit of D. A. Scovill also was filed, 
as to the locking up and safe keeping of the bal- 
lots after being counted. The committee there- 
upon concluded to open the ballot box and recount 
the ballots, upon doing which six of the short 
"Shenberger" tickets were found on the string 
among the "Moore" tickets. The committee then 
made their report recommending the seating of the 
Shenberger delegates. Capt. Cassell raised the 
point of order that the report could not be adopted 
inasmuch as the committee had no right to go be- 
hind the returns. The chairman rtiled the point 
of order not well taken. Cassell then moved that 
the delegates known as the " Moore delegates," be 
substituted for the delegates reported by the com- 
mittee and known as the "Shenberger delegates." 
The motion was lost; ayes 24, nays 48. The re- 
port of . the committee was then adopted. The 
delegation, as seated, was solid for the nomination 
of W. S. Harlan for county treasurer, while the 
■■ Moore delegates " were almost as unanimous for 
Levi Cox. The balloting for a candidate for this 
office revealed the fact that the convention was 
pretty nearly eqtially divided between those two 
men. The following statement shows the result 
of the ballots: First ballot, Harlan 32, Cox 34, 
Reed 12. Isaman 7; second ballot, Harlan 40, Cox 
34, Eeed 11; third ballot, Harlan 36, Cox 39, Eeed 
10; fourth ballot, Harlan 43, Cox 36, Reed 4. 

The adherents of Cox and Moore were greatly 
incensed over the action of the convention, and 
freely charged fraud on the part of the friends of 
Harlan and Shenberger, claiming that Moore tick- 
ets had been abstracted from the ballot box and 
Shenberger tickets substittited after the count had 
been made. The deep mutterings of the coming 
storm were plainly heard. Referring to the trans- 
action the Aurora Republican of October 11, 1889, 



said: "The Republican primary held in this city 
at the court-house last Friday was one of the most 
earnest contests with the little white ballot that 
was ever held at a primary election in this place; 
in fact, it arose almost to the importance of a gen- 
eral election. There were over 280 votes cast out 
of a possible of a little over 300 votes, there being 
311 Republican votes cast at the general election 
last fall. 

Everything passed off very smoothly, however, 
and only for an error that was made in the count 
of the ballots after the vote had been polled, not 
a murmur would ever have been heard ; and to cor- 
rect any erroneous impression that might go abroad 
in regard to it we make the following statement of 
fact, which we are willing to be qualified on: 

'■ Before the polls opened, at 13 o'clock Friday noon, 
tickets had been printed at this office— one set for Moore, 
headed by Thomas Smith, and another set for Shenberger. 
headed by B. F. Anderson. 

' ' The Moore ticket had the same heading as the Shen- 
berger ticket, but the Mooie ticket was about three-quar- 
ters of an inch shorter than the Shenberger, and the com- 
position on the Moore ticket was what a printer calls 
solid work; that is, no leads or spaces between lines, 
while the composition on the Shenberger ticket was 
leaded matter, or spaced between lines. 

■• In printing the tickets in this way there is to a printer 
quite a contrast in the looks of the two tickets, and a 
printer could separate the two tickets from each other by 
their looks, without stopping to read each ticket There 
were 300 tickets of ihis kind printed for each candidate, 
and it was supposed that the 600 tickets would be a great 
plenty for the 300 voters, but at about 5 o'clock in the 
evening it was noticed that the tickets had nearly all dis- 
appeared from the polls. It is an old trick to destroy the 
ballots of the opposition party, and has frequently resulted 
disastrously to the party who could not promptly supply 
the defect, as voters are sometimes late and only arrive 
at the polls a few minutes before they close to find there 
is not a ballot left. As soon as it was noticed both par- 
ties ordered more tickets, and in the hurry to get them 
off, the forms having been unleaded for other work, the 
tickets were printed, both the Moore and Shenberger tick- 
ets, from solid forms, and upon paper, the size of the orig- 
inal Moore tickets, which was three-quarters of an inch 
shorter than the Shenberger tickets, and having been 
printed from a solid form had the appearance of that ticket. 
"Now for the secpiel: Mr. Hellings. who was one of 
the canvassing board, is a practical printer. He knew 
nothing about the change of the size and looks of the 
ticket, did not handle the tickets at the polls, but had 
seen the two tickets when the polls were opened at noon. 



"^1 ® 



^ 



73r. 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



and, as a printer naturally would, had noticed the j;ri.-al 
contrast between them, and when the polls were closed 
at night Mr. Ilellings, jis-sisted by the other two mem- 
bers of the board. Mr. .Scovill and this editor, commenced 
to count the ballots and make the tally sheets; it was 
very natural for Mr. Helling-s. who is a practical printer, 
and not knowing that there had been tickets printed, 
from a solid form, on the same size paper the Moore 
tickets had been printed on, to count some Shenberger 
tickets with the Moore ticket; and it was in this way that 
the Moore delegation seemed to have a small majority 
when the ballots were counted; and it was not till the ne.xt 
day that ho discovered his mistake, when he went to cer- 
tify the Moore credentials up to the convention, and got 
hold of one of the.se small tickets, supposini; all the time it 
was a Moore ticket, but found it was one of the Shenber- 
fjer tickets, and then his mistake was revealed to him for 
the first time." 

The Sun, Democratic newspaper, was not slow 
to profit by the mistake made by the Republicans, 
and in order to add to the spirit of rebellion, came 
out with the following editorial, in its issue of Oe 
tober 11, 1889: 

THE RETURNING BOARD. 

Last Friday the Republican primaries were held, 
and two delegatious, one for Moore, and the other for 
Shenberger, contested the field. W. P. Hellings, L. W. 
Hastings and D. A. Scovill, aboard solid for Shenberger, 
was secured. "With this advantage against Moore in 
cases of chiillenge. his delegation were duly elected by 
five majority, and the credentials issued. The other side 
kicked, claiming that Democrats swore in their votes for 
Moore, but were met with the fact that an offset was made 
by " prohibs " voting for Shenberger. It soon became 
apparent that that kind of kicking would do no good, and 
the matter dropped. When the delegations came in it 
was quite apparent that Levi Co.\ had a sinch on the 
treasurership. and Moore almost a ('ertainty for the nom- 
ination of sheriff. Then, as if by a miracle, at about the 
hour the convention was to convene, Hellings stumbled 
upon an unused ticket which lay upon the floor, with the 
Shenberger delegation printed thereon. It looked un- 
natural to him. Its size and appearance was different 
from those of yesterday. He sized it up with one of those 
of the day before. It was shorter and narrower. Then 
he remembered that he had sized up the tickets, and 
counted the larger ones for Shenberger and the little ones 
for Moore. There must be a mistake. He was for a 
new count immediately. He was certain the new count 
would elect the Shenberger delegation. The bo.\ con- 
taining the votes, and the key, had l)een in his possession 
over night. The bo.x had not been sealed, according to 
la*w. nor the key placed with one of the board and the 
bo.v with anotlier, as the law directs. Notwithstanding 



that the ballots had not been protected, he was in favor 
of a new count. He made affidavit that he had not dis- 
turbed the ballots, but did not swear that no one else had. 
It was left to the convention, and they decided to re 
count. They found two ballots more than was found the 
night before, and two more than there were names on 
the poll list, and also found a majority of two for the 
Shenberger delegation. The Moore delegation were 
kicked out of the convention, and the regular ring dele- 
gates chosen. The Louisiana returning board could have 
done no more, and the result caused great applause from 
the ring supporters. 

Mr. Cox, urged by many of his friends, an- 
nounced himself as an independent candidate for 
treasurer. 

The Democratic convention met at Aurora on 
Saturday, October 12, 1889, and put in nomina 
tion a straight Democratic ticket, except for the 
offices of county judge and surveyor, endorsing 
the Republican nominees for those positions. 

The campaign which ensued was hard fought 
and earnest. There was comparatively little pub- 
lic speaking, the tactics on both sides being of the 
"still hunt" order. 

The ■' Farmers' Alliance" movement had been 
growing very strong throughout the county dur- 
ing the past year, and while the organization itself 
did not declare in favor of either ticket, its intlu 
ence was strongly felt in the campaign, and doubt- 
less was a potent factor in producing the result of 
the election held November 5, 188U, and which 
was as shown in the following statistics: 

For member of Congress, Second District — 
G. L. Laws (R.): Farmers' Valley, 64, Orville, 94, 
Scovill, 52, Union, 111, Beaver, 52, Aurora, 295, 
Hamilton, 45, Deepwell, 51, Valley, 150, Grant. 
104, Monroe, 1 1 1, Phillips, 50, Otis, 54, South 
Platte, 90, BlutT, 76, Cedar Valley, 11; total, 1,413; 
mtijority, 317. C. D. Casper (D.): Farmers' Val 
ley, 25, Orville, 76, Scovill, 75, Union, 57, Beaver. 
25, Aurora, 229, Hamilton, SO, Deepwell, 89, Val- 
ley, 89, Grant, 57, Monroe, 45, Phillips, 73, Otis, 
62, South Platte, 82, Bluff, 18, Cedar Valley, 14; 
totid, 1,096. C. E. Bentley (P.): Union, 1, Aurora, 
17, Hamilton, 7, Deepwell, 13, Grant, 3, Phillips, 
4, Otis, 1, South Platte, 8. Bluff, 11, Cedar Val- 
ley, 2; total, 57. 

For Supreme Judge— T. L. Norval (R. ): Far- 



-Tj; 



A 



!ki. 



HAJVnLTON COUNTY. 



737 



mers' Valley, 67, Orville, 96, Scovill, 57, Union, 
114, Beaver, 52, Aurora, 308, Hamilton, 50, Deep- 
well, 54, Valley, 157, Grant, 104, Monroe, 116, 
Phillips, 62, Otis, 54, South Platte, 96, BlufP, 7S, 
Cedar Valley, 12; total, 1,477; majority, 441. John 
H. Ames (D. ) : Farmers' Valley, 22, Orville, 75, 
Scovill, 72, Union, 54, Beaver 22, Aurora, 219, 
Hamilton, 77, Deepwell, S2, Valley, S3, Grant. 
56, Monroe, 42, Phillips, 63, Otis, 61, South Platte, 
77, Bluff IS, Cedar Valley, 13; total, 1,036. F. P. 
Wigton (P.): Union, 1, Aurora, IS, Hamilton 6, 
Deepwell, 7, Grant 3, Phillips, 4, Otis, 2, South 
Platte, S, Bluff, 10, Cedar Valley, 2; total 61. 

Sheriff' — W. W. Shenberger (R.): Farmers" Val- 
ley, 62, Orville, S3, Scovill, 39, Union, 93, Beaver, 
43, Aurora, 225, Hamilton, 46, Deepwell, 54, Val- 
ley, 119, Grant, 95, Monroe. 73, Phillips, 48, Otis, 
53, South Platte, 92, Bluff, 58, Cedar Valley, 14; 
total, 1,197. W. H. Fall (D.): Farmers' Valley, 
37, Orville, 85, Scovill, 87, Union, 74, Beaver, 32, 
Aurora, 314, Hamilton, 88, Deepwell, 91, Valley, 
120, Grant, 6S, Monroe, 84, Phillips, SO, Otis, 64, 
South Platte, 85, Bluff, 46, Cedar Valley, 13, 
total, 1,36s, majority, 171. 

Treasurer— W. S. Harlan (R.): Farmers' Val- 
ley, 54. Orville, S9, Scovill, 31, Union, 80, Beaver, 
46, Atirora, 216, Hamilton, 23, Deepwell, 16, Val- 
ley, 79, Grant, 84, Monroe, 50, Phillips, 12, Otis, 
45, South Platte, 94, Bluff, 54, Cedar Valley, 13; 
total, 986. Peter Farney (D.): Farmers" Valley, 
32, Orville, 80, Scovill, 89, Union, 62, Beaver, 
20, Aurora, 303, Hamilton, 102, Deepwell, 61, 
Valley, 52, Grant, 67, Monroe, 72, Phillips 9, 
Otis, 67, South Platte, 58. Bluff, 22, Cedar Valley, 
14; total, 1,110; majority, 124. Levi Cox (Ind. 
Rep.): Farmers' Valley, 3, Orville, 2, Scovill, 8, 
Union, 26, Beaver, 11, Aurora, 28, Hamilton, 9, 
Deepwell, 68, Valley, 108, Grant, 10, Monroe, 35, 
Phillips, 108, Otis, 5, South Platte, 28, Bluff", 24; 
total, 473. 

County Clerk- R. H. Peard (R.): Farmers' Val- 
ley, 66. Orville, 95. Scovill, 54, Union, 111, Beaver, 
53, Aurora, 316, Hamilton, 52, Deepwell, 54, Val- 
ley, 154, Grant, 107, Monroe, 84, Phillips, 59, 
Otis. 57, South Platte, 100, Bluff, 80, Cedar Valley, 
13; total, 1,455; majority, 359. G. P. Brahm (D.): 



Farmers' Valley, 23, Orville, 76, Scovill, 74, Union, 
57, Beaver, 25, Aurora, 218, Hamilton, 78, Deep, 
well, 89, Valley, 85, Grant, 54, Monroe, 75, Phil- 
lips, 70, Otis, 60, South Platte, 79, Bluff, 20, 
Cedar Valley, 13; total, 1,096. 

Commissioner, Second District — B. F. Isaman 
(R.): Farmers' Valley, 66, Orville, 97, Scovill. 35. 
Union. 46, Beaver, 57, Aurora, 302, Hamilton, 49. 
Deepwell, 32, Valley, 156, Grant, 105, Monroe, 
101, Phillips, 40, Otis, 56, South Platte, 98, Bluff", 
77, Cedar Valley, 12; total, 1,329; majority, 130. 
John Detamore (D.): Farmers' Valley, 23, Orville, 

74, Scovill, 93, Union, 120, Beaver, 21, Aurora, 236, 
Hamilton, 82, Deepwell, 112, Valley, 84, Grant, 
56, Monroe, 51, Phillips, 72, Otis, 61, South 
Platte, 82, Bluff, 19, Cedar Valley, 13; total, 
1,199. 

County Judge — W. L. Stark (R. ): Farmers' 
Valley, 88, Orville, 169, Scovill, 129, Union, 168, 
Beaver, 78, Aurora, 544, Hamilton, 134, Deep- 
well, 141, Valley, 240, Grant, 163, Monroe, 158, 
Phillips, 129, Otis, 116, South Platte, 173, Bluff", 
89, Cedar Valley, 26; total, 2,554. 

County Superintendent — F. M. Stanley (R. ): 
Farmers' Valley, 67, Orville, 85, Scovill, 55, 
Union, 113, Beaver, 56, Aurora, 281, Hamilton, 
52, Deepwell. 56, Valley, 165, Grant, 107, Monroe, 
124, Phillips, 52, Otis, 62, South Platte, 102, 
Bluff", 95, Cedar Valley, 17; total, 1,489; majority, 
416. J. H. N. Cobb (D.): Farmers' Valley, 22, 
Orville, 83, Scovill, 73, Union, 56, Beaver, 21, 
Aurora, 257, Hamilton, 79, Deepwell, 88, Valley, 

75, Grant, 54, Monroe, 36, Phillips, 76, Otis, 55, 
South Platte, 79, Bluff, 9, Cedar Valley, 10; total, 
1,073. 

Surveyor — D. B. Parks (R.): Farmers' Valley, 
88, Orville, 171, Scovill, 128. Union, 168, Beaver, 
78, Aurora, 529, Hamilton, 131. Deepwell, 144, 
Valley, 239, Grant, 164, Monroe, 158, Phillips, 
127, Otis, 117, South Platte, 174, Bluff, 100, Ce- 
dar Valley, 25; total, 2,541. 

Coroner — E. A. Steenburg: Farmers' Valley, 
67, Orville, 95, Scovill, 56, Union, 113, Beaver, 
55, Aurora, 279, Hamilton, 57, Deepwell, 79, Val- 
ley, 156, Grant, 107, Monroe, 117, Phillips, 68, 
Otis, 56, South Platte, 102, Bluff, 80, Cedar Val- 



s iy 



738 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



ley, 12; total. I.4<J'J; majority. 4i)l. A. M. Glover 
(D.): Farmers' Valley, 22, Orville, 75, Scovill, 71, 
Union, 55, Beaver, 23, Aurora, 233, Hamilton, 75, 
Deepwell, (33, Valley, 84, Grant, 57. Monroe, 42, 
Phillips, 40, Otis, 61, South Platte, 75, Bluff. 19, 
Cedar Valley, 13; total, l,()OS. 

The accompanying figures give the vote of the 
county officers at each election from 1875, the first 
election in the county at which tvyo parties con- 
tended for supremacy, until 1889, the last election 
held: 

County clerk: 1875, J. H. Helms, 527; A. W. 
Conner, 312; S. R. Cowgill, 1. 1877, T. C. 
Klumb (G.), 328; Walter Chambers (R.),297. 1879, 
W. L. Whittemore (R.), 576; T. C. Klumb (G.), 
559; V. D. Cass (D.), 96; scattering, 5. 1881, W. 
F. Peck (A.), 741; W. L. Whittemore (R.), 631; 
J. H. Faris, 1. 1883, W. F. Peck (A.), 1,271; 
T. B. Johnson (R.), 490. 1885, J. M. Laurie 
(D.). 1.109: William M. Thomas (R.), 1,090; scat- 
tering, 4. 1887, R. H. Peard (R.), 1,409; Charles 
L. Crane (D.), 587; D. E. Price (P.). 47; scatter- 
ing. 3. 1889, R. H. Peard (R.). 1.455; G. P. Brahm 
(D.), 1,096. 

Treasurer: 1875, J. H. Faris, 818. 1877, T. 
A. McKay (G.), 327; Jesse Evans (R. ), 31 1; J. H. 
Faris, 0. 1879, T. A. McKay (G.), 599; W. H. 
Streeter (R.), 594; George Wildish (D.), 41 ; scat- 
tering, 16. 1881, J. H. Faris (A.), 838; M. J. 
Peterson (R.), 533. 1883, J. H. Faris (A.), 1,164; 
John Raben (R), 575; scattering. 2. 1885, Harvey 
Cole (R.), 1,033; W. F. Peck (A.), 997; William 
Glover (D.), 182; Thomas, 1. 1887, Harvey Cole 
(R.), 1.291; Frank Stevens (D.), 728; JohnLitzen- 
berg, 32: C. L. Crane, 1. 1S89, Peter Farney (D.), 
1,110; W. S. Harlan (R. ), 9S6; Levi Cos (Ind. 
R.), 474. 

Sheriff: 1875, D. A. Scovill, 803; J. M. Fodge, 
51; W. Hickman, 1. 1877, James M. Fodge (R.), 
338; James Taggart (G.), 240; N. B. Payne, 49; 
1879, R. H. Peard (R.). 544; W. Z. Pollard (D.), 
324; J. M. Fodge, 157; Simon Snow, 137; J. M. 
Zentbauer, 140. 18S1, W. Z. Pollard (D. ), 890; M. 
L. Vandewalker (R.), 493. 1SN3, W. Z. Pollard 
(D.), 1,100; W. W. VanMeter (R.), 673; W. K. 
Ream, 1. 1885, W. Z. Pollard (D.), 1,011; F. E. 



Valentine, 1.194; J. Kirk, 1. 1S87, W. W. Shen 
berger (R.), 1,167; W. Z. Pollard (D. ), 895; W. 
B. McCulIough, 3S: scattering. 3. 1889, W. H. 
Fall (D.), 1.30S; W. W. Shenberger (R.), 1.197; 
scattering, 2. 

County judge: 1875, W. L. Whittemore, 482; 
W. W. Hickox, 301 ; scattering. 5. 1877, W. L. 
Whittemore (R.), 455; S. Whitesides (G.), 182. 
1879, W. L. Stark (R.), 731; T. H. Glover (G.), 
308; R. Lamont (D.). 192; scattering, 4. 1881, 
W. K. Ream (A.), 717; J. H. Sauls (R.), 615; scat- 
tering, 15. 1883, W. K. Ream (A.), 923; J. H. 
Sauls (R.), S21 ; scattering 3. 1885, J. H. Lincoln 
(R.), 1,283; W. K. Ream (A.), 773; scattering, 2. 
1887, W. L. Stark (R.), 1.360; D. M. Waite (D. ), 
611; scattering, 42. 1889, W. L. Stark (R.), 
2,554; B. Hiatt, 1. 

Superintendent of schools: 1875, Delevan 
Bates, 873; scattering. 2. 1877, E. B. Barton 
(R.), 354; H. G. Cass(G.), 267; H. J. Cass, 9. 
1879, E. B. Barton (R.), 759; Sarah J. Price, (G.), 
368; W. K. Ream, 4. 1881, E. B. Barton (R.), 
(392; S. A. Holcomb (A.), 655. 1883, J. A. Kirk 
(A.), 867; E. B. Barton (R.), 841. 1N85, E. B. 
Barton (R.). 1,180; J. A. Kirk (A.), 1,01S; scatter- 
ing, 3. 18S7, E. B. Barton (R.), 1,185; Lou Armel 
(D.), 809; scattering, 28. 1889, M. F. Stanley 
(R.), 1,489; J. H. N. Cobb (D.), 1,073; G. Carter, 1. 

Surveyor: 1875, G. M. Hollenbach, 872. 1877, 
S. B. Parks (G. ), 427; G. M. Hollenbach (R. ). 
213; E. B. Barton, 1. 1879. D. B. Parks, 823; 
W. B. Hargus, 170; scattering, 5. 1881, G. M. 
Simpson,* 718; D. B. Parks, 647. 1883, D. B. 
Parks (A.), 933; M. M. Halleck (R.).847; scatter- 
ing, 3. 1885, M. M. Halleck (R.), 1.291; D. B. 
Parks (A.), 919; scattering, 2. 1887, D. B. Parks, 
1,974; Frank Wood, 52. 1889, D. B. Parks, 2,541 ; 
J. H. N. Cobb, 1. 

Coroner: 1875, Ira Westbrook, 874. 1877, 
James Duncanson (R. ), 381; Jacob Rathgeb (G. ), 
234; scattering, 25. 1879, F. H. Clark (R.), 765; 
Ira Westbrook (G.), 300; J. M. Champe (D.), 166. 
1881. J. W. Elarton (R.), 755; scattering, 40. 
1883, T. H. Line (R.), 881; J. W. Elarton (A.), 
877; scattering, 25. 1885, George A. Blakeley 

* FailiHl t(i qiiiilifv' ;in<l rominissionprs appointed P. H. Talks. 



:^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



739 



(3 



(R.), 1,315; D. S. Woodward (D.), 785; scattering, 
3. 1887, J. W. Elarton(R.), 1,:^*J5; W. F. Gooden, 
714; scattering, 31. 1889, *E. A Steenburg (R. ), 
1,499; A. M. Glover (D. ), 1,008; scattering, 34. 

The following is a roster of county officials from 
the organization of the county to the present time : 

Clerk district covirt: Josias D. Westcott, May 
20, 1870, to November 30, 1S71; John H. Helms, 
January 3, 1876, to January 3, 1N78; L. W. Shu- 
man, January 1, 1884; William P. Hellings, Jan- 
uary 1. 1888, to January 1, 1N92. 

County clerk: Josias D. Westcott, May '20, 1870, 
to November 30, 1873; William R. Mitchell, No- 
vember 30, 1873; John H. Helms, October 13, 1875; 
Thomas C. Klumb, January 3, 1878; W. L. Whit- 
temore, January 1, 1880; W. F. Feck, January 1, 
1S82, to January 1, 1886; Jame.s M. Laurie, Jan 
uary 1, 1886 (died, and R. H. Peard appointed); 
R. H. Peard, January 1, 1888, to January 1, 1892. 

Treasurer: Clarence O. Westcott, May 20, 1870, 
to November 30, 1873; James H. Faris, November 
30, 1873, to January 3, 1878; T. A. McKay, Jan 
uary 3, 1878, to January 1, 1882; J. H. Faris, 
January 1, 1882, to January 1. 1886; Harvey Cole, 
January 1, 1886, to January 1, 1890; Peter Far- 
ney, January 1, 1890, to January 1, 1892. 

.Sheriff: George F. Dickson, May 20, 1870, to 
November 30, 1873; J. M. Smith, November 30, 
1873, to October 13, 1875 (resigned, and E. D. 
Preston appointed); D. A. Scovill, October 13, 1875, 
to January 3, 1878; J. M. Fodge, January 3. 1878, 
to January 1, 1880; R. H. Peard, January 1, 1880. 
to January 1, 1882; W. Z. Pollard, January 1, 
1882, to January 1, 1886; F. E. Valentine, Jan- 
uary 1, 1886, to January 1, 1888; W. W. Shen- 
berger, January 1, 1888, to January 1, 1890; W. 
H. Fall, January 1. 1890, to January 1, 1892. 

Probate .judge: Robert Lamout, May 20, 1870, 
to November 30, 1871; S. M. Hunter, November 
30, 1871. to October 13, 1875; W. L. Whittemore. 
January 3, 1876, to January 1, 1880; W. L. Stark, 
January 1, 1880, to January 1, 1882; W. K. Ream, 
Jiinuary 1, 1882, to January 1, 1886; J. H. Lin- 
coln, January 1. 1886, to January 1, 1888; W. L. 
Stark, January 1, 1888, to January 1, 1892. 

* Failed to qualify and commissioners appointed J. W. Elaiton. 



<r| 



Superintendent of schools: John Laurie, Maj- 
20, 1870, to Noveml)er 30, 1871; Byron D. Brown, 
November 30, 1871, to November 30, 1873; J. T. 
Price, November 30, 1873, to October 13, 1875; 
Delevan Bates, November 3U, 1875, to January 2, 
1878; E. B. Barton, January 3, 1878, to January 
1, 1884; J. A. Kirk. January 1, 1884, to January 
I. 1886; E. B. Barton, January 1, 1886, to Jan 
uary 1, 1890; M. F. Stanley, January 1, 1890, to 
January 1, 1892. 

Surveyor: John E. Harris, May 20, 1870, to 
November 30, 1871; E. J. Lewis, November 30, 
1871, to November 30, 1873; W. H. Epla, Novem- 
ber 30, 1873, to October 13, 1875; George B. Hol- 
lenback, October 13, 1875, to January 3, 1878; D. 
B. Parks, January 3, 1878, to January 1, 1892. 

Coroner: James Rollo, May 20, 1870, to No- 
vember 30, 1871 ; Alex Salmon, November 30, 1871 , 
to November 30, 1873; J. L. Trobee, November 
30, 1873, to October 13, 1875; Ira Westbrook, No- 
vember 1, 1875, to January Sf, 1878; James Dun- 
canson, January 3, 1878, to January 1, 1880; F. 
H. Clark, January 1, 1880, to January 1, 1882; J. 
W. Elarton, January 1, 1882, to January 1, 1884; 
T. H. Line, January I, 1884, to January 1, 1886; 
George A. Blakely, January 1, 1886, to January 1, 
1888; J. W. Elarton, January I, 1888, to January 
1, 1892. 

County commissioners: William D. Young, 
May 30, 1870, to May 30, 1871; Norris M. Bray, 
May 30, 1870, to November 30, 1871; Alex Laurie. 
May 30, 1870, to November 30, 1870; J. F. Glover. 
November 30, 1871, to November 30, 1872; Nori-is 
M. Bray, November 30, 1871, to November 30, 
1874; William Werth, November 30, 1S71, to No- 
vember 30, 1874; P. C. Housel, November 30, 
1873, to October 13, 1875; B. F. Isaman, Novem- 
ber 30, 1874, to January 3, 187.S; Edward Nugent, 
November 30, 1873, to October 13, 1876; William 
Steele, October 13, 1875, to January 3, 1879; Ed- 
ward Nugent, October 13, 1876, to January 1, 
1880 (resigned, and J. Foster appointed); A. V. B. 
Peck, January 3, 1878, to January 1, 1S81 (re 
signed, and S. H. Fry appointed); Jonathan Foster, 
January 1, 1880, to January 1, 1881 ; George Lieb- 
hart, January 1, 1880, to January 1, 18S3; E. 



"^^ 



:i^ 



<40 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Hilling, January I. 1S79, to January 1, 18S2; 
George \V. Pierce, January 1, ISMl, to January 1, 
1884(resigned, and J. F. Adams appointed) ; Joseph 
Stockham. January 1. ISS'2. to January I, ISSS; S. 
N. Case, January 1, 1884, to January 1, 1N,S7; John 
Martel. January 1, 1883, to January 1, 1S89; E. 
Huling, January 1, 1885, to January 1. 1891; F. 
C. Putnam, January 1, 1887, to -January 1, 1890; 
B. F. Isaman, January 1, 1 890, to January 1, 1893; 

0, D. Shankland, January 1, 1889, to January 1, 
1892. 

County attorney: H. M. Kellogg, January 1, 
1SS7, to January I, 1SS9; J. H. Smith, January 

1, 1889, to January 1, 1891 (resigned, and J. A. 
Whitmore appointed). 

State Senator: N. K. Griggs, October 1 3, 1873, 
to October 13, 1876; William M. Knapp, January 

2, 1877, to January 2, 1879; D. A. Scovill, Jan- 
uary 2, 1879, to January 1. 18S1; Martin Burns, 
January 1, 1881, to January 1, 1883; T. O. C. 



Harrison, January 1, 1883, to January 1, 1885; 
F. C. Putnam, January 1, 1885, to January 1, 
1887; S. N. Wolbach, January 1, 1887, to Jan- 
uary 1. 1889; L. G. Hard, January 1, 1889, to 
January 1. 1891. 

Representatives: I. E. Cramer, 1873-74; Albi- 
nus Nance, October 13, 1874, to October 13, 1876; 
T. B. Johnson, January 2, 1877, to January 2. 
1879; R. W. Graybill, January 2, 1879, to Jan- 
uary 1, 1881; J. H. Helms, January 1, 1881, to 
January 1, 1883; T. B. Johnson, January 1, 1881, 
to January 1, 1883; Joshua Cox, January 1, 1883, to 
January 1, 1887; A. J. Spanogle, January 1, 18S3, 
to January I, 1885; George Liebhart, January 1, 
1885, to January 1, 1887; A. W. Agee, January 1, 
1887, to January 1, 1889; Albert E. Wilsey, Jan 
uary 1, 1887, to January 1, 1889; D. A. Scovill, 
January 1, 1889, to January 1, 1891; John J. 
Farley, from January 1, 1889, to January 1, 
1891. 




(9 r- 



-'» a) 



-J 2- 



^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



741 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



^ m ' 



.lolIKNAMSM AND JOIJUNALIKTS— FiRKT EfKOlU'S — NkwrPAPEMS IN HAMILTON COIJNTV— STYLE OF I'UBI.ICATION- 

Pekiodicai.s — Pkksknt Newsi'ai'ek Men— Office EciUii'MENTS— Affaiiis of Militaky Imi'Oii'i'akce— 
Historical Sketch— G. A. K. Posts-Veteranb— Societies— Aokicultukal Akbocia- 
TI0N8— Grange— First Fair— Fakmeks' Alliance— Hamilton County Med- 
ical Society- Scholastic Afpaiks- Organization of School 
Districts— First School — Grades, Etc. — Soperin 
tendent's Report of 1889. 



" Tilings done well, 
And with a care, exempt themselves from fear." 




Its' 
% 



ANY ventures have 

been made od the 

field of journaHsm in 
3S 

this county, but only 

a very few have been 
successful. 

In the spring of 
M. Sechler began the 
publication of a newspaper, called 
the Hamiltouian, at Orville. The 
j}aper was uon-political, being 
devoted to "booming" the new 
county. It was published in 
the county clerk's office in the 
court-house — the building now 
occupied by Mrs. Rudd as a resi- 
dence. The paper was issued for 
about three months and was then moved to Sutton, 
Clay County. The second paper started in the 
county was the Aurora Repuh)lican, owned by F. 
M. Ellsworth and Thomas Daraall, but edited by 
Mr. Fox. .Soon after D. T. Sherman bought Mr. 
Darnall's interest and took personal charge of the. 
paper. In 1874 Mr. L. W. Hastings, the present 




editor and proprietor, bought the interest of F. M. 
Ellsworth, taking personal charge of the paper in 
1876, and in 1878 buying out the entire plant, 
since which time he has been the sole owner and 
editor. In 1879 he erected a fine two-story and 
basement brick building on the south side of the 
square, the first floor and basement being occupied 
as stores and offices, and the second floor being 
devoted to editorial and ]>ublishing rooms. The 
office is well equipped with steam power and beat- 
ing apparatus, and all the machinery, presses and 
appliances of a first-class newspaper and job 
printing office. The paper has always been Re- 
publican in politics. 

The Hamilton County News was established in 
July, 1873, by George W. Bailey and E. J. Lewis 
at Orville. They were succeeded by Bailey & 
Hickox, who moved the plant to Hamilton in the 
spring of 1874, where it was edited by Mr. Bailey 
until the fall of 1875, when it suspended. In 
March, 1876, Mr. C. P. Whitesides revived it, con- 
ducting it till August, 1877, when Mr. Bailey 
again became interested in the enterprise, and he 
and Mr. Whitesides conducted it until August, 



9 ^W^ 



I'l 



HISTOBY OF NEBKASlv^V. 



1S7S. Mr. Btiiloy thou booame the solo owuor ami 
movod the ottico to Aurora in the winter of 1878- 
7!>, whoro ho continued its iniMioatioii till August. 
ISSJ. when ho sold it to \V. U. KatolitT, under 
whoso nuiim^ouiont it remained until August. 
lSSr>, at whieh date William P. Hellinf;;s and lotV 
Stone heoamo its projirietors. 

I'p to this date the politics of the paper lia>l 
boon anti-Hepnblican. supportintj the various com- 
binations of the Greenback, anti Monopoly and 
Democratic parties, in their efforts to defeat the 
Kepublicnn party. Vpon its change of ownership 
in lSSr> it underwent a radical change in politics. 
Mr. Hellings becoming the editor and converting 
it into a straight-out red-hot Republican journal. 
During the short period in which it remained un- 
der this managemout it was one of the best county 
papei-s ever published west of the Missouri Kiver, 
being of a high literary character and pure in tone 
and expression. In June. 1SS6, Mr. Hellings 
became the sole owner, and continued as such 
until August. 188(5. when he sold the outfit to 
\V. T. Hastings, who published it for al>out a 
year and then sold to L. W. Hastings, when it 
became merged in the Republican. 

The next venture ou the attractive, l>ut luicer 
tain soa. was in 1877 by J. \V. Shepherd, who 
published the Aurora Telegraph, a Republican 
paper, for about a year, and was suct-eeded by 
Shephenl & Fritz iu 1878. A few months later 
the outfit was sold to parties in Harvard. Clay 
County. The Aurora Weekly Journal, another 
Republican paper edited by Agee & Callegan. at 
aK'ut the same time as the Telegraph, or prob- 
ably a little earlier, had an ephemera' existence — 
tivo or six months — and suffered the fate of the 
Hamiltonian and Telegraph. 

I'ho Western Nebraska Land Register was the 
name of a tive-columu folio, issuetl quarterly in 
ISS'J S8. by William P. Hellings. It was de 
votetl to the interests of immigration and advertis- 
ing the county, and had a free circulation of 5.1KX^ 
copies. 

The Hampton Herald was starteil in the town 
of Hampton iu 1884 l-y H. L. Helleu. He was 
suweeiletl at his de;»th in 1885 bv Mii?. Helleu 



and her sister. Miss Smith, who continued its pub- 
lication for about a year, when they sold it to 
AVhitmore iV Addis. After four months' experience 
in the newspaper business Mr. Whitmore retired, 
and Mr. Addis conducted it alone for about a year. 
when it oxinrod. Politics, Republican. 

The Marquette Independent was published at 
Marquette in 1884-85 by Dr. T. H. Line, but 
discontinued after a brief existence. The Stock- 
ham Reporter was established at Stockham in 
August. 1888. by T. P. Corrick. It is Republican 
in politics. The present editor is J. S. Louns- 
bury. 

The Hampton Independent, published at Hamp 
ton during the fall of ISSU, was devoted to the 
independent candidate for county treasurer. 

The Hamilton County Leader, edited at Mar 
quette in 188Vt by ilr. Barngrovor. and the Broui- 
tield News, published at Bromtield iu 1888-89, 
had a small local circulation, but have departed 
to seek a more appreciative public. 

Among the men who have contributed most 
largely to the advancement of journalism and who. 
through that medium, have exerted the greatest in- 
fluence iu moulding public opinion iu the county. , 
George W. Bailey. L. W. Hastings, William P. 
Hellings and E. \V. Hurlbut occupy a front 
rank. Mr. Bailey is now and has been for several 
vears engaged in farming in Hitchcock County, 
this State; Mr. Hellings occupies the jK>sition of 
clerk of the district court in this county, while 
Me.ssrs. Hastings and Hurlbut continue to ply the 
editorial shears, the former as chief of the Aurora 
Republican, and the latter of the Aurora Sun. 

The county having been settles! soon after the 
close of the Rebellion a very large percentage of 
the early settlers were old soldiers. 

Six G. A. R. posts have been organized in the 
county: Zach Chandler Post Ne. 44. at Aurora, 
April U>. 1880; Baldwin Post No. Vu. at St. Joe, 
August 21, 1883; Putnam Post No. 142, at Mar- 
quette, March 12. 1883; Star Post No. 71. at Brom 
field. August 6. ISSl; Griffin Post No. 87. at 
SttH-kham. March 2Vl. 1882. and Stephen A. Hnl- 
burt Post No. 93. at Hampton. May 8. 1882. The 
great crowd which annually convenes at Aurora on 



^' 



■"•fV 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



743 



Memorial Day attushs with what profound respect 
tbe memory of the falhui lit>roes is rojrarded, not 
alone hj' the old soldier, l)ut by the entire eom- 
muuity. Followinj^ is a list of th(> veterans of the 
Mexican, Black Hawk and (Jivil Wais: 



Benj. Abbott, 6th Cal. Inf. 
Chas. Wiles. 1st Colo. Cav. 
S. R. Lounsbiiry, 19tli Conn. 

Inf. 
Ira H. Wildnian, 1st la. (lav. 
C. H. Kimball, l.st la. Inf. 
James Madison, 2d la. Cav. 
Samuel Reyner. 2d la. Inf. 
C. H. Evan's. 2d la. Inf. 
.lolin Z. Williams, 'id la. Inf. 
.John W. Hobbs, M In. Cav. 
Alex Coleman, 3d la. Cav. 
G. W. Grosvenor, 3d la. Cav. 
Ale.x Rodgers, 4th la. Cav. 
J. F. Houseman, 4th la. Cav. 
Chas. M. .Jewett. 4th la. Cav. 
Geo. L. Levee. 4th la. ('av. 
S. E. IBebb, 4th la. Cav. 
L. A. Franklin, ruh la. Cav. 
John R. Pritclmrd. 6th la. 

Cav. 
L W. Hastings, 6th la. Inf. 

A. J. Hickman, 7th la. Inf. 
J. T. Spellman. mh la. Inf. 
J. W. Elarton. mth la. Inf. 
Lafayette Isaman, 14lh la. 

Inf. 

B. F. Isaman. 14th la. Inf. 
W. W. Trobee, l4th la. Inf. 
Henry Vancleave, 15th la. 

Inf. 
S. B. Youst. ISth la. Inf. 
Geo. Crumrine. Kith la. Inf. 
J. M. Hewitt. l!»th la. Cav. 
Martin Smith. 2Ist la. Cav. 
E. W. Meyers. 2'>d la. Inf. 
John J. Green, 2.5th la. Inf. 
J. M. Lowder. 30th la. Int. 
Gilbert Yeoman, 30th la. 

Inf. 
Christ Welliver, 31st la. Inf. 
Wm. Campbell, 31st la. Inf. 
Henry Woods, 34th la. Inf. 
James Moore. 34th la. Inf. 
Marvin Mitchell, 34th la. 

Inf. 
L. M. Hunt, 34th la. Inf. 
Wm. M. Boyer, 36th la. Inf. 
H. W. Hickman. 36th la Inf. 
Stephen Wilcox, 40th la. Inf. 
Amos Curtus. 4.")th la. Inf. 
E. E. Bird, 4.">th la. Inf. 
A. J. McConaughev, 4.")th la. 

Inf. 
Jas. Hunnel, 46th la. Inf. 
E. W. Myers, 47th la. Inf. 
Geo. D. Wright. 47th la. Inf. 
J. A. Foster, 47th la. Inf; 
J. F. Grafe, 48th la Inf. 
S.W.Holmes, 100th la. V.V. 
John Jones. 4th Ind. Bat. 
Thos. D. Case, 6th Ind. Cav. 
J. W. Skelton. 7th Ind Cav. 



J. J. Douglas, Hth hid Inf. 
O. I). Shankland. lOtli Ind 

Inf. 
Wm. Childer, lOth Ind. Inf. 
Frankllilligas, lllhlnd Inf. 
Chas. E. Ferris, lllh Ind, 

Bat. 
E J. Weatherly, lltli Ind. 

Inf. 
Landy D. Walker, 1.5th Ind. 

Inf. 
Jan\es Bush, I.Tth Ind. Bat. 
Wm. M. Thoma.s. I61I1 Ind. 

Inf. 
John Tweedy, IStlilnd. Inf. 
T. J.IIummelright,20lh Ind. 

Inf 
Samuel T. Matlock, 29th 

Ind. Inf. 
Wm. Lakin, 38th Ind. Inf. 
Lemiali Shaw, ."i.^tli Ind. Inf. 
Daniel Dunn. 61st Ind. Int. 
Alex N. Thomas, 73d Ind. 

Inf. 
R. W. Graham, 73d Ind. Inf. 
Dan Dangler, BOth Ind. Inf. 
W. C. Neihardt, 87th Ind. 
Wm. Rarnett, s'lth Ind, Inf. 
('hris Slagerman. idsl Ind. 

Inf. 
Andrew Bush. !l7th Ind. Inf. 
Jas. Hilligaa, !l7th Ind. luf. 
Alex Pightmaster, 115th Ind. 

Inf. 
J. E. Danhaner, 115th Ind. 

Inf. 
Chas.K. Eastman, 120th Ind. 

Inf. 
Wm. F. Gooden, 142d Ind. 

luf. 
Jos. Wilcoxen, 147th Ind. 

Inf 
("urry Ocker. 141st Ind, Inf. 
Geo. Marvell, 2d i;i. Cav. 
Sara E. Stillson,4thIll. Cav. 
John Wilson, .")th 111. Inf. 
J. A. Ruby. 7th 111. Cav. 
M. W. James, 7th III. Cav. 
C. A. Coats. 18th 111. Cav. 
Richaid Miller. !»th 111. Cav. 
Jas. Kirkpatrick,9th III. Cav. 
J. M.Champe. loth 111. Cav. 
Jas A. Woods. lOlh 111. Cav. 
W. G. Kobbins.lOthlll. Cav. 
Harden E. Skaggs, 12th III. 

Cav. 
N. F. Lane. 13th III. Inf. 
Chas. Pelen, Sr.. 13th III. 

Inf. 
J. II Wilkins, 14th III. Inf. 
Geo. Liebhart, 22d III. Inf. 
Robert Gray, 26th III. Inf. 
Daniel Fye, 26th 111. Inf. 



Micheal Liebhart, 2filh III. 

Inf. 
K. H. Gillmore. 3«th 111. Inf. 

F. M. Barnes. 37th 111. V: V. 

G. W. L<mg, 37th III. Inf. 
J. A. Cavett, 38th 111. Inf. 
Chas. H. Dunlap, 43d 111. 

Inf. 
L. M. Reber, 46tli III. Inf. 
D A. Scovill. 4«tli 111. Inf 
Wm. ThoniMH. Hith 111, Inf. 
(). \'. Duncan. 46ih 111. Inf, 
Samuel Grisby, 46th III. Inf. 
T. J. Fiss, 46lh 111, Inf. 
W. Henderson, 56th 111. Inf. 
Uriah Hend(!rson, I61I1 111. 

Inf. 
G. W, Moore, 16111 111, Inf. 
A. V. B. Peck. 46th III. Inf. 
John W. Evans, 48th 111. Inf. 
J. Foster. 4!)th 111, Inf. 
J. W. Deehart, 60th III, Inf. 
D. M. Zook,57tli 111, Inf, 
J. E. McBridc, 57th 111 Inf. 
M, W. Foster, 61st III. Inf. 
John Youngqnist, 61th III. 

Sharp Shooters. 
I. N.Jones. 64th 111. Inf. 
J. O. Jones. 65th 111, Inf. 
W. S. Williamson, 65th 111 

Inf. 
J. B.VanDnsen,67th 111. Inf, 

D, F. Fye. 67ih 111. Inf. 
Thomas Smith. 69lh 111. Inf. 
S. A. Purdy, 71sl 111. Inf, 

G. W. Bennett. 72d III, Inf. 
.lason Lyon, 73(1 III, Inf, 
M, J. Peter.son, 7llli III. Inf, 
J. Hockenliiiry. 77th 111. Inf. 
W. B. Hulen.Hlth 111. Inf. 
J. M.Smith, With 111. Inf. 

E. Barrick, 92d III. Inf. 
I. Kinkaid. 93d III. Inf. 
A. Strauss, y9ih 111. Inf. 

J. W. Woods. 99lh III. Inf. 
Geo, Western. 100th 111, Inf. 
G. Howe, 101st 111 Inf. 
G. H. Mills. 102(1 111. Inf. 
C. Short, lOlth 111. Inf. 
E. Nugent. I07th 111, Inf, 
Joel Cox, 112th III. Inf. 
H. F.Williamson, 112th III. 

Inf. 
J. W. Swearingen, 113tli 111. 

Inf. 
W. Gardner, 116tli 111. Inf. 

A. A.Woolsey, l25Mi 111, Inf. 
L. Taulbee, 126th 111. Inf. 
J.W.Carriker, I2(itli 111, Inf. 
J. D. Sides, 126th III, Inf, 
J. Williams. 126lh III, Inf, 
J.H.Sauls, 133d III. Inf 

B. F. Turner, 133d 111. Inf. 
J.C.Perry. 138lh III. Inf. 

B. C. Watson, 13«th III. Inf. 
J. D. Fye. 142d III. Inf. 
H. Misner. 142d III. Inf, 
J.H. Flanagan. 146th 111. Inf. 
A. Baartz. 146th III. Inf. 
A.Wilsev, 147th III. Inf. 
J.E.Danhauer, 150th 111. Inf. 



W. H. Pinnell. 1.50th III, Inf 
Peter Shaffer. 1.53d 111, Inf. 
H. G. Dawley. I5llh III Inf. 
J.C. MeConl. 6th Kas.Inf, 
G. Latham. 19th Kas Cav. 

D. A. Iliatt. 19th Ky. Inf. 
G.W. Hiatl, llallsGaii(Ky.) 

Battery. 
R. A. Ingalls, 2d Minn. 
Elias Farr, 4th Minn. Inf. 
.1. Pratt. Ilatehes (Miini.) 

Bat. Cav. 
T. B. Johnson, lltli Mo. Inf 
Mechoir Dunki.40th Mo. Inf, 
A. Lewis, 4tli Mich, Inf. 
W. Saylcs, 6th Mich. Cav. 

E. E. Smith, 61 h Mich. Inf. 

also 9th Cav. 
T. A. McKay, 12th Mich. 

Inf. 
C.V. 8tewart,13tli Mich. Inf. 
E. G. Lovdon, 13tli Mich. 

Inf. 
H. Jennings, 20th Mich. Inf. 
C. P. Brigham, 4th N. H. 

Inf. 
J. N. Kimbidl, nth N. H, 

Inf. 
J. Vosburg, 1st N.\'. Inf. 
John Davis, 5th N. V. Inf. 
James Fuller, 10th N.V. II. 

Art. 
II. P. Hiscock, 12th N. Y. 

Inf. 
G. W. Ansley. 26th N. Y. 

Bnttery. 
L. I). Ellsworth, 9Hth Lin- 
coln (N.^'.) Cav. 
L. P. Beeman, 137th N. Y. 

Inf. 

C. Lancaster, 144th N.Y.Inf. 
G. Lehman, 148th N.V. Inf. 
S. D. Pierce, 154th N. Y. 

Inf. 
H. O. Failing, 160th N. Y. 
Inf. 

D. M. White, 161st N. Y. 
Inf. 

D C. Streeter, N. Y. Bal. 
A Toland.lst Ohio V..H.A. 
.1. .Scanlon. 2d Ohio i'av. 
W, .Miller, Hth Ohio Inf. 
J. .N. Cassell. 20th Ohio Inf, 

E. Forsyth, 31>t Ohio Inf 
J. Stockham, 33d Ohio Inf. 
G.W.Cain. 36th Ohio Inf. 
A. W. Potts, 56th Ohio Inf. 
G. W. Putnam. 48th Ohio 

Inf. 
M. M. Scolt. 6Sth Ohio Inf. 
C. McKibben, 75th Ohio Inf. 
T. W. Mendenhall, 75th Ohio 

Inf, 
G. W. Quigley, 7th and I3lh 

Ohio Inf. 
J. McCarty. «2d Ohio Inf. 
H. J.Williv. 901I1 Ohio Inf 
P. Willis, 90th Ohio Inf. 
\ J. W. Albright, 97tli Ohio 
1 Inf. 
E. B. Barton, 98lh Ohio Inf. 



-^ • 



JU 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



.1. C. Jeffers. 100th Ohio Inf. 
A. Wellman.Httth Ohio Inf. 
A. TiiiniT. IlStli Ohio Inf. 
M. Hiiwkins. I'Jlsl Ohiolnf. 
.1. F.Olovcr, rJlst Ohio Inf. 
H. iMav. 1 Ust Ohio Inf. 
J. I). Sliiv. Ul.st Oliio Inf. 

C. E. {^low, l-tsih N.G.Ohio 

Vol. 
({. A. Dickson. 39th Ohio 

Inf. 
K. Muling. I(i4th Ohio Inf. 
.1, Duncanson, ITStli Ohio 

Inf. 
E. Decker, 183(1 Ohio Inf. 
S. B. Gebhart. 184th Ohio 

Inf. 
Uriah Fink. 1st Penn. Cav. 
E. Dannds, f)tli I'cnn. Inf. 

D. U. Noble, 11th I'enn.t'av. 
.1. A. Marks, 13th Penn. Re- 

serves. 
.1. Pelen.Sr.. 14th Penu. Inf. 
J. A. Wagner, 19th Penn. 

Cav. 
W. W. Shenberger, 30th 

Penn. Cav. 
J. Ewalt, 37th Penn. Inf. 

D. T. Evans,4;th Penn. Inf. 
A. Wert, .51st Penn. Inf. 

J. Hutsel. filst Penn. Inf. 
U. Miller. OSd Penn. Inf. 
\V. Clark. 78th Penn. Inf. 
H. Stewait, 83il Penn. Inf. 
P. Batman. 84th Penn. Inf. 

anil 1st Vet. Res. 
J. McClay. 99th Penn. Inf. 
W. Town.sley. lOlst Penn. 

Inf. 
.1. Piukerlon, 10.")lh Penn. 

Cav. 
J. R. llurfonl, 13(ltli Penn. 

Inf. 
.1. L. Hillianl. 131st Penn. 

Inf. 
.1. Fye. 14Tth I'enn. Inf. 
.]. Harler, 184th Penn. Inf. 
T. Townsley, Knapp's Ind't 

(Penn.j'Baltery. 
G. W. Thomas, 8th Tenn. 

Cav. 

E. E. Bellany, 4th Vt. 

F. II, Clark. i»th Vl. Vol. 



W.H. Streeter, 1st Wis.Cav. 
F. C. Putnam, 1st Wis. Inf. 
W. F. Keller, Isl Wis. Cav. 
.loseph Land, 3d Wis. Inf. 
.1. Land, 3d Wis. Inf. 

E. P. Fields, fith Wis.Inf. 
T, Howard, 6th Wis. Inf 
Lalian Ames. 8th Wis Inf. 
H.T. Melvin, lllh Wis. Inf. 

F. L. Munn, 11th and 40th 

Wis. Inf. 
C. Fenster, 13lh Wis. Inf. 
J. Rollo, 13th Wis. Inf. 
C. W. Eckerson. 16th Wis. 

Inf. 
C. B. Condon, 18th Wis.Inf. 
J. Garber. 18th Wis. Inf. 
N. McBray, 18th Wis. Inf, 
F.D.Smith, 18th Wis. Inf. 
E. Hileman, 18th Wis.Inf. 
W. Chesholm, 30th Wis.Inf. 

G. H.Washburn, 33th Wis. 
T. Owens, 31st Wis Inf. 

J Anderson, 31st Wis.Inf. 
J. N. Brock, 33d Wis.Inf. 
C. Wright, 33d Wis. Inf. 
Frank Gion,3,5tli Wis.Inf. 
E, D. Preston. 3{)lh Wis.Inf. 
W. Petzke, 3Tlli Wis. Inf. 
A. Dresback, 43d Wis. Inf. 

C. R. Walker, 43d Wis. Inf. 

D. D. Snyder, 43d Wis, Inf, 
J. Chaffee, 46th Wis, Inf. 
T. C. Klumb, 46lh Wis. luf. 
H. J. Payne, 49th Wis. Inf. 
A. Shraiier, Wis. H. Art. 
J. Pierce, 1st W. Va. Inf. 
L. C. Floyd, 13th W. Va. 

Inf. 
S. B. Pugb, 17lh W. Va. 

NOT UESKiNATED. 

J. Isaacs.llth Pioneer Brig. 

A. Reuber, ISth Reg. Inf. 

W. P. Sweatlank. 

D. Bates. U. S. Vol. 

L. Bristol. 

Russel Bristol. 

Geo. Salter. 

.1, D. Strong. 

Ale.x AVilson. 

O. P. Jamison. 

Jacob Barrick. 



TLo first secret society organized in the county 
was Hamilton Cxrauge, at Aurora, on July 2M, 1878, 
with C. P. Dick, master; JohuTweedy, J. C. Rat 
cliff. H. \V. King, P. C. Culver. Rev. William 
Biggart, J. H. Faris, W. A. Epla, William Strain, 
Mrs. T. W. Pierce, Mrs. Amanda Hagerman, Miss 
Maggie E. Faris and Miss Susan J. CJulver. as 
members. It continued in existence through the 
" grasshojjper years," but in 1876 the members 
ceased to take an interest in it, and it was disbanded. 

The first attempt made to organize an agricult- 



ural society in the county was in the fall of 1S71, 
in the store of David Stone at Aurora. Prelimin 
ary steps were taken at this date, but the organiza- 
tion was perfected at Orville City July 3, 1872. 
Joseph Cllover was elected president; James Rollo, 
vice-president; George F. Dickson, secretary; E. 
J. Lewis, assistant secretary; John Laurie, treas- 
urer. 

The first fair was held in October, 1872, on the 
the public square at Orville City. The court- 
house was used as a floral hall, and for the display 
of the different exhibits, and the prairie as a race- 
course. Among the attractions of this first meet- 
ing was a bareback equestrian race, in which the 
young ladies of the county participated, and Miss 
Nellie Henderson won the race and preniium. An 
annual fair has been held since the organization of 
the society, but no grounds were laid out until 
1871). 

During that year the present fair grounds, 
comi>rising a tract of forty acres, situated on the 
northeast (juarter of the northwest qtiarter of See 
tiou U, Town 10, Range 6, were purchased and a 
half-mile track laid. 

The buildings include a substantial frame 
dwelling, two exhibition halls, grand stand erected 
in 1889, and amj^le stable accommodations for 
stock. The standing of tlie society will rank well 
with those of adjoining counties. The property 
of the society represents a vahie of |1 '2,000 to 
115,000. Following are the names of the presi- 
dents and secretaries from 1878 to the present 
time: 

In 1878, president, J. H. Bell, secretary, H, G. 
Cass; 1879, president, J. H. Faris, secretary, F. 
M. Timblin; 1880, president, J. H. Faris, secre- 
tary, W. D. Pemberton; 1881, president, J. H. 
Faris, secretary, J. N. Cassell; 188'2, president, 
W. A. Johnson, secretary. E. S. Phelps; 1883, 
president, W, A. Johnson, secretary, E. S. Phelps; 
1884, president, George Wildish, secretary, Har- 
vey Cole; 1885, president, George Wildish, seere- 
tiiry, Harvey Cole; 1886, president, T. A. McKay, 
secretary, Harvey Cole; 1887, president, T. A. 
McKay, secretary, D. A. Scovill: 1888, president, 
J. H. Faris, secretary, D. A. Scovill; 1889, pres- 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



745 



J. 



ident, T. A. McKay, secretary, R. H. Peard; 
1890. president, T. A. McKay, secretary, D. A. 
Scovill. 

In the fall of 1888, L. C. Floyd organized an 
"Alliance" in the southwest part of the county, 
subordinate to the Nebraska State Farmers' Alii 
ance. The movement became very popular and by 
the middle of 1889. eighteen subordinate Alliances 
had been organized throughout the county by that 
gentleman. He then appointed W. H. Fall and 
James A. Wilson as "deputy organizers." There 
are now a total of some thirty organizations of this 
society in the county, with a total membership of 
about 1,000, and applications are now on file for 
the organization of four additional Alliances. One 
of the objects of the association is the establish- 
ment of business organizations for the purpose of 
securing better prices for farm products. Any 
person, male or female, over the age of sixteen, 
engaged in farming or farm labor, and country 
mechanics, doctors and preachers are eligible to 
membership. 

In June, 1889, a County Alliance was organ- 
ized at Aurora, which meets the second Saturday 
of each month, subordinate Alliances holding their 
meetings once each week. 

The County Alliance is composed of delegates 
fi'om the subordinate Alliances, each being entitled 
to one delegate for every ten members. The pres- 
ent officers of the County Alliance are: Valentine 
Horn, president (Mr. Horn is also vice-president 
of the State Alliance); L. Fye, vice-president; H. 
M. Severy, secretary. 

Four business associations have been organized 
in the county, at Phillips, Bromtield, Aurora and 
Hampton, and are engaged in buying and selling 
grain, coal, flour, etc. 

A valuable and pleasing feature was introduced 
last year by James A. Wilson, depiity organizer. 
The deputy is entitled to receive 13 for expenses 
and compensation from each Alliance which he or- 
ganizes. Mr. Wilson donates this fee to the so- 
ciety for the purchase of books, to form the nucleus 
of a library, the Alliance donating $5 or more, ac- 
cording to membership, for the same purpose. 
Members of the organization are permitted the use 

47 



of the books, by paying a trifling amount, merely 
sufficient to make up for "wear and tear." 

The organization is the most important ever 
effected in the county, and if dissensions are only 
avoided in its own ranks, can undoubtedly lie made 
the means of accomplishing much good for the 
farmers, and may become an important element in 
politics. 

In this connection it may not be out of place 
to present statistical reference to the valuation of 
Hamilton County, as indicating something of its 
agricultural and commercial importance as com- 
pared with other sister counties. 

The assessed real estate valuation of the cities 
and towns of the county for the year 1889, was as 
follows : 

Stockham, improved lots 60, value 12,433; 
unimproved 167, value 11,402. Huntington, im- 
proved lots 43, value §2,940; unimproved 147, 
value $1,720. Aurora, improved lots 835, value 
§113,502; unimproved 686, value $14,948. Hamp- 
ton, improved lots 270, value $14,575. Thomas' 
Subdivision, improved lots 21, value $813. Phil- 
lips, improved lots 337, value $7,043. Marquette, 
improved lots 54, value $7,870; unimproved 114, 
value $2,656. Total number of improved lots 
1,620, value $150,176; total unimproved 1,114, 
value $20,726. 

The valuation by precincts appears as below. 

Farmers' Valley Precinct, number of acres im- 
proved 13,962, value $41,849: number unimproved 
8,010, value $18,693; number fruit trees 4,534; 
number forest trees 94,650; number grapevines 
1,078. 

Orville Precinct, number of acres improved 
17,085, value $51,072; number unimproved 4,130, 
value $10,048; number fruit trees 4,752; number 
forest trees 262,800; number grapevines 510. 

Union Precinct, number of acres improved 
20,868, value $59,245; number unimproved 1,124, 
value $2,813; number fruit trees 5,471; number 
forest trees 288,570; number grapevines 1,269. 

Scoville Precinct, number of acres improved 
14,885, value 143,365.50; number unimproved 
6,794, value $17,235; number fruit trees 455; 
forest trees 195,220; grapevines 460. 




746 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Hl 



Deepwell Precinct, number of acres improved 
1(),520, value $50, '235; number unimproved 4,607, 
value $9,726; number fruit trees 8,417; number 
forest trees 136,555; number grapevines 2,297. 

Hamilton Precinct, number of acres improved 
18,950, value $60,040; number unimproved 2,190, 
value $4,695; number fruit trees 7,240; number 
forest trees 229,280; number grapevines 1,462. 

Aurora Precinct, number of acres improved 
21,367, value $82,580; number unimproved 237, 
value $4,103; number fruit trees 8,080; number 
grapevines 1,259. 

Beaver Precinct, number of acres improved 
17,006, value $54,024; number unimproved 5,160, 
value $12,705; number fruit trees 3, 1 55 ; number 
forest trees 77,240: number grapevines 785. 

Valley Precinct, numlier of acres improved 
13,026, value $43,485; number unimproved 8,519, 
value $23,640; number fruit trees 5,283; number 
forest trees 480,700; number grapevines 2,577. 

Grant Precinct, number of acres improved 
17,800, value $60,015; number unimproved 3,307, 
value $7,673; number fruit trees 8,314; number 
forest trees 402,575; number grapevines 16,760. 

Monroe Precinct, number of acres improved 
15,984, value $46,740; number unimproved 8,698, 
value $20,480; number fruit trees 6,670; number 
forest trees 203,250; number grapevines 1,200. 

Phillips Precinct, number of acres improved 
18,677, value $44,306; number unimproved 1,371, 
value $2,046; number fruit trees 1,518; number 
forest trees 77,550; number grapevines 325. 

South Platte Precinct, number of acres im- 
proved 12,616, value $43,981; number unim- 
proved 7,438, value $14,128; number fruit trees 
3,572; number forest trees 39,500; number grape- 
vines 232. 

Otis Precinct, number of acres improved 18,- 
451, value $60,561; number unimproved 3,385, 
value $6,424; number fruit trees 4,742; number 
forest trees 133,575; number grapevines 1,540. 

Bluff Precinct, number of acres improved 11,- 
339, value $32,477; number unimproved 5,827, 
value $11,163; number fruit trees 4,018; number 
forest trees 114,200; number grapevines 568. 

Cedar Valley Precinct, number of acres im- 



proved 1,340, value $4,980; number unimproved 
3,310, value $5,905; number fruit trees 358; num- 
ber forest trees 9,100; number grapevines 102. 

Total number of acres improved 249,876, 
value $778,955. 50; total number unimproved 74,- 
107, value $171,477; total number fruit trees, 
76,579; total number forest trees, 2,744,566; total 
number grapevines, 32,424. 

Total number of acres cultivated in rye, 98; 
wheat, 3,597; corn, 101,749; oats, 52,789; barley, 
1,728; meadow, 22,536; flax, 9,780; millet, 132; 
buckwheat, 33. 

The assessed valuation of personal property in 
Hamilton County for the year 1889, was as follows: 

Farmers' Valley Precinct, number of horses 
622, vahie $11,195; number of cattle 2,143, value 
$11,720; number of mules and asses 24, value 
$545; number of sheep 14, value $15; number of 
hogs 1,378, value $1,755; merchandise, $240; 
agricultural tools, $1,985; household and office 
furniture, $630; other property required to be 
listed, $3,060; total, $31,145. 

Orville Precinct, number of horses 723, value 
$12,312; number of cattle 2,594, value $14,950; 
number of mules and asses 53, value $1,018; num 
ber of sheep 506, value $303; number of hogs 
1,514, value $1,544; merchandise, $5,085; agricul- 
tural tools, $1,032; money of banks. $2,625; house- 
hold and office furniture, $670; other property 
required to be listed, $5,263; total, $44,802. 

Union Precinct, number of horses 527, value 
$9,200; number of cattle 2,207, value $11,363; 
number of mules and asses 61, value $1,255; num- 
ber of hogs 1,869, value $1,819; merchandise, 
$7,215: agricultural tools, $578; household and 
office furniture, $732; other property required to 
be listed. $6,599; total. 138.761. 

Scoville Precinct, number of horses 464, value 
$9,025; number of cattle 1,461, value $9,138; 
number of mules and asses 78, value $1,570; num- 
ber of hogs 1,634, value $1,535; household and 
office furniture, $245; other property required to 
be listed, $2,350; total, $23,863. 

Deepwell Precinct, number of horses 621, value 
$11,470; number of cattle 1,859, value $11,507; 
number of mules and asses 76, value $1,810; num- 



'^- 



® w. 



k 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



747 



Ijer of hogs 1,6S0, value $2,178; agricultural tools, 
$1,605; household aud office furniture, $630; 
other property required to be listed, $2,513; total, 
$31,713. 

Hamilton Preciuct, number of horses 605, value 
110,720; number of cattle 2,399, value $15,480; 
number of mules and asses 58, value $1,310; 
number of hogs 2,384, value $2,731; agricultural 
tools, |80 1 ; household and office furniture, $951 ; 
other property required to be listed, $2,147; total 
$34,140. 

Aurora Precinct, number of horses 974, value 
119,038; number of cattle 2,128, value $14,335; 
number of mules and asses 70, value $1,545; 
number of sheep 150, value $105; number of hogs 
2, 175, value $2,934; merchandise. $28,353; agri- 
cultural tools, $3,110; money of banks, $21,143; 
household and office furniture, $5,972; other 
property required to be listed, $22,482; total, 
$122,017. 

Beaver Precinct, number of horses 670, value 
$12,(')(!7; number of cattle 2,421, value $13,432; 
number of mules and asses 66, value $1,530; 
number of sheep 6, value $3; number of hogs 2,630, 
value $2,925; agricultural tools, $1,844; house- 
hold and office furniture, $863; other property 
required to be listed, $3,088; total, $36,352. 

Valley Precinct, number of horses (510, value 
$12,158; number of cattle 2,703, value $16,825; 
number of mules and asses 48, value $1,131; 
number of .sheep 9, value $15; number of hogs 
2,490, value $2,645; merchandise, $11,950; agri- 
cultural tools, $1,365; money of banks, $7,204; 
household and office furniture, $1,960; other 
property required to be listed, $(5,575; total, 
$61,828. 

Grant Precinct, number of horses 732, value 
$12,908; number of cattle 2,985, value $18,825; 
number of mule.s and asses 44, value $869; num- 
ber of sheep 21. value $18; number of hogs 2.063, 
value $2,251.55; agricultural tools, $1,342.50; 
household and office furniture, $604; other 
property required to be listed, $3,755.50; total, 
$40,573.55. 

Monroe Precinct, number of horses 655, value 
$12,835; number of cattle 2,375, value $15,055; 



number of mules and asses 54, value 11.303; num- 
ber of hogs 1,757, value $2,330; merchandise, $100; 
agricultural tools, $2,830; household and office 
fiirniture, $655; other property required to be 
listed, $5,545; total, $40,653. 

Phillips Precinct, number of horses 335, value 
$5,830; number of cattle 1,504, value $9,109; 
number of mules and asses 38, value 1768; num- 
ber of hogs 756, value $812; merchandise, $3,825; 
agricultural tools, $1,660; money of banks, $2,626; 
household and office furniture, $35; other property 
required to be listed, $2,891; total, $27,556. 

South Platte Precinct, number of horses 681, 
value $12,310; number of cattle 1,180, value 
$6,166; number of mules and asses 58, value 
$1,195; number of sheep 5, value $5; number of 
hogs 2,008, value $2,471; merchandise, $3,559; 
agricultural tools, $3,075; money of banks, $5,197; 
household and office furniture, $1,235; other 
property required to be listed, $10,563; total, 
$45,776. 

Otis Precinct, number of horses 625, value 
$12,496; number of cattle 1,504, value $7,436; 
number of mules and asses 63, value $1,496; num- 
ber of sheep 49, value 127; number of hogs 2.061. 
value $2,465; merchandise, $40; agricultural tools. 
$2,066; household and office furniture, $944; other 
property reqvxired to be listed, 13,070; total, 
130,040. 

Bluff Precinct, number of horses 451, value 
$8,931; number of cattle 1,564, value $9,631; 
number of mules and asses 57, value $1,377; num- 
ber of sheep 16, value $12; number of hogs 1,974, 
value $2,576; merchandise, $225; agricultural 
tools, $1,734; other property required to be listed, 
$5,172; total, $29,658. 

Cedar Valley Precinct,' number of horses 101, 
value $1,760; number of cattle 618, value $3,010; 
number of mules and asses 6, value $120; number 
of hogs 490, value $()14; agricultural tools. $355; 
other property required to be listed, $681; total, 
$6,540. 

Total number of horses 9,402, value $174,S55; 
total number of cattle 31,645, value $187,982; total 
number of mules and asses 854, value $18,842; 
total number of sheep 776, value $503; total num- 



3^ 



n^ 



A 



±L^ 



748 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



berof hogs 28,869, value $33,585.55; total mer- 
cbaadise, $60,r)y"2; total agricultural tools, $25,- 
382.50; total money of banks, $41,795; total 
household and office furniture, $16,12*'); total 
other property required to be listed, $85,754.r)0; 
grand total, $645,417.55. 

Hamilton County Medical Society was organ- 
ized at the office of Dr. W. F. Gooden, in Aurora, 
June 20, 1888. The following officers were elected: 
President, C. E. Brown, Bromtield; vice-presi- 
dent, A. R. Ray, Marquette; treasurer, W. F. 
Gooden, Aurora; secretary, F. J. Bricker, Aurora. 

The physicians of York, Hamilton, Clay and 
Fillmore Counties had organized in 1880, but as 
the number of physicians in each county increased, 
they withdrew from the old organization and formed 
separate societies. The Hamilton County Society 
is chartered by the Nebraska State Medical Society, 
and holds regular meetings on the first Tuesday of 
January, April, July and October of each year. 

The following is a list of the present officers 
and members: President, W. F. Gooden, M. D. ; 
vice-president, E. A. Steenburg, M. D. ; secretary, 
F. J. Bricker, M. D. ; treasurer, T. J. Case, M. 
D. ; C. E. Brown, M. D. ; A. R. Ray, M. D. ; D. S. 
Woodard, M. D. ; T. H. Line, M. D. and C. B. 
Coleman, M. D. 

The progress of educational interests in Hamil- 
ton County has been sure and permanent in char- 
acter. In none of its sister counties has more 
rapid advancement been made in the efficiency of 
the schools, or the number and character of its 
school buildings. They are the pride of the people, 
and ample provision is made for their annual sup- 
port and the maintenance of the firm enduring 
basis upon which they have been placed. The citi- 
zens contribute liberalfy in matters of educational 
work, and for a county so young as Hamilton its 
institutions of learning will compare favorably with 
many of the older counties in the State. 

In some of the outlying districts a few rudely 
constructed school buildings are still to be found — 
relics of the pioneer days, but nearly all are fur- 
nished with large comfortable frame buildings, well 
furnished with patent seats and desks in a man- 
ner that would do honor to a more thickly popu- 



lated State than Nebraska. The school lands are 
of the most valuable kind, and furnish a handsome 
yearly revenue, increasing with each succeeding 
year. 

School District No. 1, the first organized in the 
county, included all the territory lying in Town 9, 
Range 5 west. Notice of the first meeting was 
given to James Waddle, by County Superintendent 
of Public Instruction John Laurie, which was held 
at the house of James Waddle September 27, 1870. 
Joseph Stockham was elected director. There were 
thirty nine children of school age in the district. 
A subscription school was opened in this district 
in a log school house, built by the settlers, in the 
fall of 1870, by Miss Jennie Laurie. 

District No. 2 was organized at a meeting held 
in the dug-out of Joseph Stockham June 20, 1871. 
Byron D. Brown was chosen director, and the 
district included the east one quarter of Town 9, 
Range 5, except the east one-half of the east tier 
of sections on the east line. District No. 3 com- 
prised all of Town 10, Range 5, and was organ- 
ized at the house of R. M. Hunt March 3, 1870, 
with S. B. Chapman as director. District No. 4 
was organized February 14, 1872, at the house of 
C. H. Kimball, and included the south one-half of 
Town 11, Range 6; S. W. Spafford, director. Dis- 
trict No. 5 was organized at the house of M. Lewis 
February 20, 1872, and E. J. Lewis elected di- 
rector. District No. 6 was organized February 14, 
1872, at the house of John Matthews, notice being 
issued to J. E. McBride, and included the east 
one-half of Town 10, Range 6, which was extended 
March 27, 1872, to include all of that township; 
first director, L. W. Hastings. 

District No. 7 was organized at the house of 
William Werth April 27, 1872. The first notice 
was issued to Robert Lamont and re-issued to Will- 
iam Werth April 16, 1872. William Werth was 
chosen first director, and the territory included the 
southeast one quarter of Town 11, Range 5. In 
District No. 8 notice of formation was issued to 
Noah Brotherton March 12, 1872, and the first 
meeting organizing the district was held at the 
house of George Haner. The original territory 
comprised the southwest one quarter of Town 11, 



'7\: 



ll^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



749 



Range 5, and extended March 2fi to include all of 
Range 5 north, of Town 10; first director elected, 
James M. Fodge. District No. 9 was organized 
April 9, 1S72. at the house of David Stone, in 
Aurora, the notice of the first meeting being issued 
to Darius Wilcox. The territory covered by this 
district included all of Town 10 west, of Range 6 
except the east one-half of Town 10, Range 6. 
District No. 1 was organized at the house of 
Charles Pelau June 22, 1872— boundaries, north- 
west one quarter of Town 9, Range 5 west. Dis- 
trict No. 11 included the northeast one-quarter of 
Town 9, Range 6, and was organized November 9, 
1872. 

The organization of District No. 12 includes 
all the districts formed up to the year 1873. It 
was organized at the house of L. A. Franklin, No- 
vember 30, 1872, and comprised all of Town 9, 
Range 7. During the year 1873, 21 districts were 
organized, making a total of 33, and at the close 
of the year 1874 the number of districts had in- 
creased to 71, in 1875 to 78, in 1885 to 95, and 
there are now 98 organized districts in the county. 
There are now three graded schools in the county, 
located at Aurora, Hamilton and Marquette. The 
school at Stockham has recently adopted a course 
of study, preparatory to establishing a graded 
school at that place. The office of superintendent 
has successively been filled by John Laurie 1870- 
71; Byron D. Brown, 1872-73; John T. Price, 



1874-75; Delevan Bates, 1876-77; E. B. Barton, 
1878-83; J. A. Kirk, 1884-85; E. B. Barton, 1886- 
89, and M. T. Stanley, the present superintendent, 
who was elected November 5, 1889. 

The following summary of the superintend- 
ent's report for 1889 shows the condition of the 
schools at that time: 

Number of districts, 98; number of school 
houses, 97; number of children of school age, 
5,061; average number in each district, 51; num- 
ber of teachers, 160; total number of days taught, 
15,927; average number of days by each, 298; 
number of districts having six months school 
or more, 91; number of districts four months 
school or more, and less than six, 6; number of 
districts having less than four months school, 1; 
average number of days school in all districts, 
162; number of districts having no school, none; 
average blackboard surface, 100 square feet; num- 
ber of school houses, well furnished with patent 
desks, 90; number of school houses built within a 
year, 4; number of schools having some apparatus, 
globes, maps, etc., 92; total value of school houses, 
$59,095; total value of school house sites, $5,445; 
total value of apparatus, $4,958.50; amount paid 
during year for teachers, $29,928.47; amount paid 
during year for buildings and repairs, $10,854.59; 
total cost of schools, $55,509.01; compensation 
of superintendent, $1,200; bonded indebtedness, 
$21,066.72; floating indebtedness, $5,105.97. 



^ >^z^^*t=< f 



^' 



\ 



750 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



City of Aurora— Location and Appearance;— History of Proposed Origin— ORioiNAiiSiTE— Beginning— Bdilp 

ING UP OF THE VILLAGE — ADDITIONS — FiRRT STRUCTURES — EARLY BUSINESS MeN— INCORPORATION— ClIARACTEIt 

OF Buildings— Public Buildings and Improvements- Roster of officers— Post-office— Rail- 
roads - Educational Interests — Industries- Financial Institutions — Churches, with 
Sketches of their History — Secret Societies — Other Organizations 
— General Features of Aurora's Attractiveness. 

• ^:a=sB=s:<? 



J 




Each mind is press'd, 
To bear new tidings. 



and open every ear, 
-Fairfax. 



URORA is handsomely lo- 
cated near the geographi- 
cal center of the county, 
and is an i,mportant station 
of the Burlington & Mis- 
- souri River Railroad in Ne- 
n 1^ braska. It is tastily and 
regularly laid out, with a fine public 
square in the center, planted with rap- 
|[ J-^SV idly growing forest trees, in the center 
~fi'^ '-''kTJ of which stands the court-house, and 
-ft, :*>•• around it on all sides are the various 
business houses, compactly and sub- 
stantially built. The original site of 
the town, situated upon the northeast 
(juarter of Section 4, Town 10, Range 6, was pre- 
empted by Darius Wilcox in the summer of 1871. 
In March, 1871, a town company was formed 
at Chariton, Iowa, who proposed to go to Hamilton 
County, Nell., and locate a town which should be- 
come the county seat. They entered into the fol- 
lowing agreement with each other: 

This agrcenionl, made and entered into thi.s 9lh day 
of Marcli, 1871, by and lietvveen David Stone, Darius Wil- 
cox. Robert Miller, .lames Doreiiuis. J. Ray, N. H. 
Thorpe. S P. Lewis, of Lucas County, Iowa, for the pin- 




pose of .securing a title to Section 4. Town 10, Range (i 
west. 

First: — The parties hereto agree and b)' these presents 
do hereby form themselves together and organize a com 
pany for the purpose of laying out and organizing and 
locating count}' .seat, town or village in the county of 
Hamilton and State of Nebraska, upon the following ex- 
press conditions. 

It is agreed that David Stone be selected as a suitable 
person to visit Hamilton County. Nebraska, for the pur- 
pose of securing land for the location of said county seal, 
town, or village. 

Said Stone hereby expressly agrees to homestead in 
the name of the eight individnalmembers of the company. 
if title can be procured in that manner, if not, locate in 
the name of each individual member of this company. It 
is further agreed that after said Stone seciires the land de- 
scribed, being section four (4): township ten (10); range 
(6) west, in Hamilton County. Nebraska, each of tlie 
above members, named parties, is to e.xecute to each 
other, a bond for a deed for the individual conveyance of 
the undivided eighth part of the entire section, or convey- 
ance of the lots to each other in any manner they may se- 
lect to divide the same as soon as title to the same can !)e 
obtained; that the entire section shall be owned in coin 
mon by all the parties named to this contract, eight in 
number, and each shall share and share alike in all the 
profits and losses, and each be entitled to the one-eighth 
part in virtue of the .section. 

It is agreed and understood by all tlie parties that indi 
viduals shall be and reside upon said land !)}• the 1st d.ay 
of .lune. 1871. in person or agent to assist in building up 



fk^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



751 



said town; a failure to comply with this stipulation shall 
work as a forfeiture of all his rights under this contract. 

The said Stone agrees that during this trip to Ne- 
hraslsa he will keep a true account of all moaeys expended 
by him, and the expenses of said Stone shall be equally 
borne by all parlies to tliis contract. 

It is further iigreed that each party to this contract 
will, at the signing of the same, pay to said Stone the sum 
of thirty dollars, to be used by him in the securing the 
title to said land by pre-emption or homestead, subject to 
the laws of the United States in such case made and pro- 
vided. 

Witness our hands and seal this 7th day of March, 1871. 

[Signed] David Stone, 

Darius Wilcox, 
Robert Miller, 
James O. Doremus. 
Justinian Rat, 
Nathaniel H. 1 horpe, 
Stillman p. Lewis. 

Previous to this time S. P. Lewis, one of the 
party, had visited Hamilton County, and reported 
favorably of it, as will be seen by a glance at the 
terms of the original agreement. Mr. D. Stone 
was commissioned by the company to proceed to 
Hamilton Cuuuty, and make claim to a site, for 
the prospective town. 

He arrived at S. W. Spafford's place on Lin- 
coln Creek, and after an examination of the connty 
returned to Iowa. Disunion, however, arose in the 
organization and the plans of the town company 
came to naught. Robert Miller and N. Thorpe 
came out for the purpose of locating the town 
site, and were followed June 10, by Messrs. David 
Stone, Darius Wilcox and S. P. Lewis. The 
party camped on Lincoln Creek, on the northeast 
corner of Section 4. Shortly after D. Stone platted 
a town site on the northeast quarter of Section 4, 
Town 10, Range 6, and on the night of June 
19, 1871, the new town was named Aurora. After 
the collapse of the town company Mr. Wil- 
cox pre-empted the northeast quarter of Section 
4 -, D. Stone homesteaded eighty acres on the west 
half of Section 34, Town 11, Range 6, and E. D. 
Preston took a ' ' claim ' ' on the southeast quarter. 
Section 4, and Robert Miller made claim on the 
northwest quarter of the same section. 

The original town site was surveyed and platted 
by Darius Wilcox and Mary A. E. Stone, and en- 



tered for record December 20, 1872. It comprised 
the south half of the northeast quarter, and the 
south half of the north half of the northeast quar- 
ter of Section 4. Township 10, Range 6 west, a 
tract of 120 acres. The south addition includes the 
north half of the southeast quarter of Section 4, 
Town 10, Range 6 west, as pre-empted by Edgar 
D. Preston, August 15, 1872, and entered as a 
town site May 25, 1874, by Edgar D. Preston, Da- 
rius W^ilcox, F. M. Ellsworth, Rebecca E. Mc- 
Pherson and Mary A. E. Stone. The next addition 
made was the Ellsworth Addition, a tract of about 
sixty acres, the southeast quarter of the northwest 
quarter, and the south half of the northwest quar- 
ter of Section 4, Town 10, Range 6 west. It was 
pre-empted by Robert Miller, in June, 1871, who 
transferred it to F. M. Ellsworth, and was entered 
for record as a town by Ellsworth and Darius Wil- 
cox, November 3, 1878. Enterprise Addition was 
homesteaded by W. A. Johnson in August, 1872, 
and comprises the northeast half of the southwest 
quarter. Section 4, Town 10, Range 6 west. It 
was entered as a town by Mr. Johnson, March 10, 
1880. 

In June, 1871, the town company erected the 
first house upon Section 4, a "dug out," on the 
site now occupied by Chapman's agricitltural im- 
plement store — the southwest corner. Block 12, 
original town. 

In August of the same year David Stone erect- 
ed the first frame building in the town, a store and 
residence, in which he opened the first stock of 
general merchandise brought to the new place. 
This was the old frame building recently occupied 
by Chapman as a livery stable, on the southeast 
corner of Block 11, and was torn down in 
March, 1890, to make room for a more pretentious 
structure. The building now occupied by A. L. 
Bishop for an agricultural implement store, on the 
northwest corner of Block 17, was the third 
in the infant city, and was erected by Darius Wil- 
cox. It was occupied by him about a year, and 
was then turned into a store and occupied by 
Messrs. Bromstedte & Kleiuschmidt, with a stock 
of general merchandise. Soon after Mr. Thorpe 
had an office built just south of the Wilcox build- 



V9 , 

V 



J^ 




ing, which was aftei-wjiid removed. In 1872 the 
school-house (the building now used as a Catholic 
Church) was built, also the Aurora House, the 
part now used as a sample-room — and the sod 
blacksmith shop of John Sehultz, which stood 
back from the street about where Peterson's store 
now stands, and two or three other small buildings. 
In 1873 fifteen or eighteen buildings were erected, 
and from this time on the growth of the village 
continued, each year adding more than the preced- 
ing. 

The removal of the county seat in 1876 gave 
the town quite an impetus, which was much ex- 
ceeded by that given it by the advent of the Bur- 
lington & Missouri River Kailroad, in 1879. 

It was incorporated as a village on July 3, 
1877, John Helms. D. Bates, W. H. Streeter. John 
Kaben and Harry W. Kemper being appointed trus- 
tees. The first meeting of the board was held July 
Ti, 1877, and John H. Helms was elected president, 
and W. L. Whittemore appointed clerk. For two 
years more the town struggled along, enduring all 
the inconveniences of lack of railroad and tele- 
graph communication, until the fall of 1879, when 
it had attained a population of scarcely 40(\ 

With the advent of the Republican Valley 
Railroad, a branch of the Burlington & Missouri 
River in Nebraska, which ran its first regular 
train into the town October 14, 1879, a great for 
ward stride was made, and a period of activity 
ensued which rapidly carried the town into rank 
with her neighbors in surrounding counties which 
had had the advantage of railroad facilities at an 
earlier date. 

From this time on the growth of the city has 
been steady and continuous, and while there has 
never been what is commonly called a boom — the 
advantages of which, to a city, are of a very doubt- 
ful character — substantial improvements have 
constantly been going on, made and paid for, by 
the i)ermanent residents, as the needs of the grow- 
ing city have demanded them. 

Scarcely nineteen years ago saw the erection of 
the first dwelling where now stands a city of over 
'2,000 inhabitants, adorned by elegant residences, 
beautiful lawns and large and imposing business 



blocks. The city is regularly laid out, with hand- 
some wide streets and avenues, whose excellent 
grading and miles of smooth sidewalks are not ex- 
celled by those of any city of twice its size in the 
State. The court-house square, which occupies a 
central location, is planted with thrifty trees and 
carpeted by a smooth lawn, in the center of which 
stands the court-house. The streets surrounding 
the square are occupied by business houses, manj' 
of which would be an ornament to any city. 

The first brick building erected in the town was 
the Hamilton County Bank building, in 1879, fol 
lowed in 1881 by A. G. Peterson's building antl 
that of the First National Bank. The Temple 
Block. Republican building and the Aurora Bank 
ing Company's building, all erected within the 
past year, are among the finest structures in the 
city. A fine brick jail was built by the county in 
1888, at a cost of over $7,000, the first story being 
fitted with two steel cells and arranged with re- 
ception rooms and oflSces, the second floor being 
designed for a residence for the sherifif of the 
county. An excellent system of water- works was 
put in liy the city in the same year, including 
stand-pipes, steam -pumps, together with a sub- 
stantial brick building, serving as pumpingstation 
and hose house, a fire department being organized 
in the same year, consisting of hose company and 
hook and ladder company. Under the provisions 
of Chapter 14 of the compiled statutes Aurora be- 
came a city of the second class in 1886. 

The following is a roster of the ofiicials from 
its ineorporatiofi as a village in 1877: 1877 — Hon. 
John H Helms, Gen. Delevan Bates, W. H. 
Streeter, John Raben, Henry W. Kemper, W. L. 
^^■hittemore, clerk of the board; 1878 — Hon. John 
H. Helms, W. S. Strain, D. Wilcox, John Raben, 
George Wildish, \\. L. Whittemore, clerk; 1879— 
Hon. J. H. Helms, W. H. Waters. George Wildish, 
John Raben, Henry Moyer, W. L. Whittemore, 
clerk; 1880— Hon. J. H. Helms, John Raben, 
Thomas C. Klumb, H. G. Rogers. Henry Moyer, 
W. I. Farley, clerk; 1881- W. H. Alden, J. B. 
Myres. P. M. Green. C. H. Kimball, W. I. Farley. 
Henry Sargent, William P. Hellings, clerk; 1S;82 — 
Chairman, John W. Thiery; clerk, William P. 



y\: 



a 1^ 



^ — n>> , 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



753 



Helliags; treasurer, D. Bates; trustees, John W. 
Thiery, N. C. Rogers, Jacob Wolhach, F. P. 
Gavan and F. H. Stevens; 1883 — Chairman, John 
W. Thiery: clerk, William P. Hellings; treasurer, 
D. Bates: trustees. John W. Thiery. F. P. Gavan, 
Jacob Wolbach, F. H. Stevens and A. D. Travis;* 
1884— Chairman, H. G. Cass; clerk, D. W. Fisher; 
treasurer, John Tweedy ;f trustees. H. G. Cass. 
Robert Waddle, George Wildish, A. P. Wells and 
F. C. Mather; 18.S5 — Chairman, George Wildish; 
clerk, Walter C. Chambers; treasurer, D. Bates; 
trustees, George Wildish, H. G. Cass, Robert 
Waddle, F. C. Mather, M. French; 1886— [Village 
changed to city by operation of statute, and city 
divided into three wards] Mayor, W. F. Peck; 
clerk, Samuel Spanogle; treasurer, D. Bates; en 
gineer. D. B. Parks: police judge. W. K. Ream;!); 
city attorney. A. J. Rittenhouse:§ chief of police, 
W. Z. Pollard; street commissioner, J. M. Day; 
councilmen — First Ward, J. N. Cassell, Fritz 
Hoefer; Second Ward, J. B. Rogers,' J. H. 
Moore; Third Ward, M. T. Wildish, ' A. G. Peter- 
son; 1887 — Mayor, W. I. Farley; clerk, William 
P. Hellings; treasurer, D. Bates; police judge, D. 
A. Scovill; engineer, D. B. Parks; attorney, J. H. 
Smith; chief of police, I. O. Whitesides; street 
commissioner, D. B. Parks; councilmen — First 
Ward, J. N. Cassell, S. B. Chapman; Second 
Ward, William Kramer, Samuel Spanogle; ^ Third 
Ward, J. W. Elarton, William H. Alden; 1888 — 
Mayor. Delevan Bates; clerk, L. W. Shuman;^ 
treasurer. Fritz Hoefer; police judge. Phil Likes; '' 
engineer. D. B. Parks; attorney, D. M. Waite: " 
chief of police, D. R. Noble; street commissioner, 
James A. Day; councilmen — First Ward, S. B. 
Chapman, J. N. Cassell; Second Ward, H. M. 



♦Resigned July 10. 1883. and sui'eeeded same date by .James S. 



llakiT. 



issil. 
Cox 



tliefused to (nullify, and l)i'li'\aii llatc's aiipiiiiitod, June .'., l!<.'(4. 
JKesigned April 7, 1887, aud D. A. Scnvill apiiointcd same date. 
SKesigned Octoher 1, 18SG, anil H. M. Kell(i<,'n appiiinted. 
Resi^'ued January (i, I881;, and .lanu's A. Day appointed. 
1 Resii;ned April 7. 1.S87, and William Kranu'r ai)pointed. 
^Removed from ward, aud L. \\'. llastiuKS appointed January G. 

3(ouncilniau Spanogle removed from ward July. 1S.S7. and J. T. 
iippointed to fill vaeaney. but not i-onlirmed l>y coimeil. 
••Resigned Maya. 1888, and William 1". Hellings appointed. 
sRefused to qualify, and 1). A. Seovill appointed April 2S. 1888. 
eRefused to ipialify. and K. W. (iraybill appointed .May ■•!, 1888. 



Kellogg, E. Jones; Third Ward, J. W. Elarton, 
W. H. Alden;* 188U— Mayor, A. N. Thomas; 
clerk, William P. Hellings; treasurer, J. D. Fer- 
guson, Jr.; police judge, D. A. Scovill; engineer, 
D. B. Parka; attorney. W. J. Stevenson; chief of 
police, J. G. Baeschlin; councilmen — First Ward, 
J. N. Cassell, J. H. Smith;! Second Ward. H. M. 
Kellogg, Delevan Bates; Third Ward, H. B. 
Witte,t T. E. Williams. § 

The post office was moved to Aurora fi-om Spaf- 
ford's Grove in 1872 and David Stone became post- 
master. He was succeeded by A. Kitzmiller, who 
removed the office in 1874 to the west side of the 
square, to the site now occupied by Temple Block, 
where he was succeeded July, 1874. by N. P. 
Spafford, who filled the position of postmaster 
iintil 1878. In that year Mr. John Tweedy was 
appointed to the position, which he has occupied 
to the present time. He removed the office that 
year to its present location, into a building erected 
by Gen. Bates. The office at the time Mr. Tweedy 
was appointed paid about $600. It is now a sal- 
aried office and pays 11,600 per annum. The 
business of the office for 1889 amounted to 
$4,766.44. 

The city is well supplied with railroad facilities, 
four branches of the Burlington & Missouri system 
converging at this point; the main line east and 
west, extending from Nebraska City, Neb., to New- 
castle, W. T., a distance of 574 miles. The Cen- 
tral City branch affords direct communication 
with the North Platte country, and the Hastings 
branch with the Republican Valley and the West. 
During 1889 there were shipped from this point 
451 cars of corn, flax 125, oats 175, cattle 123, 
hogs 177, butter 15, eggs 1, brick 15, total 1,087 
cars. 

The education of the youth of the city has al 
ways been deemed of paramouut imi^ortance, and 
has received the earnest consideration and support 
of the citizens, and as early as 1872 a good, sub- 
stantial frame school-house was erected. The city 

♦Resigned Jfareli 7, 1889, to take effect at end of municipal year. 
tResigned December l.i, 1.S.S9. and J. A. WTiitmore appointed. 
JResigned Keliruary C. l.'*!KI. to take effect at end of munic-ipal 



year. 



ed from ward, aud Koliert Miller apiiointed .lune -'7. ISSSI. 



« h- 



- — ^t^ , 



754 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



is now supplied with two brick and one frame 
school buildings, divided into thirteen rooms. A 
corps of eleven teachers is employed at an an- 
nual expense for salaries of $5,200. The schools 
are divided into the first and second primary, first 
and second intermediate, first and second grammar, 
Mud the high school departments. The various 
ilt'partments are well ecjuipped with apparatus, 
and good patent desks. 

The number of children of school age in 1889 
in the district was 652, about 500 being the aver- 
age attendance. The high standing in scholar- 
ship attained by the pupils in the different depart- 
ments speaks volumes of the efficiency of the 
teachers. 

Mr. R. W. Graybill, a member of the present 
board of education was the first to "wield the 
l)irch," in the early days of Aurora, away back in 
1872, and E. B. Barton, Miss Jennie Scott. Miss 
Kate Giltner (afterward Mrs. Scott) and Gen. D. 
Bates, successively occupied the position, from 
that time to 1879. 

In that year the school was divided into de- 
partments and Capt. J. N. Cassell became prin- 
cipal, succeeded in 1880 by Prof. Reese, who held 
down the principal's chair until 1881, when Miss 
Lizzie Craig took charge. Miss Craig resigning 
the same year, Harvey Cole completed the term. 
In 1SS2 W. L. Stark filled the chair, and tilled it 
well. He was followed by Prof. Seaford in ] 883, 
and he by W. R. Hart in 1884, who retained the 
position until 1887, when he resigned, and Mrs. 
Scott finished the term. Since that time Prof. H. 
R. Corbett has served as principal, and that he 
may long continue to do so is the universal wish 
of parents and pupils. The following is the pres- 
ent efficient corps of teachers: H. R. Corbett, 
principal : Miss Lou Armel, assistant principal 
high school; Mrs. Gable, principal south school: 
Miss Minnie Fenton, second grammar: Miss Jen- 
nie Waddle, first grammar; Miss May Maxwell, 
second intermediate; Miss Ida Goodrich, first in- 
termediate; Miss May Corbett, second primary; 
Miss May Leonard, first primary; south school, 
Miss Ollie Pinnell, intermediate; Miss Janie La- 
mont, primarj'. 



In 1888 the school district of Aurora was re- 
organized under the statute relating to city 
schools, and the following board of education was 
elected: T. A. McKay, for term ending 1891; D. 
A. Soovill, 1891; H. Cole, 1890; W. L. Stark, 
1890; A. N. Thomas, 1889; William Glover, 1889. 

In 1889 A. N. Thomas and R. W. Graybill 
were elected for three years. The offices of the 
board are A. N. Thomas, president; Harvey Cole, 
vice-president, and D. A. Scovill, secretary. 

Among the banking and manufacturing inter- 
ests of the city is The Hamilton County Bank, 
established in 1877, by George Wildish. In 1886 
W. H. Streeter bought out Mr. Wildish, since 
which time the business has been conducted by 
him, with W. C. Chambers as cashier. 

The First National Bank, organized in April, 
1883. This bank was the successor of the bank of 
Aurora, started in August, 1879, l)y Grimes & 
Dinsmore. In 1882 the firm of McKay. Munger 
& Wentz, became the owners, and operated the 
institution until succeeded by the First National 
Bank in 1883, T. A. McKay becoming president, 
and W. C. Wentz, cashier. In 1886 Mr. Mc 
Kay sold his interest to J. H. Bell, who became 
president, J. F. Houseman assuming the duties of 
cashier, which positions they still occupy. 

The Farmers' and Merchants' Bank was organ- 
ized in April, 1883, by W. H. Streeter, E. J. 
Hainer and W. I. Farley. In 1886 Mr. Streeter 
withdrew, in order to take charge of the Hamilton 
County Bank, and the business was continued by 
E. J. Hainer and W. I. Farley, until 1888, when 
Mr. Farley's interest was purchased by E. J. 
Hainer (who is president) and T. E. Williams 
(cashier), the present proprietors. 

Aurora State Bank was organized in June, 1889. 
and was the successor of the Aurora Exchange 
Bank, established October 1, 1886, by T. A. Mc- 
Kay and Spanogle & Co. The officers are: D. E. 
Thompson, president: A. G. Peterson, vice-presi- 
dent, and Harvey Cole, cashier. A handsome stone 
front brick building is now being completed by W. 
I. Farley, J. I). Ferguson, Jr., J. B. Rogers and 
E. J. Waddle, in which a bank was recently opened 
under the name of the Aurora Banking Company. 



y]^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



755 



The Aiiroi'a Creamery Company was organized 
in the spring of 1887, the stock being owned by a 
large number of the business men of the city. In 
the fall of 1888 the building — a frame structure — 
was entirely destroyed by fire. The stock was 
then bought up by a few of the original stockhold- 
ers, who proceeded to erect a brick building suited 
to the needs of the business. The stock is now 
owned principally by Hon. J. H. Smith, E. J. 
Hainer and \V. A. Carpenter. 

Aurora Roller Mills were built in 1884 by 
Curry & Glover. The mill was equipped with 
lirst-class modern machinery, but in 1 888 the flour- 
ing machinery was removed to Dakota, and the 
mill has since been adapted to grinding corn and 
feed. It is now owned by a Chicago commission 
house and is used as a grain elevator. 

The Aurora Machine Shops of H. T. Jensen 
were established in 1884. The business consists 
largely of repairing farm machinery and the man- 
ufacture of "patent feed steamers," the "right" 
to which is owned by Mr. Jensen. 

The Aurora Foundry was established in the 
fall of 1886 by E. W. Wilson. Recently Mr. Wil- 
son erected a good brick building, which has just 
lieen completed, and into which he is now remov- 
ing his machinery. 

There are also three extensive brick-yards here, 
all doing a good business. 

The spiritual welfare of the city is carefully 
looked after by the pastors of seven different con- 
gregations, holding regular services. 

The First Congregational Church of Aurora 
was organized by Rev. D. B. Perry, April 27, 
1872. Rev. PeiTy was a missionary sent out by 
the Home Missionary Society, and is one of the 
pioneer missionaries of Hamilton County. Rev. 
L. W. Jones, of Worcester, Mass., also assisted in 
the organization, and preached the first sermon to 
the newly organized society. The original mem- 
bers were C. H. Kimball, J. H. Faris, Porter C. 
Culver. John Mathews, N. E. Kimball, N. E. Far- 
is, Susie J. Culver, Amanda Hagerman. E. 
Mathews, Good Noble, Elizabeth Strain. C. H. 
Kimball and J. H. Faris were chosen deacons, 
and Porter C. Culver, clerk. Rev. Mr. Perry 



became the pastor of the church at its organiza 
tion, officiating for one year, and was succeeded by 
Rev. Mr. Maxwell, who was pastor of the church 
about the same length of time and was succeeded 
by Rev. Mr. Hill, who closed his ministry in the 
spring of 1876, after two years of labor. Rev. 
William Woolman took charge of this pastorate 
May 1, 1876, remaining until September 29, 1879. 
The church was supplied until August 1, 1880, at 
which date Rev. A. L. Seward assumed the duties 
of pastor. 

During the first year of Mr. Seward's pas- 
torate the society held their meetings in the court- 
house, when the present church building, corner of 
Hamilton Avenue and Third Street, was erected 
at a cost of $3, 200. Mr. Seward closed his labors 
with this church November 1, 1884, and accepted 
an appointment as missionary in Utah. For several 
months following the church was without a pastor. 
July 1, 1885, Rev. J. G. Spencer accepted a call 
to succeed Mr. Seward, and filled the duties of 
pastor acceptably and well, until succeeded by 
Rev. E. Cressman, on March 1, 1887, who re- 
mained until May 1, 1888, and was succeeded by 
Rev. Mark Baskerville, the present pastor. The 
church at present numbers forty-six members. 

The First Baptist Church of Aurora was organ- 
ized in May, 1872, by Rev. Mr. Biggart, who be- 
came its first pastor, his ministry covering a period 
of two years. He was succeeded by Rev. Moses 
Rowley in the spring of 1874, who was in charge 
until the spring of 1876. Rev. Mr. Rowley was 
succeeded by Rev. Frank Mitchell in the spring of 
1877, who was pastor for one year. In the spring 
of 1878 Rev. J. W. Lewis accepted a call from 
this society, closing his ministry in the spring of 
1880, when he was succeeded by the last pas- 
tor, Rev. A. J. Cotney. The church was com- 
pleted during the pastorate of Rev. Moses Rowley 
in 1876, and is valued at $1,500. The church be- 
came embarrassed financially, and the building 
was afterward sold under a mortgage, the purchas- 
ers tearing it down and using the material for 
building a dwelling house. 

The society has for several years been without 
a regular meeting-place and without a pastor. 



e k_ 



A 



756 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



The Catholic mission was established at Aurora 
ill 1S7I) by Kev. Father Glauber, then stationed at 
Hastings, and attended by him at intervals until 
he was succeeded by Rev. Father Eugene Geary. 
Father Geary was succeeded in March, 1889, by 
Ilev. Adams. The society purchased the old school 
house and converted it into the " Catholic Church." ' 
in which regular services are held by Rev. Father 
Sproll, who succeeded Rev. Adams in June, 1889, 
once in three weeks. The mission has been pros- 
pering greatly under Father Sproll' s ministrations, 
and now numbers about fifty members. 

As early as the winter of 1872-73 an effort 
was made to organize a Methodist Episcopal 
Church in Aurora. 

The conference of 1873 appointed Rev. A. G. 
White to take charge of the Kearney district, 
which included Hamilton County, and for the first 
time this unorganized territory, in the interests of 
this church, received a name. In the winter of 
1872-73, Rev. W. J. Witso organized the Meth- i 
odist Church at Aurora. 

Rev. C. L. Smith was the first minister ap- 
pointed to take charge of this circuit, which was 
called the Orville Circuit and comprised the 
entire county, in the spring of 1873, and remained 
in charge until the fall of 1875, being succeeded 
by Rev. William Seabrooke Higgins, who was in 
charge one year, and at the close of his labors : 
entered the Baptist Church as a minister. The 
conference of 1876 assigned this field to Rev. J. F. I 
Martel, who carried on the work for two years, I 
resigning his charge in the fall of 1878 to Rev. 
W. F. Grundy, who had charge one year, up to 
the close of the conference year in 1879. Rev. 
S. S. Penepacker was stationed here during the 
conference year of 1880, and was succeeded by 
Rev. C. L. Smith, who was assigned to this charge 
a second time in the fall of 1880, and served for 
two years. He was succeeded by Rev. William 
H. Tibbitts, who remained in charge two years. 
It was during his pastorate that the present church 
edifice was erected, as well as the comfortable 
parsonage. ' 

Mr. Tibbitts was succeeded Octolier 4, 1884, ' 
by Rev. G. H. Wehn, who remained and was 



active for the accomplishment of much good for 
two years, when Rev. George A. Miner was 
assigned to the charge, remaining until the fall of 
1888, when he was succeeded by the present pas- 
tor. Rev. A. C. Crosthwaite. 

The Presbyterian Church of Aurora was organ- 
ized August \C>, 1873, by Rev. N. C. Robinson, 
synodical missionary of Nebraska, and was incor- 
porated as a society March 9, 1878, with the fol- 
lowing trustees; Rev. H. M. Giltner, president, 
E. M. Thompson, B. F. Isaman, W. S. Strain, W. 
M. Scott. The first pastor of the church was Rev. 
T. K. Hedges, who commenced his ministry in the 
fall of 1873, continuing it until May, 1874,, at 
which date he was succeeded by Rev. R. R. Be- 
ment, who was in charge until August 11, 1876. 
when Rev. H. M. Giltner, an able pastor, was 
called to take charge. The church building was 
erected in the summer of 1878, at a total cost of 
12,000. Rev. H. M. Giltner is the pioneer minis- 
ter of the Presbyterian Church in NeV)raska. He 
was appointed synodical missionary by the do- 
mestic board of the (O. S. ) Presbyterian Church 
in 1855, and organized the first church society in 
the State, at Nebraska City, in 1856, and erected 
the tir.st church, a brick structure, at that city, in 
1857. He also served as chaplain of the House of 
Representatives during the first session held at 
Omaha in the winter of 1855-56. His daughter 
(Fannie) was the third child born in the State, and 
the second female child, February 28, 1856. She 
also received the first marriage license granted to 
any young lady claiming Nebraska as her birth- 
place. In 1856 he organized the second Sabbath - 
school in Nebraska, at Nebraska City. Mr. Gilt- 
ner has been unwearied in his devotion to his work 
as synodical missionary, and has undergone many 
privations and hardships in his early labors for the 
cause in which he has proved himself such an 
earnest advocate, and has lived to see the church 
that he planted in the wilderness grow to a magni- 
tude and importance no human power can esti 
mate, supported by a population fully a million 
strong, and to share the honors of its glorious 
triumphs. 

Mr. Giltner' s labors continued for six years, and 



^. 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



757 



he was succeeded June 1, 1882, by Rev. W. J. 
Oliver, a young man of pleasant, address and fine 
educational attainments, who remained two years. 
The church was then without a regular pastor un- 
til March, 1885, when Rev. A. R. Day was en- 
gaged. Mr. Day's successor was Rev. J. H. Rey 
nard, who was succeeded by the present pastor, 
Rev. Robert Watt, November 1, 1888. 

Initiatory steps were taken in the fall of 1878 
to organize a German Evangelical Church in Au- 
rora, services being held by Rev. S. H. Holdgraf, 
at the houses of German citizens. The church 
was organized on January 18, 1879, with Rev. 
Holdgraf as pastor, and the following members: 
Fritz Hoefer, William Kramer, Louis Bald, Joseph 
Schwab, Adolph Reuber, Henry Kemper and John 
Fisher. 

Rev. Holdgraf was succeeded in August, 1884, 
by Rev. Louis Kleeman, a young man of much 
worth and ability, who was followed by Rev. G. 
H. Becker, and he by the present pastor. Rev. 
Herman Tietke. A neat little church building was 
erected in the fall of 1884, the building committee 
being: August Strauss, William Kramer and L. 
Kleeman. The present membership numbers thirty- 
two families. 

The Aurora Free-Will Baptist Church was or- 
ganized in May, 1879, by Rev. A. M. Totman. 
Rev. G. T. Davis and Rev. W. H. Edgar, with 
twenty-five members. Rev. Mr. Totman becoming 
the first pastor, who continued in that capacity for 
three years. The church was organized in Sep- 
tember, 1883, with the following members: Rev. 
A. M. Totman, Mrs. Totman, Cora Totman, Mrs. 
Hannah Lounsbury, Joseph Tompkins, Mary 
Tompkins, Mrs. Lucy Lee, Mrs. Anna Riley, H. 
A. Stone, Mrs. Sarah Stone, Eugene Nye, Charles 
De Maranville, Clara E. De Marauville, Isaac Kin- 
kaid, Sarah E. Kinkaid, B. F. Isaman, M. A. Isa- 
man, Ella T. Davis, Mrs. T. G. Davis, M. B. Hull, 
Mrs. Emily Hull, J. B. Sweet, Mrs. Ella O. Sweet, 
Robert Eyres, O. M. Soul. 

In May, 1884, Rev. G. W. Knapp became 
pastor, and continued for two years, when the 
church was left without a pastor for two years 
until May, 1888, when Rev. Knapp again took 



charge, and has continuously filled that position to 
the present time. Rev. Knapp and his very es- 
timable wife, who is president of the Women's 
Christian Temperance Union, have not only en- 
deared themselves to the church society, but to 
all who are fortunate enough to know them. Un- 
der his care the church is united and prosperous, 
and numbers a membership of over fifty. A house 
of worship was erected in the summer of 1885, 
dedicated in August of that year, which is well 
tilled as each returning Sunday its bell summons 
the congregation together. 

In July, 1887, Elder John T. Smith, of Ne- 
braska City, State evangelist, came to Aurora and 
began a series of meetings with a view to organiz- 
ing the Disciples, in this vicinitj', into a congrega- 
tion. He preached about two weeks, holding 
meetings in the Free Baptist, Presbyterian and 
Congregational Churches. During this time he 
secured the names of about forty who had been 
members of the church prior to removing to this 
place, and after arranging for the use of the court 
room for Supday -school and church services, the 
congregation was organized on July 31, 1887, with 
the following members: A. W. Agee, Lillie E. 
Agee, A. N. Thomas, Mrs. A. N. Thomas, Mrs. T. 
E. Valentine, Eliza Osborne, J. C. McCord, Mrs. 
J. C. McCord. Belle McCord, Mrs. Jennie De 
Noon, Frank F. Cook, A. H. Sangston, Mrs. A. H. 
Saugston, W. R. Smith, Mrs. W. R. Smith, Mer 
ritt Hoblit, Belle Thom[)son. Mrs. Kate Jones, 
Mrs. Augusta F. Musick. Mrs. M. M. Coon, Ollie 
Pinnell, Rose Matsler (now Mrs. Duncan), Mellie 
Chapman (now Mrs. Herbert Daniels), Mrs. Nellie 
Fritz (now Mrs. J. E. McBride), S. S. Matlock, 
Mrs. S. S. Matlock, Nelson Kutch, Mrs. Nelson 
Kutch, Mrs. Anna E. Hastings. Tillie Darling 
(now Mrs. W. R. Bell), Mrs. Rosa Howell, Mrs. 
Maggie Likes, W. P. Hellings, Angeline Flana- 
I gan, J. H. Shafer, Emma Shafer. Mrs. Florence 
Widaman, J. P. Bute and Mrs J. P. Bute. Nel- 
son Kutch, A. N. Thomas and A. W. Agee were 
chosen as elders, W. R. Smith and J. C. McCord 
as deacons. Belle Thompson, clerk, and W. R. 
Smith, treasurer. Prior to the visit of Elder J. T. 
Smith, Elders R. C. Barrow, T. A. Parkinson and 



"*^« ^ 



bTv 



11^ 




D. R. Lucna had held several meetings, preaching 
for several days at a time. lu September, 1887, 
Elder W. C. Basher was employed as pastor for 
one year. At the expiration of his time Elder L. 
H. Humphreys was employed for a year. During 
the winter of the year of his pastorate he held a 
nuH^ting of several weeks' duration, the result of 
which was the addition of thirty -four members, 
twenty-one by confession and immersion. The 
present membership is about seventy -live. Feb 
ruary 3, 1889, the same persons were again chosen 
as elders and deacons, two additional deacons be- 
ing chosen, \V. S. Harlan and A. W. Hickman; 
W. 11. Smith was again chosen as treasurer and 
Eva Kirkpatrick clerk. In July, 1889, A. W. 
Agee and others began the work of raising funds 
by subscription for the erection of a church build- 
ing, and a meeting was held July 24, 188'.),. for the 
purpose of becoming incorporated as a religious 
body, under the laws of the State, in order to en- 
al>l(' the society to buy and hold property and 
transact business. The organization was per- 
fected, the name adopted being " The Church of 
Christ at Aurora, Neljraska. " " The following were 
the officers elected: Trustees, A. W. Agee (presi- 
dent of the board). W. P. Hellings. W. S. Harlan, 
Nelson Kutch, and W. K. Smith; clerk, A. W. 
Hickman; treasurer. W. R. Smith. At this meet- 
ing the trustees were authorized to ])urchase a site 
for the erection of a church. A site was accord- 
ingly secured, just one block west of the south- 
west corner of the public square, one of the finest 
locations in the city, and arrangements were at 
once made for the erection of a handsome brick 
edifice 36x75 feet. The corner stone was laid 
October 28, 188U, and the building enclosed dar- 
ing the fall. l)ut on account of cold weather it was 
not completed until the following spring. This is 
the l)est and most commodious church edifice in 
the city. In connection with the church, the Au- 
roia Christian Sunday school was organized July 
24, 1887. It has had a very successful existence, 
and is the second, in point of membership, in the 
county. The disadvantages under which both 
ciiurch and Sunday school have labored, for want 
of u suitalile iilace of meeting:, are now ol)viated l)v 



comfortable and convenient quarters, and, doubt 
less, the numbers in church and school will soon 
be greatly increased. The officers of the Sunday- 
school are A. N. Thomas, snjierintendent; A. \V, 
Agee, assistant-superintendent; J. G. Baeschlin, 
secretary and treasurer, and Belle McCord, organ- 
ist. Since September, 1889, A. VV'. Agee has been 
acting in the capacity of superintendent, A. N. 
Thomas having taken charge of the Bible-class. 

Largely as the various religious denomiriatioi\s 
are represented the benevolent and secret societies 
are still more fully represented, no fewer than 
twelve orders having organizations in the city. 

Of the secret societies Aurora Lodge No. G8, 
A. F. & A. M., was organized under a dispensa- 
tion granted February 10, 1876, and received its 
charter June 9, 1878. The following were the 
charter members and officers: J. S. Miller, W. M. ; 
T. A. McKay, S. W. ; J. H. Helms, J. W. ; W. H. 
Streeter, Darius Wilcox, W. K. Ream, T. H. 
Glover, E. J. Hainer, W. L. Whittemore, Benjamin 
Freed, M. Hagarity, John Tweedy and S. S. Hay- 
den. Regular meetings of the lodge were held on 
the tirst and third Saturdays of each mouth and 
for a time prospered finely. But unfortunately 
the old animosities engendered during the county 
seat fight began to show themselves, and a spirit 
of jealousy and back -biting sprang up between its 
members, which for a time destroyed the harmony 
and prosperity of the lodge, and almost caused its 
complete di^uption. Still the lodge managed to 
keep up a nominal existence, meeting occasionally, 
until within and during the past sis or seven years 
it has become united and prosperous. During the 
past year the Temple-Craft Association, an incor- 
poration of this city, erected a fine substantial brick 
block on the west side of the public square, occu- 
l)ying Lots 19, 20 and 21 of Block 19, at a cost of 
$25,000, in which there are an elegant and commo- 
dious lodge room, banquet hall, reception rooms, 
etc. An association composed of the A. F. & A. 
M., K. of P., A. O. U. W. and G. A. R. furnished 
the lodge-rooms throughout with beautiful, taste- 
fully arranged appointments, affording the lodgers 
using the hall a delightful and comfortable place 
of meeting. The lodge is in a sound financial con- 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



759 



dition, owning a two-lifths interest in the lodge 
furnishing, and considerable stock in the Temple- 
Craft Block. 

The present membership is sixty-nine, and the 
officers are P. M. Green, W. M. ; E. A. Steenburg, 
S. W. ; W. F. Gooden, J. W. ; W. H. Alden, secre- 
tary. Regular meetings are held on the first and 
second Tuesdays of each month. 

Shekinah Chapter No. 32, Royal Arch Masons, 
was organized May 14, 1885, with twenty two 
charter members and the following officers: W. 
R. Bell, M. E. H. P. ; D. Bates, king; J. N. Cas- 
sell, scribe; I. N. Jones, C. of H. ; F. J. Bricker, 
R. A. C. ; E. J. Hainer, P. S. ; J. W. Jones, G. M. 
1st V. ; F. G. Buchan, G. M. 2d V. ; A. S. Crosby, 
G. M. 3d V. ; Adolph Reuber, T. ; William P. Hell- 
ings, recorder, and W. H. Streeter, treasurer. The 
organization is highly prosperous and in excellent 
financial condition. It has a membership of thirty- 
one, and holds regular meetings on the third and 
fovtrth Tuesdays of each month. The officers at 
present are W. H. Alden, H. P. ; W. F. Gooden, 
king; F. J. Bricker, scribe; J. D. Ferguson, Jr., 
treasurer; D. Bates, secretary; W. P. Hellings, 
C. of H. ; S. W. Bell, R. A. C. ; S. E. Stilson, 
P. S. ; J. N. Cassell, M. 3d V. ; D. R. Noble, M. 
2d v.; F. G. Buchan, M. Ist V.; A. D. Travis, S. 

Hamilton Lodge, No. 60, I. O. O. F., was 
organized under a dispensation granted June 1, 
1876, with the following charter members: T. 
A. McKay. E. B. Hoyt, A. W. Agee, H. G. Cass, 
L. M. Reber, Simeon Hnow, James M. May, T. C 
Klumb, W. K. Ream and W. L. Warn. The 
first officers were T. A. McKay, N. G. ; Simeon 
Snow, V. G. ; A. W. Agee, secretary, and Levi M. 
Reber, treasurer. 

For a time the lodge flourished, and added 
largely to its membership, when divisions began 
to creep into the lodge and obstructed its harmo- 
nious working and for a time seriously retarded 
its growth. After this spirit had been eliminated, 
the lodge again entered on a more prosperovis era. 

The society holds its meetings in the hall over 
Mather's hardware store. It has a present mem- 
bership of fifty one, and the present officers are: 
H. G. Cass, N. G. ; H. Luff, V. G. ; L. W. Hast 



ings, R. S. ; M. W. Walsh, P. S. ; Fritz Hoefer, 
treasurer. 

Zach Chandler Post No. 44, G. A. R. , was 
organized April 16, 188(\ with the following char- 
ter members: J. S. Miller, major. Eleventh Wis- 
consin Infantry; J. M. Fodge, private. Company 
H, First Iowa Calvary; Delevan Bates, colonel, 
Company I, One Hundred and Twenty-first New 
York Infantry; C. H. Kimball, private. Company 
E, First Iowa Infantry; Louis Kelly, private, Com- 
pany I, Forty sixth Indiana Infantry; L. W. 
Hastings, private. Company G, Sixth Iowa Infantry ; 
R. A. Ingalls, private, Company K, Second Minne- 
sota Infantry; E. D. Preston, private, Company E, 
Thirty-sixth Wisconsin Infantry; D. A. Scovill, 
private, Company A, Forty sixth Illinois Infantry; 
A. V. B. Peck, private. Company A, Forty-sixth 
Illinois Infantry; Joshua Norton, Jr., first lieuten- 
ant, Clark's rifles; J. L. Trobee, private. Company 
K, Sixth Iowa Infantry; W. W. Trobee, private, 
Company K, Fourteenth Iowa Ififantry; William 
S. Strain, private. Company I, Tenth Iowa In- 
fantry; Robert Miller, private. Company A, Sixty- 
second Pennsylvania Infantry; L. C. Predmore, 
private. Company G, Eighth Indiana Infantry; T. 
A. McKay, private, Company H, Twelfth Michi- 
gan Infantry: W. C. Preston, private, Company C 
Twelfth New York Cavalry; L. Isaman, private^ 
Company F, Fourteenth Iowa Infantry; W. H. 
Pinnell, private. Company C, One Hundred and 
Fiftieth Illinois Infantry; C. J. Agee, private, Com- 
pany H, Twenty-fourth Indiana Infantry; S. S 
Hayden, private. Company B, Thirty-seventh Illi 
nois Infantry; A. E. Cheeney, private. Company 
H, Twentieth Wisconsin Infantry; W. A. Johnson, 
private. Company D, Seventh Iowa Cavalry; J. W. 
Thiery, private, Company E, One Hundred and 
Thirtieth Ohio Infantry; W. L. Whittemore, pri- 
vate. Company H, Thirty first Iowa Infantry. 

The post was mustered in by Adjt. -Gen. J. S. 
Woods, of Omaha, and the first officers elected were 
Maj. J. S. Miller, P. C. ; Brig. -Gen. Delevan Bates, 
S. V. C. ; E. D. Preston, J. V. C. ; A. V. B. Peck, 
chaplain; T. A. McKay, O. M. ; J. M. Fodge, O. 
D. ; D. A. Scovill, adjutant; T. L. Myers, surgeon. 

The post has a present membership of forty- 



<S fc- 



-il s 



k. 



mo 



HISTOEY OF NEBRASKA. 



fonr and is in good working condition, ami sound 
tiuaiipially. 

Heffular meetings are held on the first and third 
Wednesday of each month, in the lodge room of 
TtMiij)]!' Block. The following are the present offi- 
cers: Thomas Smith, P. C. ; L. D. Ellsworth, S. 
V. C. ; H. F. Williamson, chaplain; J. W. Elar- 
ton, Q. M. ; C. P. Brigham, O. D. ; N. C. Nei- 
liardt, O. G. ; Capt. J. N. Cassell, adjutant. 

Zach Chandler Woman's Relief Corps No. 80, 
at Aurora, was organized September 3, 1885. with 
sixty charter members and the following officers: 
Mrs. C. A. Bacon, president; Mrs. Agnes Hurd, 
senior vice-president; Mrs. L. A. Bates, junior 
vice-president; Mrs. Ella Elarton, secretary; Mrs. 
(jarrie E. Noble, treasurer; Mrs. Hannah J. Myers, 
chaplain; Mrs. Tweedy, conductor; Miss Laura 
Oyler, guard, and including the above-named of- 
ficers a total membership of seventy two. 

Since the date of organization the presidents 
have been Mrs. C. A. Bacon, Mrs. L. B. Reynolds, 
Mrs. L. A. Bates and Mrs. Ella Elarton ; secretaries, 
Mrs. E. Elarton, Mrs. M. A. Goodrick and Mrs. 
T. A. Pinnell. The corps meet on the first and 
third Wednesdays of each month in the Temple 
Block. It has now a membership of forty -two, 
with the following-named officers: Mrs. Ella Elar- 
ton. president; Mrs. Ellsworth, senior vice-pres- 
ident; Anna Hastings, junior vice-president; Mrs. 
William Walters, treasurer; Mrs. Connor, conductor; 
Mrs. Soverin, guard, and Mrs. T. A. Pinnell, 
secretary. 

Zach Chandler Camp No. 18, Aurora, Neb., was 
organized July 14, 1884, with the following mem- 
bers: L. A. McKay, M. J. Gavan, O. E. Peck, D. 
M. Waite, P. Moore, John Machamer, William 
Douglass, W. E. Reber, John Work and Henry 
Short. The organization flourished for about three 
years, when so many had either gone away or lost 
interest, that it was concluded to surrender their 
charter, which was accordingly done. 

The order of the Knights of Pythias have for 
their object the dissemination of the principles of 
Friendship, Charity and Benevolence. 

Mystic Lodge No. 39, of Aurora, was instituted 
May 7, 1885, with the following officers: George 



R. Kirkham, P. 0. ; J. R. Van Boskirk,C. C. ; P. 
C. Westover, V. C. ; James A. Wilson, prelate; 
W. J. Stevenson, K. of R. & S.; Myron T. Wildish, 
M. of E. ; P. M. Green, M. of F. ; L. W. Shuman, 
M. at A. ; Robert Lament, I. G. ; James B. Rogers, 

0. G., and twenty-four charter members. The 
growth of Mystic Lodge has been steady and uni- 
form from the first, scarcely a meeting having 
been held without work in one of the ranks, and 
the candidates have been drawn from the best ma- 
terial afforded by the city. The splendid accom- 
modations offered in the Temple Block lodge rooms, 
which were ready for occupancy in the spring of 
188y, were at once appreciated by this society, and 
the choice has been of great value, bringing them 
at once in the front rank and side by side with the 
A. F. & A. M. 

The following list shows the names of the 
knights in good standing in Mystic Lodge March 

1, 1890: Delevan Bates. J. E. Brodbent, S. B. Chap 
man, G. W. Curry, J. K. Crawford, Frank (!oyken- 
dall, B. B. Crownover. Samitel Dietz. George Dan- 
iels, F. W. Eaton. W. H. Ferguson, W. H. Fairchild. 
W. I. Farley, D. W. Fay, W. H. Fall, W. T. 
Gooden. P. M. Green, N. H. Good, Will Hatha- 
way, W. P. Hellings, C. H. Henthorn, F. W. Her- 
man, F. P. Hough, J. W. Haworth, A. AV. Hick- 
man. Joseph Johnson, H. T. Jensen. H. M. Kellogg, 
H. C. Knight, Moritz Kohn, A. J. Lawrence, Rob- 
ert Lamont, J. H. Lincoln, R. L. Laurie, J. E. 
Likes, Henry Lewis, Charles McKee, H. E. Metz- 
ger, D. L. Machamer, Henry Ocker, A. E. Peter- 
son, Emil Roggy, J. H. Redburn, C. B. Rhodes, 
J. B. Rogers, Lang Sawyer, Victor Swanson, J. K. 
Strohm, C. W. Strohm, Ira Swan, W. H. Snider, 
George Sargent, Emil Swartz, W. J. Stevenson, 
L. W. Shuman, M. T. Stanley, W. J. Threadkill, 
T. W. Tate, J. L. Thomas, C. B. Troyer, J. R. 
Van Boskirk, H. C. Van Boskirk, T. E. Valentine, 
C. J. Vandell, G. B. Williamson, Frank Wilson, 
G. G. Williams, Robert Waddle, Dan Waite, W. 
F. Walters, M. T. Wildish, J. A. Whitmore, J. A. 
Wilson. 

For the year 1890 George B. Williamson is 
chancellor commander, and Delevan Baies keeper 
of the records and seal. But one death has oc- 



Al, 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



761 



ciiiTed in the lodge since its institution, that of 
W. F. KaufFman in 1880. This society, in addi- 
tion to its fraternal features, gives sick and funeral 
henetits to its members. Young men with mili- 
tary aspirations can go from the lodge into the 
Uniform rank, and those wishing life insurance can 
jiiin the Endowment rank, where the same can be 
olitained at cost. 

Aurora Division No. 7, Uniform Rank K. of P. 
was instituted at Aurora, Neb., February B, 1886, 
with twenty eight members, and the following 
otficers: Delevan Bates, sir knight commander; 
L. W. Shuman. sir knight lieutenant commauder. 
M. T. Wildish, sir knight herald; H. M. Kellogg, 
sir kuight recorder; J. B. Rogers, sir knight 
treasurer; G. W. Curry, sir knight guard; W. J. 
Stevenson, sir knight sentinel. 

Aurora Lodge No. 6, A. O. U. W., was organ 
ized November 1, 1882, with the following officers 
and charter members: M. Kohn, P. M. W. ; J. 
H. Paris. M. W. ; A. J. Rittenhouse, F. ; J. W. 
Thiery. O. ; W. S. Gnnter, R. ; W. F. Peck, Rec. ; 
Fritz Hoefer, F. ; Henry Sargent, G. ; J. G. Bur- 
chell, I. W. ; S. R. Lounsbury, O. W. ; J. R. Van 
Boskirk, A. J. McCouaughy, A. V. Peck, trustees; 
F. J. Bricker, Jerome Potter, Frank Myers, J. B. 
Myers, W. S. Harlan, Andrew Beck and Louis 
Troutfetler. The order is in a prosperous condi- 
tion, the life insurance feature, by which each 
member's life is insured in the sum of $2,000 at a 
minimum cost, making it very popular. 

The present olficers are: F. M. Barnes, M. '\\ . ; 
O. W. Cass, F. ; Robert Miller, O. ; E. E. Buchlin, 
R. ; W. J. Threadkill. F. ; D. Bates, receiver; C. 
B. Abbott, guide; A. E. Siekman, I. W. ; F. P. 
Graham, O. W. 

Kaaba Temple. Grand Order of the Orient, 
was organized in 1882, with the following officers: 
A. J. Rittenhouse, Gr. P. S. ; H. G. Cass, Gr. V. ; 
Henry Sargent, Gr. H. ; W. F. Peck, Gr. K. of S.; 
J. M. Laurie, Gr. M. P. The lodge is in a flour- 
ishing and highly prosperous condition, having 
nearly one hundred members. The present officers 



are Dr. E. A. Steenburg. Gr. P. S. ; Hon. \V. L. 
Stark. Gr. V. ; Dr. F. J. Bricker, Gr. P. ; M. T. 
Wildish, Gr. P. ; L. W. Shuman, Gr. H. ; M. W. 
Walsh, Gr. K. S. ; W. P. Hellings. Gr. M. P. ; W. 
J. Threadkill, Gr. W. ; T. G. Buchan, Gr. V.; 
Prof. John S. Musser, Gr. A. P. 

The Women's Christian Temperance Union of 
Aurora was organized by Marion C. Baxter, of 
Michigan, December 3, 1883, with twenty mem- 
bers and the following officers: Mrs. Myra Wood, 
president; Mrs. A. L. Seward, recording secretary; 
Mrs. Mason, corresponding secretary; Mrs. Tib- 
betts, treasurer, and vice-presidents from each of 
the churches. The objects of the society are to 
educate public sentiment up to the standard of 
total abstinence, to train the j'oung. save the ine- 
briate, secure the legal prohibition and complete 
banishment of the liquor traffic. The following 
named ladies have occupied the president's chair; 
1884. Mrs. Myra Wood; 1885, Mrs. J. P. David- 
son; 1886, Mrs. C. A. Bacon; 1887, Mrs. Ella 
Elarton; 1888, Mrs. Elarton, and in 1889 Mrs. C. 
D. Knapp, who occupies the position at the present 
time. 

The Young People's Society of Christian 
Endeavor of Aurora was organized November 3, 
1883, with the following officers and members: 
President. Frank E. Houseman; Miss Jeanie La- 
mont, secretary and treasurer; Jennie Waddle, H. 
R. Corbett, May Corbett, May Maxwell. The 
societ}' has a present membership of twenty-five. 
Meetings are held each Sunday in the parlors of 
the Presbyterian Church. 

The K. of P. Band was organized in 1887 with 
thirteen members, as follows: H. E. Metzger, 
instructor; Phil. Burt, J. H. Cudney, Vic Swan- 
son, Harry Dodd, Leslie Myers, L. W. Shuman, 
William Whitesides, Vic Spanogle, James Work, 
Dick McGovern, Lourie Myers, Sam Chapman. 

Musser' s Orchestra was organized in 1890. and 
is composed of Prof. John Musser, leader; Harry 
Dodd, Dick McGovern, Vic Swanson, Ralter Cham- 
bers, Phil. Burt and Harry E. Metzger. 



i> > 



- — ^t \ 



762 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



T~--^ 



Other Villages and Towns'in Hamilton County— Brikf: Historical Sketch— Their Importance— Centers of 

COMMERCIAL INFLUENCE— POPULATION— BUSINESS AFFAIRS— INDICATION OP ADVANCEMENT— Rf.LIG- 

lous AND School Interests, Etc.— Orville— Hampton— Stockham— Brom- 
field—Marqdette— Phillips— Country Churches. 



axE 




Those green-robed senators of mighty woods. 
Tall oaks, braDch-chiirmed b}- the earnest .stars. 
Dream, and so dream all night without a slir. —Keatn. 



"ij^tSfffirrrS^^siy ESIDES Aurora, there are 
^'B^ti^lv&ri S five good railroad towns in 
the connty, four of which are 
incorporated as villages. 
Before proceeding with a 
description of these it will 
probably not be out of place 
to speak first of the first 
town started in the county, 
the old county seat, Orville City. 

Orville City, the first county seat, 
was located by the county commission- 
ers in 1870, and surveyed, platted and 
recorded as a town by them. The 
site lies on a beautiful plateau over- 
looking both forks of the Blue Eiver, 
on the south half of the northeast quar- 
ter of Section 22, Town 9. Range 6, 
west. It was declared the county 
seat of Hamilton County May 3, 1870, by a vote 
of the people at the first election held in the 
county, and remained such until January 1, 1876, 
at which date the county seat was removed to Au- 
rora by a majority vote in compliance with a gen- 
eral act of the Legislature of Nebraska approved 
February, 1875. 

The site was pre-empted by the commissioners 



and surveyed by John Harris. The first to locate 
there were T. H. and William Glover. T. H. Glover 
opened the first store, in the fall of 1872, with a 
stock of general merchandise. He was followed 
shortly after by William Glover, who inaugurated 
the second business interprise of the town, that of 
a hotel and boarding house. The court-house was 
erected in May, 1872, which was'the first building 
put up. and in November of the same year, the 
first frame house was built by T. H. Glover. In 
1873, it was a thriving town containing three gro- 
cery and general merchandise stores, one drug 
store, hotel, blacksmith shop, real -estate law of- 
fice and saloon. A school house was erected in 
1873, in which Miss Nettie Hileman taught the 
first term of school in 1874. After the removal 
of the county seat to Aurora, the buildings were 
removed to Aurora and elsewhere, and the site of 
the .sometime city is now the county poor farm, 
on which the county established'a poor-house in 
1884 at a cost of about f2,500. 

Hampton was surveyed and platted in October, 
1879, about the time the Burlington & Missouri 
River Railroad was completed to that point. 

Mr. Cox had purchased 440 acres of land here 
in the spring of 1879, and it was on this land the 
town was located. During the next year he pur- 



it- 



'V| g! W ... 



k^ 




chased 600 acres more, making a solid body of 
about 1,000 acres. His brother, James M. Cox, 
also purchased 1,000 acres adjoiriing that of 
Joshua. Building began immediately after the 
platting of the town, Ernest Leyer erecting the 
first store building, in which he opened the first 
general stock of goods. C. R. Young soon after 
built the fir-st dwelling house. These were soon 
followed by the grocery store of C. R. Young, the 
general store of A. T. Vich & Co., the grain store- 
house of F. Eberhardt, the hardware store of A. G. 
Evans, drug store of J. F. Morse and the lumber 
yard and office of D. C. Bell. 

In 1880 G. P. Chessman put up a grain elevator, 
the first in the town. Among those who were 
prominently identified with the building up of the 
village were W. J. Williamson, Holden & Lane, 
H. H. Lohman, Frank Chambers, T. J. Fiegen- 
baum, A. G. Evans, G. P. Chessman, R. A. In- 
galls, Wellman & Son, and the Cox brothers, 
Joshua. James M. and Levi. In 1882 the first ho- 
tel was built by James M. Fodge, and the same 
year a bank was opened by Cox Bros. 

A school house was built in 1881, in which the 
first term of school was taiight (the same season) 
by J. H. Sauls, one of the oldest settlers in this 
vicinity and the representative of the county in the 
constitutional convention in 1875. An excellent 
school building, adapted to the needs of a graded 
school, was erected in 1885. Hampton was incor- 
porated as a village January 10, 1883, with E. D. 
Foster, S. W. Holden, D. M. Zook, Levi Cox and 
M. E. Gerdes as trustees. 

This has always been a good business point, as 
will be seen from the following statement of rail- 
road business : 

In 1887 there were shipped from Hampton Sta- 
tion a total of 1,005 cars of grain, and in 1888, 
700 cars; in 1889 there were shipped 497 cars of 
corn, 93 of oats, 13 of barley, 40 of flax, 16 of 
ground feed, 1 of fiour, 120 of cattle, 75 of hogs 
and 2 of sheep, a total of 857 cars, the freight re- 
ceipts of the office amounting to $16,439.58. 

Among the leading business houses of the vil- 
lage at the present time are Joshua and James M. 
Cos, livo-stock feeders and shippers; Houghton & 



Son, bankers; George E. Lane, general store; W. 
J. Williamson, general store; Lohman & Erlen- 
born, general store; B. F. Buckley, hardware; G. 
L Wagner, hardware; Bailey & Klumb, agricult- 
ural implements; T. J. Fiegenbaum, drugs; F. 
Chambers & Co., drugs; Eskeldsen & Kaufman, 
lumber; G. P. Chessman, grain; F. G. Chessman, 
grain; Cannon & Morrissey, grain; Farmers' Alli- 
ance Business Association, grain; Hampton Roller 
Mills, and others. 

The village has a present population of about 
600, the following being the officers and trustees: 
D. S. Woodard, chairman; J. M. Cox, Chris New- 
man, T. J. Fiegenbaum, D. M. Zook; W. C. Bailey, 
clerk; George E. Lane, treasurer. The post-office 
was removed from Williamsport to this place in 
1879. E. L. Ingalls is the present postmaster. 
The business of the office for 1889 was $1,039.85. 

Two religious societies have houses of worship 
at this place. The Methodist Episcopal Church 
was organized in 1883 with the following members: 
R. A. Wellman, Dora Wellman. Eunice Young, 
Martha A. Maguire, Mary C. Maguire, John Doug- 
lass, Mariah Douglass, J. H. Sauls, Mary Tyler, and 
Rev. W. H. Babcoek as pastor. The pastorate has 
been siiccessively held by Rev. H. C. Wood in 1884, 
who succeeded Rev. Babcoek, Rev. D. S. Davis 
(1885), Rev. G. A. Hobson (1886), Rev. J. H. Car- 
michael (1886), Rev. L. H. Archard (1887), D. T. 
Wilson (1888) and Rev. E. L. Wells, who was as 
signed to this charge at the beginning of the pres- 
ent conference year, Octoljer 20, 1889, and contiu 
ues to fill the duties at this time. The church 
has twenty members. A church building was 
erected in 1883 at a' cost of $1,500. The Christian 
Church was organized here in 1885, and a church, 
32x60 feet, built the same year, and dedicated 
June 15, 1885. The following were the original 
members: A. G. Evans, William Mapes, T. B. 
Johnson, James Moore. Adam Mokler, G. C. Boyce, 
David Patrick, Nelson Kutch, and Rev. A. W. Har- 
ney, pastor. Rev. Harney remained with the church 
until January 1. 1890, and was succeeded by the 
present pastor. Rev. W. D. Curtis. The church is 
highly prosperous and has a membership of about 
forty. The elders are T. B. Johnson, William 



IS ki- 



LL^ 



764 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Mapes and E. C. Roggy, find the deacons, S. E. 
Chambers, P. H. Wind and H. Bundegard. There 
is a flourishing Sunday school in connection with 
the church, of which E. 0. Roggy is superintend- 
ent. 

Star Lodge of the I. O. O. F. was organized 
here November 7, 1883, with the following officers 
and charter members: R. A. Wellman, N. G. ; J. 
H. Sauls, V. G. ; Daniel Westenhaver, treasurer; 
A. R. Allen, secretary; J. J. Klumb, W. ; J. H. 
Lincoln, C. ; G. T. Chapman, O. W. ; G. W. 
Bonner, E. B. Hoyt, A. H. Chapman, A. Linsley, 
John Hinshaw. The lodge has a present member- 
ship of twenty, and the following are the officers: 
J. Hockenbary, N. G. ; W. E. Widger, V. G. ; D. 
S. Woodard, secretary. 

Hampton Lodge No. 167, A. O. U. W., was 
organized February 17, 1890, with the following 
officers and members: E. C. Roggy, P. M. W. ; 
W. C. Bailey, M. W. ; H. R. Grear, F. ; E L. 
Ingalls, O. ; G. E. Lane, recorder; D. S. Wood- 
ard, F. ; A. Wilsey, R. ; F. E. Boslow, G. ; J. J. 
Klumb, I. \V. ; James Johnson, O. W. ; Joshua 
Cox, Chris. Newman and A. P. Jensen, trustees; 
M. P. Jensen, George F. Latham, J. M. Cox, E. 
F. Morrissey and S. E. Chambers. The lodge 
meets regularly on the first and third Thvirsdays 
of each month. 

Stockham is a lively village on the line of the 
Fremont, Elkhorn & Missoiiri Valley Railroad, on 
Section 25, Township 9, Range 6. It was sur 
veyed and platted in 1887 by the Pioneer Town Site 
Company. Among the first business enterprises 
were the Bank of Stockham, I. D. Evans, cashier; 
P. Moore & Son, druggists; A. D. Atwood, livery; 
J. W. Gray, livery; C. F. Tatro, restaurant; 
Joseph Stockham, hotel. The above-named par- 
ties erected buildings about the same time. 

The town is located in the vicinity of the first 
settlement made in the county, and is in the re- 
marka!)ly fertile valley of the Blue River. The 
farmers being "well to-do, " and many of them 
even wealthy, the town has had an encouraging 
amount of business, and has grown rapidly. In 
September, 1888, it was incorporated as a village, 
with the following board of trustees: F. J. Sharp, 



Joseph Stockham, W. C. Flickinger, Walter Scott, 
Henry Reiselt. 

All branches of business are represented in the 
village, the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley 
Railroad affording facilities for the shipment of 
goods and products, and the Western Union Tel- 
egraph Company affording telegraphic commun 
ication. The Stockham Reporter, a bright, newsy 
Republican paper, was established here in August, 

1888, by F. P. Corrick. It is now edited by J. S. 
Lounsbury. 

A hand.some two-story frame school-house 
24x00 feet was erected in 1888. The school is in 
a flourishing condition, and is presided over by E. 

C. Grabble, as principal, with Miss Minnie Rowe 
as assistant. The school will be graded the pres- 
ent year. Churches are represented by the Ger- 
man Lutheran, Presbyterian and Methodist Epis- 
copal. The first named erected the first church 
building in 1887, and Rev. G. Grobe is the pres- 
ent pastor. The Presbyterians built a church in 

1889, and Rev. John Branch ministers to their 
spiritual welfare. Rev. G. E. Abern is pastor of 
the Methodist Episcopal society, but as yet they 
are not provided with a house of worship, a defi- 
ciency which will be removed by the erection of a 
commodious church during this year. 

March 29, 1882, Griffin Post No. 87, G. A. R., 
was iastituted here, its membership consisting of 
the veterans living in the vicinity of what was then 
merely the post-office called Stockham, which was 
on the northeast quarter of Section 25. A. To- 
laud is now P. C. 

A post of the Sons of Veterans was organized 
in June, 1888, with the following officers and char- 
ter members: F. P. Corrick, captain; John C. 
Galford, first lieutenant; John W. Stokesbary, 
second lieutenant; Irvin Clark, L G. Evans, N. 
W. Swearingen, D. G. Lewis, J. H. Stephens, 
William Stephens, J. A. Wentz. It has now 
twenty four members, and the present officers are 

D. G. Lewis, captain; John C. Galford, first lieu- 
tenant; Irvin C. Clark, second lieutenant. 

Stockham Lodge No. 163, I. O. O. F., was 
organized October 6, 1888, with the following 
officers and charter members: A. J. McConaughey, 



^ -^A^ — .^ 



r]^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



765 



N. G. ; J. W. Swearingen, V. G. ; Henry Reiselt, 
recording secretary; Ed Van Wormer, treasurer; 
W. C. Flickinger, permanent secretary; L. P. 
Beaman. W. ; W. H. Hart. J. T. White, E. E. Bird, 
T. J. Threadkill. The lodge has now eighteen 
members, and the following are the present offi- 
cers: E. E. Bird, N. G. ; Henry Reiselt, V. G. ; 
Gustave Buss, recording secretary; W. C. Flickin- 
ger. permanent secretary; Ed Van Wormer, treas- 
urer; A. J. McConaughey, Gustave Buss and 
William F. Waddell, trustees. 

A camp of Modern Woodmen was instituted 
July 1. 1889, the officers and charter members 
being: W. E. Sharp, V. C. ; W. M. Kirk, W. A.; 
George S. Lewis, E. B. ; F. P. Corrick, clerk; W. 
T. Hathaway, P. Moore, W. C. Murray, John 
Ready, W. S. Martin. The camp has a member- 
ship of nineteen, and the following are the officers 
at the present time: W. E. Sharp, V. C. ; W. M. 
Kirk, W. A. ; John Ready, E. B. ; F. P. Corrick, 
clerk. 

The present village board is composed of F. J. 
Sharp, chairman; Gustave Buss, H. Hick, I. D. 
Evans and E. F. Elmore, trustees; W. E. Sharp, 
clerk; E. M. Van Wormer, treasurer. 

Bromfield was surveyed and platted in the 
spring of 1886, by the Lincoln Land Company. 
It is located on Section 6, Town 9, Range 7, on 
the branch of the Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad Company running from Aurora to Hast- 
ings. The first building was erected by Joe Brown 
soon after the town was platted. This was fol- 
lowed the same season by the business buildings 
of W. H. Leniberger, L. P. Wheeler, G. H. 
Myers, Alfi-ed Carriker, F. C. Mather, M. W. 
Trobee, C. N. Dietz, National Lumber Company, 
G. S. Cole & Co. and S. D. Chapman, and the 
residences of C. E. Brown, M. D., J. A. Foster 
and Frank Wright. The town has had a good 
steady growth, and now has a population of be- 
tween 300 and 400. It was incorporated as a vil- 
lage December 11, 1888, with the following board 
of trustees: C. E. Brown, L. P. Wheeler, \V. H. 
Leniberger, John McCarthy and Charles Allen. 
The post-office was removed from Lerton to this 
place in 1887, A. V. B. Peck having held down the 



postmaster's chair since the establishment of the 
office here. The business of the office last year 
amounted to $700. The town and vicinity has had 
a remarkable history in its chapter of crimes, acei 
dents and casualties. The first of these was in the 
fall of 1886, when a serious cutting affray oc- 
curred, by which one Fred Gossner very nearly lost 
his life. Two years later Mrs. John Schultheis 
was shot and instantly killed by S. D. Pierce, a 
neighbor. The shooting was entirely accidental. 
Pierce having been requested by Mrs. Schultheis, 
to shoot a skunk which had taken refuge under the 
corn-crib. Mr. Pierce fired under the crib intend- 
ing to kill or dislodge the animal. Upon entering 
the house shortly after, he discovered Mrs. Schul- 
theis lying on the floor, dead, with a bullet hole in 
her forehead. Investigation revealed the fact that 
the ball had glanced, passing through the window, 
and striking the woman with the result above stated. 
The same season another sad accident occurred 
here by which Dr. T. L. Myers, a prominent citizen, 
and one of the leading physicians, of Aurora, lost 
his life. The Doctor had been spending the day 
in Bromfield, with his son, G. H. Myers, and was 
starting to return to Aurora by the freight train, 
which left at 6 p. m. As he stepped from the 
platform of the depot, to the step of the way-car 
— the train being in motion — he lost his balance 
and fell under the car, the wheels of which passed 
over his body, killing him almost instantly. This 
accident cast a gloom over the community, from 
which they had hardly recovered when they were 
again shocked by another fatal accident. This 
was the case of Dell Henry, who in company with 
another young man, was riding out from Bromfield 
in a road-cart. They had a shot-gun with them, 
which Henry was holding. While he was attempt- 
ing to light his pipe, he permitted the gun to slip 
from his grasp, and it dropped through the slats of 
which the bottom of the cart was made. The ham- 
mer striking on a slat exploded the cartridge, the 
charge entering the side of his head and face, 
mangling him terribly and killing him at once. 
The same year Mary O'Brien, a girl living in the 
family of Mrs. Bush, near Bromfield, committed 
suicide by hanging. 



el 



^ 



7(')() 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



These events were yet fresh in the minds of the 
citizens when the mnrder of William Alonzo Bar- 
rett occurred a few miles east of this village. As 
a full account of this tragedy is given on a pre- 
vious page of the present volume it will he unnec- 
essary to repeat it here. 

Hardly had the words been pronounced which 
sentenced Henry Thornhill to be hanged by the neck 
until dead, when the entire country was thrilled 
by the news of the double tragedy occurring in the 
village on Saturday, March 15, 1890. Shortly 
after 2 o'clock p. m. on that day Amos E. Staton, 
a farmer living a short distance south of the village, 
came into the town on foot and proceeded at once 
to the rear door of Charles Harrod's meat market, 
which he entered. W. W. Lewis, a highly respected 
citizen of the town, was the only occupant of the 
shop at the time, and was seated near the front win- 
dow reading a newspajier. A few seconds after 
Staton entered, a pistol shot was heard, and Mr. 
Lewis was seen running from the rear door of the 
building, screaming and pressing his hand to his 
breast, and closely pursued by Staton, who had a 
revolver in his hand. A few rods from the shop 
door Staton again fired, the ball striking the flying 
man in the region of the kidneys, killing him al- 
most instantly. It was afterward ascertained that 
the shot fired in the shop had taken effect in the 
center of the breast. Staton at once went to the 
street and started south, but was immediately ar- 
rested and placed in the village jail or " lockup." 

Great excitement prevailed, and within a few 
minutes a large crowd had assembled on the street. 
Less than an hour after the shooting a party of 
masked men were seen to emerge from an imple- 
ment warehouse and march toward the jail, while 
a piece of new half-inch rope dangled ominously 
from their hands. Proceeding to the "lockup," 
the door was forced open, the rope properly knot- 
ted around Staton' s neck, and he was led to an ad 
jacent livery barn, where the rope was passed 
across a beam and the murderer of W. W. Lewis 
was quickly sent to his account. The masked men 
remained but a few minutes after accomplishing 
their work, then proceeded to the place from where 
they had come and disappeared. Meantime — 



the news of the shooting having been promptly tel 
egraphed to the sheriff — Deputy Sheriff Whitesides, 
County Attorney Wliitmore. City Marshal (ieorge 
Barschlin, Coroner Elarton, and others, had 
boarded the train for Brouitield. The train from 
the ea.st was twenty minutes late, hence the train 
for Bromfield did not leave Aurora until about 8:30 
p. M., reaching Bromfield at 4 o'clock. As soon 
as informed of the circumstances detailed above, 
the officers proceeded to the livery barn, where they 
found Staton hanging by the neck. He was im- 
mediately taken down and efforts made to resusci- 
tate him, but they were ineffectual. The coroner 
at once began his investigations and an inquest was 
first held upon the body of Mr. Lewis. The jury 
rendered a verdict that he had come to his death 
at the hands of Amos E. Staton. in accordance with 
the foregoing facts. 

On Sunday, March 16, a jury was empaneled 
to hold an inquest upon the body of Staton. After 
an investigation, lasting the greater part of three 
days, the jury rendered a verdict of death by hang- 
ing at the hands of parties unknown. 

A two-story frame school building was erected 
in 1887 at Bromfield, in which from six to nine 
months school is held each year. 

The Methodist Episcopal congregation built a 
church here in 1889, Rev. Francis Deal, pastor. 

The Grand Army of the Republic and the 
Women Relief Corjis have organizations at this 
place, and the Masonic order recently organized 
a lodge, under dispensation, with the following 
officers and members: J. R. Kerr, W. M. ; Charles 
Allen, S. W.; J. W. Farrand, J. W.; W. H. Leni- 
berger, secretary; John Detamore, treasurer; George 
Hunnicutt, S. D. ; Jonathan Foster, J. D. : C. E. 
Brown, J. M. Brown, A. V. B. Peck. John M. Brock, 
Jonathan Foster, W. K. Ream, Samuel Fry, Henry 
Jarvis, John Marks, George Washburn. 

Following are the officers at present of the G. 
A. R. : W. S. Mattern, C. ; Jerome Pratt, S. V. C. ; 
William Bagear, J. V. C. ; Earl Tuttle, Q. ; J. Fos- 
ter, chaplain; L. A. Franklin, O. D. ; Garber, 

O. G. ; E. E. Smith, A. 

The Corps officials are: Mrs. Emma Kobbiiis, 
president; Mrs. Delia L. Smith, S. V. P. ; Mrs. 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



767 



Pratt, J. V. P. ; J. Snider, S. ; Lena Ehlenbraugh, 
T. ; Mrs. Sophia Evans, C. ; Miss Effie Smith, G. ; 
Mrs. Ida Graham, A. G. The Corps numbers over 
thirty members. 

In the spring of 1880 the Burlington & Mis- 
souri River Raihoad extended its line of road from 
Aurora to Central City. At the time of the com- 
pletion of the road to the latter place there was a 
post-office located on the east half of the northwest 
quarter of Section 21, Town 12, Range 6, on the 
section line between Sections 16 and 21, a few rods 
west of the line of the railroad, and known as 
"Avon." kept by Mrs. Nancy Carnahan. The 
company being desirous of locating a station as 
near the post office as possible, but l)eiug unable to 
secure any lands for that purpose for the first six 
months after the completion of the road, trains 
were stopped merely to throw off and receive mail. 
A "station'" was then opened, which for a year 
consisted of a hand car house, located on the sec- 
tion line between Sections 16 and 21, with O. H. 
Wirsig as agent. He was soon after appointed 
postmaster. Early in 1882 the Lincoln Land 
Company secured from J. W. Man[uis 100 acres 
of land on the southwest quarter of Section 16, 
Town 12, Range 6, and surveyed and platted the 
town of Marquette. The railroad company moved 
an old depot building from Dorchester to this 
place, which still remains as an early landmark of 
the village. 

Soon after the establishment of the station Mr. 
Sweeny put up a small frame building for the 
handling of grain. The first lot sold in the town 
was to J. A. Waddell, on September 12, 1882. G. 
H. Shears and W. H. Fairchild shortly after pur- 
chased lots, and each of the three began the erec- 
tion of store buildings at about the same time, that 
of G. H. Shears being the first completed. This 
building was occupied jointly by Mr. Shears with 
a stock of groceries and Dr. Nickerson with drugs. 
This was the first retail store in the town. The 
enterprise was short lived, and Shears soon after 
turned it into a boarding-house, the bill of fare 
consisting principally of wild goose. The building 
was subsequently much enlarged, as well as the 
menu, and was traded to W. O. Barngrover for a 



stock of goods. Fairchild & Deal opened a gen- 
eral stock immediately on the completion of their 
building in 1882, J. A. Waddell opening up a 
grocery stock at about the same time. The town 
grew rapidly, and in 1883 increased to a population 
of about 300. It was incorjjorated as a village on 
February 28, 1889, with the following board of 
trustees: T. H. Line, S. P. Boyd. M. E. Farr, 
Reuben Cox and H. D. Hall. 

The village is situated in the midst of a highly 
prosperous community, and gives evidence of the 
fact in the success of its various business enter- 
prises. All branches of business are well repre- 
sented, including two banks, two elevators, flour- 
ing-mill, large brick blacksmith and machine shop, 
etc. Among the leading business men of the village 
at the present time are: Fairchild & Deal, general 
stock; J. A. Waddell, groceries; Bank of Mar 
quette; Farley's Bank, R. K. Hughes, drugs; J. 
F. Adams, lumber; J. D. and B. A. Hickman, 
drugs; F. H. Line, M. D., physician and surgeon, 
Larson & Peterson, machine shops; Greer & Hall, 
hardware and furniture; Aaron Eichelberger, real- 
estate owner; J. A Ruby, president Bank of Mar- 
quette; Hon. J. J. Farley, president Farley's Bank. 
Mr. Farley is one of the present members of the 
Legislature. Samuel Raynor, Elias Farr and Will- 
iam Ray are honored residents of the village, and 
have been closely identified with the prosperity of 
the community for a number of years. There were 
shipped from this station last year, -121 cars of 
grain, and eighty-eight cars of stock. At the vil- 
lage election in April, 1889, the following board of 
trustees and village officers were elected: H. D. 
Hall, chairman: James Adams, James Peterson, S. 
P. Boyd and J. A. Waddell; B. H. Walker, clerk; 
James A. Ruby, treasurer. In March, 1890, James 
Adams removed from the village, and J. W. Nich- 
olson was appointed to till the vacancy. O. H. 
Wiesig was succeeded as postmaster in August, 
1884, by Miss Lillian Davy, who served for three 
years, and was succeeded by the present post- 
master, Joseph Pinkerton. 

A commodious frame school-house was erected 
in the village in 1884, and a graded course of study 
adopted. There is an average attendance of over 



^-. 






15 k_ 



7fi8 



HISTOKY OF NEBRASKA. 



10(^ pupils. Churches are rpprfs(>nted 1)\' four de 
nominations. Presbyterian. Christian. United Breth 
ren and Methodist Episcopal. " The Presbyterians 
and Christians erected church buildings in 18^4 
and 1885, respectively. Each of tlie societies has 
a good membership. 

The secret societies having lodges iu the village 
are the G. A. R., A. O. U. W., I. O. G. T. and 
M. W. of A. 

Putnam Post No. 142. G. A. K.. was organized 
March 12, 1883, with the following charter mem- 
bers: George Liebhart, H. B. Goodrich, W. W. 
Shenborger, W. De Hart, J. P. Jones, Ed Nugent, 
R. D. Stotler, William H. Ray, John Doak, R. W. 
Graham, H. P. Hiscock, Henry Jennings, Joseph 
Pinkerton. E. Henderson. William Thomas. James 
Ruby, Ed Henderson, William Henderson, R. C. 
Butler, John Jones, James Hallowell, T. Clother, 
J. Allen, Andrew Hickman. The post is in a pros- 
perous condition, the following being the present 
officers: W. H. Ray, C. ; J Buffington. S. V. C. ; 
D. Fye, J. V. C. ; James Ruby, adjutant; Joseph 
Pinkerton, Q. ; Joseph Fye, chaplain. 

Marquette Lodge No. 45. A. O. U. W., was 
organized in July, 1884, with the following officers 
and charter members: J. R. Erford. P. M. W. ; 
H. P. Hiscock, M. W. ; Joseph Hollowell, F. ; 
Joseph Pinkerton, O.: A. W. Wicker, recorder; 
Thomas J. Chenowith. F. ; Reuben Cox, R. : T. E. 
Chambers. Charles Harder, J. L. Thomas, George 
Liebhart, W. W. Shenberger, George Bennett, T. 
H. Line. James Ballard. William Thomas, Ed 
Mundhenke. D. A. Hiscock, O. W. Kenoyer, R. 
D. Stotler and William Hickman. The lodge now 
numbers sixty members, the following being the 
present officers: F. Fink, P. M. W. ; H. D. Hall, 
M. W. ; J. P. Jones, F. ; M. E. Farr. O. ; William 
H. Swope. recorder; B. H. ^^'alker. F. ; Joseph 
Peterson. R. ; D. W. Bruuk, G. 

An I. O. G. T. lodge was organized March 20, 
1887, with forty members. It is in a highly pros- 
perous and flourishing condition. 

South Platte Camp No. 861, M. W. of A., was 
organized March 6, 1889, with the following offi- 
cers: T. H. Line, V. C. ; U. Fink, A.; John E. 
Boyd, B. : B. A. Hickman, C. ; B. H. Walker, E. ; 



Charles Stalnaker, S. The camp is growing ra]> 
idly, having increased from six at date of organ 
ization to a present membership of thirty-six. The 
present officers are: V. Fink, V. C. ; H. P. His 
cock, A.; H. B. Walker, B. ; B. A. Hickman, 
clerk. 

The town of Phillips is pleasantly located on 
the line of the Burlington & Missouri River Rail 
road, on Section 27, Town 11, Range 8, one mile 
and a half from the Platte River. The site was 
purchased from P. M. Cross, in the winter of 
1873-74, by the Lincoln Land Company, and was 
surveyed by them in the spring of 1SS4. The 
said railroad being extended westward from Aurora 
the same season reached the town in June. One- 
half the town site was owned by the Lincoln Land 
Company, the other by Hon. William G. Hastings, 
of Wilber, Neb., and others. 

The first building was erected by J. C. Mur 
phy and was commenced April 16. 1884. Soon 
after Messrs. Burk & Dingman, hardware dealers, 
and Raben & Myers, druggists, built substantial 
frame store buildings. These were soon followed 
by the store buildings of S. D. I. Emerson. W. 
H. Fairchild, J. O. Baker, M. Grass, and Dr. R. 
Smith: the lumber yards and offices of J. H. Wil 
sey. National Lumber Company, and Richey Bros. ; 
the hotel of A. Prathur in June, 1884; hotel and 
livery stable of N. F. Lane, the summer of the 
same year; the real-estate office of Samuel Span- 
ogle, and the grain elevator of S. W. Little & Co. 
The first family residing in the town was that of 
W. B. Dingman, who moved into the old ''Cross 
house " before any new buildings were erected. 
Early in the summer of 1SS4 dwellings had been 
built, and were occupied by the families of J. C. 
Murphy, J. C. Miller, Charles L. Crane, F. R. 
Reiter, N. F. Lane, Samuel Spanogle, D. V. Joy- 
ner. A. P. Peterson, S. R. Bickley. and others. 

On July 20, 1884, a tornado visited the town 
doing considerable damage. The hotel of A. 
Prathur was entirely demolished, and a number of 
persons injured, liut none seriously. The post- 
office was removed to this place from St. Joe in 
the summer of 1884. and J. O. Baker was ap- 
pointed postmaster, which he held until October 



^; 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



769 



1, 1885, when he was succeeded l\y Mrs. Minnie 
Baker, who presided behind the window until 
June 10, 1889, when the present incumbent, Hon. 
A. J. Spanogle, was appointed. It was made a 
money order office October 1, 1888, The biisiness 
of the office for 1889 was 1800. 

Among the prominent business men, at the 
present time, who have been closely identified with 
the interests and history of the town are N. F, 
Lane, commonly and better known as "Dad" 
Lane, in whose honor. Dad Lane Camp M. W.. 
was named; J. O. Baker, banker; Richey Bros., 
lumber; R. Connell & Co., Grand Island Grain 
Company, and Farmers' Alliance Business Asso- 
ciation, grain dealers; W. H. Fairchild & Co., 
William Bebb & Son, M, K. Grass, merchants; E. 
D. Smith, drugs; B. J. Fulton and Levi Cox, live- 
stock shippers, and others. 

There were shijiped from this station in 1886, 
404 cars of corn, 42 of oats, 34 of wheat, 7 of bar- 
ley, 4 of riax, 4 of rye, 21 of hogs, 31 of cattle, 41 
of brick, and 7 of miscellaneous goods; 1887, corn 
467, oats 73, wheat 9, rye 3, flax 23, hogs 24. cat- 
tle 12, brick 82, miscellaneous, 10; 1888, corn 330, 
oats 110, wheat 1, rye 3, flax 16, hogs 31, caltle 
71, brick 22, miscellaneous 8; 1889, corn 283, oats 
125, rye 1, flax 11, hogs 43, cattle 68, brick 7, 
miscellaneous 8. 

A good school-house was built in 1886. in which 
school is held from six to nine months each year; 
the district was organized in 1885. Two church 
societies hold regular services in the town, the 
Methodist and Baptist. The former was organized 
in 1884, with Rev. G. M. Jones as pastor. He 
was succeeded in 1886 by Rev. C. E. Rowe, and 
he in 1886 by the present pastor. Rev. Francis 
Deal. A handsome church edifice was erected in 
1888. The church is in a flourishing condition, 
and now numbers fifty members. The Baptist 
Church was organized here in July, 1889. The 
membership is small. Rev. J. McLeod is pastor 
and has services every alternate Sunday. 

In the fall of 1885 a company consisting of N. 
F. Lane, J. O. Baker, C. L. Crane and Samuel 
Spanogle erected a two-story and basement brick 
building, the second story of which was arranged 



with a good, large hall. rece])tion and ante rooms, 
etc., designed for serving as lodge rooms. Soon 
after the completion of the hall the Masonic lodge 
at St. Joe was removed from that place to Phillips, 
holding its meetings in the hall. This was Key- 
stone Lodge No. 62. A. F. & A. M., the oldest 
Masonic organization in the county, having re 
ceived its charter June 20, 1876. 

The following is a list of the first officers (U. 
D.) and the charter members: Martin Enuis, AV. 
M. ; J. T. Price, S. W. ; William J. Ball, J. W. 
At the end of a year the lodge received its charter, 
ahd Martin Ennis was elected W. M. ; J. T. Price. 
S. W.; D. S. Parkhurst, J. V,.: Ed Dearing, 
treasurer; S. P. Cowgill, secretary; I. E. Ball, S. 
D. ; AVilliam H. Sampson, J. D. : George L. Levee. 
S. S. ; Joseph A. Campbell, J. S. ; William J. 
Parker, tyler. Charter members: William H. 
Sampson, George L. Levee, Martin Ennis, S. P. 
Cowgill, William J. Parker, D. S. Parkhurst, Ed- 
ward Dearing, Jonathan Foster, J. T. Price, Will- 
iam J. Ball, I. E. Ball and J. W. Skelton. Since 
its organization the Worshipful Master's chair has 
successively been tilled as follows: Martin Ennis, 
J. T. Price, Martin Ennis. D. E. Price, J. N. Brock, 

A. W. Price, Samuel Spanogle, George L. Levee and 
W.U. Biggart. The lodge has now thirty-five mem 
bers, and the present officers are: W. U. Biggart. 
W. M. ; J. O. Baker, S. W. ; AV. H. England, J. 
W. ; N. F. Lane, treasurer; L. F. England, sec- 
retary; A. C. Adams, S. D. ; J. W. Skelton. J. D. ; 

B. J. Fulton, tyler. 

Phillips Lodge No. 92, A. O. U. W. , was or 
ganized September 20, 1886, with the followiiiij 
officers and charter members: A. J. Spanogle, P. 
M. W. ; Levi Cox, M. W. ; J. D. Lucas, F. ; E. L. 
Stephens, O. ; J. C. Brannock, Samuel Spanogle. 
J. M. Gillespie, Charles Tompkins, B. F. Me- 
Daniels, N. F. Lane, D. F. Roach, Alden Gar- 
wood, C. L. Crane, C. B. Edmunds. The present 
membership is twenty-six. and the officers are: M. 
J. Peterson, M. W. : F. R. Reiter, F. ; E. Rogers, 
O, ; B. F. Webb, recorder. 

Dad Lane Camp No. 971, M. W. A., was or- 
ganized May 15, 1889, with the following-named 
officers and charter members: W. U. Biggart, V. 






:f^ 



770 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



C; J. O. Baker, W. A.; J. C. Faugbt, E. B. ; 
Mark Spauogic, clerk; Eben Rogers, W. ; J. W. 
Hiler, E. ; C. B. Coleman, S. The caiiip Las a 
iiieinhership of twenty, the following-named being 
the officers: W. U. Biggart, V. C. ; J. C. Taught, 
W. A.; J. O. Baker, E. B. ; R. G. McKibben, 
clerk; B. J. Fulton, W. ; J. W. Hiler, E. ; Eli 
Decker, S. 

The Farmers' Alliance also has an organiza- 
tion and business association at this place, with 
KiO members. The officers are: J. W. Eaton, 
president; E. C Purdy, vice-president; E. H. Ball, 
secretary, and August Baartz, treasurer. 

Hamilton was surveyed and platted by J. F. 
and T. H Glover, in Aju'il, 1874, on the north- 
west quarter of Section 10, Township 10, Range 
0. During 1874-75 it was an active, lively 
place, but after the location of the county seat at 
Aurora, the business houses were moved from 
Hamilton into the limits of its more successful 
lival. Hamilton consists now of less than a dozen 
residences and a school house. 

St. Joe was surveyed and platted in 1881 by 
Joe Skelton, and for a few years was an enter- 
prising little burg. The post-offices of Bunker 
Hill and Lincoln Valley were discontinued, and 
that of St. Joe established. In 1884 the Bur- 
lington & Missouri River Railroad was built 
through the west part of the county, and the 
town of Phillips located. The post office at St. 
Joe was then removed to Phillips, and most of 
the buildings of St. Joe followed. Maj. Skelton 
purchased the lots which had been sold, and on 
July 7, 1886, the commissioners on petition of 
Mr. Skelton, vacated the town, and it is now a 
part of that gentleman's farm. 

Farmers' Valley is a post-office point, at this 
time, and is the only one off the lines of railroad 
in the county. It is on Section 24, Township 9, 
Range 5, on one of the first farms located in the 
county. 

Lerton, Alviu, Leonard, Case, St. Joe, Lin- 
coln Valley, Bunker Hill, Buckeye, Shiloh and 
Otis, were post-office points in the county, but 
have been discontinued. 

A number of country churches have been erected 



by the various religious societies throughout the 
county, many of them having regular pastors and 
a large membership. Of these the Russian Men- 
noriite (Rev. Peter Regier, pa.stor) is one of the larg 
est. It was built in 1S87 at a cost of $3,000, and 
is one of the strongest congregations, numerically, 
in the county. 

The Danish Lutheran also have several large 
societies in the northeast part of the county, with 
an aggregate memliership of 200 families. There 
are also four Swedish, four German Lutheran, one 
Baptist, one Catholic, one Presbyterian, one Con- 
gregational, one Methodist, one Christian, one 
Evangelical, and one United Brethren. 

The county is in good financial condition, the 
bonded indel>tedness being small, and a large por- 
tion of that being already provided for by the ac- 
cumulation of a sinking fund. 

While a few " sod " houses remain, relics of the 
early days, the farmers, as a rule, have good, sub 
stantial frame-houses and barns, which give evi- 
dence of the thrifty class of peojile by whom the 
county has been settled. Already — although but 
twenty-three years have elapsed since the first 
homesteader camped on the Blue — the well fenced 
farms, fine, thrifty orchards, elegant dwellings and 
large, substantial barns will compare favorably 
with those of the best agricultural counties in the 
older States, and if the past is an indication of the 
future, it will be but a few years until " Little 
Hamilton " takes its place in the front rank among 
the agricultural counties of the United States. 



B. F. Anderson, farmer and stock-raiser, Au 
rora, Neb. Mr. Anderson is a man who has arisen 
to considerable prominence in the affairs of Ham- 
ilton County, not less in agricultural matters 
than in other circles of active business life. At 
this time he is the possessor of 200 acres of land 
one and one-half mile east of Aurora, and in con- 
nection with farming is engaged in raising a good 
grade of stock. He has made a great many im- 
provements on his place, and take him all in all is 
about as comfortably situated as any man in the 
county. He was born in Greene County, Pa., in 



9 "V 



•^ 



>l^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



771 



1837 and was the third of six children, all deceased 
but a brother who now lives in La Salle County, 
111., born to the union of Samuel and Eleanor 
(Mahannah) Anderson, natives of Maryland and 
Pennsylvania, respectively. The father was born 
about 180(X was a cooper by trade, and early in 
life emigrated to Western Pennsylvania. He was 
a large man, over six feet tall, and was hardy and 
strong. He was a member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, and was a Jackson Democrat. The 
mother died in Illinois. Grandfather Anderson 
and also Grandfather Mahannah were natives of 
the Emerald Isle. B. F. Anderson grew to manhood 
in La Salle and Fulton Counties, 111. , and received 
his education in the subscription schools. He then 
farmed in that State, and in 1866 was married to 
Miss Kate Yost, a native of the Keystone State, of 
English-Dutch and Scotch descent. Mr. Ander- 
son then removed to Page County, Iowa, where he 
remained until 1880, and then emigrated to his 
present farm in Hamilton County. He has a fine 
place and is one of the representative citizens. 
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and 
in politics is a Republican. His family consists of 
four children, three girls and one son: Frank, 
Laura, Leona, and Ella (who died at the age of 
thirteen years). 

John N. Brock, farmer, Bromtield, Neb. The 
name that heads this sketch is that of one of the 
pioneer settlers of this county, and whose life here 
has been such as to win him the respect and esteem 
of all who are favored with his acquaintance. He 
owes his nativity to Allegany County, N. Y., 
where his birth occurred in 1838, and is -the son of 
David and Eliza (Pittsley) Brock, natives of New 
York. The maternal grandfather, G. F. Pittsley, 
was a native of the Green Mountain State and was 
the son of John and Polly (Evans) Pittsley. The 
mother of our subject is still living and makes her 
home in Brown County, Neb. John N. Brock en- 
listed in the United States service in 1862, in Com- 
pany B, Thirty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 
and went directly to Memphis, Tenn. , where he 
engaged in the battle of Holly Springs. He was 
then in the battles of Island No. 10, Stone River, 
Nashville and Chattanooga. In the spring of 1863 | 



he returned to Tallahoma, Tenn. , remained there 
three months, and then took part in the siege of 
Vicksburg. He was sick most of the time after 
this battle until August, 1865, when he was mus- 
tered out of service. Mr. Brock moved from New 
York to Erie, Pa., when five years of age, remained 
there until the fall of 1849 and then came to Belvi- 
dere, 111., where he remained until 1850, and then 
moved to Wisconsin. From there he came to 
Nebraska in 1878, settling in Hamilton County, 
where he bought a claim and began improving it. 
In 1875 he brought his family here. He was mar- 
ried in 1861 to Miss Adelaide Bailey, a native of 
Pennsylvania, and they had eight children: Sarah, 
Anna (deceased), Charles. Frank, Alva, Bell (de 
ceased), Myrtie and Velma. Aside from his agri- 
cultural pursuits Mr. Brock is engaged in the real- 
estate business and has been quite successful at this. 
He is a Republican, was justice of the peace eight 
years, has been supervisor and a member of the 
school-board. Mrs. Brock is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Hon. John Nelson Cassell. In giving an au- 
thentic history of the business interests of Aurora, 
Neb. , and her capabilities for supplying the de- 
mands made upon her by the surrounding country, 
mention must not be omitted of the coal and ice in- 
terests as conducted by Mr. Cassell. He was born 
in Frederick, Md., on May 21, 1835, being a son 
of George and Sarah (Nelson) Cassell, the former 
a farmer and native of that State, and a son of 
George Cassell, the latter' s father being a native 
of Hesse Cassel, Germany, who made a settlement 
in America prior to the Revolutionary War. The 
principal occupation to which this family seems to 
have given their attention is that of agriculture, 
although we find members of the family successful 
professional men, merchants and artisans Mrs. 
Sarah (Nelson) Cassell was born in Maryland, and 
was a daughter of Rev. Burgess Nelson, of the 
Methodist Episcopal faith, who was l)orn in Eng 
land, this famil}', like the Cassells, being of excel- 
lent constitution and long lived. John Nelson 
Cassell, about 1840, removed with his parents near 
Mount Vernon, Knox County. Ohio, and there he 
grew to manhood on a farm, acquiring a good edu- 



» ^ 



J- 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



cation in tho common schools, with a collegiate 
training at Madison ColU'gt'. Uniontown, Pa., from 
which institution ho was graduated in 1859. He 
afterward became (irincipal of the high schools of 
Mount Vernon, Ohio, l)nt resigned this position to 
devote his services to his country, and after assist- 
ing in raising Company G, Twentieth Ohio Volun 
teer Infantry, he was chosen its captain, and served 
faithfully for two years. Owing to impaired health 
ho then resigned and returned home, having taken 
an active part in the engagements at Fort Henry, 
Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Shiloh, and in all the 
engagements of the Atlanta campaign. After re- 
covering his health he recruited Company A, One 
Hundred and Ninety-Fourth Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, and went with it to the front, but was again 
compelled to return home owing to failing health. 
In order to recruit his declining energies he came 
west in 1868, and sought a home in Nebraska, and 
for about ten years was actively identified with the 
Ijusiness interests of Lincoln. While a resident of 
this city he was elected a delegate from Lancaster 
County, to serve in the State Constitutional Con- 
vention of 1871, and tilled this responsible position 
in a very creditable manner. Since 1878 his home 
has been in Aurora, and in 1879 he served as ser- 
geant at arms of the State Senate. He is the owner 
of a tine farm in this county, on which is a large 
artificial pond which furnishes him with an abun- 
dance of ice, and this and the coal business keep 
him busily employed the greater part of the year. 
He built a tine business block in the town in 1884, 
and is also the owner of some fine residence property. 
He, in serving his second term as a member of the 
town council of Aurora, has just been elected mayor 
of the city, by a very flattering majority, and is 
president of the Big Horn Petroleum & Land Com- 
pany, the headquarters of which are at Aurora. He 
is a Mason, belonging to the Blue Lodge and Chap- 
ter of Aurora and the Moimt Maria Commandery 
(Knights Templars) of Lincoln. He has advanced 
to the Encampment in the I. O. O. F., and is 
prince of the Grant Orient Order and Sons of 
Malta. He belongs to Chandler Post No. 44, of 
the G. A. R., in which he has filled all the chairs, 
and ever since the organization of the Hamilton 



County Agricultural Society he has been one of its 
heaviest stockholders, and served as its secretary 
two terms. He was married near Mount Vernon, 
Ohio, to Miss Jennie Stigers, whose death he 
mourned in 1889, she having been in full com 
munion with the Congregational Church at the 
time of her death. She now reposes in the ceme 
tery at Fredericktown, Ohio. Mr. Cassell formed 
a second marriage union with Mrs. Emma Winters, 
nee Ross, a native of Missouri. They have a 
daughter named Aurora. Mr. and Mrs. Cassoll 
worship in the First Congregational Church. 

C. H. Evans, veterinary surgeon and farmer, 
Stockham, Neb. Mr. Evans is another of those 
of foreign birth who have come into this county 
and made for themselves a comfortal)le home, be- 
coming respected citizens of the community. He 
was born in Ireland, on March 14, 1830, and was 
the son of Matthew and Nancy (Wior) Evans, both 
natives of the Emerald Isle. In October, ]88(), 
the family emigrated to the United States and set 
tied in Pennsylvania. The father died in Iowa on 
April 21, 1888, but the mother is still living, 
resides in Hamilton County, Neb., and is eighty 
four years of age. The father worked for ten 
years in the iron works of Pennsylvania. They 
were the parents of eight children, C. H. being 
the second in order of birth. The latter was 
reared to farm labor, and in September, 1864, en- 
listed in Company E, Second Iowa Infantry, and 
served until the close of the war. He was with 
Sherman to the sea and was a faithful soldier. 
After residing in Iowa for seventeen years he came 
to Hamilton County, Neb., in 1877, and settled on 
his present property, which consists of 560 acres 
of land. He was married in 1853 to Miss Mary 
A. Brown, a native of the Keystone State, born on 
July 23, 1833, and to them have been born ten 
children: Rosila A. (born in 1853), Eleanor (born 
in 1855), Charles S. (born in 1857), Lincoln A. 
(born in 1860), Violeta V. (born in 1862), Emer- 
son (born in 1864), Amanda L. (born in 1866), 
Lyman K. G. (liorn in 1869), Abigail (born in 
1874) and Mura (born io 1876). In politics Mr. 
Evans is a Reptxblican, and socially he is a mem- 
ber of the G. A. K. and I. O. O. F. He is a 






9 k... 



^ "r , 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



773 



member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He 
has been very successful in agricultural pursuits, 
and for twenty-live years has been veterinary sur- 
geon. His commodious two-story residence, barns, 
granaries, etc., besides a fourteen-foot wind mill 
of the Halliday make, give evidence of his indus- 
try and thrift. 

Jonathan Foster, farmer of Scovill Township, 
Hamilton County, Nob., residing on the north 
east quarter of Section 12, Township 9, Range 8, 
was born in Jennings County, Ind. , in 1825, and 
is now one of the prominent and influential citi- 
zens of this community. He was the son of Jared 
and Mary (Branhan), the latter being a native 
of Kentucky, and the father was born in Gen- 
esee County, N. Y. , in 1805. Jared followed the 
cabinet-maker's trade in his younger days, and 
later worked at building and contracting. He was 
a millwright. He was married in 1822 or 1823 
to Miss Branhan, who died about 1835, leaving six 
children. The father was married four times and 
became the father of twenty-four children. He is 
still living and resides in Jefferson County, 111. 
The maternal grandfather of our siibject, John 
Branhan, was a native of the Blue Grass State. 
Jonathan Foster spent his school boy days in In- 
diana, whither his father had moved from New 
York State, and in 1845 started out to make his 
own way in life. He was married the same year. 
He followed the carpenter trade for some years 
in Indiana, moving to Jefferson County, 111., in 
1861, where in connection with his trade he carried 
on farming. The same year he enlisted in Com- 
pany K, Forty-ninth Illinois Infantry, first as a 
private, and in 1804 was promoted to the rank of 
second lieutenant, then first lieutenant, and served 
in that capacity until the close of the war. Some 
of the battles in which he participated were as fol- 
lows: Fort Donelson.Shiioh, Nashville and Corinth. 
He was in a number of skirmishes and was a brave 
and capable officer. After being discharged in 
December, 1865, he came to Illinois and there fol- 
lowed his trade successfully for many years. He 
then emigrated to Nebraska in 1873, settling in 
Hamilton County on his present farm consisting of 
160 acres, improved this, and now has one of the 



linest places to be found far or near. He has a 
flourishing young orchard and has set out a nice 
grove. Socially he is a member of the A. F. & A. 
M.. the I. O. O. F., and is a member of the G. A. 
R. Post at Bromfield. He is a Republican and a 
man interested in political matters of his county 
and State. He and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. To their union 
have been born seven children, two sons and live 
daughters: Radie (now Mrs. Bain, residing in In- 
diana), Mary (now Mrs. Smith, wife of Rev. C. L. 
Smith, a Methodist Episcopal minister), William 
J. (married Miss Sarah E. Brock), Mattie M. (now 
Mrs. Jones, residing in Jefferson County, 111.), 
John A. (married a Miss Anna Powell, now of 
Bromfield; he is a grain dealer at Bromtield), Lucy 
B. (now Mrs. Soward, residing in Wyoming Ter- 
ritory) and Gladys (a school-teacher in Hamilton 
County. 

Israel Gibbons, farmer, Stockham, Neb. For 
many years, or since his location in this county, the 
reputation which Mr. Gibbons has enjoyed has been 
not only that of a substantial and progressive 
farmer, but of an intelligent and thoroughly posted 
man in all public affairs. He was born in Eng- 
land October 8, 1830, and is the son of Israel and 
Betsey Elizabeth (Lindsey) Gibbons, natives also of 
England, the father born in 1806 and the mother 
about 1789. The latter died in Illinois in 1864. 
Israel Gibbons, Jr., the only child born to the 
above marriage, came with his parents to America 
in 1832, settled in Canada, and there remained im- 
til twenty-one years of age. He then went to Win- 
nebago County, 111., made that county his home 
for eighteen years, and then removed to Iowa, 
where he resided until 1873. At that date he em 
igrated to Nebraska, settled in Orville Township, 
Hamilton County, and there resided ixntilJune 10, 
1889, when he removed to Farmers' Valley Town- 
ship. He is now the owner of eighty acres of land, 
all well improved and two and a half miles from 
Stockham. He was married July 6, 1863, to Mrs. 
Ann Brown, who was born in Ireland in 1827, and 
whose maiden name was Evans. To this union 
were born the following children: Ruth, Jessie, 
Bettie, Maggie and Nancy. By her former mar- 



^I^ 



liagc Mrs. Gibbons was the mother of six children: 
AFary F., Heleu A.. Sarah E.. Esther G., George 
S. anil Arvilhi. In his political views Mr. Gibbons 
is an independent Republican, and cast his first 
presidential vote for Lincoln in 1860. He is an 
honorable man and one of the county's best citi 
zens. 

John W. Gray, grocer and dealer in general 
merchandise, Stockham, Neb. Among the im- 
portant industrial enterprises which contribute to 
the commercial standing of the thriving town of 
Stockham is the establishment of John W. Gray. 
This gentleman is a native of the "Blue Grass 
State," his birth occurring on January 23, 1841, 
and is the son of George W. and Ellen (Tipton) 
Gray, natives of the Old Dominion. The former 
is now living, but the latter died in 1852. When 
our subject was but two years of age his parents 
removed to St. Louis, Mo. , and he there spent his 
boyhood. He accompanied his fathei' to Clinton 
County, 111., remained thei-e about four years, and 
in 1S02 went to Hancock County of that State, and 
was there married, June U, ISH", to Miss Athena 
M. Stone, a native of New York, and the daughter 
of Joseph D. and Frances C. (Sutherland) Stone, 
natives of Vermont, who are now residents of 
Friend, Neb. After his marriage Mr. Gray con 
tinned to reside in Hancock County, 111., until 
1809, when he emigrated to Nebraska, and re- 
sided in Saunders County engaged in farming 
until 1875, when he moved to Hamilton County. 
He located in Farmers' Valley Township, where he 
bought a grist mill, and ran the same until 1SS7. 
He then located in Stockham. having lieen appoint 
ed postmaster of that place, and in connection with 
the post-office conducted a book, stationery and 
news store. On retiring from the office, in 1889, 
he added to his books, stationery, etc. , a first-class 
stock of groceries. He is now doing a successful 
business, and is one of the leading merchants of 
the place. He and wife have two children: George 
Dexter (born November 30, 1864) and Azro C. 
(born July 24, 1868). Mr. Gray is a Democrat in 
politics. 

Loren W. Hastings, editor and proprietor of 
the Aurora Republican, was born on the banks of 



the Connecticut River, at Turner's Falls, Franklin 
County, Mass., February 26, 1835. He was the 
first son l)orn to Richard and Betsey Hastings; 
three other sons, Lewis, Edmond and Lyman, 
and one daughter, Eveline, were born to them. 
Richard Hastings, the father of Loren \\., was 
born in what used to be known as the Black River 
country, in York State, and Betsey Lee, his wife, 
was born near the town of Gill, Mass., the for- 
mer of English, and the latter of Irish extrac 
tion, dating back to the Revolutionary Wars of 

! 1776-1782, in which wars these names were well 

: known, and figured most prominently as among 
the leaders of American Independence. The early 
life of Loren W. Hastings was spent on a farm, 
though his father for a number of years was a 
carder in a woolen-mill at a little village called 
Greenfield Factory Village, now Turner's Falls, 
but afterward the father purchased and operated 
a ferry boat above the falls, where he lived till he 
moved his family to Milwaukee, Wis., in 1S52 or 

' 1853. While in Massachusetts on the farm, the 
young man worked in the summer months and 

! went to school in the winter. Six to eight dollars 
a month in those days was considered to be the 
best wages paid. After the young man was four- 
teen years of age he attended two terms of a 
select school four miles distant from bis home, 
during the first of which he lived at home and 
walked four miles morning and evening; during 
the last term he worked for his board near the 
school. At the age of sixteen he moved west with 
his father and mother, two brothers, Edward and 
Lyman, and sister Eveline, his other brother, 
Lewis, having died at the age of twelve years. 
The family settled at Milwaukee in the spring of 
1852. Loren was not content with his new home 
in the west, and soon went upon the lakes as a 
sailor before the mast. He sailed first from Mil 
waukee, then from Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, 
Ogdensburg and Kingston. He was gone from 
home three years, and on his return was grief- 
stricken to learn that his father, mother, brothers 
and sisters, there having been another sister born 
during his absence, had all been stricken down, and 
died by that terrible malady, the cholera, which 



iiL 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



775 



had scourged tbe Eastern cities during the year 
1854. Alone in the world, he now turned from 
the city on the lakes, known as the Cream City, 
and to this daj' so unpleasant has been the memory 
of that place where thirty- six years ago he sought 
in vain to find the last resting place, or even one 
who heard the last dying words of those most dear 
to him on this earth, that he has never cared to 
return. Loren went again upon the lakes as a 
sailor, and soon after drifted down on the Missis- 
sippi and Ohio Rivers. There as a steamboat- 
man, by his koowledge of the ropes gained while 
upon the lakes, he soon rose from a common deck 
hand to the position of mate of a mail packet, the 
" Lady Madison," plying between Cincinnati and 
Madison, on the Ohio River. From here he went 
on the Mississippi, and from there in the summer 
of 1856, being sick with the chills and fever, he 
went to live in the city of Rock Island, 111. In 
Rock Island he engaged as runner for the City 
Hotel, one of the largest hotels in the city, and it 
was here he cast his first vote, which was for John 
C. Fremont for president, but not, however, until 
he had sworn in bis vote, having been challenged 
by a Democrat, by whom he was well known, and 
who knew he was entitled to a vote, and who, to 
prevent his voting, attempted to have him arrested. 
Young Hastings had always inclined to be a Repub- 
lican, but if this was Democracy, he swore never 
to be a Democrat, and to this day he has kept his 
word. The next season he went to St. Paul, 
Minn., and engaged to pilot a raft down tbe Mis- 
sissippi River. At Port Byron he left tbe raft and 
went to Bureau County, 111., and again worked on 
a farm for a living. Here at the age of twenty - 
three, he soon appreciated the need of a better 
education, and so after his day's work behind the 
plow, he attended a series of night schools, where 
in the winter of 1858-59 he became acquainted 
with Maseroa Abigail Matthews, and July 8, 1859, 
they were united in marriage. Here they resided, 
where on August 26, 1860, a son, Lewis Edward, 
was born to them. In the spring of 1861 they 
moved to Iowa City, la., where they were living 
when tbe war for the Union broke out. August 6, 
1861, Mr. Hastings enlisted in the Sixth Iowa 



Volunteer Infantry, his wife and babe returning 
to Bureau County, 111., where they lived till the 
close of tbe war, and tbe return of the husband 
and father. On April ' 6, 1862. Mr. Hastings 
believing that he could render his country better 
service in the United States navy than in the army, 
went into tbe navy, and served on board the U. S. 
S. Ironclad "Cairo," on which vessel he partic- 
ipated in the capture of Island No. 10, the naval 
fight with the rebel Mississippi fleet above Fort 
Pillow, on the morning of May 10, 1862, the evac- 
uation of Fort Pillow on June 4, 1862, tbe naval 
engagement with the entire rebel fleet before 
Memphis, June 6, in which the entire rebel fleet 
with the exception of one fast ram was sunk or 
captured, the bombardment of Haines' Bluff in 
the Y'azoo River, above Vicksburg, in December of 
the same year, in which engagement the old 
" Cairo" was blown up with a torpedo planted in 
the river bj' tbe rebels. When the "Cairo" was 
blown up'Decernber 20, Mr. Hastings alone, after 
every other gunner had left the gun-deck of the 
sinking vessel, elevated, pointed and fired the last 
gun ever fired from the old "Cairo," after which 
he made bis way to tbe spar deck, just in time to 
escape from the doomed ship, by plungipg over- 
board into the river, where be was received by a 
shower of bullets from tbe rebels on shore. Other 
gunboats were now coining up and opening fire on 
the rebels, and driving them back, while small 
boats picked up tbe "Cairo's" crew. About 
January 1, 1S63, Hastings, with one or two others, 
was ordered for duty on board the U. S. S. 
"Cricket," when for meritorious conduct at the 
sinking of the ' ' Cairo" ' be was promoted to the 
rank of quartermaster. In June, 1863, his enlist- 
ment expiring, and not having seen bis family for 
nearly two years, he took tbe discharge he was 
entitled to, and visited bis wife and children, a 
girl, Julia loiia, having Ijeen l>orn to them during 
his absence. After a short visit he returned to 
the navy, and Jnly 5, 1S63, received his commis- 
sion as master's mate, U. S. N., and ordered for 
duty on board the U. S. Ironclad " Carondelet," 
where he served till April 1, 1865, when he was 
promoted to an ensign U. S. N. and assigned for 



•^ n 



■"«) 



r^ 



9 k^ 



776 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



duty to tbe U. S. S. "General Price," a steamer 
capttirod from the rebels at Memphis, in June, 
1S()2. Ill -July, isr)5, he was detached from the 
"(iciieral Price"' and ordered to duty as second 
ill cDiiuuaud of the U. S. S. " Pearta," whereat 
tlit> close of the war, December 25. 1865, he was 
iionorably discharged with the thanks of the Navy 
Department. After the war was over Mr. Hast- 
iiii^s leturued to Mineral, Bureau Comity, 111., 
where bis wife was then living, and where on Sep- 
tciniier ii, lS6;i, Julia lona, the little tlaughter, had 
(lii'il. No other children were ever born to them. 
They lived here but a short time, and then in 
1S6S moved to Des Moines, where they lived in 
Polk County till 1870, when they came to Ne- 
luaska. and settled on Section 2, Township 10. 
Range 6, west of the sixth principal meridian, on 
Lincoln Creek, about two miles east of what is 
now the city of Aurora, being the first white set- 
tler in Aurora Precinct. Here they lived till 1875, 
when death removed the wife and broke up the 
home. Mr. Hastings now rented the farm and 
wont to Harvard, where he was again married to 
Miss Annie E. Peter.son, of Lafayette, Ind. , and 
in the spring of 1877 returned to Aurora, and took 
editorial charge of the Aurora Republican, having 
purchased a half interest in the paper in the 
spring of 1875, of F. M. Ellsworth, an attorney 
of Seward, Nel). , and who at that time also owned 
a part in the town site of Aurora. Mr. Hast- 
ings continued to edit the paper and have the busi- 
ness management of it till 1878, when he came into 
full possession of the entire plant, since which time 
it has been greatly improved, and is now located 
in a fine large new bi'ick building, on the south 
side of the square, built expressly for it, and 
fitted up with steam power. Hoe cylinder, and 
(xordon presses, with one of the best job otKces in 
the State. Mr. Hastings is a member of Zach 
Chandler Post No. 40, G. A. R., and also a mem- 
ber of Hamilton Lodge No. 60, I. O. O. F., of 
Aurora. He is also a pensioner for injuries re- 
ceived in the defense of his country and his coun- 
try's flag. 

Ohauucey Jones was born in Hinsdale, Catta- 
raugus County, N. Y., September 3, 1829, being a 



son of Chauncey Allen and Harriet (Terrill) Jones, 
the former of whom was a farmer by occupation 
and a native of Y'ork State, his father being also 
Chauncey Allen Jones, whose progenitors were 
among the early settlers of that State. The Ter 
rills were of old Connecticut stock. Chauncey 
Jones, the immediate suliject of this sketch, was 
reared to a farm life, and was engaged in that and 
the lumbering business until 1869, when he came 
west and located at Nebraska City, remaining 
there until 1880, at which time he came to Aurora 
and has since kept a hotel, at which he is doing 
well. He was married in Crawford Coi;nty, Pa., 
to Mi.ss Maggie Bostwick, a native of Cattaraugus 
County, and a daughter of Henry and Maliel 
(Hayward) Bostwick, who were also born in that 
county, the former a farmer by occupation and a 
son of Truma Bostwick and Malinda (Smith) Bost- 
wick, belonging to an old and highly honored 
family of that State. Mabel Hayward was a 
daughter of Josiah Hayward, a soldier in the War 
of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have had a family 
of two sons born to them: Clifton A. (who is 
attending a commercial college at Lincoln, Neb.) 
and Chauncey Clayton. 

Alonzo Lewis, farmer, Stockham, Neb. The 
history of every community is made up, so far as 
its most interesting features are concerned, of the 
events and transactions of the lives of its promi- 
nent representative citizens. In any worthy his- 
tory of Hamilton County an outline of the life of 
the subject of this sketch should not fail to be 
given, together with a sketch of his family. His 
parents were Daniel T. and Candace (De Wolf) 
Lewis, natives of New York and Connecticut, 
respectively. The mother died in Michigan March 
18. 1884, but the father is still living and resides 
in that State. Alonzo Lewis was born in Michi- 
gan January 31, 1837, and was the third of seven 
children, four of whom are living, born to his 
parents. He was reared to the arduous duties of 
the farm, received the rudiments of an education 
in the common schools, and supplemented the same 
by a course at Hillsdale College. In February, 
1862, he enlisted in Company B, Fourth Michigan 
\'oIuiiteer Infantry, and served three years, eight 



=^|V 



_< g) 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



777 



months and twenty days. He was wounded at 
Yorktown first and again in 18n4. He was dis- 
charged at the city of Washington in November, 
186;"). He is now the owner of 160 acres of land, 
and on this farm the first election in Hamilton 
County was held. May IH, 1866, he was married 
to Miss Alvena Sco field, a native of Massachusetts, 
born in 1848, and the fruits of this union have 
been ten children: Minnie H., Daniel G., Ella A., 
Florence E., Lyman E., Alonzo D., Hattie E., 
Maud E. , Ray V. and Le Verne G. Mr. Lewis is 
one of the old settlers of the county and a man 
eminently respected. He is a Republican in poli- 
tics and a member of the G. A. R. 

Jason Lyon, farmer and stock-raiser, Trumbull, 
Neb. A life-time of hard, earnest endeavor in 
pursuing the occupation to which he now gives his 
attention, coupled with strict integrity, honesty of 
purpose and liberality in all directions, have had a 
result to place Mr. Lyon among the truly respected 
and honored agriculturists in the county. He owes 
his nativity to the State of New York, his birth 
occurring in Chenango County, in 1838, and is the 
fourth of nine children, the result of the iinion 
of Daniel and Harriet (Carpenter) Lyon, natives 
of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, respectively. 
Daniel Lyon was born in 1807, and was the son of 
Cyrus Lyon. He was a farmer, and was married 
in Chenango County, N. Y., where he tilled the 
soil for a number of years. To his marriage were 
born the following children: Polly, Sarah (de- 
ceased), Cyrus Ralph, Jason, Myron D., Sarah 
Henrietta, William, Ezra and Ira. The father 
died in 1866, and the mother in 1870. Both were 
members of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Lyons 
was the daughter of Joseph Carpenter. Jason 
Lyon received his education in the State of New 
York, and started out to tight life's battles for 
himself in 1853. He first went to Sangamon 
County, 111., near Springfield, and was there en- 
gaged in farming for some time. In 1856 he was 
married to Rasella Gould, a native of Greene Coun- 
ty, 111., born in 1839, and one of ten children born 
to William and Hannah (Austin) Gould. Mr. 
Gould died in 1877, but his wife is still living, and 
resides in Hamilton County, Neb. He was a 

4!) 



broom-maker by trade, and was also a school-teach- 
er. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, in which his widow holds membership at 
the present time. In 1863 Mr. Lyon enlisted in 
Company I, Seventy-third Illinois Infantry, and 
participated in some of the principal engagements: 
Perryville, Stone River, Cbickamauga, Missionary 
Ridge, Dan Ridge, Rocky Face Ridge, Buzzard's 
Roost, Resaca, Altoona. Atlanta. Jonesboro, Frank- 
lin, Nashville, and many other engagements of 
note. He enlisted as a private aad was discharged 
as second sergeant in 1865. He was ruptured on 
the battle ground of Cbickamauga. After the 
war Mr. Lyon followed agricultural pursuits until 
the fall of 1872, when he came to Lancaster Coun- 
ty, Neb., and there cultivated the soil for one 
year. In tlie spring of 1873 he came to Hamilton 
County, Neb., settled on land given him by the 
government for services during the war, improved 
the same, and now has a tine place of 160 acres. 
He is also engaged in raising a tine grade of stock. 
Polled- Angus cattle and Poland-China hogs; also 
Clydesdale and Norman horses. In connection 
with agricultural pursuits Mr. Lyon has been en- 
gaged in the wind mill business for the past twelve 
years, and has also been successful in this. He 
takes a decided interest in all laudable enterprises, 
has helped to organize School District No. 35, and 
has been a member of the school board. He has 
always voted with the Republican party, and is a 
member of the G. A. R. at Trumbull. He was 
elected ju.stice of the peace in 1875, and has held 
that position for about ten years. To his marriage 
were born nine children: Alice D. (died in 1885), 
Frank M. (in Missouri), Alfred S., William D., 
Harriet L., Charles J., Maggie I., Sarah E. and 
Lawrence L. Mrs. Lyon is a member of the 
Presbyterian Cuurch. 

Isaac Wells Schootiover is the proprietor of a 
well-known livery, feed and sale stalsle, located at 
Aurora, Neb., and although bora ia Pike County, 
Ohio, January 20, 18-17, he has identified himself 
with the interests of Hamilton County Neb., since 
locatiiig here, and is considered by all to be one of 
its most valuable residents. He is a son of James 
and Laura (Wells) Schoonover, who were also born 



r78 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



in the "Buckeye State," the former a carpenter 
by occupation and a soldier in the late Civil ^\'ar. 
His father, Hiram Schoonover, was a native of 
Old Virginia, and removed to the State of Ohio 
during a very early period of its history. Mrs. 
Laura (Wells) Schoonover was a daughter of Rich- 
ard Wells, whose l)irth occurred in the State of 
New York. Isaac Wells Schoonover was reared to 
manhood in his native State, and was initiated into 
the mysteries of farm life during his youth, but 
in 1872 determined to seek his fortune in the 
West, and accordingly came to Nebraska in that 
year, and located in Beaver Township on a farm, 
which he continued to till until 1884, when he 
engaged in the livery business. His stable is well 
arranged and admirably adapted for the siiccess- 
ful conduct of his affairs, and being energetic, 
straightforward and polite, he commands a con- 
.stantly increasing patronage. He was married in 
Pike County, Ohio, to Miss Mary A. Hyatt, a na- 
tive of Scioto County, Ohio, but in 1888 buried his 
wife at Aurora, Neb., she having borne him four 
sons and one daughter: James E. (in the mercan- 
tile business), William J. (a blacksmith by trade), 
Etfie May, and Lee and Clyde (at school). Mr. 
Schoonover has since married Mrs. Julia E. Cro- 
foot, vf.e Burton, who was the mother of one son 
and two daughters by her first husband: Thomas, 
Clara and Nellie Crofoot. Mr. Schoonover has 
served in a number of local offices. 

Hon. Daniel A. Scovill. The magnitude of 
the real-estate interests in this city and the inces- 
sant activity in the market have enlisted the serv- 
ices of many of its most responsible men, and 
among the number is Mr. Scovill, who besides 
being engaged in this business is interested in 
collecting and insurance, and is now holding the 
office of justice of the peace and that of police 
judge of Aurora. He was born in Stephenson Coun- 
ty, 111., near Freeport, June 6, 1841, and is a son 
of Herman R. and Julia A. (Rogers) Scovill, who 
were born near Catskill, N. Y., the father a worthy 
tiller of the soil. He was a son of Amasa Scovill, 
who was a soldier in the War of IS 12 from York 
State, the latter' s father being a native of France, 
but came to America with Marcpiis de Lafayette, 



and served under that worthy general in the war 
for American Inde])endence. He afterward settled 
on a farm near Catskill, N. Y., where he spent the 
rest of his days. The name was originally De 
Scoville, and the family were noted for their lon- 
gevity, and were people of medium stature. Julia 
A. Rogers was a native of York State, a daughter 
of Daniel Rogers, who was born in t he '" Granite 
State," and whose ancestors in all probability came 
to this country prior to the Revolntionary W'ar. 
About the year 18139 Herman R. Scovill with his 
wife and daughter removed to what was then " the 
West," and settled on a farm near Freeport, 111., 
and here his family was reared. His son, Daniel 
A., became familiar with the details of farming 
when very young, but upon the In-eaking out of 
the late Civil War he left the plow to offer his 
services to his country, and in September, 1861, 
became a member of Company A, Forty sixth Illi- 
nois Volunteer Infantry, and did honorable and 
active service until March 28, 1866, when he 
returned to his Illinois home with an honorable 
discharge as a veteran of the above-named com- 
pany. He was twice wounded while in the service, 
once by a gun-shot in the left leg at Shiloh, and 
had an ankle broken by a fragment of shell at 
Champion's Hill. During the entire war he was 
only out of service for three months, this time 
being spent in the field hospital before Vicksburg. 
He started in as a private and did duty as first 
duty sergeant at the time of his discharge. He 
was at Fort Donelson. Shiloh, Corinth, second 
battle of luka, second battle of Corinth, Champion's 
Hill, the siege and capture of Vicksburg, Chicka- 
mauga, Chattanooga, Nashville, Fort Spanish, 
Fort Blakely and Mobile. After the war Mr. 
Scovill returned home, and in 1868 went to Mount 
Morris Seminary, where he spent two collegiate 
j-ears, and the following year came to Hamilton 
County, Neb., and settled in the precinct that now 
bears his name, where he engaged in farming. In 
1876 he was elected to the position of county 
sheriff, moved to Aurora, and ably filled this posi- 
tion for two years, after which he was elected to 
the State Senate from Hamilton and York Counties, 
in which capacity he also served two years, retir 



3?. 



\^ 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



779 



ing to engage in his present calling. In 1SS9 he 
was elected to represent this oonnty in the Twenty- 
tirst General Assembly, the duties of which he is 
now discharging very efKcieutly. He is a member 
of the G. A. R. , having held nearly n\\ the offices 
in Chandler Post No. 44, and he also belongs to 
the Old Settlers' Association of this county. As a 
man of business his al)ility is unexcelled, Hnd |ieing 
of unquestioned integrity, those who intrust their 
interests to him may rest assured they will receive 
the most prompt and carefnl attention. He has 
been identified with the county's interests for 
many years, is a recognized authority as to present 
and prospective values, and counts among his cus 
tomers many of the principal investors and prop- 
erty holders. He is also engaged in managing the 
old homestead in Scovill Precinct. He was mar 
ried at Freeport, 111., to Miss Lizzie Wheeler, a 
native of York State, by whom he has one son and 
four daughters: Edith E., Effie A., Olive M., 
Clarence R. and Grace E. He is a steward and 
trustee of the Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, of 
which his wife is also a member. 

Christopher Short, farmer and stock raiser, 
Phillips, Neb. The entire life of Mr. Short has 
l)een one unmarked by any unusual occurrence 
outside of the chosen channel to which he has so 
diligently and attentively given his time and atten- 
tion. He was born in Germany in 182f), emi- 
grated to the United States in 1853, settled in New 
Jersey, and in 1850 moved to Illinois. In 1859 
he was united in marriage to Miss Georgia 
(Cranis) Short, a native of Tennessee, born in 
1828, and the fruits of this union were two chil- 
dren, H°nry and Frank, l)oth of whom leside in 
Monroe Township, and are engaged in tilling the 
soil. Mr. Short enlisted in the army in 1861, One 
Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry, and was 
mustered in at Chicago in 18(55. He was with the 
Eastern army all through the war and served his 
adopted country faithfully and well. In 1872 he 
came to Nel)raska and homesteaded 100 acres of 
the northeast (juarter of Section 32. Since then 
he has bought eighty acres of railroad land, and is 
one of the most successful farmers of the county, 
as a glance over his well-kept farm will show. He 



has made a complete succe.ss of farming in Ne- 
braska, and is one of the large.st fruit-growers in 
the county. He takes quite an active interest in 
politics, is a Republican, and is a member of the 
G: A. II. He is a member of the Presbyterian 
Cliurch. He had the misfortune to lose his wife 
in 1884. 

Jiulge Jerome H. Smith, of the Sixth Judicial 
District of Nel)raska, was born at Waterford, 
Westmoreland County, Pa., March 2, 1853, being 
a sou of Thomas and Permelia (Hill) Smith, the 
former a mechanic by occujjation and a native of 
Westmoreland County. His grandfather, Samuel 
Smith, was an artisan (which was the chief occu- 
pation of the family), and a man of large stat- 
ure and of a tine constitution, characteristic of his 
race. The maternal grandfather. Thomas Hill, 
was a farmer. In 1865 Thomas and Permelia 
(Hill) Smith removed from their Pennsylvania 
home to Arlington, 111., and later to Princeton, 
III., from which pla-e the father enlisted for the 
Civil AVar, in Company A, Sixty-ninth Illinois In- 
fantry. In 1808 he removed with his family to 
Oseeobr, Iowa, where Jerome H. Smith worked at 
his trade for five years, reading law in the mean- 
time. He afterward entered the office of Chaney & 
Temple, and on June 2, 1875, was admitted to the 
bar. He immediately began practicing his pro- 
fession, continuing there until March, 1879, when 
he came to Aurora with his wife and one child. 
The first position of trust he held here was county 
prosecutor, for which he qualified in January, 
1 889. He has also served as a member of the city 
council. He is a social gentleman, has a firm hold 
on pul)lic esteem, and is considered by his friends 
peculiarly qualified for the office which he is now 
filling. He was married in Osceola, Iowa, to Mi.ss 
Roseltha F. Likes, a daughter of Philip Likes, a 
sketch of whom appears in this work, and by her 
he has five sons: Herbert, Harry. Roscoe, Fred 
and Jerome H. 

Samuel Stalnaker is the proprietor of a well 
equipf)ed and well conducted livery stable at Mar- 
quette, and is now doing a piotitable business. He 
was born near Philippi. W. Va., November 10, 
1830, and is a son of William and Nancy (Digman) 



*7f. 






^ 



780 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Stalnaker, who were also born in Virginia. The 
settloment of the Stalnakm-s in America antedates 
the Revokitionary War, in which members of the 
family did active service, as well as in the War of 
1812. The Digmaaa also trace their family back 
to a very early settlement in this country. Samuel 
Stalnaker grew to manhood in Virginia, and in 
18r>4 left that State and went to Iowa, and was 
engaged in tilling the soil in Mahaska County un- 
til IS74 or 1875. when he came to the fertile 
prairies of Nebraska, and farmed in Cass County 
until 1881. At that date he renjoved to Hamilton 
County and made a home in South Platte Precinct, 
being engaged in farming here also, l)ut since 188U 
he has been engaged in the livery business in Mar- 
quette, and is accounted one of the leading business 
men of the place. He was married to Miss Elizabeth 
Ryan, a daughter of Felix Ryan, of Edgar, Neb., 
and by her he is the father of live sons: Absalom 
(who is engaged in farming in Otis Precinct), John 
(who is farming in Cedar Valley Precinct), Dean 
(who is in the livery business in Osceola, Neb.), 
Charley (who is associated in business with his 
father) and Ryan (a farmer of Otis Precinct). Mr. 
Stalnaker has served faithfully in many local of- 
fices, and as a man and citizen commands the re- 
sj)ect and esteem of all who know him. 

Dr. Edward Arthur Steenburg, physician, Au- 
rora, Neb. Among the many rising men of Ham- 
ilton County, prominent as enterprising and pub- 
lic-spirited citizens, is the subject of this sketch, 
whose pushing and active mind has placed him in 
the front ranks of professional men at this place. 
He is a native of Canada, but his progenitors be- 
long to the old Knickerbocker stock of the State of 
New York, the original name being Van Steenberg, 
and their early history in this country being cotem- 
poraneous with and similar to those thrifty Amster- 
dam merchants, whose early settlement af New 
York City and along the Hudson have made for 
them a reputal)le name in the commercial and pro- 
fessional life of this fair Union of States. Their 
settlement in America antedated the Revolution, 
in which they bore an important part, and branches 
of the family are to be found in almost every State 
in the Union. A family of them settled in Canada, 



prior to the War of the Rebellion in that country, 
from whom comes our subject. His parents were 
Bi'njamin Steenburg and wife, Jiee Bennett, worthy 
people, who gave to their family as good educa- 
tional advantages as their circumstances would per- 
mit. Dr. Edward A. Steenburg grew to early man- 
hood at Trenton, his natal place being the township 
of Murray, Northumberland County, and he re- 
ceived a good education in the common schools. 
His early predilections turned to the study of med- 
icine, and as he grew to manhood he foresaw that 
he must adapt himself to some business to procure 
means whereby he could go through a regular 
course of training at some good school. His early 
training at his father's homo and under the princi- 
ples of monarchical government was of such a char- 
acter that it early and indelibly impressed itself 
ui)on his mind that he must become a thoroughly 
educated man whatever profession he would choose. 
He had about $600 to apply. The amount was 
too small for a regular course in the medical schools 
there, but it would tide him through veterinary 
study, and to this he bent his energies and com- 
pleted a thorough course in that study, being reg- 
ularly graduated for the Toronto school of veteri- 
nary study. He followed successfully the practice of 
this profession for a few years and soon obtained 
means to complete a regular course of study in his 
chosen profession. His veterinary practice had 
brought him to this Western country and to Aurora, 
which place he left to complete his medical studies, 
being a graduate from Rush Medical College, 
Chicago. After graduating in medicine he located 
here and by his pleasing address and most agree- 
able manners has built up a good practice. 

Jacob W. Swearingen, proprietor of feed-mill, 
Stockham, Neb. Mr. Swearingen is one of the 
pioneer settlers of Hamilton County, and is a man 
who has won the respect and esteem of all by his 
honesty and perseverance. He was originally fr^u 
DeWitt County, 111., his birth occurring February 
21, 1847, and is the son of Abram and Amy (Crumb) 
Swearingen, the former a native of Kentucky and 
the latter of Indiana. Both are now deceased, the 
father dying November 5, LS87, aged ninety-one, 
and his wife September 28, 1886, aged seventy- 



^ 



d±. 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



781 



nine years. Jacob W. Swearingen was early ini- 
tiated into the duties of farm life in his native 
county, and on January 5, 186-t, he enlisted in 
Company I. One Hundred and Thirteenth Illinois 
Volunteers, serving in this company until the close 
of the war. He then returned to De Witt County, 
111., and in 186(3 began learning the blacksmith 
trade, after which he spent some time in the study 
of dentistry. This he practiced in Champaign 
County, 111., until 1808, when he resumed farm- 
ing and black-iuiithing in De Witt County. He se- 
lected for his companion in life Miss Martha Ellen 
Elzey, a native of Ohio, born October 10, 1849, 
and the marriage ceremony was celebrated • in De 
Witt County, August 20, 1807. Her parents were 
Jacob and Mary Elzey. In 1871 Mr. Swearingen 
removed to Hamilton County, Neb. , located in 
Orville Township, and since then he has followed 
farming and blacksmithing. In connection for 
several years he has also conducted a feed-mill, 
and owns a splendid one near Stookham, having 
purchased the Stockham Creamery Building and 
converted it into a feed-mill in the early part of 
1890. On January 15 of that year he removed 
from his farm to Stockham, where he will also es- 
tablir-h a tank factory and carry on blacksmithing. 
He still owns his farm in Orville Township, and it 
now consists of 3"20 acres, 1 60 acres of which he 
proved up as a homestead. To his marriage have 
been born seven children: Luella M., NoahW., 
Roxy Ann Eliza, William F., Mary A., Charlotte 
I. (deceased) and Isaac S. Mr. Swearingen and 
wife are members of the Christian Church, and the 
former is a member of the I. O. O. F., the Farm- 
ers' Alliance and the G. A. K. In politics he is 
a Republican. 

Alexander Napier Thomas, mayor of Aurora. 
Neb., was born in the city of "Brotherly Love" 
July 5, 1839, his parents being Fred J. and Ann 
(>|kpier) Thomas, the former of whom was a min- 
ister of the Christian Church. Alexander Napier 
Thomas resided in Philadelphia until he was four- 
teen years of age, after which he moved west with 
his parents, and finally located in South Bend, 
Ind. , where he grew to manhood, and was attend- 
ing college when the war liroke out. In August, 



1862, he put aside his books to take part in the 
struggle that was then going on, and enlisted in 
Company C, Seventy-third Indiana Volunteer In- 
fantry, and did active service until July, 1865, 
taking an active part in many important engage- 
ments. On May 3, 1803, he was taken jirisoner, 
and remained in rebel prisons until November 30, 

1864, when he made his escape near Columbia, S. 
C. After the war he returned to South Bend, Ind., 
and for eight years served as recorder of St. Joseph 
County, two years as a member of the city council 
and two years as mayor. Having become thor- 
oughly familiar with legal lore, he was here ad- 
mitted to the bar, and practiced his profession, 
coming west in 1882, locating in Aurora the fol- 
lowing year. He is now serving his tirst term as 
mayor, but is proving a trusty and eflicient official, 
and has been president of the city school board. 
He has been a member of the Masonic order since 

1865, and is a member of Chandler Post No. 44, 
G. A. R., and has served as commander for two 
years. He was married December 5, 1865, to Miss 
Addie V. Hodgkinson, who was born at Niles, 
Mich. , a daughter of James and Margaret (Fussel) 
Hodgkinson. Three sons and a daughter have 
blessed their union: Horace N. (a printer by occu- 
pation, and a resident of Chicago, the father of 
one son, Floris A.), Addie Margaret, Freddie A. 
and James O. 

Gustave L. Wagner, dealer in hardware, tin 
ware, harness, etc., at Hampton, and one of the 
first-class business men of the city, is a native 
of Prussia, born on February 15, 1863. He came 
with his parents to the United States in 1866, tirst 
settling in Milwaukee, Wis., but later moved to 
Henry County, 111., and in 1872 to Hamilton 
County, Neb., where he tilled the soil on his father's 
farm until twenty-two years of age. He pur- 
chased an interest in Lowman's general merchan- 
dise store and continued at this for two years, when 
he engaged in the business of stock-buying, after 
selling his interest in the store to O. B. Erlmborn. 
March 15, 1888, he purchased the hardware store 
of E. D. Foster, has added to the stock until he 
now carries about |3,5O0 worth of stoves, general 
hardware and tinware, also harness and saddler}'. 



*^« 



■,^ 



,^, 



782 



HISTORY OF NEBRASKA. 



Ho lias a woll-cquippecl WDrk room, making it pos- 
sible ft)r him to do an}' and all kinds of job work. 
Ho handles the Union Sewing Macbino in which he 
makes a special run, giving bis patrons the advan- 
tage of cash purchase money. In 1S88 he was 
united in marriage to Miss Ada H. Logan, daugh- 
ter of Robert D. and Harriet (Rhoods) Logan, 
natives of Indiana. Mrs. Wagner was born on Au- 
gust w, 1808, in Illinois. To this union has been 
born one child, Gustave Ernest. Mr. Wagner is 
a Democrat in politics, is a member of the Ger- 
man Lutheran Church, and is one of the charitable 
and public-spirited citizens of the county. Mrs. 
Wagner is a member of the United Brethren 
Church. Mr. Wagner was the second of three 
childi'en born to Christian and Caroline (Klawon) 
Wagner, both natives of Prussia. The parents are 
now residing in Hamilton County, Neb., and the 
father is engaged in tilling the soil. 

John A. Whitmore. the present prosecuting 
attorney of Hamilton County, Neb., is one of the 
brilliant lawyers of the same and does credit to 
the bar of this State. He was born in Northville, 
La Salle County, 111., July 20, 1850, and is a son 
of Joseph and Betsey Ann (McNett) Whitmore, 
the former of whom was a farmer and stock-raiser 
by occupation, and is sujsposed to have lost his life 
in Arizona about 187L He was a son of John 
Whitmore, a contractor and builder by occupation 
of Western New York, and a grandson of John 
\Vhitmor(\ who was one of Gen. Wolf's soldiers 
at the battle of Quebec, and afterward settled in 
New York State. Betsey Ann (McNett) Whit- 
more was a daughter of Alexander McNett, whose 
family were of the name McNair, and many of her 
ancestors served in the Revolutionary War, seven 
sons out of one family leaving their Y'ork State 
home to esjiouse the American cause. Both the 
Whitmores and McNetts were very hardy people 
and long lived. John Whitmore, the paternal 
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a 
soldier in the War of 1812, and was at Hull's igno- 
minious surrender. He afterward settled in Ohio 
and his son, Joseph, in La Salle County, 111., in 
1836. Here John A. Whitmore srrew to manhood, 
and from his earliest recollections he has lieen 



familiar with the details of agricultural life. After 
reaching a suitable age he engaged in teaching 
school, after which he took a thorough course in 
law, and was admitted to the Indiana and Illinois 
bars. After practicing at Ottawa, III , until 1880, 
he came to Nebraska and located at Hampton, 
where he made his home until July, 1889, at 
which time he was appointed to his present incum- 
bency. He has already proven that he has few 
equals in the management of the cases that come 
under his jurisdiction, and has gained the just 
distinction as a strong, clear and forcible speaker, 
a well-read lawyer and a man of more than ordi- 
nary intelligence. During business hours he is 
ever to be found at his post, and a bright future is 
before him. He was married in Illinois to Mi.ss 
Maud L. Jenks, a daughter of Franklin Jenks, 
who was born in York State. She was born in 
Missouri, and in 1886 passed from this life and lies 
buried in the cemetery at Hampton, Neb., leaving 
besides her devoted husband a family of three 
daughters, Laura E., Maud E. and Norma E., to 
mourn her loss. In his social relations Mr. Whit- 
more is a member of the K. of P. 

Dr. Daniel S. Woodard, physician and surgeon, 
Hampton, Neb. Not only as a physician, but as a 
leading exponent of general surgery in its many 
various branches, Dr. Daniel S. Woodard is wojthy 
of mention in a review of our foremost profes- 
sional men. He was born in Rappahannock Coun- 
ty, Va. , November 26, 1848, and is the second in a 
family of three children born to James M. and 
Frances (Driver) Woodard, natives of the Old Do- 
minion, the father born in Rappahannock County 
in 1814, and the mother in Rockingham County in 
1823. The former followed farming and was also 
engaged in school -teaching for many years. Dr. 
Woodard had very limited educational advantages 
while growing up, his mother being left a widow 
when he was but live years old, but by hard labor 
and perseverance he was able to fit himself for his 
profession. He worked upon the farm until he 
commenced the study of medicine (1874) and read 
for several years. February 23, 1882, after tak- 
ing the usual course, he graduated in the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons, now known as the 



A 



HAMILTON COUNTY. 



783 



St. Joseph Medical College, iu St Joseph, Mo., 
and then came dii'ect to Hampton, where he 
opened his office and has built up quite a large 
practice. In 1S67 he married Miss Sarah A. Cas- 
teel, daughter of William P. and Margaret (Owen) 
Casteel, natives of Pennsylvania, and by this union 
became the father of seven children: Cora (now the 
wife of George E. Lane), Samuel F. , John A., 
William A., James M., Maud and D. S. , Jr. Dr. 
Woodard is a Democrat in his political views. 
Ho was elected a member of the town council in 
1883, of which body he is still a member and chair- 
man of the same. In 1S8G he ran as Representative 
to the Legislature on the Democratic ticket, but was 
defeated by a small majority. This county being 
strongly Republican, it was quite an honor even in 
defeat. The Doctor is a member of Star Lodge 
No. 112, 1. O. O. F., of Hampton, and he is secretary 



of the same. He is also a member of Hampton 
Lodge No. 1()7, A. O. U. \V., in which he is finan- 
cier, and he is a member of the State Medical So- 
ciety and Hamilton County Association. He has 
met with unusual success during his residence 
here, and his time has been almost entirely de- 
voted to the relief of suffering humanity. He is 
of pleasing address and most agreeable manners, 
possessed of a mind clear, penetrating and com- 
prehensive, thoroughly posted in his profession, 
and a practitioner of decided merit. He owns a 
comfortable residence and two tine lots on which 
he resides. His office is supplied with a verj' 
large library filled with the choicest medical works. 
He was one of the foremost settlers in this city, 
and by his push and enterprise has won for him- 
self and family a place among the foremost citizens 
in the county. 



^j>.^.;.l.v^i;^ 






\ 




ERR AX A 



Coirection of sketches received too late for 
proper insertion: 

Pago 256; Sketch of S. L. Heaps. 

29tli line, after Adams Voiinty add: (Teaching, also, 
the tirst school in Fillmore County, Neb.) 

40lh line, after Kttitc add: To this union was given 
one child, Ollic Irvin. 

7th line, second column, after //«/?add; butcher shop 
and blacksmith shop. 
Page 278: Sketch of E. E. Merritt. 

5th line, Crittenden should read Chittenden. 
Page 279: Same sketch. 

22d line, after printinr/ add and. 

26tU line, after assistant add secretary. 

20th line, second column, Creath should read Creeth. 

25th line, second colun n, Creath should read Creeth. 

:Uth line, second column, Mi ni de s,\\o\\\i\ read Maud. 
Page 297: Sketch of W. W. Phillco. 

;3»)th line, 1S7'J should be 177'.i. 
Page 4;il : Sketch of John II. Croft. Jr. 



7th line, change name of wife to read: Miss Isadora 

F. Masterson. 
11th line, C/'o/V should read Miialer.ian. 
Page 482: Sketch of H. L. McKibben. 

9th line, after farming add; hauling llie lumber for 

his house 113 miles (from Chicago), and also his 

furniture. 
lOlh line, three horsis instead of a i/o/ce nf oxen. 
13th line, McCormirk insleail of ./. P. Manney. 
Page 480: Skelch of Joseph F. Megrue. 
8th Vine, five should be six. 
21st line. *;•«///«• .should be oldest son, (Jharlts. 
7th line, second coliimn, ISIO should be ISGO. 
13th line, second column, 1S72 should be7A77, and 

187!i should be 1873. 
14th line, second column, 1S7(> should be 1S7S, and 

187S sh!)uld be 1880. 

The Publishers will cheerfully correct by spec- 
ial errata sheet to be sent to every subscriber any 
error in the book, upon notification of the same. 






v 



